Rajan Singh's Linkedin Analytics

Back in 2009, in the midst of the economic recession and mass layoffs in Wall Street, we had a town hall at McKinsey. And describing the ground situation, a partner told us: "Our clients are in a freeze -- they are not making any investments until they have some clarity." These clients he was talking about were the world's largest funds, managing hundreds of billions of dollars. So a colleague in the audience asked, “But isn’t this THE time to invest?” He replied, “They are saying, ‘I’m happy to put money in a hole, as long as I know how deep it is.’” But isn't that the fund manager's job -- to assess how deep the hole is? If someone could tell them how deep the hole was, the decision wouldn't be hard anymore. And for easy decisions, they wouldn't be paid hundreds of millions of dollars every year.  Here is the reality: When a decision isn’t hard, it isn’t valuable either. Because when you have COMPLETE clarity, usually, the opportunity is already gone. I am not advocating being reckless. Nor am I suggesting that the fund managers were necessarily wrong in not investing. But more data and clarity often come at a cost -- and that's a call you have to make. Whether it’s a career move, a business pivot, or a personal relationship call, you will almost never have full clarity. So when you face those decisions, you will feel uncomfortable. And even after the decision, you may have doubts and remorse. That's ok. Because the value of a decision, and the uncertainty under which it is made, are two sides of the same coin -- they can't be separated. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

During my undergraduate days at IIT Kanpur, the night before the mid-semester exams, we would be immersed in feverish prep. And with only one night left, we had to choose which topics to cover and which ones to leave out. So here is what I did: if any topic looked too complicated, I would tell myself, "This is nearly impossible to understand. How can the instructor ask this in the exam? Just leave it." But sometimes, a friend would say, "Oh, I have covered that topic -- it is not that hard." My competitive instincts would then kick in, and I would force myself to go through it. Almost always, the same topic that had seemed impossible an hour ago would start making perfect sense. In real life, the boundary between "possible" and "impossible" is rarely a hard wall -- instead, it is like a stretchable membrane: the harder you push it, the more it extends. It doesn't mean that everything is possible. But we define that boundary -- the "impossible" line starts when we decide not to push further. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

In 2005, on joining my MBA, I moved into a small one-bedroom apartment in Philadelphia's Center City. In the first week, the only furniture we bought was a dining table and 4 chairs from IKEA: no sofa, no study table, not even a bed. Just had a nice sleeping bag. The plan was to buy proper furniture when we got a break from studies. But life stayed busy. Days changed into weeks, weeks into months, but we still hadn't bought any furniture. Yet, we were missing nothing. We even hosted parties for hordes of fellow MBA students who happily sat on the carpeted floors. We chatted, ate, and had a great time. If anything, the apartment felt more spacious and open. Sadly, the joy did not last. We ultimately did buy extra furniture and soon, the room was full. I wasn't complaining. But honest to God, I think the house was more fun and much lighter without all that furniture. We all start off our lives lightly. But we push harder to earn more. We earn more to buy more. And we buy more hoping to feel happier. But somewhere in that process, the lightness is gone, and we have too many things burdening us. Sometimes, I miss that lightness. Sadly, I can feel it... but I know that I will never find it again -- it is gone. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

If you don't prioritize, the world will do it for you. When you are not sure what to work on -- something random will hijack your attention -- be it an email, or some urgent firefighting on Slack. And you will still end up very busy, doing things of questionable value. And you won't realize the folly until the performance appraisal season, when you realize that you spent months spinning your wheels and wasting your time. If you want to be in control of your life, there is no other choice: start your day by spending just 5-10 minutes, identifying a few high-value priorities you will protect and work on for at least a few hours. Either that -- or just stay busy executing someone else’s to-do list, while time slips away. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

