My Happy Place

A lot of friends ask me. Some wonder secretly. Why do I build random stuff? The answer is simple. It makes me happy. I have benefited immensely from the stuff I have built. Personal satisfaction has been the biggest benefit. But when you have stuff to show, it also becomes easier to land jobs and promotions. This is possible only when you build something. I highly recommend it.

I realize that I might come across as giving gyaan like a wildly successful billionaire. But I am slowly realizing that success doesn’t look the same for everyone, and for me it might be somewhere in a thousand tiny-big projects.

The most important thing I have learned while building is that it is ok to build stuff that exists. In any case, the path to building something unique starts with building something. Talk less. Build more. Build even if it exists. Case in point - thinkdeli. 

Don’t keep your ideas secret. Share them with everyone. Be critical of your own ideas. Be ready to discard them, even. But protect your ideas from the world - every idea gets questioned. But that doesn’t mean it should get discarded right away. Give your idea a chance. Remember these beautiful lines from the song - Pairon ki bediya from the movie Udaan. 

pairo ki bediya khwabo ko baandhe nahi re, kabhi nahi re
mitti ki parton ko nanhe se ankur bhi chire, dhire dhire

When you build something, there is a 100% chance that at least one person will tell you what you have built is easily doable using open source tools. Don’t buy such arguments. It is possible to build a computer using discrete components. You still buy a Macbook. Go build a Macbook of whatever you are building.

Whatever you build, put it out there. Tell the world about it. Associate your name with it. Writing about it helps. I would argue that nothing helps more. Write long essays. Write about stuff you think only you care about. That is usually the most interesting stuff. Counter intuitive, but true. No one wants to read a generic fluff piece written for everyone. 

I sometimes take up really ambitious projects, mostly of out naivette. But the joy of chipping away at a huge project and to see it take shape is unmatched. And to get to experience the flow state while doing this is a privilege Orchestrating Flow. As I said at the beginning, I highly recommend it.