Satyabrata Mishra

To all fin influencers and IAS youtube creators who hate Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) If you had brought Jan 2019 issue of SGB then it has given around 17% annual return (Total 127%) over last 5 years and also around 12% additional return as interest income Even if you take the last issue on Feb 2024 it has given around 20% return over last 6 months with another 2.5% in interest All of the return is tax free if held till maturity Now tell me few investments in India (Similar Asset Class - Bond) that can beat the return above The above returns are after the recent fall in India gold price due to exercise duty cut Go ahead I am listening

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PhonePe's Share Market App Analysis PhonePe 📉📱 PhonePe’s share market app, while promising, struggles to compete with established players like Zerodha, Upstox, and Groww. 1. Limited Features 🚫📊 No Advanced Tools: Misses out on professional charting tools, stock screeners, and in-depth analytics. Fewer Order Types: No options for advanced order placements like GTT (Good Till Triggered) or bracket orders, reducing flexibility. No Research Reports: Lacks detailed market insights and expert recommendations compared to full-service broker 2. User Interface 🖥️⚙️ Simplistic but Lacking: While beginner-friendly, it doesn’t offer enough customization for advanced users. Clunky Navigation: Finding advanced features can be frustrating for traders who value efficiency. 3. Pricing & Charges 💸 Not the Cheapest: Competitors like Zerodha & Upstox offer more cost-effective solutions. Hidden Costs?: Lack of fee transparency may discourage users from sticking around. 4. Limited Trading Segments ⚠️📈 Narrow Options: Does not support commodities, derivatives, or global stocks. No Mutual Funds Integration: Unlike apps like Groww, there's no seamless mutual funds investment feature. 5. Customer Support 🤷‍♂️📞 Slow Response Times: Users expect instant solutions, which PhonePe doesn't consistently deliver. No 24/7 Support: Unlike premium services, PhonePe lacks round-the-clock assistance for investors. 6. Educational Resources 📚🧠 Bare Minimum Content: Competitors like Zerodha Varsity provide extensive tutorials for all skill levels. No Webinars or Community Engagement: Misses the opportunity to create a learning ecosystem for its users. 7. Weak Ecosystem & Community 🌐👥 No Trading Communities: Platforms like Zerodha's TradingQnA foster user engagement, which PhonePe lacks. Limited Integration: Doesn’t fully utilize its potential to integrate with other PhonePe services or third-party tools. How PhonePe Can Improve 🛠️🚀 Expand Features: Add advanced tools, stock screeners, and flexible order options. Improve Pricing: Offer competitive and transparent pricing like discount brokers. Enhance UI/UX: Provide smoother navigation and a more customizable interface. Broaden Offerings: Include commodities, international equities, and mutual fund options. Boost Education: Launch tutorials, blogs, and webinars for beginners and pros. Focus on Support: Introduce 24/7 customer service and faster resolutions. By addressing these issues, PhonePe’s app can evolve into a robust and competitive platform for investors. #PhonePe #StockMarket #InvestmentApp #FinTech #StockTrading #InvestorEducation #CustomerExperience #FinTechInnovation #MutualFunds #GrowYourMoney #TradingPlatform

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Breaking news: 'hard' checks will not impact your credit score.   Credit score watchers, I hope you had a chance to watch my discussion yesterday with Manish Jain, Country MD, Experian India, where he made some extremely important points. But most notably he pointed out:   Experian India no longer uses hard check data to compute your credit scores.   If you’ve not seen the discussion, I do recommend you check it out on:   LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gpQsVDf8 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gPR-fy8g   ‘Soft’ checks are self-checks – you checking your own credit score. You can check your score as many times as you want and cause no damage to it.   ‘Hard’ checks are lending institutions such as banks or NBFCs checking your score after you apply for a new loan, a credit card, or a refinance of an existing loan. It’s commonly known that such checks can marginally lower your score.   But Manish points out that Experian India has decided to step away from this practice and update their score algorithm to exclude the impact of hard checks.   This is a hugely consumer-friendly move and takes a sensitive view of the disruptions consumers may have faced in the post-Covid world.   This is #CreditScoreAwarenessWeek at BankBazaar. I hope you’re checking your credit score once a month. If not, get started here: https://lnkd.in/gHhs-5wb

