Actually u only die once. You live everyday 😜

Hum ek baar jeete hai, ek baar marte hai 🤭

Consultant

Humein ek baar jeevan milta hai aur hum roz jeete hai. Pr kuch log birthdays ya weekends pr hi jeete hai 🫣

Software Engineer

Capturing all platforms with those new set of abs 🏋

Product Manager

Growth Manager

Motivation to keep Biryani and still be best ✌️

Read this immense motivator on Grapevine  This has been my goto get up everyday and be 1% better everyday

Read this immense motivator on Grapevine 
This has been my go-to get up everyday and be 1% better everyday

"We only live once, why miss the chance to meet the best version of ourselves"

"We only live once, why miss the chance to meet the best version of ourselves"- Grapevine

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

If there is one thing you can learn from Ambani’s wedding, it’s the fact that money is the only objective measure of power and influence in this world.

-

The biggest rivals politically, share the stage and greet each other 
The biggest rivals in cricket, dance with each other
The biggest rivals in cinema, greet each other 
The biggest rivals within family, help each other 
The biggest rivals in business, hug each other 

-

You should strive to make as much money as you possible can because money is power. You don't do it for pleasure; you do it because that's how you win. You do it because in this ruthless world, being on top is the only safe place to be. Money is your shield and your weapon, and without it, you're nothing.

-

You make as much money as possible because, let's face it, money's fun. It's the key to all the cool stuff—power, parties, private jets, you name it. Sure, it's also about proving yourself and not being the screw-up everyone thinks you are, but mainly it's about the thrill. Making money means you're in the game, you're relevant, and you can do whatever the hell you want. 

-

Plus, it gives you the leverage to tell people to screw off and actually get away with it. So, yeah, stack that cash and enjoy the ride.

-

You make as much money as possible because it’s your ticket to security and status. In this family and in this world, wealth is what keeps you safe and respected. It’s about climbing the ladder and proving you belong at the top, even if you weren’t born into it. With money, you gain leverage, influence, and the ability to protect yourself in a cutthroat environment. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to enjoy the finer things and have a buffer against the chaos that comes with being alive in this world. 

-

You make as much money as possible because it’s about breaking boundaries and redefining what’s possible. It’s not just about the money—it’s about the disruption, the innovation, and staying ahead of the curve.

-

Continued in comments

Make money! As much as you possibly can!

Ambani's wedding is a display of the heights of income inequality in India.

We evolved to live in small tribes and now live outside of our natural habitat, in an advanced civilization. One effect of this mismatch is that there are a bunch of things that feel dangerous to us that aren't actually dangerous, leading us to be way too risk averse. Like:

- Asking someone out on a date
- Trying something new even though you'll suck at it at first
- Quitting your job to start a company or try a career in the arts
- Putting your real voice out there on controversial topics

For primates living in a small tribe, rejection, embarrassment, failure, and criticism posed actual material dangers. These things are not dangerous today, but our software hasn't been updated. So we miss out on living our best life, hiding in the 1-4 zone of the danger scale. In a world of overly risk averse people, the epiphany that the 4-7 zone is actually a safe place to play is a superpower.

Perception's paradox: Danger or Delusion

Welcome to Get Motivated's Private Community

My friends here, after having observed some common trends emerging in society today, it's very clear to me that being simple & normal is the best strategy. 

Look at the world around us:
- Attention spans are fucked. People cannot listen for 10 seconds without glancing over phone. There is very little recognition of the human in the 'other' person. 
- There is very little recognition of one self. Intoxicants, indiscipline, mindless activities are the sign of times. It's okay to do these. It's human to be silly. But it mustn't be your 24*7. 
- People are woke, but they're not awake. They'll come to you with a pitchfork as soon as they hear something that irks them, but barely try to understand your view.

These are disparate problems, and just some examples. 
The surest way to guard yourself is to **avoid doing what everyone else is doing**.

Be aware. Be disciplined. Exercise, eat well, sleep well, think well. 
Be simple, as you were a few years ago, or most people were mentally before the coming of the short term dopamine hit economy.

Random musings, thoughts welcome :)

Just be normal. Maintain your sanity. We will succeed in the long run.

Corporate Strategist

I know it’s a very common question, and impossible to know or answer.
But curious how you folks here rationalize the meaning of life.

Add your age if that’s okay, for good measure

For me: I’m 27, my life’s purpose (or so I think) is to build something that helps a whole lot of people have a better life. And it is to make the people around me - family, friends, strangers happier (the scale of which depends on how successfully I pull this off).

Whats yours? Would love to engage on this :)

Thread: What do you feel is your life’s purpose?

Do you really need one? 
 Existence is a gift, just enjoying it should be enough.

Founder

Grapevine achieved 100k+ users
Elon Musk got a Jacob's Creek

Since I'm too far to achieve my ancestor level grapes (>10k), I've got myself this, instead of tissues to BiryaniEnthu.

Elders of Grapevine, bless me to gain more knowledge, good people from this community, ofcourse grapes too.

BiryaniEnthu - I'm rooting for you!

