I worked hard for 17 years to find 1 success
I have experienced anxiety and witnessed depression.
I am an entrepreneur. Success to me is creating something that I'm deeply proud of. To do that I make Daily Progress. I am in it for the climb. I want to know what I am capable of. This is where I share my lessons from the week.
I worked hard for 17 years to find 1 success.
I have experienced anxiety. And I have learnt how to use it as fuel to succeed.
I witnessed depression first hand. I could not help. But a healthy diet and exercise can.
You can access previous editions of my weekly emails here. Let’s begin!
(1) I worked hard for 17 years to find 1 success.
I did well enough financially in my 20s and 30s to save money, invest, look after my families expenses, start a business, get married and travel the world.
At 24 I had all the basics that a middle class South Delhi boy usually has - an education, a roof over his head, plenty of food to survive and unconditional love (thank you mom and dad!). But my bank account read 0. The days of pocket money and asking my parents to pay for me were over.
I was lost after graduating from business school. I did not know what to do with my life. But I was curious. I had the entrepreneurial gene. I read a lot. And I tested many business ideas. In this process I learnt from the wisdom of others, dead or alive, and layered it with my own experiences to find my path. I slowly peeled the onion to discover what made Harsh Batra tick - my interests, my superpowers, my shortcomings, and everything in between. Each success reinforced a certain behavior. Each failure made me scratch my head while pouting. Real-life-MBA is a lot more topsy turvy than the structured curriculum of the Schulich School of Business.
Some of the businesses I started were ahead of their time like PetChef which delivered fresh dog food everyday. Some solved the wrong part of the problem like the CricHub App I built to be the LinkedIn for Amateur Cricketers; CricHeroes solved the right problem by digitizing the scorebook becoming the number 2 app in the Play Store. Some required a lot of patience and investments like Happy Ratio which started as a D2C nutrition beverage brand and now provides clean, healthy, tasty foods and drinks. And one succeeded - EthosData Virtual Data Rooms which was recently acquired by iDeals Corp, the Swiss company which is the fastest growing VDR Provider in the world.
The one business which succeeded basically paid for everything else I did. But you know, I had 0 control over how much money I made. I was so focused on the process of building and selling that the results just followed.
I don't see anything I have done so far as a failure. Failure happens when you stop trying. The businesses that did not work were stepping stones in the path to businesses that are working, just like the Kindle Fire phone needed to flop for Alexa to succeed.
Here are a few lessons I learnt from finding success in the one business I didn't own but built as if it was my own:
Have skin in the game. I did not focus on what the business could do for me. I focused on what I could do for the business. I only made money, if the business made money. My fixed salary from the age of 24 till the age of 41 has been $1000/month. That's it. Talk about aligning incentives! The system was built to be fair. And the fact that I had the stomach to share in the ups and downs of the business is why I am an entrepreneur. My priority was not the cheque I got at the end of the month. My priority was sales, growth and profitability. Real skin in the game made me think like an owner. If I did not have real skin in the game, I probably would not have stayed with EthosData as long as I did.
Extraordinary returns come in 20% of the time. It took 17 years to make 5 years of above average returns. That's 80/20 principle at play right there. Just like compound interest needs time to start generating hockey stick returns, consistent daily progress also compounds into extraordinary results over time. If you are heading in the right direction, then keep at it.
Nothing is possible without a team. Behind my success is the success of my colleagues. Business is a team sport. Just like every army general was once a soldier who went up the ranks, you should get your hands dirty in every aspect of the business so that you know what is required to do well in different jobs. I am not good at everything, but I have been involved in every aspect of business. This is how I discovered my superpowers and my shortcomings. This is also why I have an excellent track record in identifying and hiring talented teammates. I try to make sure that they succeed so that we all can succeed.
(2) I have experienced anxiety. And I have learnt how to use it as fuel to succeed.
Anxiety is a necessary evil. Every time I am anxious, it is a sign that I care. If I didn't give a shit, the anxiety meter would be at 0. But when what I want is on the line, my heart rate rises and my brain goes into hyperactive mode.
Here are the ways I have turned anxiety on its head to fuel my success:
Conscious Breathing: I have learnt to slow my breathing and count backwards from a 100, visualizing each breath going from head to toe and then back up again. This disrupts the movie playing out in my head by bringing the focus to the present. I could totally resonate with Novak Djokovic when he said that the number one thing you can do for mental health is “learn how to consciously breath. It sounds weird. We all breath automatically. We always travel from the past to the future but conscious breathing centers you. It brings you to the present.”
Writing in a Journal: I have used journaling as a way to get all my thoughts out on paper. This immediately calms me down by emptying my mind. It also allows me to see different points of view. Digging deeper provides clarity and calm. All you need is a pen and paper. It is the best hack for self therapy. This should be a life skill taught in school. It should be a daily habit for all children and adults.
