Hey,
I hope you’ve had a great week and are all geared up for the last month of 2021 to begin. Can you believe we are just 33 days away from 2022 and as I reflect back - this year has been full of loss, sorrow, and mishaps but also triumph, gratification, and learnings.
And today, I want to talk about one of my most enriching decisions of this year - what led me to be a part of the founding team of a new age brand and how it feels to build something from scratch.
D2C (Direct to Consumer) was not what I’d thought I would ever do when I was in college. I had a clear plan of action mapped out for myself. I wanted to work with an MNC for a couple of years, go for my masters and work with another MNC at a better pay check. It was simple, wasn’t it?
Well, I did work in this direction - I got into an MNC, applied for my masters but I guess, life had better plans for me. I realized I was not enjoying the MNC culture. Inside, there was a voice that was telling me that what I loved to do was hustle and build things. That’s when Vahdam as an opportunity came along and I cannot thank my mentor, Nikhil, enough for all that he’s done. I think he is one of the major reasons I fell in love with consumer brands and D2C. However still, the skepticism of doing something from scratch and being able to do justice to this role left me constantly questioning my capabilities.
But I think eventually, it’s all about taking the plunge. My love for building things and consumer brands led me to Perfora. And boy, it is not easy to build a brand. On days, I feel tired. I feel like I’ve failed. I struggle to even come up with an idea let alone put things to implementation. But the thought of making a difference in the lives of people keeps me going. The high stress atmosphere spawns great creativity, innovation, and reward.
I believe building a startup is the most progressive business around, it encourages creativity, individualism and is void of hierarchy. Working in a startup is not just a job; it's a mission. There are a million other things that could be done that offer better security and remuneration - but risking everything to do something you believe is incredibly inspiring. I think building a startup requires a level of commitment that you don’t experience in the corporate world and that’s the beauty of entrepreneurship. That’s the excitement in creating things from 0 to 1.
Here are my top 3 learnings from building something :
- It’s not just a job. It’s a passion. Your mistakes are your biggest teachers.
- Your voice will be heard and will help make decisions.
- You need to move fast. Change is the only constant.
This journey has also made me realize that joining a start-up is not a short-term gig. Building a company and building skills for your career may take longer than we think. While the pace of a startup is fast, the experiences that will benefit the rest of your career will take time. For example, there is always an energetic vibe at start-ups, but gaining the skills to build a business, customer base, and company that has an impact requires patience and perseverance.
I’d like to end this with what Peter Thiel wrote in his book Zero to One: “Madness is rare in individuals—but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule.” And it is this madness to create a difference that keeps us going.
I have been really lucky in my professional career. So many people have lifted me up. This is my opportunity to do the same. I would love to be of all the help I can be to anyone. So if you would like to chat with me or know someone who would be interested, do let me know.
P.S - There's good news! Finally, we have all the inventory in stock and all orders are now being shipped within 48 hours. Also, we’re running a BLACK FRIDAY offer where you get FLAT 30% OFF across the website. So, if pre-orders left you in doubt about ordering, it’s time to do it now.
Until next time,
Drishti