‘Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible’ – 50 quotes from Indian startup journeys

From possibility to probability, witness the memorable journey of Indian entrepreneurship in these excerpts and quotes!

StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week (see the previous post here). Share these 50 gems and insights from the week of December 17-23 with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights. See also our compilation of quotes from India’s No.1 startup conference TechSparks 2018 here.

It’s extremely satisfying to work in an environment where each day, each person walks in happy and gives in their best towards the work they do. - Mohit Gulati, ITI GO

Companies should take initiatives to help employees reduce mental stress through specific programmes that will reflect in higher productivity. - Ujjwal Chaudhry, RedSeer Consulting

Subscriptions are the only business model that is entirely based on the happiness of your customers. - Tien Tzuo and Gabe Weisert, 'Subscribed'

While being a first mover has its own advantages and has enough success stories, there are a lot of very successful companies, which were not first movers when they launched. - Vani Kola, Kalaari Capital

The ed-tech industry is undergoing massive shifts, and students today want to learn through engaging and interactive methods. - Byju Raveendran

Data management and analytics technology have moved from buzz to biz. - Anup Purohit, YES Bank

What sets most fintech firms and startups apart from the legacy financial sector is their focus on innovation and agility, and a clear consumer-centric approach to building a digital infrastructure. - Gaurav Kumra, Vivriti Capital

Automation is the new keyword for any industry. - Anurag Srivasatava, Jungle Ventures

Several countries are already working on advanced humanoids that can co-exist with humans harmoniously. - Pulak Satish Kumar, Puresight Systems

AI is an integral role player in making IVR smarter. - Rajdipkumar Gupta, Route Mobile

The market research firms that have adapted to the latest technological advancements, primarily automation, AI and ML, will emerge winners. It is, after all, a survival of the smartest. - Jasal Shah, Markelytics

Cryptocurrency will revolutionise more than just international payments; it will likely fuel entire new internet-based business models, ecommerce, asset issuance, and could begin to replace cash. - Nicolas Cary, Blockchain.com

Every company needs a strong technological push, and for that, we need good CTOs. - Deepak Singh Ahlawat, Purple Quarter

While the current market operates with a largely advertising-driven content paradigm, consumers are not averse to paying for convenient content access that OTT unlocks. - Kanchan Samtani, BCG

Providing affordable, convenient healthcare services at home is a massive value proposition which is relevant for not just the Indian market but other emerging markets as well. - Vinod Murali, Alteria Capital

Startups with their innovative ideas will be able to solve social, agricultural and service sector problems of the country. - Ramesh Abhishek, DIPP Secretary

It is for policy-makers to put filters to identify erring companies. Design it such that genuine startups should breeze through the filters. - Abey Zachariah, Goodbox

UPI caught on in a big way for peer-to-peer (P2P) payments. But in P2M, its growth has not been as expected. - Sudhakar Ram, Benow

R&D is an important element to expand in Bengaluru, simply because of the top talent - the source of innovation. - Yasufumi Hirai, Rakuten

For every 100 companies in India, there are more than 95 micro enterprises, four small-to-medium businesses, and less than one large company. - Manish Sinha, Dun & Bradstreet India

Global peers entering India want to target a segment that is growing and has a huge potential base. The assisted selling model is going to be very important. - Jose Thatil, Phi Commerce

While there are plenty of online players, parents still prefer sending their children to physical coaching centers. - Rajan Singh, ConceptOwl

It is easy to give discounts but 30 percent off on atta is not solving a problem for the customer! - Anant Goel, Milkbasket

Value and brand can easily go hand in hand together. Value does not mean unbranded. - Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Flipkart

Weekend getaway trips to popular destinations are registering increased consumer demand, especially amongst millennial travellers. - Ankita Sheth, Vista Rooms

As a young entrepreneur, age can also trigger societal stereotypes that try to make youth a liability rather than an asset. - Satanik Roy, HyperXchange

Only when you make paying yourself important, will you make sure to do what it takes to achieve your goals. - Rajiv Telreja, 'Lead or Bleed'

An accessible park is extremely critical to a city. - Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kilikili

Understanding the heights of achievement that persons with disabilities can reach requires a mindset change. - Arman Ali, NCPEDP

Recycling is the way of life and the need of the hour, but in our country, it is still not done the way it should be done. - Rajesh Babu, Swachha

Creative thinking is your birthright. - Dave Birss, 'How to Get to Great Ideas'

Each of the larger companies should give birth to 30 more companies; that will create a vibrant ecosystem. - Phanindra Sama, TSIC

Wholesome food, which gives us energy and connects to our body, has become more valuable than a zero sugar or a zero fat food product. - Samrat Reddy, Drunken Monkey

With a $180 billion market potential, Indian real estate is one of the largest sectors of the economy. - Pranay Chulet, Quikr

There is a need to build a holistic IoT ecosystem that will enable the use of technology to solve India specific problems. - VS Shridhar, Tata Communications

While the number of women graduating in CS has been on a steady rise, when it comes to career growth, the numbers are staggeringly low. - Vivek Prakash, HackerEarth

Indian businesses need to deepen expertise and achieve process excellence in executing their M&A strategy. - Abhinav Mehrishi, Accenture

The availability of funding is a key challenge not just for clean energy entrepreneurs in India, but also for investors that wish to support them. - Colm Fay, 'Closing the Circuit'

Building locally relevant experiences is key to creating online trust and usage. -  Siddharth Nautiyal, Omidyar Network India

By 2025, there will be 100 unicorns. India has come to a stage where more and more capital is coming in. - Mohandas Pai, Arin Capital

There's always been smart people with ideas, but now they're smart people with ideas and money. - Terry Virts, astronaut

Learn to get your head around the boring stuff, for the excitement is always short-lived. - Pavan Soni, Inflexion Point

If your customers are happy with you, there is no need to invest massively in marketing or customer acquisition as ‘word of mouth’ can do wonders. - Anjli Jain, EVC Ventures

One has to be mad when it comes to the level of belief one holds in their business idea. - Bhavin Parmar, Bytewise Organic

The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is in your perception of it. - Lina Ashar, Kangaroo Kids Education

Become more visually literate and challenge yourself. Art is about society, it is about you. - Trupti Patel, sculptor

When you are an entrepreneur, it goes without saying that your entire journey is peppered with negotiations. It starts with you negotiating with yourself. - Nandini Vaidyanathan, 'Entrepedia'

Good days or bad days, happiness and sadness, victory and loss, all are transient and will pass. Don’t get attached to either, so don’t start believing you will always be No. 1 or that you are destined to be a nobody. - Shah Rukh Khan

An artist’s journey is exceptionally inspirational. There are countless struggles on their path to being celebrated and established. - Anu Menda, RMZ Foundation

The challenges are many, but the result is a learning process. - Sunny Leone

Grief and resilience live together. - Michelle Obama

Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible. - Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen master

Nothing is permanent in life! So, live, love, celebrate and inspire! - Prasanna Kumar, Brew & Barbeque

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).