Making things happen

There are 100s of reasons why things don't happen. A new regulation. Someone blocking every new launch. A holiday around the corner ...

But whether in startups and bigtech, big things do happen. People make things happen. And when dig into it, you'll find people who don't give up and don't wait for things to happen. They will ping on email. Follow up with meeting. Follow up about meeting by offering support. Or just roll up sleeve to do on thier own. By doing 100s of things in thier control to make things happen, they influence things not even in thier control to happen. In my career, I've met countless such people who get things done.

There is also a sports story that I think is relevant here. At the start of the second inning of the 2013 Champions Trophy final between India and England, MS Dhoni said something that was widely reported in press and something that just registered in my mind. India had set a modest target of 130 runs in a reduced 20 overs - an easily chase-able total in T20 settings. There was a chance of rain, and like us fans, players might have hoped for the match to be washed out. But that's like betting on things you don't control.

In the team huddle, which he mentioned in the post-match session, Dhoni said:

The first and foremost thing was don't look up, God is not coming to save you. You have to fight it out. We are the №1 ranked team, let's play like that. If we lose, they will have to score the runs; we won't make it easy for them.

I think that's what taking responsibility and standing up in life is all about.

Another word for this is agency. That is, the ability to act or take control.

• If your startup doesn't have a good marketing video, don't wait for someone else to solve your problem. Just hire someone or make your own.
• If you're not happy with your current job, don't wait for the firm to change or a recruiter to reach out; take action.
• If privacy isn't approving your product launch, instead of just waiting, book time with the team, escalate, or do 10 other things rather than just wait.

Why I Recounted This Story

As I've started on the startup journey, I've wished countless times for a 10X Applied LLM Engineer, a technical angel, a VC knocking, or anyone who could make this journey a bit easier. But it has never been the case, and in the end, I have to roll up my sleeves and dive in. I chose this path, and I have to face it.

There will be help, and I keep asking and relying on my network, family, and friends, but I have to make it happen. I have to ask. I have to convince them to help. It's that agency that this story reminds me of.

It's a reminder that no matter the situation, I should be willing to face it, trusting myself, and not waiting for a miracle to happen.