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Monneey Ki Baat (Money Tales) #462: Learn from Google Maps to Navigate your Investment Journey We all use Google Maps. If you have observed, when you take a wrong turn, Google Maps does not say ‘hey you are going the wrong way’. It simply adjusts your route & tells you the next turn you should take. One more observation is that if Google Maps tells you your ETA (estimated time of arrival) at your destination, it is never sacrosanct. It keeps changing the arrival time by adjusting to the new traffic challenges. One important point is that Google Maps never tells you to abandon your journey, even if the time to reach far exceeds original estimates. It keeps directing you till you reach your destination. In life too, we may take a wrong turn but many a times we are not off track. Perhaps our route just got redirected & it might take longer to get there. But we should feel happy that we are still on track. It is important not to dwell on the error but adjust your course & keep moving towards your goals. Every wrong turn is an opportunity to learn & grow. This approach helps you stay positive & resilient. Our investment journey resembles this process. We may wish for the market to progress swiftly without any detours, but the first milestone chart reveals varying durations for covering the same distance of 10k. For instance, it took just 174 days to go from 70k to 80k, but nearly 10 years to move from 20k to 30k. Like Google Maps, market movements are unpredictable & volatile. The second chart indicates the market's actual path to reach each milestone. Sometimes the detours have been short (less volatile) & sometimes lengthy (more volatile). Regardless of the volatility / detour, the market has always reached the next milestone sooner or later. Currently, the Sensex has dropped from an all-time high of 85,475 to below 77k in Nov 2024. Though future challenges are unknown, history has shown that the market's trajectory is only upward. In short, it is a question of 'when' & not 'whether'. Like Google Map displays ‘traffic jam ahead’, markets too are saying ‘volatility ahead’. But this too shall pass as India’s growth story is driving market fundamentals. India is projected to become the third largest economy from fifth largest currently. India’s per capita income is likely to double to over USD5000 in the next 5 years & doubling the number of middle-class households in the process. Many emerging markets have seen this cycle play out in the past & it is likely to be India’s turn now. This quote by Winston Churchill sums this up well, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." Staying invested across market phases is the key to wealth creation. Views are Personal #HarGharMutualFund #mutualfunds #mutualfundssahihai #investment #sips #money #retirement #volatility #sensex #nifty #personalfinance

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WorldQuant is offering 92L in India at IITs for hiring 21-y/o, which is insane It directly puts a fresh college graduate in the top 0.05% of India by income Explains why Indian parents see IITs as the fastest ticket to social mobility copied Aviral Bhatnagar

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This post from Vaibhav Domkundwar beautifully shows how surviving long enough can position a startup to take advantage of an eventual tailwind. When we invested in Yulu, no one had a clue that Quick Commerce will become the next commerce phenomenon in the country after payments. Because Yulu intelligently survived, kept improving the product and is capital-efficient enough to be agile to market needs, it’s now befitting from QC tailwinds. Reminds me of what the Rippling founder once said - as a startup, just survive 10 years and the odds are that you will end up succeeding.

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My 270 cents 😁 Everyone thought Elon’s decision to buy Twitter for ~ 3.2 lakh crores INR was foolish. However, the U.S. elections have proven otherwise. He bought Twitter, renamed it X, insulted every major media outlet and its owners, and threw his full support behind Trump. Now, we are witnessing Trump’s victory. While only a small percentage may have been directly influenced by X, the traditional supporters of the Red party did not need X to urge them to vote. But X swayed those fence-sitters - the crucial votes needed to tilt the scales in Trump’s favor. Now, will the Trump presidency, influenced by Elon, be good for India? I will leave it to you to form your own opinion. Elon depends heavily on China as a production base for Tesla. A few months ago, during his visit to China, Elon stated, "Taiwan is an integral part of China," a stance that conflicts with the US foreign policy. While the US supports Ukraine, Elon has been seen cozying up to Putin, reportedly staying in regular contact. Putin even asked Elon not to activate the Starlink internet service over Taiwan as a favor to his ally, Xi of China. Jared Kushner’s (Trump’s son-in-law) grandparents were Holocaust survivors, and Jared’s father, Charles Kushner, received a pardon from Trump after being convicted of illegal campaign contributions to Democratic campaigns, serving two years in federal prison. Ivanka even converted to Judaism before marrying Jared. Interesting times lie ahead for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Iran. Both Elon and Trump are businessmen, and the only language they truly understand is 💰

