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Key Takeaways Spend time in the field, where the problems are real. Firsthand exposure reveals challenges and opportunities that rarely show up from a distance.
Be ready to change direction. Sometimes the right move is to step back and ask whether your current path still aligns with your long-term goals.
Think global, act local. Most founders focus on local competition, but the real edge comes from spotting global trends before they hit your own market.
Build credibility before visibility. Advertising can buy attention but not trust. Build relationships, understand the industry, educate stakeholders and create genuine value.
Most people assume successful businesses start with a detailed plan or a big idea. In my case, both companies I founded began with little more than a willingness to act.
Years spent helping companies grow through strategy, content and customer acquisition taught me a lot, but eventually I hit a ceiling. My first business had run its course. The real value was in what it revealed: bigger opportunities waiting beyond my current work. So I sold my company and started over.
The path forward was anything but linear. Mistakes, hard lessons, international travel and personal investment shaped every phase. Each decision, good or bad, pushed me closer to launching a biodegradable startup.
During the Covid years, I spent nearly four years in Uttarakhand working closely with farmers and rural communities across different regions. Working alongside farmers gave me a ground-level view of challenges and surfaced opportunities that rarely show up in market reports.
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