Stoa Digest #66: To Sustain, You Evolve
Little progress each day >> Stagnancy all day
So the Cohort 8 folks have been killing it with their enthusiasm and initiative. Well, here’s our Digest featuring a very spirited, fun and adventurous Adipt Kedia.
🔦 Fellow Spotlight 🔦
As an entrepreneur, what has been your biggest learning?
My biggest learning being an entrepreneur has been that "Too much of analysis, leads to a paralysis". Great ventures were not built because of their swanky offices, great employee pedigrees or obnoxious valuations. Rather they were built because someone decided to start, despite what the numbers or people said.
What got you into the design technology space?
Right from interning with Deloitte, to working with JP Morgan in their Investment Banking division, I had my entire life planned out in the finance sector. But does anything ever go according to our plans? Huh, no!
So one fine day, an architect friend called me to his office for some investment related advice. After spending a couple of hours with him and his team, I realised that this is a huge unorganised sector, and there is definitely something that I can do about it. Meanwhile, as I was pondering over my decision whether to quit my job, something magical happened the next day - I met Kunal Shah, the very next day while leaving the airport. I took it as a sign from the universe - because the very man whom I had admired for his entrepreneurial spirit, literally in a brief conversation told me "You should definitely go for it!"
That very day, I handed in my resignation letter at JP Morgan and decided to foray into the design-tech space.
What’s your approach to problem-solving in your industry?
I believe all the problems that I face in my industry is like a jar made of glass. Initially, I fill it up with huge pebbles, along with some small granules and lastly fill it up to the brim with sand.
I believe every problem can be solved (not just my industry) by first removing the huge pebbles which occupy huge vacuoles, rather than stressing over the tiny sand, just because it can be seen filled up to the brim!
What’s something Stoans are unlikely to know about you?
On weekends, I love going to the beach and making sand art with sand, shells and clay. Wish to be talented enough one day to make the seven Wonders of the World, out of sand one day!!
What did you enjoy most about Stoa?
The greatest thing about Stoa is that failure in experiment is also lauded which makes it fun to explore uncharted territories without any fear.
You’ll find Adipt here on LinkedIn✌🏻
🐝 Community Buzz 🐝
Anmol Dhand from Cohort 8, an A&R and Marketing Associate with Gully Gang (hip-hop-focused record label home to names like DIVINE, MC Altaf, D'Evil), also the co-owner of Sub-continental hip-hop platform '101.hiphop' recently release a FIYAHH track of his Artist and organically got it to hit 1 million+ stream on Spotify and 700k on YouTube. Woah!
Track: Pink Blue
Artists: Tsumyoki and Bharg
Here’s the official music video-
A bunch of Cohort 8 folks along with their Cohort Manager, Adi, met in Bangalore for a quick dosa and coffee breakfast this Sunday followed by a super insightful learning session with Shyam Sadasivan on Leading by Coaching. Getting the college vibes going, y’all!
Our beloved alum from Cohort 4, Divya Haritwal organized an Ultrahuman mixer in Bangalore and our Stoa folks along with a few Cohort 9 Stoans had a gala time and a LOT of freebies! To many more last-minute community meetups, yall!
👀Community Sneak Peek👀
This Sunday, 2nd October from 7 PM - 9 PM, we have a crazy fun evening planned for y’all at Dialogues, JP Nagar. Bring that board game genius, trivia champion, or networking buddy along with you cause it is gonna be all of that and more.
Our very own melting point of people at Stoa is getting bigger and stronger by the day and let’s make this Sunday a dazzling spirited in-person version of that.🔆
Bringing to y’all, another TFE: The First Ever Stoa Open Mic session on the 5th of October, 8 PM onwards. Let’s get those festive vibes set. If you wanna sing, slam your poetry, narrate your story, anything art, this is your evening to shine.🔆
⏯ Do we ever come empty handed? ⏯
What we’re reading this week?
Paul Graham on his learnings from users via Akshay Bhandari
Something offbeat; The History of Photography
Some food for the soul, an excerpt and analysis of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations
What we’re binge-ing this week?
Throwback: I’m about 40 years late to the party, but Monty Python’s Personal Best on Netflix is a gem of British comedy. I genuinely think if the internet existed then, it’d be the cultural bedrock of parody & satire.
Do you TED often? I don’t, but YT gave me a solid recco this week with Caroline Reidy’s talk on Asking the Right Questions
New to economics? This micro series is a great visualizer for understanding economic basics
What we’re listening to this week?
If you haven’t heard of the legendary band Indian Ocean, well, now you do.
Afrobeat 🤝 Jazz: Kororoko
Anmol x Akshay from LBTL last week!
Hasta la vista, fam!🥂