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Someone from a Tier 1 Indian VC told me a couple of weeks ago that their 10-year-old fund has a total paper return (illiquid) of ~3x. That happens to be exactly the same return as the Sensex over the past decade.* And an ETF tracking the Sensex is liquid, marked to market daily, and has lower costs. VC funds raised mega-funds of $200M+ on the India story during 2010 to 2020. Most of them are now unable to deliver the promised returns to their investors, which are usually 4-6x on the total sum invested. Contrast this with disciplined domestic funds like Blume and Sauce who did not succumb to the temptation of raising mega-funds to earn more management fees - even as they grew more successful. It’s easier to return funds when they are smaller—but you have to be willing to accept lower salaries and management fees as VCs. Blume’s founder Karthik illustrates this perfectly with a graph of his salary over time below. :) * Another metric to measure returns is IRR which takes into account when the money was actually invested investments. VCs don’t take all the committed money from LPs upfront; rather it’s in installments over time.

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🎥 Netflix's Strategic Play: Pushpa 2 for Rs. 250 Crores 🚀  Netflix has made a bold move by acquiring the rights to Pushpa 2 for ~Rs. 250 crores ($30m), dwarfing Prime Video & Amazon Studios ~Rs. 30 crores ($3.5m) investment in the prequel (Pushpa 1). Interestingly, Amazon Prime is reported to have had a ROFR (Right of First Refusal) on the sequel (Pushpa 2). This significant investment highlights Netflix's confidence in Pushpa 2's potential, following the Pushpa 1’s almost magical dream run of ~ Rs. 350 crore at the Box Office.  😎 Fun Fact 😎 : Pushpa 1 was the 1st Pan-India film to have received love from views across the country in multiple languages. Superstar Allu Arjun admits that he just wanted to make a great Telugu Film but took care to release it in multiple languages and it became an ‘accidental Pan-India Film’. I like to believe that it was with that film that the Pan-India / Multi-Language Film concept really took off! Coming back, Despite the high purchase price, this deal is just a splash in the ocean for Netflix. With Q1 revenues hitting $9.37 billion (on a ~270 million paying user base, which represents ~ $11 / month as Revenue per user) and a net income of $2.33 billion, the streaming giant demonstrates it can afford to play big.  Only 0.2% of their $15 billion annual content budget went to Pushpa 2, illustrating strategic spending in pursuit of substantial market influence.  *Key Points*:  Profitable Strategy: With $3 per user / monthly profit, investing in blockbuster content pays off. Market Expansion: Aiming to expand its 14 million Indian subscriber base to ~ 100 million in the coming years (first stated by Co-Founder Reed Hastings and later confirmed by Co-CEO Ted Sarandos) to capture a significant market share. No wonder they outbid Amazon Prime, despite their ROFR on Pushpa 2. Netflix is not just buying content; it's investing in market dominance (8x for Pushpa 2 compared to Pushpa 1). Pushpa 2 is more than a film; it's a piece of a larger puzzle in Netflix's strategy to conquer the streaming world, with big stuff expected from #india.  #Netflix #StreamingWars #Pushpa2

