Finally took the family to Gir — no laptop, no signal, no excuses. We saw one lioness for maybe eleven seconds and my daughter's face during those seconds was worth the entire trip. Note to self: log off more often, Nikunj.

As the boss now, I'll confess something — a nervous fresher once cried in my cabin over a tiny mistake. I made the exact same mistake at his age, and my own boss threw a stapler at me for it. Progress is being the calmer person in the room.

Young folks keep asking how to negotiate salary. It's simple: know your number, don't apologise for it, and never accept 'we're like a family here' as a substitute for a raise. Families, in my experience, don't run appraisals.

Chased a customer, not an investor

Everyone chases investors; I chased my first paying customer for eight months and learned more from him than any pitch deck could teach. Revenue is the only feedback in business that never flatters you or lies to you.

Nikunj here, Ahmedabad. Chartered accountant by training, reluctant founder by accident — I bootstrapped a small software company instead of retiring quietly into practice. Happy to talk numbers, mistakes, and why 'funding' is not always the answer.