Media

Every startup pitch is built on assumptions, about the market, users, and how the world will respond.Yet, many founders overlook just how critical these invisible foundations are. In this post, we dive into why assumptions matter more than you think, where founders often go wrong (hint: human psychology), and how you can stress-test your assumptions… Read more: Why Assumptions Are the Real Foundation of Every Startup

In the startup world, we glorify hustle, long nights, relentless work, unwavering belief. But here’s the truth: no amount of time or energy guarantees success. The real skill? Recognizing when an idea isn’t working and having the courage to pivot or start fresh. Sometimes, your second idea fueled by lessons from the first, is the… Read more: Time Invested ≠ Success Earned

Every investor has their own mental shortcuts for spotting real startup potential. One filter I’ve found surprisingly powerful?Does your product get better with more users? This simple question cuts through the noise, because startups aren’t just about growing fast. They’re about growing smarter, better, and stronger as they scale. If user growth doesn’t improve your product, you might have a great… Read more: Good Idea ≠ Great Startup 

Walt Disney himself coined the term “Plussing” It’s the belief that nothing is ever finished; everything can always be made better. No egos. No “final versions.” Just a relentless pursuit of magic. They’ll even scrap entire characters or rebuild experiences that aren’t working fast enough.Because for Disney, the goal isn’t to be done, it’s to keep… Read more: Why Disney Never Stops Iterating

Startups are built to move fast.They break things, ship quickly, and pivot often.That speed is their superpower and sometimes, their downfall. In the race to build, many startups overlook something critical:Institutional memory. Especially in fast-growing startups where team turnover is common, retaining knowledge becomes a form of resilience. Because yes, momentum is powerful. But memory… Read more: Speed vs Memory: The Hidden Startup Trap 🚀

In the vast history of the internet, some inventions are so deeply embedded in our daily lives that we hardly notice them anymore. The “INFINITE SCROLL” is one of them. Invented by Aza Raskin in 2006 while working at Humanized, infinite scroll fundamentally changed how we navigate digital content. Before it, the internet was structured… Read more: The Simple Innovation That Changed the Internet as We Know It

We often celebrate innovation as the holy grail of success. New products, breakthrough ideas, bold strategies. But too often, we forget one critical factor: the market has to be ready. Take Apple Newton. Launched in the early 90s, it was a touchscreen handheld device, complete with a stylus and note-taking features. Sound familiar? It was the… Read more: Innovation Is Only Half the Battle

The original Doom launched in 1993, and people are still playing it today. On printers. On coffee machines. Even on calculators. Why? Because Doom didn’t just build a game. It built a community that kept it alive, tweaking, porting, and reinventing it for decades. Same with TED Conferences . The talks went viral, yes. but… Read more: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗘𝗗: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

Whoa, this Black Swan came in quick!! This is a disruption the world has not seen before and will probably upend a lot of our plans – and, if you are a founder trying to juggle a million things while trying to change the world, the challenges will possibly have multiplied overnight. Maybe the best… Read more: What Do We Do Next ??

I asked this question on Facebook on Oct 13, 2017. Wow, was I in for a surprise! A lot of people had a lot to say on the topic – and it did provoke an extensive conversation. Most people who answered decided to pick a side and go with either “Yes – it is impossible”… Read more: Do you REALLY need to raise money for success?

The Middle East will need to build its own definition of entrepreneurship In an era when no one seems to agree on anything, there is one issue on which everyone seems remarkably aligned – that the salvation of our youth is in entrepreneurship. With most governments unable to afford and guarantee jobs to their large,… Read more: The new definition of entrepreneurship

Its so heartening to see one’s passion become a reality. I take great pride in having a hand in creating a community focused on building smart solutions to solve their own challenges – a platform where stakeholders come together to share knowledge, skills and solutions. This is the objective behind The Assembly, based at in5… Read more: The mission called The Assembly!

  I have been working on a pet project for a while now. It is called “The Assembly”.             This is one of the worlds first Internet of Things (IoT) Smart Labs, a community innovation collective and maker community, hosted at in5 – the Incubator at Dubai Internet City. It… Read more: Introducing The Assembly

  I am unlikely to be found in a candy store… but, yesterday’s trip to Abu Dhabi generated a feeling of elation and of wonder, as if I was indeed a kid in a candy shop. We visited the SuperLab at the Abu Dhabi Campus of NYU on Saadiyat Island, on the kind invitation of… Read more: A day at the Candy Store

“When Governments Grow Old, Nations Lose Their Edge. Innovation Keeps Us Young” – HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum   Very powerful words from an exceptionally inspirational leader…. And, this thought formed the basis for the single largest display of innovation and technology at the 3rd Government Summit, hosted in Dubai by the office of… Read more: Dubai – Younger by the Day!

I have always believed in the power of teams or networks… they multiply your capabilities and significantly increase your reach. My association with TiE has been an awesome such learning. In this interview, I speak about the beauty of being able to work outside the box as an entrepreneur and the availability of some illustrious and… Read more: The Network Effect

The first day of CES in Las Vegas brought the usual – tired legs, bad transport, traffic chaos – followed by a live concert with the well known band, Train!! But, then, there were a lot of ‘smart’ things around, especially vibrant with small entrepreneurial companies from around the world… And, also – Yo! More… Read more: Smart and Spiffy in Vegas

Las Vegas is always a bit mad, bit over the top and, surely, the best place to show off. So, when the world biggest horde of geeks, gadgeteers and makers land up in the City of Sin – its got to be a bit more than the usual bit… Landed in Vegas to see everything… Read more: CES Dawns!

Kumbhathon is a preparatory series of ideathons, organized by MIT Media Lab Camera Culture Prof., Ramesh Raskar… Happy to be a part of this unique effort around a unique event – Kumbh Mela 2015.

Last week I saw this tweet on my timeline — “Have not had a vacation for three years, tell my why I should celebrate entrepreneurship?”. A very frustrated twenty-something was complaining to whoever would listen about his recent introduction to the hard reality of being your own boss. I am not sure if you should… Read more: Harsh realities of being your own boss