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1.5 years since trading the American dream to build in India. Sharing 9 of my biggest learnings from 2024 as an entrepreneur. 👇 1/9. Thinking long-term and people-first approach. Scaled Gush to almost $1.5m ARR in 12 months from launch - as we grow, I realize the importance of long-term thinking, processes & people - it is all about how you influence and motivate them to dream and learn with you - customers - employees - investors It is all about people and long-term thinking. 2/9. All publicity is good publicity. I went viral for a Indo-US comparison thread - 7M views and it was picked up by national dailies. Got showered with love and hate. Some called it brave, others called it bs. The same words but such different reactions! In the end all publicity is good publicity - gave us over $300k ARR in sales & crazy brand visibility :) 3/9. More to life than logic. I did what all fin-fluencers ask you not to - Bought a new house in Bengaluru. Home purchase still feels like a debt trap. But f*ck it! There’s more to life than logic - It attracts so much social gratification from family and creates a deep-seated sense of social security. 4/9. Learnt how to raise larger VC rounds. Spoke with 50 VCs for our seed round 10 rejected without a call  25 first calls  15 did deeper diligence  6 went to IC  signed a term-sheet with 1 of them. 3 lessons: - Founder brand on linkedin is not considered a GTM channnel. - Business model change is a hard story to sell. - What VCs tweet or blog about might be very different from how they actually invest. 5/9. Data and anecdotal evidence can indicate completely opposite things. Had 2 huge cash burn spikes - reducing our runway by a lot. Everything looks perfect on spreadsheets until you start executing. Building tight processes now - for spending control and making sure money comes in on time. Small leaks sink big ships, and boy did we learn that! 6/9. Sometimes instant gratification helps. Got a new car this year. Never thought I'd care much about what I drive, but that upgrade feeling is real. 2 hours in Bengaluru traffic feels a lot more manageable now. Sure, the new car excitement fades, but those small comforts add up when you have to deal with the chaos daily. 7/9. Growing into an organization. Watched Gush maturing into a team of 200 folks (30 full-time + 170 contracted). Learning that 3 things are getting harder:  - Being as close to customers as we were on day-1 - Being as rapidly iterative as we were on day-1 - Having no blind spots in the organization 8/9. Health is your biggest asset. Got myself a personal trainer and what a difference! Used to think fitness was just about counting calories and hitting those 10k steps. Energy levels are through the roof and I'm learning there's so much more to it. 9/9. Building a solid social fabric around is key. Rekindled many old, long-lost friendships after moving back to India, had a straight impact on stress levels.

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🚨 One alarming behaviour that I see in fintech founders & VCs is "blaming RBI" for everything Yesterday RBI imposed some restrictions on 4 NBFCs including Navi. Immediate Internet chatter verbatim is "RBI has killed the whole fintech space. No one will build here now" Blaming RBI for everything is a typical "low-agency behaviour". It only shows lack of understanding of fintech domain or rather financial markets The best mental models to understand RBI are 1. "Customer protection" is the core tenet of RBI RBI is not a blocker in the ecosystem - ❌ RBI is the customer's advocate in the ecosystem - ✅ 2. Don't see RBI as a regulator. See RBI as a supplier RBI creates money supply → they are the supplier (similar to HUL creating an FMCG product 🏭) Banks & fintechs are different layers in distributing that product to end customer → they are the distributors & retailers (similar to the local retail store distributing that FMCG product to customer 🛒) A. HUL decides the price (MRP) 🏷️ → If the retail store sells above MRP and HUL takes action against the store by not selling to the store, is HUL wrong? B. Local store allows fake products from shady suppliers under HUL brand 🎭 → If HUL takes action against such retailers, is HUL wrong? C. If the local store is selling damaged/expired HUL products and HUL decides not to work with the store⛔, is HUL wrong? D. If the local store hoards the product to manipulate the market supply & demand📈, will HUL take kindly to that? Pricing violations, KYC violations/money laundering, NPAs, excessive lending - these cover the above 4 scenarios for RBI-fintech equivalents. We can give more such examples Supplier-distributor dynamics are a natural market mechanism to provide the best product to customer. RBI's actions are market-driven in that sense If you don't like operating under another supplier terms, create your own product & dictate your own rules (cryptocurrencies) High-agency behaviour is understanding these nuances deeply and building for it. Blaming others (RBI) for own failures is an easy cop-out done by low-agency people

