Don’t focus on being perfect. Perfectionism kills growth. Launch with a ‘good enough’ version and collect feedback. Chances are only you thought that is was not ‘perfect’.
Nikunj is a Full Stack Developer at Honeywell. Along with his day job, he also runs an online business by the name of DealTohPagalHai. In the past, he has worked as a Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte. He is a Computer Science graduate from Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and has a knack for problem-solving. He believes that continuous learning is the best way to grow a business. He loves creating beautiful websites. Apart from coding, he takes a deep interest in digital marketing and likes to keep himself updated with the latest trends. In digital marketing, he has a special interest in affiliate marketing. He first heard about passive income with affiliate marketing in 2018 and has been hooked on to it ever since. Although he is relatively new to the world of online marketing, he has a hardcore experience in offline marketing. Back in his college days, he was actively working on an MLM (multilevel marketing) platform where he promoted computer courses through prospecting. He likes to keep fit by cycling to work. During his leisure time, you would see him playing table tennis, or solving Rubik’s cube, or reading some self-help guide. Nikunj is passionate about travelling and it is his dream to visit every country in the world.
Where did the idea for DealTohPagalHai come from?
The idea of DealTohPagalHai came to me when I was browsing through the daily deals section of Amazon. I personally found it difficult to find deals in single or multiple categories at the same time. I felt that I could develop an improved version with better user experience. After two months of hard work, we launched the first version of our product.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
Between 11-am and 7-pm you would find me working on my day job. Between 9-pm and 3-am you would see me working on my side-hustle. I must say that productivity is a challenge for me. After working on the day job for 8 hours, focusing on the side-hustle is not easy. That’s why I take a rejuvenating hot shower after returning home from work. Since my work is mostly online, I use a chrome-extension called Marinara Pomodoro Assistant that helps me stay on track. It also helps me in staying away from social media.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I think my aptitude for solving problems and puzzles through programming is a major reason that pushes me to come up with solutions. I like to learn new technologies and I try to use them for creating better solutions. Of late, I’ve been using Node.js a lot for automating repeated manual tasks.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I am excited about the shift from offline learning to online learning. There’s an upcoming wave of online coaches, consultants and teachers who are going to disrupt the way people learn skills and acquire knowledge. This will empower anyone with a specialized skill set to create his or her online presence (and business).
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I think my ability to focus on only the task at hand helps me a lot in getting things done. I always try to keep myself distant from all forms of distraction. This way I can spend most of my mental and physical energy on tasks that are important.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t focus on being perfect. Perfectionism kills growth. Launch with a ‘good enough’ version and collect feedback. Chances are only you thought that is was not ‘perfect’.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Whenever I find someone with a good skillset and suggest to them that they should start a YouTube channel, they take it on a light note. They believe that one cannot make a living by making ‘YouTube videos’.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Avoiding analysis-paralysis in the early stages of your business. During the early days of your business, you have little to no traction. It’s quite easy to get distracted by analyzing the little data you have. You might feel the need ‘optimize’ it. Instead, you should focus on those tasks that would increase the traction. Once you’ve enough data, you can focus on optimization.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Consistency. If you want to create a successful business, you need to show up every day. Building a business takes time and patience. Don’t be surprised if things don’t work out the way you expected. You might need to make small tweaks in your approach. Crossing certain hurdles may take longer, but eventually, you’ll figure out the solution.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I failed miserably at my first attempt on becoming financially independent through MLM (multilevel marketing). Even after constant efforts for a year, my sales were very low. Although I learned a lot about public speaking and soft skills in my MLM journey, I realized that it was not the best path for me, and decided to shift my focus on web-development skills.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
An online subscription for digital magazines. Just like Netflix, but for digital magazines. Subscription business models can work wonders if implemented correctly (since they bring you recurring revenue).
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Recently I took an offline 14-day course on communication mastery. I’m planning to start my YouTube channel soon and wanted to learn the art of creating engaging content. Not only it was the best $100 spent, but it was also the best $100 invested!
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?
‘Backlinks’ are a crucial part of online businesses like DealTohPagalHai. I use a tool called Ahrefs. It saves me a lot of time by generating backlink-reports of my competitors. These reports tell me which link building strategies are working for them and I don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
‘The Lean Startup’ by Eric Ries. The book gives you a very scientific approach when it comes to creating a new business. It has some great insights for engineering your way to success and avoiding mistakes.
What is your favorite quote?
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
Key Learnings:
• Always have an aptitude for learning.
• Stay away from distractions and spend most of your physical and mental energy on tasks that are important for your business.
• Perfectionism kills growth.
• Consistency is crucial for growth.
• Know when to give up, and switch to the next idea.
Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.