In my previous startup, we desperately needed some test users for a novel testing platform we were designing for school students. Unfortunately, we had very little money. So we came up with a brilliant idea. At some national exam centres, we distributed 11,000 free sign up forms. At zero cost, these students could get some really good insight into their exam prep. And there was no reason for them not to sign up. My colleague Nisha and I were anxiously discussing whether the server would crash if there was a sudden overload of test takers. We even speculated how many people would sign up -- 2,000 or 4,000. The next day, we got the sign-ups for the test. Not 2,000, not 4,000 -- just 1. In a shock, we blamed ourselves for being so utterly incompetent, stupid, and out of touch. But as the years passed, we found something surprising: almost every startup goes through these struggles. Just that they don't talk about it. Marketing is hard. Getting people to try any product is hard. Heck, everything is hard. And this is not just about startups. As you go through life, you will also have many such disastrous failures. But you think that you are the only one -- who could struggle this badly? But around you, everyone is hiding their failures, afraid of being found out. Even the most successful people have gone through this. However, since everybody else stays quiet, we also keep quiet. That is why, on LinkedIn, we are all rockstars. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

I keep saying that the journey is all there is -- there is no destination. But in Bangalore traffic, it becomes literally true. I am sorry: that is not what I meant. I am appropriately humbled and I apologise.

Will this be properly investigated to bring out the truth? I am not so sure. And to be honest, this horrifying news is not surprising at all. When the big boss talks about working 20 hours a day, 7 days a week -- which by the way, has to be a total lie -- the message goes out that people in the company can be treated like shit. (Pardon my language). And the most surprising thing is that even well-meaning industry doyens keep making excuses for such people advocating 100 or 120 hours a week. What will make them stop? When their own kids become victims?

You can chase external motivation all you want -- but what you really need is conviction. And no one can give it to you, because "external conviction" does not exist. When your path is hard -- and which worthwhile path isn't? -- you have to survive days when you feel low, hopeless, and even defeated. On those days, motivation is the first thing to vanish. What keeps you going is conviction -- a belief, sometimes even irrational, to stay the course. That kind of belief doesn't come from YouTube or LinkedIn, but from getting deep into your pursuit, doing the work, and seeing the possibilities. That is what steels your mind to fight, and even embrace some pain. You forge conviction the way you forge steel -- with heat, pressure, and hammering. You have to go through the grind, fall down and get up, rinse and repeat -- over and over. That's the path. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

Even cancer patients -- suffering from the worst tragedy possible -- will not be spared in service of greed. Surely, the investors hoping for quick growth, hype, and exit to a bigger fool hopefully within the next 2 years (like the last time) are gleefully rubbing their hands.

Two types of startups are very hard: 1. Bootstrapped. 2. VC funded.

In April last year, when I was on vacation in the picturesque mountains and lakes of upstate New York, I felt like I was in heaven -- but only for two weeks. After that, I was done with the picture-perfect scenery -- I wanted something else: work. I wanted to strain my brain, grapple with hard problems at work, and experience the stress and struggles of life. We don't work ONLY for the money and survival -- the operative word being 'only.' Yes, most of us need the money. But if we had enough money, we still would not want to sit idle. In fact, being forced to sit idle would be a torture. We may not realize it but our mind needs struggle, just as much as our body does. An easy life of idling around is just a nice-sounding concept. But in reality, it is a nightmare. The problem is not that our jobs involve struggle, but finding a job that is worth struggling for. When we do things that are somewhat meaningful to us, in the company of people we like, hard work becomes joy. And that joy is what we seek. That joy is worth fighting for. So don't give up -- go find that joy of struggle. It does exist. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

AI may or may not take your job. But much before that happens, the following will take your job: 1. Attending meaningless meetings the whole day, pretending that it is real work. 2. Being a manager who does zero value-add, but keeps poking their team to feel powerful. 3. Jumping into every project in the company to look active and busy. 4. Turning work into a fastest-email-reply contest -- always active, never thinking. 5. Hovering in office till late night, while doing no useful work in particular. Just to be clear, the above might not get you fired immediately. But someday, if you do get laid off, good luck finding the next job. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

