Ananya Birla’s Post

Celebrity entrepreneur Ananya Birla is harnessing the power of the Eisenhower Matrix to revolutionize her productivity and impact. With an unyielding ambition, she strategically prioritizes tasks, focusing on what truly matters and eliminating distractions. This approach allows her to excel in her diverse ventures, from music to business, ensuring she maximizes her potential every single day. Ananya's commitment to efficiency is a masterclass in time manage- ment, inspiring countless others to adopt this powerful tool. By embracing the #Eisenhower #Matrix, she's not just organizing her tasks —she's creating a legacy of success, proving that with the right strategy, the sky is the limit. #AnanyaBirla #EisenhowerMatrix #ProductivityHack #TimeManagement #SuccessStrategy #FocusAndAchieve #EfficientLiving #Prioritize #TaskManagement #AmbitionUnleashed #Inspiration #Leadership #HighAchiever #DreamBig #BusinessMogul #MusicIcon #LifeGoals #StrategicThinking #Efficiency #GoalSetting #PowerMoves #MasterYourTime #SuccessBlueprint #ProductivityTips #AchieveMore

Letting go is perhaps the most important thing founders need to do. Empowerment drives efficiency in business for several reasons: First, when the team is equipped to make decisions independently, it reduces the time spent on internal discussions and increases productivity. When everyone is executing without constant oversight, the entire operation runs smoother and faster. Second, my role as a founder is to build and refine the processes that run the business. I focus on what I call “capital time”—the time spent on initiatives that significantly enhance our processes and yield exponential results. For example, many first-time founders fall into the trap of chasing perfection. However, releasing quickly and leveraging ecosystem feedback for improvement is a proven strategy. Iterating rapidly often leads to better outcomes than striving for initial perfection. As a founder, your job is to establish a process that evolves continuously. By freeing up your time from operational tasks and focusing on strategic improvements, you empower your team to innovate and drive the business forward.

In tech, things are always moving fast, and it feels like every day there's a new problem to solve or a new challenge to face. It's easy to get caught up in trying to be the best, to know it all. But here's the thing—a lot of us miss out on a super important trick: being cool with admitting when we don't know something and just asking for help. Picture this: you're in a meeting with your team, and everyone's throwing around ideas, trying to figure out how to tackle this big, complicated project. It's like everyone's got their piece of the puzzle, but no one can see the whole picture yet. Then there's this moment when one of the team, maybe someone just starting out or maybe not, kinda hesitates, then raises their hand and asks that question they've been sitting on. It might seem like no big deal, but it's actually huge. This moment is kind of a game-changer. It shows that it's okay not to have all the answers. The cool part? When someone asks for help, it doesn't just help them—it kind of lifts the whole team. Everyone starts chipping in, sharing what they know, and all of a sudden, things start clicking into place. It's about working together, respecting each other's skills, and growing as a team. Asking for help does more than just fill in the blanks. It brings people together, turns a bunch of individuals into a real team where everyone's win is everyone's win. It creates this vibe where it's all about tackling things together, finding solutions, and making progress. It's not just about getting to the finish line but about how you get there, together, through all the ups and downs. This whole team thing gets even better because it speeds things up way more than if everyone was just trying to figure it out on their own. It's about knowing that it's smart to ask questions, that every question you ask is a step forward for everyone, not just you. It's like acknowledging that, yeah, tech is huge and no one person can know everything, but together, we can figure out a whole lot. So, let's keep this in mind: the folks who are really making moves are the ones who aren't afraid to admit when they're stuck and ask for help. It's not about going at it alone; it's about being part of a team that builds each other up, where asking questions is just part of the process. It makes the whole project, and everyone involved, better. As we go about our day-to-day, dealing with whatever tech throws at us, let's remember that asking for help isn't just okay—it's actually a smart move. It's about making the most of being part of a team and knowing that, together, we're all moving forward.

