| Sunday, 16 July 2023 |
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Good morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],
What’s the one thing we’re constantly doing, even without realising it? You’ve done it dozens of times before ending up reading this edition of the First Principles newsletter.
No, I’m not talking about breathing. But decision-making.
The average adult is estimated to make tens of thousands of decisions each day. The last one you took was to click on my email in your inbox.
Of course, not all those decisions are worthy of reflection or analysis. In fact, the vast majority are made subconsciously on “automatic” mode to avoid overloading ourselves.
But there are a handful of key decisions we make each day that matter. The choices we make for those end up determining and shaping not just our own futures, but over the years, anywhere from dozens to hundreds of others.
And if you’re a leader whose decisions shape the policies and strategies of teams, organisations, or countries, then your decisions will impact an exponentially higher number of other human beings.
That is why better decision-making is such a critical aspect of leadership.
Welcome to the fourth edition of the First Principles newsletter, a weekly exploration into powerful and often counterintuitive themes around leadership, as practised by some of India’s best-known founders and CEOs.
I’m back after an annual family vacation that has left me rested and renewed to make better decisions. I’m thrilled to be back in your inbox this Sunday, and thankful for the privilege of being read by you.
For this edition, I decided to speak to Ananth Narayanan, the founder and CEO of Mensa Brands, a “global tech-led house of brands” (his words) that became India’s youngest “unicorn” when it took just six months to reach the coveted US$1-billion valuation mark.
We spoke over the phone on a Saturday morning after cracking jokes about how parents (of children and pets) don’t really know what late mornings are, because you just get accustomed to waking up early.
I enjoy reading The Ken because it is informative, the articles are well researched, well written, without the spin and bias. I admire The Ken team for their dedication to getting closer to the true picture.
Hari Buggana
Chairman and MD, InvAscent
Transparent, Honest, Detailed. To me, The Ken has been this since the day I subscribed to them. The research that they put into each story and the way it is presented is thoroughly interesting. Personally, I’ve always had a great time interacting with the publication and reading the stories.
Harshil Mathur
CEO and Co-Founder, Razorpay
The Ken has proven naysayers wrong by successfully running a digital news publication on a pure-subscription business model in India. They have shown that discerning readers are willing to pay for well-researched, well-written, in-dept news articles.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited
As a designer, it’s easy to get lost in the craft of building products. As a business owner however, keeping up with a rapidly changing landscape is key to saying relevant. The Ken doesn’t just help me stay on top of what’s happening in India(and beyond), but makes it fun to do so.
Rahul Gonsalves
Co-founder and CEO, Obvious Ventures