Women Deserve More Credit Than They've Got
Maybe Your Were Just Lucky But Think You Are Smart. Make Time For Those Who Matter, Even If You Don’t Have Time.
Life is awesome, irrespective of the cards you’ve been dealt by circumstances. I build businesses with people I like to pursue a rich emotional and financial life. I share lessons I learn along the way.
Here are this weeks insights:
Women Deserve Way More Credit Than They’ve Got
Maybe You Were Just Lucky But Think You Are Smart
Make Time For Those Who Matter, Even If You Don’t Have Time
You can access previous editions of my weekly emails here. Let’s dive in!
(1) Women Deserve Way More Credit Than They’ve Got
Lee Kuan Yew, the man who made Singapore a first world country from nothing, was usually second in his class. His wife, Kwa Geok Choo, used to come first. They fell in love and got married. In his book, From Third World To First, he recounts how the Soviets realised how much influence she had over him so they started seating her next to key figures at official functions. She wasn’t just his partner. She was his equal, his intellectual counterpart, and his most trusted advisor. Reflecting on his relationship, he said:
“My greatest joy and satisfaction in life was to have met and married my wife, Choo. I made the right choice.”
Howard Schultz, the man who made Starbucks a success story, went without a salary for nearly two years while establishing his coffee business. He relied on his wife, Sheri Kersch Schultz, who was working and pregnant with their first child, to support the family. When his father-in-law was visiting he took Howard for a walk and said:
“What you’re doing is a hobby. What my daughter is doing is work. Get a job!”
He ended up crying in front of him. He had already been rejected by 217 investors, struggling to fund his dream. That remark made him question everything. When his wife found out she said to Howard:
“We’re going to follow these dreams that you have. We’re going to see this through.”
She saw what others couldn’t. She backed him when no one else did.
A few days ago, Nithin Kamath won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. When I saw his post, I noticed his wife standing right by his side, smiling, proud, and happy. They have been together for more than twenty years, long before any of this success came along. That is a hell of a partnership. That is why his brother Nikhil mentioned them both saying:
“To both you and seems, one year after losing our father, surviving cancer and a brain stroke, for never complaining and always smiling you deserve another kind of award altogether. In a world filled with glass half empty folk we need more glass half full :)”
Success stories are rarely solo journeys. And the women in our lives are usually the other side of the coin. Women deserve way more credit than they get. They support their men in ways that often go unnoticed. They balance careers and families, carry the weight of responsibilities, and push forward, often without the recognition they deserve. The glass ceiling still exists, and while progress has been made, there is still work to do.
But change is happening, and I get to see it firsthand.
At Ideals, women make up 50% of our team, and I get to work with some of the smartest women in the world. These women don’t just contribute. They lead, innovate, and set new standards. Imagine how much better the world would be if more companies followed our lead.
In my personal life, I have always seen the power of strong women. My parents worked as equals throughout their lives, and they were always stronger together. So when I zoomed in on my life partner, I knew I wanted someone independent and strong-willed.
Ishi was exactly that. Happy, independent, and ambitious. When I met her she wondered if I would be supportive of her career. She hadn’t met many men who were comfortable with the idea of her working at the United Nations, where she wanted to challenge herself by working in different countries. I loved her drive, just as she loved the fact that I was building my businesses. We support each other. We make it work beautifully.
At Happy Ratio, Nikita leads our marketing. She is a psychology graduate, an e-sports champion, and a creative force who comes up with quirky, engaging, and brilliant ideas. (Here is one I loved!). She recently represented us at Google’s Women’s entrepreneur event, and is proof that talent, when nurtured, thrives.
The best partnerships—whether in business or in life—are the ones where everyone gets an equal opportunity to thrive. It is time we acknowledge and support women more than we ever have before.
Happy International Women’s Day!
(2) Maybe You Were Just Lucky But Think You Are Smart
Imagine you make $1 million by the age of 32. By 36 you've amassed $16 million. And then everything you made in 7 years disappears in a matter of 7 days because the highly improbable once in a lifetime event happens. You find yourself back at $1 million.
Imagine the pain of going from $16 million to $1 million! At $1 million you'd still be better off that 99% of the world, but you would feel like you fell off a cliff.
As I read stories like this one in Nassim Taleb's Fooled By Randomness, I remind myself never to leverage myself or look for a shortcut. I am glad that life has made me work for every buck I have made because if I had got a random break I would possibly have fooled myself to believing that I have some sort of a midas touch that makes me smarter than the rest. And that belief would have led me down a path of risk that would likely cause one big mistake that would wipe out everything I worked to build.
Life is long. If given the choice between a slow but certain path to meeting your financial goals and the fast and uncertain path to it, pick the slow route. Do not play Russian Roulette.
(3) Make Time For Those Who Matter, Even If You Don’t Have Time
I went to meet a friend who recently had a baby. It was a long day for me. I had to attend a wedding, then head to Gurgaon for a meeting. By the time I got done, it was already 8.30pm. I had to then drive from one end of one city to another end of another city to make it for dinner at my friend's house. It was the first time I was meeting his family. I greeted them with hugs. His mom made amazing food for me. His grand mom sat with us. His wife laughed as we made small talk. His baby couldn't care less who I was as she stretched and slept in my presence.
By the time I left, it was midnight. I was tired but happy. Happy that I made the time to go meet a friend who is cherishing every bit of his personal and professional life. Happy that I could share a moment in person with the people who matter most to him. Happy to be around happy people. I don't know when we will get to spend time in person again. But those few hours were priceless.
Make time for those who matter. Put in the effort. The work will never end. But these moments don't wait for you - they will fly by in a jiffy.
Thank you for reading. If you’re curious about the businesses I build, here they are:
Ideals VDR - We help professionals to collaborate over sensitive data and run critical business transactions, such as M&A, smoothly.
Happy Ratio - Delicious, nutritious foods and drinks designed for busy lives. No fuss, just health made simple.
Marcellus Investment Managers - Where my personal investments grow. Their philosophy of investing in clean, honest, cash flow-positive businesses aligns with my approach.
Harsh Batra (LinkedIn)