heels part 2 + my first time at YC
OBAMA SUMMER PLAYLIST 2019, HOME —
before you read this week’s chat, i recommend you read “heels part 1” so you have some necessary context.
as you may recall, months before my grandfather passed away he told me he was saving up some spare change to buy me heels.
why heels?
“because you need to be able to make eye contact with the people you interview, shorty.” that one liner taught me that even if the aunty down the street is questioning my career path, i had my grandfather’s faith. he was perhaps the most unlikely ally of them all.
heels turned into a symbol of working hard and standing tall, despite discomfort. my grandfather’s actions turned into a lesson on why quiet, genuine support can be so powerful. and when problems feel too big, just save a rupee a day.
fast forward. two internships, many rejections, a few heartbreaks, one realization, a move across the country, and dozens of hellos later, the shiny pair of Heels has worn in a little bit. it’s less of a staccato, and more of a slow and steady pace. there’s room to wiggle my toes — and it’s been a bit of a game just finding out what that means about what’s next.
a list of some of my heel-inspired moments to come, but first my words + reads:
my words: i wrote about why y combinator (a popular seed accelerator that helped spin out airbnb, dropbox, and more) traveled 8,725 miles beyond mountain view to find the next best startup. this year, yc invested in 12 startups from india, up from 5 the same time period a year prior. the focuses ranged - from making podcasts more accessible, to tackling gasoline theft across the region.
etc: a couple indian startups cited whatsapp as the platform they’ll use to build out their businesses - and one vc told me this is just the beginning. the facebook-owned messaging platform has, for years, sat on my phone purely to be whipped out only when family or friends go back to the motherland. but the yc buzz about whatsapp reminded me of its expanse internationally, and business opportunity.
learning lesson: this was my first y combinator day! i chased around a founder because he told us all that he could extend lives! and i got two stories out of it! next time, i want to come with a separate game plan and story idea beyond covering the startups because it still felt like untapped conversations.
unorganized tab time:
so…you want to invest in tandem
my round up on y combinator startups
go here if you live in the greater boston area
anyways,
let’s take a second to emphasize one key, not-so-surprising thing: i very much struggle with day in day out confidence. i struggle to advocate for myself. i also struggle to say no to things, which means i struggle to prioritize myself.
if i come off like i’m bulletproof, i’m doing my job right (ha!)
all this hypocrisy in mind, here’s a list of the moments where being confident has surprisingly creeped in:
when an aunty came up to me at the family party and said “you look so good, no one thought you could lose this much weight!.” i smiled, grabbed a samosa from the fridge, ate it in front of her face, and took a second one before walking away.
i actually walked away from a few emotionally unhealthy things. and surprised 99% of my friends (including my mom, especially myself) when i stuck to my word.
i skip the small talk when i can, and despite being told to tone it back i think i’ll always edge on the side of being extra
i moved here, which i know i remind you all of often, but anyone who knows me knows i’m not a huge risk taker.
in the past, i’ve skipped writing about diversity and inclusion in tech in fear that it would be cliche. i imagine someone tweeting me “of course the brown journalist is writing about diversity and inclusion.” see here, here, here, here, and here.
i did a hackathon with crunchbase with no hacking experience! i tasted what it felt like to share professional thoughts in a room without other journalists - which was scary but really affirming?
i’ve learned how to better own up to being a distant friend
anyways, this all shows that it’s been cool having confidence not only come in dramatic waves, but also in smaller, helpful ripples. try to spotlight your tiny wins this week. growth is hiding everywhere!
to an everyday pair,
N
me + lish