I had three objectives this year…

Part 1: What I’ve learned from startups so far

Part 2:

I don’t know where I spent the last New Year’s eve. Was I drunk? Or maybe, I was with my friends sipping a cup of coffee like it was just another day.

But still, continuing the tradition of resolutions-making and probably not fulfilling them, I had three objectives in my mind for this year. And you know, I couldn’t fulfill two of them.

I recently read this book called Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday. In the book, the author calls out people who accomplished great things despite the struggles they faced. And he reminds you take a minute to think, say that it really sucks. By all means, he says, vent. Exhale. Take stock. Wrap yourself in bed and rest. Go lay down on the edge of your toilet seat and puke. Let your anxiety flow. But, don’t take too long. Because for each obstacle we face, there are lessons we learn. Lessons which will make us stronger for the next one. And no excuses. No exceptions. It’s on you. Own up to your mistakes.

My first objective this year was to make sure Locus 2019 was one of the best events in my college’s history. And despite my best attempts at getting away from it, I had a huge responsibility. After all, I was it’s Marketing Manager. My job as a marketing manager was to find sponsors for our event, and frankly, at the core of it, I thought I was doing a decent job. I thought I was doing enough and then, I had to leave.

I had this lifetime opportunity to become a part of MIT Bootcamps at Brisbane, and I just couldn’t say no. I convinced my parents to let me go, and I thought to myself- “If I bring enough sponsors for Locus, it wouldn’t be that bad. Why would it even matter?”. So I set out on my way, trying to make the best of my limited connections and get a sponsorship. Also, first takeaway- Never ask your father for help when it comes to sponsorships.

Even though, I was trying my best- going for meetings after another, I wasn’t able to actually get the main sponsor for our event. But I had too much at my plate then. I had to prepare for the bootcamp, learn courses, read books they recommended and then there was Dailo, my first priority.

I was burned out within a few weeks, and I started revolting. My first instinct was to blame it on my team-members, my friends for not helping me out, and finally, myself. It wasn’t until I had the time to calm down and read a book called “Extreme Ownership” by Jocko in a flight to Sydney when I finally realized the biggest mistake I made.

I didn’t delegate.

You see, for the majority of my role as a Marketing Manager, I was either doing nothing because I was busy on other roles, or I was doing almost everything. I didn’t start right up with a proper delegation funnel from the right go, and at the end, it haunted me.

As a leader and manager with proper roles defined, it was my duty to take full ownership of my role.

If a football team doesn’t play well, you don’t blame the striker. Yes, he takes a pie of the blame. But it’s the full responsibility of the manager to make sure his team wins.

Similarly, it was my full responsibility as the Marketing Manager to bring in sponsors; and esp. a title sponsor for the event but I failed. Perhaps, it is too late for me to own up to my mistake. But I had to, and I will certainly make sure I never repeat that mistake ever again.

Lesson 4: Delegate and trust people to do the work. A proper leader delegates responsibilities and makes people feel they are a crucial part of the team. Also, own upto your mistakes and take full responsibility when you fail.

My second objective this year was to earn proper traction in Dailo and help it get an initial investment.

Like I said in the previous article, we started Dailo because we wanted to do something. As aspiring entrepreneurs, we wanted to solve real-life problems that people have and it motivated us. But more than that, we were four friends who loved to hang out with each other, and we were perhaps tired of not doing something with our lives.

You see, it’s a great story. Four friends who constantly hung out with each other, joining their hands together to form a real company. Four friends solving real problems, and trying to make a difference. Until it wasn’t. Because sometimes, it isn’t about friendship. Business can really make you cruel.

When we started Dailo, we didn’t know exactly what our roles were. We were two tech guys who weren’t that proficient in tech and two social work girls who loved business.

Our first mistake perhaps, was our inability to define what our roles were from the initial get-go. We didn’t know our strengths, we didn’t know what our weaknesses were, and as we rolled down the dices to make decisions, it was apparent. We lacked cohesion, and the immense workload that the startup world can have- eventually laid upon us.

I remember this fantastic quote from Erdin Beshimov in the bootcamp, “The world is often designed artificially to promote an uncollaborative environment.” and it couldn’t be more true.

When our relation as a team soured, I decided it was best if I left the company. It wasn’t a rash decision — I felt it was the best for me as well as the startup if I resigned. I have always believed it is important to be persistent with whatever you do, but there comes a moment when you have to let go and move on.

I strongly believed then, that it was the right moment. Perhaps, it was a selfish decision, and suddenly, not something an aspiring entrepreneur should do. But I thought it was taking a toll on our friendship and I maybe could focus on other things and learn from my mistakes.

At the moment, in some ways, I wish things were different then. There were circumstances we just couldn’t control, but there were some where we could have, and where I esp. could have done better. But still, when we started Dailo, it wasn’t because we thought we could go on to become successful. We wanted to start something- enter the world of startups, and most importantly, learn.

There’s no other school which can teach you better than the school of failure. And that’s why I was able to complete my third objective this year.

The objective to learn from mistakes and become a better person. To move on from the failures, and give it another go.

The real world is crude sometimes, but persistence is the only way to beat it. So my objective for the rest of the year is to give it another go and not be afraid of failure. I hope my story helps you start something too.

Until next time,

Ciao.