Grapevine's day

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

Some background, I went to a T-1 school for my undergrad. Did many great internships and went to several hackathons around the globe. Made great money doing GSoC in my second year. I was the happiest back then. I was making more money than any of my friends, the world was for taking and I was Alexander, the world ripe for conquering.

Fast forward to today and I think I have done a disservice to my potential. Even if I still am the pot-smoking liberal teen that I was, I feel that I could have taken extreme risks when I was young. I could have still gotten my current job easily. I hardly work more than 3-4 hours in a day. I am always wondering what to do with my time and it feels like life has stagnated with nothing to look forward to except how much money I can realistically make over time. 

I feel when I look in the mirror, I am still the same person I was. Except, I have lost some hair ofcourse and some hair has turned white(blame bangalore water ig?). Here is my advice to anyone young, hungry, smart and ambitious...

You only miss the shots you never take. So take your chances and shoot your shots. No one cares about you as much as you do. So if you got one life, why wouldn't you make it the best movie that it can ever be?

Ps: I am looking for new ideas to start my own new venture. If any VCs are interested in hearing my idea, you can reach out to me in DMs. I will share my Calendly there.

Sometimes I feel that the purpose of my life(28M/42L) is more than this.

Well some need to reach that level of earning to realize and be in a position to act upon it. You wouldn’t be lost if finance was ur biggest concern. All this mid life crisis happens when all ur needs are met. One fact remains that in ur movie of life u wouldn’t want to watch parts of urself when u r just chasing after money.

Software Developer

Two months ago I posted this rant on Grapevine (https://share.gvine.app/CLkpBuEqcCvrzKvx6) which I think is one of the most viral posts on the platform.

Since then I took a break, learned Vipassana, went to the mountains, read, and reflected. Here are some truth bombs that have been exploding in my head

1) There is a leadership crisis

Is it me or do today's self-proclaimed leaders just suck? Look around Grapevine: insecure toxic managers forcing people back to the office, overhiring CEOs who don't know WTF to do, and founders just abandoning ship. 

"Leaders" and founders today are about as disconnected from reality as the political class, because like politicians most of them are privileged, sheltered, and already wealthy.

2) Technological innovation doesn't mean progress. 

I couldn't laugh harder when I saw the Indus Valley report basically saying that maybe all of us VCs overestimated how much money we could make funding lending and consumer apps. 

Maybe funding lending apps that "open up credit for the poor" isn't sustainable when the rate of interest is >18%?

Technological innovation doesn't always mean real-world progress. A lot of times, it just ends up perpetuating and amplifying pre-existing inequality. 

3) Endless growth toward nothing 

Most of India's startup money comes from the West. Most of that money was just printed to repeatedly get out of an economic crisis. That's it. There was no great vision to fund the future of humanity behind all this new capital. Just Central Bankers and Presidents pressing the "Create Money" button to delay the inevitable.

Most of us here owe our wealth to Easy Money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpMLAQbSYAw

PS: A book, that completely flipped my worldview during this time is this: https://www.amazon.in/Debt-First-Years-David-Graeber/dp/0143422715. I urge all fellow foot soldiers of capitalism to read this.

Until the next rant, stay sane, safe, and debt-free!

Follow-up to the most liked Grapevine post ever

Product Marketing Manager

For the last 2 months I have been trying to go to the gym and take care of my health but every week something or the other comes up and I'm working more than 14+ hrs sometimes. 12 hrs is average.


Every time something is going on in my mind around my work or performance or layoffs and a lot of things.  

I'm frustrated. Can somebody tell me what should be the best way to handle this?

Because of this I have high anxiety and also not getting proper time for personal life. 

I also feel a lot demotivated sometimes , thinking that why I'm working till 2am and for what?

Frustrated and Stressed: Mind Fog

Data engineer

I’ll start first: 

“The greats never sacrifice the important for the urgent. They handle the immediate problem and still make sure to secure the future.”

[Thread] Share one quote that stuck with you.

"The dildo of consequences rarely arrives lubed"

The past year has been the best!
I'm engaged to my long-term partner, making the first person I loved, my last.
I'm working in my dream company and dream role 
I've finally moved out and have a healthy distance from my controlling family
I wish I could say all of the above but you know what they say "You plan. God laughs'
My life has become a joke. 

After years and years of nurturing my relationship and working on myself,  I've achieved nothing personally or professionally. Being an overthinker, I'd detail everything from plan 'A' to plan 'Z' to ensure my dreams come true. I had an extraordinarily amazing relationship but when it came down to marriage he didn't have time to even think about it. I have a brilliant resume filled with distinction grades, extracurriculars, and leadership roles, and yet I couldn't score an interview let alone be shortlisted for any role I wanted. With no choice, I'm stuck in a job that I absolutely hate and have no interest in! And finally, after 26 years of living with my family and growing up to be a responsible adult and doing everything and more, they ask me, they still think the worst of me, call me names, hardly acknowledge my presence, and make me feel guilty for barely living my life. 

I'm honestly so emotionally drained and feel like my whole life has been a struggle, hoping for things to get better someday. But all I feel is stuck. Everyone around me is moving on with their lives - getting married, moving to a new city/country, getting roles in dream companies and I'm nowhere close to anything I want. 