Two days ago, a senior executive called me -- and he needed help. His son is so addicted to smartphones, video games, and TV that he can’t live a normal life. No work, no studies. Sleeps at 4 am, wakes up late. No routine, no outdoor time, no friends. He asked me if I could help. I told him that HabitStrong's Undistractable program has helped hundreds break severe digital cravings, but it works only when people are looking for a solution. Since his son doesn’t even believe he has a problem, I recommended therapy and medication. But unfortunately, he has already tried them and nothing has worked. The boy refuses meds, ignores instructions. Even the most advanced psychiatry care institutions in India were unable to offer -- sadly, most de-addiction centers only treat substance abuse. There’s almost no in-patient facility or proper medical care for digital addiction. Now, we are searching for a compassionate in-patient facility. If you know of any, please share or DM me. We think smartphone addiction is just a ‘bad habit.’ Maybe that's how it starts, but it is a slippery slope and at its worst, it’s is no less compulsive and destructive than drug addiction. Unfortunately, medical science is yet to catch up, at least in India. Your phone is a casino in your pocket. If your work or studies are up competing with a casino for your attention, the casino wins -- almost always. That is why we mindlessly reach for our phones dozens of times a day. The only way out is to train the mind -- reduce cravings, build protective routines, and learn to reclaim your attention. Because if we don't, we will drift through life like zombies, while the precious moments of our life quietly slip away. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

We were once accused of being a nation of snake charmers. Are we now becoming a nation of astrologers? There are a bunch of astrology startups doing roaring business, some of which are run by IIT graduates -- the very folks who were trained to develop cutting edge technology and bring scientific temper to India. Instead, they are selling astrology advice, ironically using the very technologies that became possible due to scientific temper. And they are cheered on by investors and well-wishers, many of whom have IIT/IIM degrees. But should these things bother us? Isn't astrology just doing a therapist's job? Or is it not just some fun curiosity thing like doing sudoku puzzles in Sunday newspaper? My worry is that this is hurting scientific temper in India. And when scientific temper is compromised, it is then a slippery slope, sometimes leading to godmen and others preying on insecurities of people in distress. If India has to prosper and be a force for good, we need science and rational thinking. But unfortunately, whenever I write about astrology or rationality, I get a ton of hate because people treat it as an attack on their religion. I am NOT attacking anyone's religious beliefs. In fact, religious beliefs and sensible thinking already coexist. We pray for our families but when people fall sick, we do go to hospitals. We already separate our religious beliefs from our actions in the external world. Finally, there are the usual rationalisations: Astrology is scientific. Or that there are 'good astrologers' or 'bad astrologers.' I am not going to debate it here but let me just say one thing: if astrologers could see the future (even somewhat foggily), they would not be selling their service for a few hundred rupees. I rest my case. We need to step away from astrology and superstition, which are cancer for our country and society. But when our most educated and privileged don't stand up for scientific thinking, what can we tell others?

I have seen plenty of white-haired folks with 20-25 years' work experience who were, frankly, no better than freshers. (In some cases, they were worse.) But at McKinsey, if anyone had even a year or two under their belt, you wouldn't miss it -- their work (especially the PowerPoint slides) gave it away like daylight. So what made the difference? Brutal and precise feedback. Relentless learning. Rinse and repeat. In consulting firms, your work is subjected to microscopic scrutiny every single day. And no matter how beautiful you think your PowerPoint deck is, after a review, it would come back splattered with edits and comments. Not good for the ego but it forced you to learn and improve. And no matter how smart you thought you were or how impressive your degree was, everyone went through this stomach churning experience. I used consulting only as an example, not to imply that they got everything right. But the lesson is universal: If we want to improve, we need precise and intelligent feedback, which we have no choice but to act upon. Without that cycle of feedback, learning, and repetition, you face the danger of growing old while your intellect remains a teenager. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

During my stint at McKinsey, when one of my projects ended, I was hoping to hide for a day or two, and get some sleep, fresh air, and sunshine. 😊 But promptly, the very next day, I got an email from staffing about some projects I could potentially join. Having no choice, I went to meet the staffing person, who opened a spreadsheet that listed all the available projects. She would then read out each project and await my reaction. I would say something like "that's interesting." But after going through a few projects, she blurted out in frustration, "You don't seemed to be excited about anything." I said, "No, I think they are interesting, and I told you so." The problem is that she wanted me to be excited! And that's a very American thing -- you are expected to be excited about everything. So if someone tells you, "I used to add numbers on a spreadsheet in my internship," you are expected to say, "That's so exciting!!" But I am not a very excitable person. Also, while I can fake excitement, it takes too much effort. So I would rather not. So all this 'exciting' and 'amazing' has become an elaborate song and dance that we all know to be fake, but we have to pretend it is not. But I sometimes wonder what would happen if my staffer came across something ACTUALLY exciting? Would she be able to even handle it? I keep worrying about it. 😂 *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

