‘If you do not innovate, you will stagnate’ – 50 quotes from Indian startup journeys
From improvement to innovation, witness the memorable journey of Indian entrepreneurship in these quotes, excerpts, and stories.
Launched in 2014, 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 June 10-16 with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights. See also our compilation of Top 50 Quotes from 2018 here.
Be a life-long learner because knowledge is changing much faster than we can print books. - Bala Parthasarathy, MoneyTap
When you have only one aim and you know there is no back up plan, you work for it giving your 200 percent. - Neha Sahu, Haelli
You gotta make the back of the fence — that nobody will see — just as good looking as the front of the fence. – Steve Jobs
Life is too short to stay put in one place zabardasti if you're unhappy. - Amanda Sodhi, Pen Paper Dreams
Everyone is capable of innovation success, but it requires the curiosity to question the status quo and the initiative to roll up your sleeves and do something. - Scott Anthony, ‘Dual Transformation’
Something that is an exploration today could be an opportunity tomorrow. - Jennifer Anderson, Uber
Many will tell you it’s time to quit. Even you will have doubts about your own ability to turn things around. But it is at this time that you must get cautious and keep going. - Dipti Motiani, Second Nature
Borrowing is easy, paying back is difficult. - Nihar Bobba, Wizely
If you are profitable as an organisation, the question is always where to invest. We always believed that it is better to invest in our own ideas. - Kaushal Sarda, Kuliza Technologies
There has to be some sort of a delivery DNA in the startup because these are great innovators but not necessarily the best organisations that can do a great job as far as delivery is concerned. - Avnish Sabharwal, Accenture Ventures
When you start a company, all hours are business hours. - Mark Cuban
Asia’s businesses require fundamentally different solutions for enterprise software, driven by unique organisational structures and consumer expectations. - Dev Khare, Lightspeed Ventures
Using wrong research methods is a bigger crime than no research at all. - Sahil Vaidya, The Minimalist
Brands are now less anchored to individual categories and regions. - Doreen Wang, Kantar Global
Let’s coin a better term to aptly describe the new-age freelancers, the flag-bearers of the gig economy, the problem solvers that will soon be needed by all corporate organisations. - Sanjay Lakhotia, Noble House
The future is being created literally everyday, and it’s changing so fast that we can’t predict it at one particular moment. - Melinda Gates, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
There are new behaviours with tech just emerging. That's a great time to bring new tech like AI and computer vision into the game. - Ashwini Asokan, MadStreetDen
As AI becomes mainstream, organisations will require talent with skill sets that are very different from what exist now. Educators and institutions are integral to the skilling revolution taking root in the country. - Anant Maheshwari, Microsoft India
Modern tech-powered warehouses will rule the roost, pushing inferior grade properties down the demand pyramid. - Jasmine Singh, CBRE
As AI and ML take over more of the physical and rote skills of today’s workers, human skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving will become even more important. - Chris McCarthy, Degreed
In the era of technological advancements, everyone should be able to get benefits from it. - Hunny Bhagchandani, TorchIt
Proptech startups have a golden opportunity to revolutionalise the real estate sector with their offerings. - Ankur Nandi, Brigade REAP
Quick delivery is one of the vital factors in the retail food industry. - Praveen Kavuri, CakeZone
The ecommerce world in India is your well of infinite possibilities at this moment. So, jump right in. - Sanjay Shenoy, PixelTrack
It is imperative that we as a nation adapt ourselves to the new age technology and skills which are market relevant today. - KP Krishnan, Secretary, MSDE
One of the top jewellery trends of the last decade, stackable rings have also become a fashion favourite. - Rishabh Kothari, Talisman
Growth prospects offered by India’s agri and food sector are phenomenal and is all set for a big revolution. Many of the agri-food products grow in double digits. - Martin Wittwer, Pioneering Ventures
The price of milk has remained stagnant. Farmers end up buying feed at a higher cost and selling milk at a lower cost. - Nikhil Bohra, Founder, Krimanshi
Rural India is home to millions of small-scale businesses, which cumulatively contribute to the country’s GDP. Financial inclusion will empower them to reach for the sky. - Victor Choi, True Balance
Though it is considered a mainstay in the country, many farmers are known to have sold their land and moved on to become daily wage laborers due to poor income. - Venkat Iyer, MOFCA
A major section of our society lives in rural areas, and it is quite important to have edtech startups in these parts. - Anil Pradhan, IPSFRI
Creating value for millions of kirana stores, and their ecosystem of brands and consumers is one of the hardest problems to solve - Rajesh Raju, Kalaari Capital
India currently witnesses the lowest adoption level of financial products in the world. There is a lack of trust and understanding among people, especially in the Tier II and beyond markets. - Ankit Khandelwal, GroMo
Different regions of India must promote their own, indigenous cuisine and take pride in each of them tasting local. It is only then will we be able to retain our individuality. - Chef Marco Pierre White
Be on the right side of the law. The last thing that you want is getting penalised over a legal mistake that you were not even aware of! - Sanjay Shenoy, PixelTrack
It is in the interest of the business to step up and ensure a stable society that is a model of responsible use of land, water and human resources. - N Sunil Kumar, RBS
The social sector holds exciting, promising opportunities that even a corporate job cannot afford. - Gaurav Shah, ISDM
Contrary to general perception and the social stigma surrounding bicycle sharing, it is now a lifestyle statement. - Arjit Soni, Mybyk
With the right implementation and adoption at scale, carpooling can significantly reduce vehicular traffic during peak hours in urban cities. - Prakash Sangam, redBus
Don't be satisfied with doing “some” good. Stay relentlessly focused on “maximising” the social impact and scale of what you deliver. - Ann Mei Chang, ‘Lean Impact’
Donors will achieve much better results when they hold organisations accountable to results rather than prescribe what to do with the funds. - Safeena Husain, Educate Girls
Millennials save hardly 10 percent. Young people are saving less, and this is true across the world. - Vijay Bobba and Nihar Bobba, Wizely
News is an important form of content that sustains civic society. - David Chavern, NMA
What web series provides is a platform to tell different kinds of stories and stories where you are not necessarily concerned with repressing what you want to say. - Rajeev Siddhartha, ‘Bekaboo’
Planning a vacation itself is part of the joy of the vacation. - Hari Ganapathy, Pickyourtrail
A journey is complete when you can grow professionally and personally. - Kiran Ramakrishna, Text Mercato
No matter how easy it sounds, planning a trip is rather complicated and the industry is highly fragmented. - Vishal Kejariwal, Taxidio
If you do not innovate, you will stagnate. - Ravinder Singh, 1-India Family Mart
Being creative is firstly an act of courage. Embarking upon an innovation is taking a step into the dark, unforgiving world of uncertainty, doubt, and failure. - Vinay Kanchan, ‘Lessons from the Playground'
Art of any sort reflects changing societies, and so we will go through cyclical renewals and upheavals in keeping with the times. - Krishna Udayasankar, Beast
It is important for artists to stay unaffected by rejections and focus on their work. - Naiya Parkash
Inculcating art forms as part of early childhood not only improves cognitive and decision-making skills, but also helps develop a healthy and happy state of mind. - Jigyasa Labroo, Slam out Loud
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).