I’ve been in charge of getting shit don- uh.. execution for startups & small biz for the past seven years. Like with most things, it's a science and an art. The art is left much less powerful if the science isn't sciencing, though. In other words, if you're thinking... "We don't have an idea problem, we have a problem seeing them through." "I feel like I keep so much in my head." "I don't wanna micromanage my team, but I'd like more visibility." ..ensure you have fundamental 'get shit done' systems in place before you start firing everybody, thinking you're awful at your job, or trying the next brain boost supplement to fix it. Here's how to simplify execution for yourself, and your team, and repeatedly bring your plans to life. p.s. want a summary? I added a one-paragraph version of the article up top before diving into the details.

Tech strategy at software-first company vs "glorified IT department". I have a separate post about the differences between two ends of the spectrum but as a recap: - Software-first companies see software as the main product and often the founders have software background. (e.g. Spotify, Microsoft, Google, etc.). In-house software penetrates the majority of the company workforce. - "Glorified IT department" companies see software as a means to an end. There's a lot of bought or outsourced software. Software is an extension of the "IT department": previously they handled our hardware, now they do some software too. "Website folks", is another term. These companies primarily make money from a non-software product and at best software is the "cherry on top" for their main product. Now the way you do strategy in these two ends of the spectrum is entirely different: 🔵 Strategy is a tool of alignment and transparent communication. But when this way of working is new, politics fight against it. If the culture is hierarchical, escalation can help untie some knots, given that the upper management cares about the problem you're trying to solve and alignments you're trying to build. 🔵 There may be a lot of legacy and fragmentation. And the way software is "budgeted" may not allow ambitious changes. Operating in "glorified IT department" is not for everyone. Many people from software-first companies throw the towel and go back where they came from. Regardless, both types of businesses make money, so as much as it is tempting to look down on one or the other, don't. Software is a tool. It has always been. 🔵 The company many not even have a strong culture of reading and writing, so throwing a strategy document at someone has no guarantee of self-alignment. 🔵 Use strategy document as a tool to think about what you want to accomplish. Take note of what you discover and have it as a personal note to align leadership when trying to solve a common problem they care about. 🔵 The strategy doc is not the goal. Alignment is the goal. However, set the bar at having it ready for an executive who wants to read. The doc should always reflect on the latest state of affairs, including the obstacles and bottlenecks. #strategy #documentation #leadership #alignment #autonomy https://lnkd.in/dEqyPmRE

Strategy, especially when it comes to the Software realm has traps of being used as a watered down term. Alex Ewerlöf here has articulated the key differences in some of the terms (strategy, tactics, goals, vision, mission) and I found this short post to be quite useful to get an introduction to this topic. #techleadership

If you identify as an overworked founder, this one’s for you: Many founders wear multiple hats, juggling everything from product development to customer support. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of daily operations. But here's the key: if you want your startup to thrive and reach its full potential, you need to free yourself to work significantly more ON the business than just IN it. Here’s how 👇🏼 ✅ The Solution: Freeing yourself to work ON the business means stepping back from the daily grind and dedicating time to strategic planning, innovation, and building a scalable infrastructure. It’s about shifting your focus from being a doer to becoming a “business designer.” How to design your business so that the right things happen, even if you’re not directly involved. 📌 Focus on the Bigger Picture: Identify new opportunities for growth, expansion, and innovation. 📌 Delegate Effectively: Free up time to concentrate on high-impact activities by entrusting tasks to capable team members. 📌 Build Scalable Infrastructure: Enable your business to grow and evolve without being bogged down by manual processes or bottlenecks. Here’s what you can do to make this a reality: ⚡️ Design Your Business to Scale: Look for the highest leverage points in culture, structure, processes, and people.  ⚡️ Allocate Time for Strategic Planning: Dedicate time for planning and aligning your strategies. ⚡️ Invest in Your Team: Hire capable team members who can share the workload and drive growth. ⚡️ Adapt and Evolve: Continuously adapt your plans based on market feedback and emerging opportunities. Are you ready to scale your business to the bigger picture you’ve envisioned? 📌 If so, join me for a free and exclusive masterclass. I'll help you structure your business for exponential growth with a comprehensive guide to strategies that will equip you with the right mindset to make smarter, results-driven decisions. Interested? DM me for the link.

