Aswath Krishnan

People often misunderstand the Buddhist concept of "detachment," mistaking it for a withdrawal from life. But the Buddha rejected apathy and asceticism in favor of a middle path—a way to engage with life without being enslaved by it. True detachment isn’t about rejecting the world; it’s about freeing yourself from cravings and aversions. These mental constructs—the endless clinging to desires or pushing away of discomfort—are what bind us, not the world itself. By letting go of the need to control outcomes, we liberate ourselves to experience life fully. For example, love becomes richer when unburdened by demands. You can cherish someone without needing them to act a certain way or even love you back. Similarly, pursuing a passion can be joyful when detached from the fear of failure or the need for recognition. Even fleeting experiences like fame or wealth can be appreciated without grasping desperately as they fade. At the core of true detachment lies a profound belief: the ...

Everything we enjoy today was born out of someone's aspiration. We have the comforts, safety, and convenience of a modern home because hundreds of generations aspired for a better home. We enjoy an abundance and variety of food, magical infrastructure, air travel, computers and internet, music and art, and so much more because some people aspired for a better life. Aspiration is the root of all progress, even if not all aspirations or manifestations are good for individuals or society. Of course, just aspiration is not sufficient. It takes an enormous amount of grit, vision, capability. cooperation, and leadership to turn those aspirations into reality. I love Stripe founder, John Collison's quote: "As you become an adult, you realize that things around you weren't just always there; people made them happen. But only recently have I started to internalize how much tenacity *everything* requires. That hotel, that park, that railway. The world is a museum of passion proj...

My heart sinks whenever a product spec or a startup pitch refers to a generic "user" or a category like "student" because it's a telltale sign that the PM or founder doesn't know whom they are building for and therefore, what the real problem and context is, if there is one at all. And that means the venture is almost certain to fail. I made the same mistake when I built a product for "people who need therapy". Eventually, I distilled it down to "people with subclinical mental health issues who can't afford therapy", then to "college students who need help", and finally to "college counseling centers who were struggling to support their students". Only then, I was able to identify specific people I could interview, learn their problems more deeply, ideate on solutions, and identify some conferences where I could recruit early customers. Many PMs and founders worry that by defining a user very specifically ("pa...

An old proverb says, "You die twice - the first time when you draw your final breath, and the second time when someone says your name for the last time." My maternal grandfather passed away at a relatively young age. I was only a small child then, so I don't remember him much. But stories of his wisdom, incredible passion for food and music, deep love and generosity toward his family and friends, and kindness to strangers are told and retold decades after he passed. So he's still living his second life, as a legend. Of course, it doesn't matter to you what happens after you are dead. And it's never a good idea to be beholden to what others think of you. But it can still inspire you to live how you want. Notes:  1. A corollary to this is you can revive a physically dead person by remembering and mentioning them. 

As a leader and manager, you have responsibilities to fulfill, outcomes to achieve, and personal boundaries to protect.   You can try to do that with obnoxious aggression. But it’s unkind and unpleasant, and people around you will leave you or never rise to their potential. You may be able to go fast, but you won’t go far.  If you swing the other way and be a nice pushover, you will not achieve your goals and be taken advantage of. The tolerance for mediocrity, lack of progress, and bottled-up frustration will eventually catch up to the people who work with you, your customers, your performance, and your business.  There's a better way - be firm on standards, but be fair, kind, and respectful. You can't fake this. You must authentically and deeply care for the mission, business, quality of work, and yourself, and for the well-being and success of the people you work with.  Appreciate and reward great work. Give everyone a fine reputation to live up to. Be straig...