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Jio just bought Disney+ Hotstar for ₹70,000 crore. This isn’t just another deal—it’s how the top Indian streaming service fell and was picked up by the biggest player around. Hotstar was once unbeatable. With IPL, it ruled the digital space, attracting millions of viewers each year. But then things changed. Viacom18 took IPL streaming rights, and without IPL, Hotstar’s viewers began to leave. Disney paid $3 billion to keep IPL TV rights, but the damage was done. Jio Cinema offered IPL streaming for free, which hurt Hotstar’s audience even more and dropped Star India's TV ratings. Then, HBO content disappeared from Hotstar, leading to a projected loss of 8-10 million subscribers by late 2023. Star India was bleeding money and expected to lose more in FY24. Enter Jio. Seeing Hotstar as a distressed asset with massive potential, Jio made the move. The ₹70,000 crore acquisition isn’t just about buying a platform—it’s about reclaiming the future of Indian digital entertainment. Jio already has IPL streaming rights, a vast telecom network, and deep pockets. With Hotstar, Jio is now poised to dominate the Indian OTT space. This deal shows the future of streaming where only the strongest will thrive. Hotstar’s fall was swift, but with Jio, its rise could be faster. What happens next? Only time will tell. One thing is certain—Jio is here to win, and the game has just begun. #Jio #Hotstar #OTT #Streaming #IPL #Disney #Acquisition #DigitalEntertainment #India

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In the winter of 2016, a tea vendor in Gujarat made a small, seemingly inconsequential decision. Frustrated by the lack of loose change, he began accepting digital payments through Paytm. While his action might have appeared insignificant then, it was part of a larger trend fuelled by demonetisation. This tea vendor’s choice contributed to a domino effect, transforming India into a global leader in digital transactions. This phenomenon—where small actions can create significant ripple effects—is a classic example of The Butterfly Effect. What is the Butterfly Effect? The Butterfly Effect, originating from chaos theory, refers to how minor actions or decisions can set off a chain reaction with far-reaching impacts. In economics, this concept highlights how small, localized choices can trigger large-scale market changes, often in unpredictable but profound ways. Examples 1. Digital payments revolution - Early adoption of UPI by small merchants began as isolated decisions - Over time, these actions generated network effects, transforming India’s payment landscape into one of the most advanced globally 2. Demonetisation and fintech growth - The 2016 demonetisation seemed like a short-term policy shock - It spurred rapid adoption of digital payment platforms like PhonePe , Paytm, and Google Pay, laying the foundation for India’s fintech boom 3. Retail investor growth in stock markets - Affordable internet access and zero-commission trading apps like Zerodha encouraged first-time investors - A trickle of new retail investors grew into a flood, reshaping market participation and boosting domestic capital inflows Key lessons 1. Small changes drive systemic shifts: Seemingly minor decisions, such as introducing UPI, often lead to systemic changes. For businesses, this means being mindful of the larger implications of small innovations or customer behaviour shifts. 2. Network effects amplify impact: A small decision can gain traction and create exponential impact in interconnected systems. For instance, the growth of digital wallets wasn’t driven by one merchant alone—it thrived because customers, merchants, and payment companies all participated in the ecosystem. Recognising these dynamics can help leaders invest in areas where such network effects are likely to emerge. 3. Timing and adaptability are critical: Businesses and policymakers who act on early signals can unlock tremendous opportunities. Companies like Jio, capitalising on low-cost internet access to push digital services, became market leaders. Recognising the first flutter of the “butterfly” can give an edge in navigating market shifts. 4. Focus on catalysts: Many market transformations are sparked by catalysts like a policy change (e.g., demonetisation) or a technological advancement (e.g., UPI). Identifying and leveraging such catalysts can help organisations align their strategies with emerging trends. What small decisions have you observed that created big changes?