Being a practical and logical person I would usually not take advice from random strangers on the internet but I'm keeping an open mind and I'd love to hear your thoughts on my depressing life! 💔 

People below 25 yrs don't bother commenting, unless you want to start a crowd fund for my therapy. 

P.S. The last para is a joke. Don't come at me about it in the comment section. I do need therapy though, but can't afford it. Not from an experienced psychologist at least.

Don't read if you believe in "dreams"

So, I have heard multiple people that 20s is about exploring. Explore different jobs, work style, people etc , you name it!
   I believe with that, you cannot think of earning as exploration into different roles results in being at the same level across roles.
   1. What would you do or are currently doing about this? 
   2. Do you agree that 20s is about exploring?
   3. Did you explore in your 20s or did you try to climb the corporate ladder? 
   4. Would you do things differently if you had the chance?

People in/were in your 20s, what would/did you do?

Drop the western view of fun - Clubbing,partying,getting high/laid anyone can do. You don’t need any hard skills for it.  
  
 You have to change your perception of fun - I am a strong believer that 20s are for building your self. 
  
 Get Up Early - Explore your religion/spirituality - Work Hard - Don’t burn yourself out but ya the seeds you sow with hard work will pay on later in life.  
 Go Workout - Go for a Run- Go to the Gym it’s gonna help you live longer. 
  
 Eat healthy - Quit Smoking  
  
 Own Your life - Set Goals - Figure out your 2-5-10 Year Goals.  
  
 And When you have started this journey feel free to out with your friends create movie worthy stories and find the love of your life.

There’s never been a better time to be a DINK, according to Business Insider.

In our death beds it's not the bank balance that would give us joy but the core memories that we made makes us feel we lived a great life. At the end that's important 
  
 If you are compensating for your choice of not having kids through other core memories like traveling or other experiences then go for it. Optimising not having kids only for saving money is a dangerous thing. As I get older I realise that joy comes from giving and not from accumulation.

Investor

/s

[ also hoping to have some responses from people in their 30s & 40s for insights ]

pls don’t say boards dene ki jagah crypto kharidna tha 2014 me🫠

What’s your biggest regret in life?

Business Analyst

Life has become so dry and meaningless nowadays. Struggle connects us on some level. I’d love to hear your stories of struggle and how you overcame it.

Here’s my story.
I studied B.E for 7 years because of backlogs. Every year was a new batch, no friends. Extreme depression, humiliation everywhere. Isolated myself from an extremely judgmental society. 
Confidence had no meaning in my life. 
Somehow struggled and cleared all the backlogs. Studied programming and web design. Started working for free.
After 1 year, first salary was 2k per month.
Then 18k. Then 30k.
I always felt dumb because of the backlogs. Want to rectify it. So went to the US with the only admit I got. Studied my ass off. GPA 3.95. But I was broke again. Cried my eyes out multiple times because I had no money for food. Couldn’t tell this to parents.

Found a job later after many many applications. 
Happiest moment of achievement was when I bought my first 43 inch LED TV. With my own money.

Current pay: over 2L / mo.

Tell me your story of hard work and difficulty

Product Designer

I know it’s early, but it’s an extended weekend 😅

Share an article / post that made you go ‘Aha’ in the recent past. 

Let me start with one - would love to hear opinions on this.

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Ffamily%2Farchive%2F2018%2F12%2Frich-people-happy-money%2F577231%2F

Weekend musings

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

Women of grapevine, if you had to share one advice with your younger self what would it be?

Human Resources

The girl I’m dating is a perfect match but she doesn’t care how she looks. She could easily be 8/10. She has poor dressing style and awful eating habits so she started becoming fat. How do I ask her to change without breaking her confidence and heart? I really love her but this could be the deal breaker.

GF Doesn’t Care About Her Looks

maybe you love her for yourself, not for her 
  
 if you have those issues with her, no you don't love her

Senior Software Engineer

Want to discuss if sabbatical being a taboo is valid and peoples opinions of it.
I will start with mine
Background - 
8 years in tech 
3 company switches 
Sabbatical of 1 month, 3 month and 6 month between each break.
Personal experience - quite enriching. Though there was panic and anxiety of not having a job during the period, it truly helped me take a step back, reassess my career trajectory, and mostly just Destress and re prioritise

Every now and then i loose my true love for tech and product and the sabbaticals helped me to rediscover that by just reading about technology that was not outcome driven ( like for switching a job) 
Quite rewarding each time in terms of salary jumps also. I think i was able to make a better case for myself at a particular position just because i had more time to process stuff from last job. 
It also helped me make better decisions for next thing which has in general helped me shape my career better ( i think atleast) 

Open to anyone sharing their stories/perspectives related to sabbaticals

Sabbatical stories - a thread

I am 28F working with an MNC. Ive realised that existence is pain and there is not much to be alive for because everything is temporary- all the beautiful places, moments, and people. 

I am just a breathing body with lots of love in her heart for the world, but no emotional energy left to share because I feel that everything is fake and everyone is a hypocrite.

"We only live once, why miss the chance to meet the best version of ourselves"

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