‘It's not about ideas, it's about making ideas happen’ – 30 quotes of the week from Indian startup journeys

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 30 gems and insights from the week of March 29 – April 4 with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights. See also our special compilation of quotes related to India’s coronavirus responses here.

Trends are key for positioning a product because the media loves them. They will advertise the feature for you if you can include it in your product. - April Dunford, Ambient Strategy

Get everyone in your company to build their brand. It has to be consistent with what the company stands for but with enough of a distinct point of view to be able to attract other rock stars. - Rajinder Balaraman, Matrix Partners India

A donor’s relationship with the campaign does not end when (s)he contributes towards a cause. - Trishla Pareek, ShareALittle

Business excellence is about sustainability. It is about the Planet, People, and Purpose, and not just Profits. – Nirmala Palaniappan

We need to think in systems, and design for sustainability in everything we do. - Anirban Bhattacharya, The Painted Sky

India has been the biggest recipient of FPI flows in FY21 amongst emerging markets because of the stronger recovery in the economy and surprise in earnings growth. - Rusmik Oza, Kotak Securities

We are seeing increasing traction of new consumers shifting to consume freshly baked boutique products. - Anupam Saluja, Cookie Man

Hemp superfoods and cosmetics are two major categories, where hemp benefits have been explored after serious and long research. - Rohit Shah, Hemp Horizons

Gated communities will increasingly be the preferred urban living option. - Sidharth Gupta and Ankit Somani, IAN

Traveling is therapeutic when things get difficult. - Meghna Goyal, Summer Somewhere

If a brand manages to offer a home away from home, the chances of a guest returning and recommending your hotel to others are high. - Senthil Sundram, ROMT

We live in societies that still hold on to age-old beliefs when it comes to women’s independence. We should be confident and be able to provide for our children. - Sugdi Devi

“Lack of networking” is an ill-used term employed by corporations and women’s groups to explain the sparsity of women up top. But women are natural networkers. - Rekha Vijayalakshmi, Mphasis

Just don’t give up on your dreams. You might face discrimination, be judged, and what not, but don’t let that stop you. - Aatika Manzar, Merak

Don’t spend all of your time trying to find yourself. Spend your time creating yourself into a person that you’ll be proud of. - Sonya Parker

Many people do not fully understand autism. Opening up 'autism friendly' workspaces for our sensory sensitivities will be good. - Anshuman Kar

As entrepreneurs, if we have to create something new that is truly valuable for the society – not just for our investors - we need to become artists, dwelling in to that womb of creation at the core of our selves. - Ramkumar RS

Follow the work of masters, but create your own unique style. - Subhajit Paul, Chitra Santhe

The magic of art cannot be explained or expressed, only experienced. - Neha Bajaj, Dabble

Success for an artist is a fine balance between creating what one loves and managing the artistic expectations of one's clients - Joanne DeBrass, Chitra Santhe

If you want to be an artist, you have to think of art as your first and last love. - Abhijit Paul, MayinArt

Art is a divine process, almost like meditation. It is like the importance of breath for life. - Kishan Kappari, Chitra Santhe

People live their lives only to fulfill the rituals of life. Meanwhile, the essence of life itself is never explored or realised at all. - M Ihsan, MayinArt

Rectification needs to take place when failures take place. But how can it be fixed, if no one discusses it or owns it, or if the boss is blissfully ignorant of the developments? - Robin Banerjee, ‘Who Blunders and How’

The fear of failure and risk aversion culture is a crucial obstacle to innovation. - Shilohu Rao, NeGD

Failure is an initial glimpse of an innovative future. Appreciating the thought and effort while creating a safe space for failure to happen quickly is a cornerstone of design thinking. - Jayan Sen, Infosys

The path might be difficult and filled with obstacles, but if you have a clear vision, then nothing is impossible. - Rupali Jeetender Sharma, Okinawa Autotech

Starting small is always challenging especially since you’re limited by capital. - Vedang Patel, The Souled Store

It's not about ideas, it's about making ideas happen. - Satvik K J, Vitra.ai

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).