INDIA. The digital economy is truly democratising fame, wealth and education which was majorly available to the privileged class in the past.
Today age, birth, caste does not determine who you become. The digital world is for the consistent hard worker who can smartly predict the waves of opportunities presented by data hungry apps that allow you to build, create, express without discrimination (as long as it is legal and ethical).
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Being born poor is not your fault, but if you die poor then you have no one to blame. Many millennials are taking charge of their lives plucking opportunities out of thin air and moving out of the comfort zone fuelled by the hunger for wealth, recognition and the need to do something meaningful in life. Nothing wrong with that! It is far better than living at your parent’s expense and wasting time watching TV and complaining about the government policies. Yes that is another side of millennials.
I urge the ambitious, crazy, hungry, skilled millennials to take action NOW!
1) Be a creator: Whether it is videos, blogs, recipes, products or services. The 1% who shape our digital world are not those who just consume but are those who create.
2) Learn to communicate better: Learn to write better & speak better. If you can’t communicate you will always struggle to get what you deserve, run the risk of paying too much, earning too little, and always feeling like others are passing you by.
3) Be ethical: In a world full of fake news and filtered insta-life portrayals, be a fresh breath of genuine, honest self. Question the status quo, stand up for your beliefs and opinions. Be bold and it’s ok if people are polarised ‘for’ you and ‘against’ you. Better to be surrounded by those that accept your honest self than those who don’t.
4) Be human: We are used to swiping and clicking for our needs. In the age of AI & automation, stand out of the crowd by being personal, kind, compassionate. Smile, offer sweet words of appreciation, hold the door open for the person after you. Learn to be human again if you want to be relevant in 2030, 2040 & beyond.
5) Be rooted: Embrace your history, tradition and culture while respecting that of others. Be proud to practice your Indian inheritance of Yoga, meditation, Mahabharata, Gita, Ayurveda & Vedic Mathematics. Let that be your competitive advantage in this westernised world.
6) Be Flexible: It is the easiest thing to see your own point of view as the right one. But learn to respect the ‘other’ point of view even if you disagree. The ability to hold your view and an opposing view simultaneously, appreciating the pros and cons of both, allows you to decide, negotiate and create win-win situations.
7) Go Fast, Be Patient: Speed up your daily progress, daily goals. Push hard for the quarterly milestones, but be patient for the tangible outcomes to fructify, mature and ripen over time. That’s how the compounding effect works.
8) Good to great: It’s the last mile that differentiates the good from the great. It is easy to start, hard accept the challenges and complete what you started. 98% will quit. 2% will succeed. Survival of the fittest. That’s just how it works.
I have summarised my learnings in these 8 secrets that I have learned from my billionaire mentors, that helped go from zero to million by age 22 and has worked for 1800+ mentees of mine in India, US, Canada & UK.
This article is written by Avelo Roy, Tech Entrepreneur, Investor, TV Host & 3 times TEDx Speaker. Avelo Roy started his entrepreneurial journey at 19 years of age (while studying at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago) and built his first million dollar business by the time he was 22. As the great great grandson of Sarojini Naidu, Avelo continues the legacy forward by tirelessly serving the Indian youth through entrepreneurship education using lean startup methodology and principles of Bhagavad Gita.
