‘Everyone has ideas but only few can execute these ideas’ – 45 quotes from Indian startup journeys

From idea to implementation, witness the memorable journey of Indian entrepreneurship in these quotes, excerpts and stories!

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 45 gems and insights from the week of December 3-9 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.

To make an impact, you must produce something that is compelling, unique and simple. - Murali Santhanam, Vismaya

Though discipline is annoying at times, this is what makes you dependable in the eyes of others. - Sudhakar Reddy, Nirvedha Executive Coaching Solutions

In the game of David and Goliath, it is best to come back as David if you want to win. - Abhishek Rungta, Indus Net Technologies

Growth is the most important metric for all startups, yet many fail to achieve meaningful growth. - Nick O’ Connor, Alchemist-X

With growth and an increase in the number of employees, it is important to craft and formalise the culture and guiding philosophy of the organisation. - Seema Prem, FIA Technology

A work culture that only rewards the standoffish, outgoing and typical “extrovert” quickly becomes toxic. - Marcus Ranney

Most entrepreneurs are driven by passion and many times the zeal blocks their ability to play devil’s advocate and question their own assumptions about the product. - Puran Singh, IIT Mandi Catalyst

Stop reading those famous posts talking about successful founders and their stories and start writing your own unique story. To each their own, find your own terms and the story will follow suit. - Anjli Jain, EVC Ventures

Take your business, and your life, into your own hands with a mindfulness practice. - Jeff Bezos, Amazon

One should not remain enclosed in an office. Instead, one should conduct regular field trips and take periodic feedback from customers. - Gurpreet Singh Munjral, Datavision

Everyone has ideas but only few can execute these ideas. - Rohan Khaunte, Goa Minister of IT

People who tend to go beyond boundaries often dare to pick up challenges that are daunting. - Priti Mahara, CRY

If you have the privilege to be what you want to be and have the opportunity to have a voice, your life should be more than just about yourself. - Shriti Pandey, Strawcture Eco

AI will continue to be a key focus areas to solve newer business problems. - Rakshit Daga, bigbasket

97% of Indian organisations believe they could do more if they had the right AI talent. - B.S. Teh, Seagate

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are going to lead to radical transformation making travel booking more quick, intuitive and highly curated. - Vikalp Sahni, Goibibo

Robots powering the last mile delivery are an inevitable part of the future. - Deepinder Goyal, Zomato

Never before in history have our tools been so responsive to us, and we to our tools. - Paul Daugherty and James Wilson, 'Human + Machine'

Persisting skills shortages and regulatory changes like the EU’s Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are driving continued growth in the security services market. - Siddarth Deshpande, Gartner

Blockchain catalyses data quality and reduces time complexity for compiling and verifying data. - Vikash Kumar, TatvaSoft

Today’s digital identity landscape is patchy, inconsistent and what works in one country often won’t work in another. - Ajay Bhalla, Mastercard

In this age of rapid digital disruption, the ability to quickly prototype and take ideas to market is essential for any organisation, and hackathons provide an excellent platform to do that. - Sachin Gupta, HackerEarth

The unprecedented growth in mobile interactions and messaging coupled with heightened customer expectations has created an engagement gap for many brands. - Raviteja Dodda, MoEngage

There are millions of mid-sized and smaller hotels and restaurants that want a seamless customer experience and are yet to figure out how to use tech to do it. - Baskar Manivanan, Venuelytics

Bringing data-driven efficiencies to building operations and enabling a superior occupant experience is the future of commercial real estate. - Lee Fixel, Tiger Global

The fact that fintechs are looking (discovering) at newer sets of data and taking risks is what will continue to make the difference. - Sanjay Swamy, Prime Venture Partners

Credit with commerce makes products affordable and gives them a mass market. - Lizzie Chapman, ZestMoney

We are living in the age of home delivery. Then why should we leave healthcare out? - Swadeep Srivastav, IVH Senior Care

The 9-to-5 work of pyramids and organisational structure and every one sitting in the same place centrally is changing. - Jaspreet Bindra, consultant

It may seem simple but getting the right amount of funding and investors is a tough job. - Shalu Nathani, Swazen

Many of our business schools offer no practical training. The closest a student gets to a practical experience is a case study. - Dinesh Badagandi, TZP

Management is called a bastard science because there is not one concept that it has not borrowed from other social sciences, chiefly, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Politics and Economics. - Nandini Vaidyanathan, 'Entrepedia'

Japanese investors take a cautious, careful and studied approach to make an investment since they view investing as a partnership with both parties contributing according to their strengths. - Siddarth Pai, 3one4 Capital

After China, India has the largest SME population. While it has been the focus of every government and every corporation, the progress in this segment has been very minimal. - Summi Gambhir, GlobalLinker

To succeed in the future Indian companies will need to grow leaner and be more knowledge-driven than they had been in the past if they wish to take on their global competitors. - Kavita Nigam, KARAM Industries

Tulu lost its script in a span of just 20 years between 1820 and 1840. - Guru Prasad, Ka-Naada

Today, English is needed everywhere. For filling up forms, using computers, and for official purposes, to name a few. - Balagopal KV, Krishworks

Just as life began in the oceans, now, more than ever, the protection of the marine environment is imperative to sustain life on earth. - Roshan Netalkar, Echoes of Earth

Sustainable living is slowly taking centre stage in the real estate industry in India because of the advent of green buildings. - Monnanda Appaiah, Wienerberger

Sustainable fabrics are the talk of the town due to the increased environmental awareness. - Vijayta M Ratusaria, The Monkey Brain Co.

There is a need for women returnees to have strong mentors. Having a strong mentor is the need of the hour. - Neha Bagaria, JFH

Technology can simplify the entire process of flexible work and work from home prior to coming back to work. - Ritu Mittal Mukherjee, Baby Chakra

The 50s is only the beginning of the biggest adventure of your life. - Sudha Menon, 'Feisty at 50'

Don’t create too many artificial boundaries between personal and professional, between work and hobbies. Artificial boundaries create pressure and therefore tensions and unhappiness. - Gayathri Vasudevan, LabourNet

Slogging and working hard are two different ends of the spectrum. The startup ecosystem is yet to demarcate between the two. - Vaibhav Datar, 'Simplify your life'

Keep that paint brush wet. - Babita Saxena, artist

Only art can bring you peace and harmony – it is a form of therapy for the eyes, mind and soul. - MG Doddamani, art curator

Find that passion other than your day-to-day business as it gives you fresh ideas and fuels growth. - Anu Acharya, Mapmygenome

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).