The best part about working at a startup is getting to work with the sharpest, most resilient and FUNNIEST people on the planet. Everyday, I get to work with people who have such diverse perspectives and intuition, it’s nothing short of inspiring. To name a few who I have been particularly inspired by over the past 6 months (there are many others too, not mentioned): Cameron Zoub is the fiercest, funniest, energetic human being on planet earth. He has a knack for getting shit done that I’ve never seen anyone come CLOSE to. Practically born on the internet. Nick Rellas has been the most impactful mentor I’ve had in my life to date. He’s taught me how to focus, how to plan, and is the deepest thinker I’ve had the privilege to work with. Ilya Miskov is the most creative, detail oriented person I have seen in action. Not a day goes by where my jaw doesn’t drop at how precise and how passionate he is about every inch of user experience. Jason has reshaped my entire approach to communication, organization, and people — at the deepest level possible. Jared Morgenstern has given me the most real perspective about simplicity in product, and org building — grounded in leading design and product at some of the consumer products I look up to most. Hunter Dickinson is an absolute psychopath. If everyone is running on shell gasoline, he is running on jet fuel. This guy has shown me the bar for energy. 🙌🙌 The people who I get to work with at Whop are insanity. I am so grateful I get to work with such superstars and I hope that everyone has the opportunity to learn the same way — from people who are so much better than you.

Ana, you make a powerful and insightful case for the importance of transparent communication with investors. Far too many tech founders fall into the trap of trying to shield their challenges and present an overly polished, "everything's on track" facade, when in reality, open and frequent updates - both on the wins and the setbacks - are the foundation for building truly collaborative, trust-based relationships with investors. The points you raise are spot-on: - Clear communication fosters trust and invites collaboration, rather than leaving investors feeling blindsided when issues arise. - Openness about challenges demonstrates maturity and a willingness to proactively address problems, which investors appreciate. - Regular updates, both positive and negative, build a foundation of transparency that transforms the relationship from transactional to truly invested. As you so eloquently state, the key is crafting updates that paint a comprehensive, unvarnished picture of the business, so investors can truly understand the realities you're facing. This empowers them to provide meaningful advice, connections, and support - becoming true advocates for your venture, not just passive funding sources. The contrast between the two options you present is stark - continuing with surface-level, sporadic updates risks surprises and missing out on valuable expertise, versus embracing full transparency and leveraging investors as strategic partners. The choice seems clear. Transparent communication is indeed non-negotiable, especially in the high-stakes, high-risk world of tech startups. By adopting this mindset from the outset, founders can build the trust, collaboration, and mutual investment needed to navigate both the triumphs and the challenges on the road ahead. It's a powerful lesson for any entrepreneur seeking to forge lasting, impactful relationships with their investors.

Most of the businesses I’ve built, I’ve taken from the ground up. I co-founded ID.me. At CapitalOne, I launched a new business to externalize our patented digital identity technologies. At IDEMIA, I built the digital identity business in N. America which helps governments move from physical to Mobile Drivers Licenses. And now, I’m building Socure’s Government business from the ground up. Here are a few of the main differences between starting businesses and scaling them: 1️⃣ The Team: You’ve got to build a zero to 1 team, people who are pioneers/entrepreneurs in every function. It’s messy while you're trying to figure things out. You need people who can be player-coaches as founding members of the team. They want to build and then transition versus having/needing a team from day one. 2️⃣ Product-Market Fit: When you’re getting into market the key skill is to be a good enough listener to hear the problems and focus on how to solve them. Spending a lot of time in front of potential customers to understand their pain is a big key to success. 3️⃣ The level of flexibility/adaptability: As Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” You’re going to get punched in the face (sometimes a lot) and being able to roll with the punches is a big key to success in the early days of a start up. If you take anything away from this post, I want you take this…. Learn what you’re good at and what you enjoy. When it stops being your core skill set, learn to find the future leader and go back to your passion. (This was our first formal office at ID.me 👇)