Sweating it out: I have used exercising as a way to release pent-up energy. In the last month I went for a run just before going on important negotiation calls. It allowed me to get into zen mode. Strap on those shoes. Run. Your heart rate will rise. You will pant for a bit. Perhaps your legs will ache. And your muscles will tighten up. But the endorphins that will get flushed into your brain will bring the focus back to what matters. You will be able to cut through the noise to get to the signal.
Sleeping on decisions: I can't tell you how many times I have slept on decisions and woken up with solutions. This has convinced me that our subconscious mind solves problems when we sleep. What an incredible machine! You may have to hold yourself back from taking action because your nerves may be getting to you, but trust me when I say that patience pays. Just sleep on it. If you still feel the same when you wake up in the morning then move forward. Whatever you choose to do in the morning will be the right thing to do.
If I had this ability to control my anxiety when I was young, I would probably have pursued a career as a professional cricketer. I was talented and skillful, but mentally weak. I would get so nervous before going in to bat that I would be trembling. My teeth would be chattering. I cared so much about the result i.e. scoring runs, that I paralyzed myself in the process. 17-year old Harsh made it all the way to playing professionally in England but never lived up to expectations. 41-year old Harsh channels all that anxiety to focus and perform. I have made more centuries after I stopped pursuing the sport professionally than I ever had as a teenager.
Learning how to cope with anxiety is a necessary skill to succeed.
P.S. We live our lives inside-out. There is a movie called Inside Out. I highly recommend you go see it. I think it does an incredible job in explaining the dance of various emotions that goes on inside our heads. You will learn more about your mind by watching this movie than you will doing a PHD in psychology. It's a must watch!
(3) I witnessed depression first hand. I could not help. But a Healthy Diet and Exercise can.
I have not experienced depression but I have witnessed it up close and personal. It is terrible because the person experiencing depression is unable to control the thoughts that rule their mind. There are two ways that depression is tackled - one through psychotherapy (you go to a professional and talk to them), and the other way is through anti-depressant medication (SSRIs are given to tone down the emotions). I saw both of these methods fall short. Being so close to the person who was depressed was hard. No matter what I tried to do, it did not help. This was a battle that she had to win on her own. Eventually, we parted ways. I have no regrets. I choose to see her in a positive light and always wish her well.
A recent study found that focusing on healthy lifestyle changes, like adopting a Mediterranean diet and exercising, can be just as effective in reducing symptoms of depression as traditional talk therapy. The research involved 182 participants, mostly women with an average age of 45, who were experiencing depression. They were split into two groups: one receiving lifestyle therapy focused on diet and exercise, and the other undergoing psychotherapy (like cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness practices).
Over eight weeks, both groups showed a similar reduction in depression symptoms, with a 43% improvement in the lifestyle group and a 37% improvement in the psychotherapy group. Those in the lifestyle therapy group slightly improved their Mediterranean diet adherence, but their physical activity levels didn’t significantly change compared to the psychotherapy group.
Takeaway: If you’re struggling with depression, incorporating regular exercise and a healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet might be as effective as traditional therapy in managing symptoms. This highlights the potential power of lifestyle changes in supporting mental health.
Harsh Batra (LinkedIn)
Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
iDeals VDR - If you are running M&A transactions, planning an IPO, or sharing anything confidential online, you won’t find a better Virtual Data Room partner than us. Here is a 90 second video overview of iDeals. Companies like Pfizer, Mercedes and Tata trust us. Thousands of Indian investment bankers, lawyers and insolvency professionals use us everyday to run their due diligence processes. Send us an email on india@idealscorp.com so that we can customize your proposal and save you more time and money than anyone else in the industry.
Happy Ratio - I founded Happy Ratio because I am immensely passionate about health. To get the most out of life you need to be healthy. To be healthy you need to eat the right foods and drink the right beverages. But this is not always possible or easy. Happy Ratio provides clean, tasty and healthy foods and drinks. Our breads are baked fresh every morning with zero maida or preservatives. Our cold coffee meal shake gives you all 39 essential nutrients along with your daily dose of caffeine. We can replace one of your daily snacks or meals through our delicious yet healthy sandwiches, wraps, bowls, shakes and cold-press juices. Check out our menu on Zomato and Swiggy. We serve employees from Deloitte and Marks & Spencers and do events for companies like Samsung and Oppo. If you want to elevate the health of your employees or feed your family something healthy and tasty, reach out to us at ops@happyratio.com.
Marcellus Investment Managers - I am a Marcellus client because their investment philosophy resonates with how I think about investing. I believe that Marcellus can generate average returns of 18% per year over the next 10-20 years. That is 5x returns every 10 years. This means that 50 lacs invested can compound to 2.5 crores in 10 years. 2.5 crores can further compound to 12.5 crores in 20 years. And 12.5 crores can further compound to 62.5 crores in 30 years. Yes I know that those numbers seem outlandish but I think that their approach to investing in clean, honest and cash flow positive businesses can yield these returns if you have the patience to wait. I trust them with my savings and evangelize their approach. Investing comes with inherent risks so please do your own due diligence before deciding where to put your money. I am also an Independent Financial Advisor with Marcellus.