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Ever received a call claiming to be from your bank, only to find out it was a scam? This is a daily reality for many in India (and frankly most countries), where impersonation fraud has become a major threat to financial security. In fact, the problem is so widespread that Netflix created an entire series, Jamtara, showcasing the tactics fraudsters use to prey on unsuspecting victims—often with the backing of local politicians. But here’s the good news: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is stepping up with a creative, systemic solution. Introducing the 160 Series TRAI’s new regulations aim to make fraud calls easier to spot. By assigning specific number series to trusted entities, they’re enabling consumers to distinguish legitimate calls from potential scams: 📞 1600 Series: Reserved for government bodies and regulators for service and transactional communications. 📞 1601 Series: Dedicated to financial institutions regulated by RBI (think Federal Reserve), SEBI (think SEC), IRDAI (insurance regulatory body), and PFRDA (pension regulatory body) 📞 140 Series: Now strictly for telemarketing and promotional calls. This works much like the familiar 1-800 numbers in the US, but with an anti-fraud twist. Now, Indian consumers can immediately verify if a call is from a legitimate financial institution just by looking at the first four digits. While implementation through state governments might present some challenges, this is exactly the kind of simple yet effective solution we need to combat financial fraud in the digital age. Won’t be surprised if other countries soon follow suit!

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The recent paper, "Scaling Laws for Precision" [1], is pretty cool and has some important insights. For example, they say "the more data seen during pretraining, the more sensitive the model becomes to quantization at inference-time" [2], which has real implications for data curation, and for how we do quantization at inference (and thus how people buy/provision GPUs). The conventional wisdom has been that we can throw in a lot of tokens into pretraining, which should then help us have smaller models, which reduces inference costs (which is what Llama did by training on 15T tokens). While this is still true, the above insight presents an interesting blocker to further cost reduction using quantization. [1] https://lnkd.in/gy6uUjTQ [2] https://lnkd.in/gVNPrUwW

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So after raising over $1.3 Bil and making losses of over ₹12,438 Cr, Sharechat was left with ₹36.2 Cr in cash and bank balances by the end of FY24. Not to forget, its total current assets were worth ₹128.96 Cr. This is important because just a month ago, Sharechat came out with a press release claiming that they had achieved a '67% reduction in "adjusted EBITDA loss"'. The PR positioned the news as some kind of breakthrough and also set the tone for an incoming IPO, not mentioning the net losses. Also, in the "adjusted EBITDA loss" of ₹793 Cr (still greater than the revenue of the company, which stood at ₹718 Cr), what was not included was the finance cost, depreciation, amortization, ESOP cost, provision of doubtful assets, and foreign exchange loss. Normally, some of these costheads might actually not be that relevant in the true sense. But Sharechat is a highly leveraged company. So much so that it paid heavy interest on debts, i.e. ₹510.57 Cr in FY24 itself. So the company's total revenue stood at ₹718 Cr. Out of which ₹510 Cr just went in paying the interest of debts. Then the employee benefits took some ₹580 Cr, and the server rent stood at ₹559 Cr. And then, very interestingly, the company also spent about ₹420 Cr on "Content & Business Development". All in all, in FY 24, the company made ₹718 Cr, at an expense of ₹2,644 Cr, making a net loss of ₹1,898 Cr. And it's looking at an IPO? This is a travesty of a different level! Just a month ago, the CFO of Sharechat had said "We are adequately funded, but we see value in bringing additional investors on board as we gear up for our IPO," Charan remarked. Really? Looking at the financial health of the company, one might wonder why Sharechat's coming out with a string of PR articles about how it's "cornering a big share of social media market" and "narrowing losses". Isn't it embarrassing? Are the investors it's trying to coax really so gullible? Most importantly, how do we get in touch with them? These are very important questions. Well, Sharechat is obviously pretty desperate for some cash to keep the show running. Without some new funds (and soon), it's toast. That's pretty clear. But here are two questions: 1. What would it be valued at? All that heavy debt, super negative margins, majority of income coming from "live streaming", etc. Who wants a piece of this? And what what price? At its peak, it was valued at $5 Billion, despite only $52 Million in revenues and $400 Million in losses. Will we return to that era of exuberance? If not, how will it ever justify about $1.3 Bil in funding? 2. How much time does Sharechat have? It's obvious that Sharechat needs a huge dose of fresh cash, or its party will get wrapped up anytime soon. But whatever happens, how far will this journey go? Will someone add to the perpetual risk that is Sharechat, to no proportionate return. If yes, for how long will this misery continue? And if not, who's going to buy this business?