Becoming wealthy in India gives you a great privilege -- of escaping the country, while living right here. When you drive from your plush house to your centralized AC office, you do see the dilapidated roads, but mostly through rolled-up windows of your car -- so it is not too bad. You hangout mostly in fancy restaurants and hotels, which are no different from any place across the world. In metros, you can shop, eat, and drink almost like you would in New York or Hong Kong. Sometimes, even the accent is global. 😊 Through corporate hospitals, gated communities, and luxury travel, you can create a sanitised bubble that allows you to live in India but not be touched by it. But occasionally, that bubble is breached -- sometimes literally, when the roads in Gurgaon or Bangalore get flooded. Or maybe during natural disasters, war, or in the event of a crime. And this bubble phenomenon is understandable. I suspect I too live in a bubble, albeit a smaller one. But the danger is that when we start assuming that our bubble reflects the whole country. That is when we get so taken in by the fancy new airport terminals that we forget that millions still travel by train, mostly in sleeper compartments. We tom-tom about our healthcare but forget that government healthcare facilities (outside our bubble) that cater to most of India are in pathetic shape. Income inequality is unavoidable. And bubbles will continue to exist. But as citizens, it is important to not close our eyes. Only when we are not disconnected from reality can we be part of a collective force for real change. Otherwise, we will keep cribbing but nothing will ever improve. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

Every day, after 5 am, when the whistle went off at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad, 129 of us would line up for morning PT. Sleep-deprived and our bodies breaking down, we would often be hobbling in pain. But bigger than all our pain was our terror -- of the Assistant Director, Outdoors (AD OD, in short), who ruled our lives. He was the villain. And he was relentless. During the full 10 months at the Academy, he would be on the PT ground at 5 am sharp. Sometimes he would even be carrying a whip -- not for us, but as part of his riding uniform. 😊 For the smallest infraction -- real or imagined -- when he shouted, you would rather have faced a firing squad. No leniency ever came from him. Ever. As you can imagine, he was not loved much (to put in mildly). But over time, something changed. We noticed that wherever we showed up, he was already there. If we had a fall-in at 2:30 am, he would also be there. Never late. Never absent. Never sent a junior in his place. In fact, we would even wonder -- why doesn't he ever fall sick? He was fair, and principled. Slowly, grudgingly, we all started respecting him. And I think that is what mattered the most. When you are a leader, it is natural to want to be liked. And that's fine. But there is something even more important -- to be respected. And that respect can't be earned through rank, stature, or posturing. It can be earned only one way -- by walking the talk. *** I run HabitStrong, which offers programs for calm productivity, digital de-addiction, and building focus: www.habitstrong.com

My mother is terrified of war. She is not half as brave as those TV anchors with guts of steel. That's because she was at Pathankot (where my dad was posted) when Pakistan started bombing the place in the 1971 war. Everybody was moved into trenches, where they would lie covered in blankets in the freezing winter cold. They could hardly sleep out of fear as explosions filled the night sky. Very soon, the families of the Air Force men (including my mother and sister) were ordered to evacuate, leaving only the serving men behind. Somehow, they got on a train and managed to reach their native place in UP. For the next two weeks, until the war ended, my mother would hardly eat out of anxiety. There was no way to know if your people back there were safe or not. I think that trauma has never left my mother. Probably, that is why whenever I take a flight, she keeps calling me around the time the flight lands. I keep telling her that civilian commercial flights are safe, but she does not understand. I am sure some people are not like her -- they are brimming with raw courage and fearlessness. And they typically join TV channels as anchors. The rest of them, especially families of soldiers, don't like war. Yes, they understand that it is sometimes necessary, but they still hate it. What to do? Not everybody can be as gutsy as those people on TV. And honestly, who can blame them -- I just wish they had experienced even a 9 mm bullet pass over their head. Just once.