Kenneth Berger coaches startup leaders on how to prevent burnout, advocate for their desired lifestyle, and make a meaningful impact on the world. He’s spent more than  20 years in the tech industr...

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

Kenneth Berger coaches startup leaders on how to prevent burnout, advocate for their desired lifestyle, and make a meaningful impact on the world. He’s spent more than  20 years in the tech industry, is a former founder backed by top investors, and was the first product manager at Slack.

Kenneth Berger coaches startup leaders on how to prevent burnout, advocate for their desired lifestyle, and make a meaningful impact on the world. He’s spent...

Why not asking for what you want is holding you back | Kenneth Berger (exec coach, first PM @Slack)

Didn't realize I needed to listen to this episode, but I'm so glad I did!

Didn't realize I needed to listen to this episode, but I'm so glad I did!- Grapevine

Consumer startup founders and employees - Listen up

Business Development Manager

This video changed the way I started to think about value creation and making money. When I think about it, it makes me wonder that life is good and it will be great.

Lecture Transcript: http://www.tech.genius.com/Peter-thiel-lecture-5-business-strategy-and-monopoly-theory-annotatedPeter Thiel, founder of Paypal and Palant...

Competition is for Losers with Peter Thiel (How to Start a Startup 2014: 5)

[Thread] Share a link to a video that changed your life.

Product Manager

Welcome to Movies & Music's Private Community

I watch/listen to Lenny's podcast and every episode is a masterclass of its own. Especially this podcast with Nikita Bier.

10/10 recommend

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

 - YouTube

Lenny's Podcast is an absolute masterclass

Generalist

Welcome to LinkedIn Cringe's Private Community

I'm surprised to see on the comment section that people actually support this load of crap. 

To any newbies or freshers entering tech this year, don't follow this advice. These CEOs exploit your time to gain revenue and when the time is not good they wouldn't think twice before considering layoffs. Just do your job and go home to your life and family. 

This advice only applies to entrepreneurs who have huge stakes in the company. Because if the company do well they get millions in returns as dividends. As an employee, even if you work for 25 hours you only get the same salary. 

Don't follow any so called self procalimed entrepreneurs advocating for the hustle culture. You hustle for your life, not for your boss or your job.

More push towards grind and sacrifice.

Analyst

Welcome to Get Motivated's Private Community

Marc Andreessen on finding your pmf w/ startup world

Which are your favourite podcasts and why? If a fairly popular media company were contemplating a new Podcast, what are the subjects/theme can you suggest what you'd like to hear?

Content Strategist

So I interviewed for a SaaS company serving US clients. I got selected after three rounds (basic email chat, built a project, technical coding round at last) and got selected. 

Finally, it was time to discuss salary and joining date with the CEO. He was impressed by the about section on my portfolio, where I mentioned that I like to go on treks, hikes, read books, lift weights, go on a run, etc. During our call he mentioned that everyone at the startup works 6-7days a week, 12hrs a day and asked if I'd be fine with it as I have a "happening life".

I said that I'm not used to it but I'll manage and work in appropriate working hours. He seemed to agree on it.

But he ghosted me after that, and when I pinged him in the email thread; he said he's not moving ahead with me because my other properties won't allow me to "work as much as other employees".

How am I supposed to react to this lol

I didn't get selected because... I have a happening life?

Software Engineer

Why: I know that with all the job layoffs happening, it's kinda stupid to quit but I just can't. After almost a decade in the startup scene I'm taking a break, probably for good. 

From AI to B2C to ed-tech and more I have worked with startups at every stage of growth and across sectors. Almost in every one of these w/o exception, I have experienced burnout, mindless pressure, and being underpaid because I'm not from an IIT or IIM. 

Context: I love technology, I have been a sci-fi nerd since school and I threw myself into the stories of startups changing the world. But because of family finances and the overall culture of startups I haven't taken a break in about 10 years and it's starting to show. 

I don't have savings to last me more than 3-4 months but at this rate I'll end up checking out of society. 

Unsolicited advice: 
1) Most startups and the VCs that back them know they're going to fail but don't internalise their failure as yours. 
2) Always, always take care of your mental + physical health. Doesn't matter if you're intern and you're expected to slog 12-15 hours in the name of learning. 
3) I missed moments with my ageing mom and dad, school friends and just time to read and relax because I was afraid of missing out on "networking" and "office night outs". Fuck all that, it is and it will always be family and frit first. 


Finally, Fuck all you hustle bro CEOs, they have done more to damage the mentor health of a generation more than any politician. I feel stupid and useless because you can't help posturing and creating panic in the name of disruption. Hope AI takes your jobs too. 

PS: See you on the other side.

I'm laying myself off. Indian start-ups have killed my sense of purpose

Product Marketing Manager

Was reading the Steve Jobs book recently and realized he probably wasn't the easiest to work with / definitely did not create a great culture around him, especially in the early Apple years.

Remembered the movie on blackberry that I saw couple weeks ago and how it was this crazy, hard-ass ceo took charge and actually turned the company around, otherwise Blackberry would be nowhere in our memories today.

Do you think this is what is actually needed to build successful companies early on - and employee wellbeing and culture are things to be solved for later in the journey of a company?

Does a founder need to be abrasive / put company needs over employee needs for a startup to succeed?

Growth and strategy

Welcome to Product Managers's Private Community

I think we need more of senior Product folks in Indian ecosystem to speak up and teach the younger gen about what it takes to build great companies

Anuj Rathi is the Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Jupiter Money, where he leads product management, marketing, design, growth, and analytics. Befo…

The full-stack PM | Anuj Rathi (Swiggy, Jupiter Money, Flipkart)

Amazing pod!

Software Developer

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

I see a lot of folks with just 1.5-2 yoe getting promoted to "Senior Software Enginner".

Companies like Razorpay, Swiggy, Meesho comes in mind.

What should be the industry standard for being considered to be a "Senior"?

"Senior" designation seems inflated

Welcome to Business Roles's Private Community

Podcast Recommendation - Let's continue this in comments!

Honestly it’s a great episode. Do check it out- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrUq8JUkQls

From Lenny’s podcast with linkedin cpo

Partner

In this podcast, https://the-skip.simplecast.com/episodes/shedding-perceptions-moving-from-lone-wolf-to-team-player-CEZn4uXE, a successful product leader talks about being a  visionary vs playing well with other Product leaders.

What’s your personal experience and observations in Indian startups?
Also, is being a visionary a rare skill?

Being a product visionary vs teamplayer

Rounding up 2023, all of us learnt a ton. I'm sharing this one website which I found extremely interesting. It covers some fundamental mental models which would be helpful to many here.

Looking forward to what other Grapeviners 🍇 were upto this year.

Collection of thinking tools and frameworks to help you solve problems, make decisions and understand systems.

Tools for better thinking

[Thread] Share resources to the best thing you learnt this year.

Hey folks, i m a wannabe be entrepreneur. My reasons are simple I like problem solving and I want to create a secondary source of income. How do you find those problems? I feel you guys stumble upon problem statements through your own experiences. Ohh and one more thing, if there are any solopreneurs here on grapevine, let me know your thoughts as well as your journey too. Cheers :)

For the startup founders

read here: https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html
TLDR: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/founder-mode-by-paul-graham-tl-yfFETjNIQFep_ANjG2082Q

Thoughts on "Founder Mode" by Paul Graham?

I really wanted to build great products and have a say in how they would be built. To thrive in ambiguity and find relationships between causality and features is an addictive feeling. What about you?

What inspired you to become a Product Manager?

Give me some good informational podacsts to listen to

Didn't realize I needed to listen to this episode, but I'm so glad I did!

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