/w=3840,quality=90,fit=scale-down)
This is a collection of my core principles that I put to use while building ISV Capital. Much of this is inspired by the amazing conversations I have with founders on the podcast.
→ Think in years when others think in quarters, think in decades when others think in years. True long-term living (not just thinking) is one of the greatest superpowers, especially as an investor. When looking at my podcast, I try to often imagine what the world would be like if I could continuously produce great content, over a decade not just this year. This brings a lot of comfort and patience with the results and helps me stay motivated for the right reasons. The same applies when investing and partnering with great founders.
→ Pursue projects that compound, where there is leverage in doing the same thing again and again, becoming better at it with each passing iteration. My podcast is a testament to this principle in practice - I never understood it until I lived it. From my first episode to my current episodes (170-something at the time of writing this), I have grown 100x as a host. My ability to ask deep questions, make a guest feel comfortable during the conversation, structure meaningful discussions, and listen carefully - have all grown significantly, making me realise the true impact of compounding.
→ Positive obsession is a great indicator of true intrinsic motivation. When we feel it, we should pursue it. Positive obsession is nothing but the notion of continuously living (passively) a particular subject. When you obsess over a project or problem statement constantly and when you see correlations across other aspects, it should be a lightbulb moment. For me, podcasting became evidently clear for the future - when I realised that I was somehow, always thinking about the podcast and picking up cues from around me related to the podcast. Nobody asked me to work on it, but I just wanted to - and all the time. If the motivation is intrinsic and obsession positive, it would be very difficult to stop someone from achieving what they want.
→ Clear Thinking and Strong Communication are a 5x hack for life. Most of us are never taught how to think or how to communicate. I would have myself never realised the importance of it had I not started a podcast. Hearing myself on my podcast was a game-changer, it helped me understand the true importance of thinking clearly and in turn, communicating strongly. I am truly passionate about this subject and try to spend a lot of time observing how successful people communicate and how to master thinking effectively (largely thanks to Shane Parish’s work on the subject). Working on these two bits is perhaps the best thing we can do for ourselves, builds great leverage.
→ Borderline irrationality when it comes to having big ambitions. The most revolutionary companies of our time (Airbnb, Uber, Flipkart) were all once laughed upon when the founders shared their vision, early on. We can only achieve as much as we can imagine, and thus - we must be borderline irrational when it comes to our ambitions. This is exhibited incredibly well by founders of disruptive companies. It helps me take a really audacious viewpoint of what the future of ISV can look like.