This Monday felt like a circle of life moment. I had the opportunity to moderate a panel with fellow Nirma alumni founders at the NIM Auditorium.

We spoke to the undergrad batch about how our journeys have evolved, the things we did as students, what led us to become founders/operators, and what we might do differently if we were to begin our student life in 2025.

Tejal Upadhyay ma’am has been doing an incredible job of keeping the entrepreneurial buzz on campus alive. If you’re a Nirma alum, do reach out to her, or let me know and I’ll make the intro. We need more alumni to come back, share their journeys, and engage with students.

Coincidentally, four of us, Bhakti Dudhara (Aubergine), Hemal Patel (Ray), Pratik Vohera (Petpooja), and myself, were from the same class: 01 IT ; I was very infamous as 01IT010. That made it even more special. Abhishek Desai (Cricheroes) and Samir Motwani (Salesmate) were the other speakers. 

Back then, I probably visited the NIM library more often than my classes. This time, I was leading the discussions in the NIM Auditorium. A surreal feeling.

We used to read about “super successful” people coming back to campus during annual functions. Today, thanks to the wave of startups and entrepreneurship, many of us get that chance earlier, even if we are not yet that successful, one of the small but meaningful benefits of being founders.

Yesterday I asked one of my tenants to vacate the office space so I could use it starting next month. Our agreement clearly states a one-month notice, but I offered up to one and a half months if they needed more time.

I spoke directly to the person using the office. The local POC was polite and said, “OK, let me try.” I even suggested two nearby offices owned by friends so they could avoid paying brokerage again.

A few hours later they visited both offices. Then, another POC from a different office joined the conversation and completely changed the tone. Suddenly it was, “We won’t vacate unless you pay us the brokerage we paid when we took this office. It’s been only six months, so if you don’t pay, we’ll stay for another year.”

I explained that brokerage was their arrangement and had nothing to do with me, and that I was following our documented terms. But new demands kept coming—brokerage, rent discounts, and more.

At that point I chose not to waste any more time. They even brought in a lawyer, but I stopped engaging. Now I am simply waiting to see how they respond as the notice period ends, while preparing to ensure I get the office vacated on time.

Yesterday was unexpected.
 
I reached the office at 10 am and learned that our manager had quit without informing me. He was leading a 30–35 member team and assigning tasks to all the labour, so suddenly the entire load was on me.

I began by checking our task management tool, which I had set up two years ago. I had never looked too closely at the details since then. Over time, the system had become unnecessarily complex.

When I called the manager, he mentioned that one of the processes took him 6 to 7 hours each time. That did not sound right. I spent the next 4 to 5 hours reviewing his past work and finding a better way to do it. Using AI, I refined the workflow so it could be completed in just 30 to 40 minutes.

It made me realise that as founders, once we delegate, we often stop paying attention to the finer details. But occasionally, it is worth diving in. Understanding what your team does day to day and spotting ways to simplify, especially with AI, can save huge amounts of time and resources.

Yesterday, as I sat with my notes, piecing together ideas for a new road safety fellowship, I found myself wondering. When did something as simple as crossing the street or riding a bike become so dangerous? I thought about the helmets left hanging on handlebars, the seat belts clicked behind the seat to trick the warning beep, the hurried driver jumping a red light. I thought about the numbers too, nearly 400 children in Gujarat lost each month because of road accidents.

This fellowship I am shaping is not just about traffic lights and technical fixes. It is about people. About how we think, how we behave, and how we can change. It will bring together young minds from psychology, political science, engineering and other fields to work on seat belts, helmets, child safety, policy gaps, emergency responses and the way the media tells these stories.

Road safety is not only a rulebook issue. It is a culture issue. If we can shift the way we think about our streets, we can shift the way we use them.

After weeks of being deep in tech, I have started exploring how sales people think and process information.

I am currently assisting a brand strategist in fetching leads for a SaaS startup and learning how different tools are used for lead generation.

Yesterday at an eChai event, I met someone in SaaS product sales who shared an interesting habit. If he visits a commercial building, he checks the boards, notes down company names, and researches them later. Even a random ad hoarding can catch his attention. If the company fits his criteria, he finds the right people to contact.

It was a simple but powerful reminder that sales opportunities are everywhere if you are looking with the right lens. Yesterday gave me great insights into how sales works and how an SDR’s mind operates.