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𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 🚶‍♂️‍➡️ 𝟭𝟬𝗞 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁. Last week, I have successfully completed over 365 days, 10K steps/day, consistently! 🎉 - I walked over 5 million steps over last 1 year - Never missed a day - Got in to habit of healthy eating 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁?  - I feel in better shape and fitness vs last year.  - Reduced weight and a few inches of waist. - Overall I feel healthier, with much active lifestyle. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆-  To consistently complete 10K steps, everyday you have to do at least 20-30% higher steps, so as to sustain 10K, when you have a dull day. You will have few days when you might not feel well, you will be busy travelling, you might be on vacation, with family, you might be really busy with work. I too had these challenges, only thing which helped me survive through the journey was my resolution, my wife, and a set of peer group who were on a similar mission. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 -  𝟭. 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆- I simplified my goal by tracking only one metric, i.e. steps (no tracking of calories, distance, speed etc). When you add more than one metric your mind cannot prioritize, and then you tend to get in to a mode of mediocracy or not meeting your goal. 𝟮. 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹- It does not matter if you complete your steps during morning or evening, gym or home or outside. What matters is you do it with consistency.  For effectiveness I just added min 45 mins of consistent brisk walk after few months. Its essential to see the progress. 𝟯. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 - If you are alone, it gets difficult, you should have a partner. I was fortunate to have wife to support and at times push. We also have a Small group of people who share their daily progress through whatsapp, which has been immensely helpful. 𝟰. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 - At the start of any journey it is difficult to form a habit, and create an momentum. One simple thing worked for me, print out your daily goal by date, with marker (red/green), track the progress. Old simple way of tracking progress is incredibly useful. It will help you form an habit and gain momentum. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁?  I am planning to start my year two with an added metric, to further challenge myself. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?  Todays' lifestyle is very sedentary. Over the year I have seen the difference it has made in my lifestyle, through this post, if I inspire even a single person, its a win for me. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 2025 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭?  𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺?  𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳? #fitnessjourney #walking

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You don't need an iPhone or PS5 in 10 minutes. But you could use an ambulance in the moments of crisis. Last week, Blinkit unveiled a 10 minute ambulance service in Gurgaon, soon to be expanded to other Indian cities. 🚑 The announcement however has sparked 2 dominant discourses: ✨ On one hand, there is celebration: in a country where healthcare infrastructure often falls short, this initiative can potentially save countless lives. 👀 On the other hand, critics argue that such services highlight systemic failures. They assert that it is the government's responsibility to provide free and accessible healthcare, which of course includes ambulances. Here’s why I believe Blinkit deserves applause, even amid these nuanced debates: 1️⃣ Critics of Blinkit’s initiative focus on the broader question: why does such a service exist in the first place? And it’s extremely valid. The ideal scenario would indeed involve a government-funded system. However, this critique misdirects frustration. Blaming a private company for identifying a critical need and acting on it overlooks the larger systemic issue.  2️⃣ While Blinkit claims the service is not profit-driven, even if it were, the larger good outweighs any moral dilemma. Private companies thrive on addressing gaps in the market, and in this case, the gap happens to be life-threatening. If the government steps in to create a comparable service that is free, end consumers would only benefit from having choices, which is a win-win scenario. 3️⃣ When a loved one is in distress, time is of essence. A 10 min ambulance could literally mean the difference between life and death. In such moments, concerns about 'dystopian' implications tend to fade, and they’re often replaced by gratitude for a solution that works in the end. Having said that, I agree that the service is imperfect. It won’t cater to the most underprivileged members of society, given its ₹2,000 fee. But for the middle classes who can afford it, this service offers immense value. If it helps even 50% of the population, it is still a net positive impact. 🎯 It is possible, and necessary, to hold two thoughts simultaneously: celebrating Blinkit’s effort while questioning the government’s shortcomings. The two are NOT mutually exclusive. Instead of framing this as a ‘dystopian’ failure, it can be viewed as a stepping stone by highlighting areas where the public sector must step up. Until we live in a world where everyone has access to efficient healthcare, every effort to bridge the gap deserves their due recognition. 🤝 Kudos to Albinder Dhindsa and the team 🙌

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