I got a chance to travel to New Delhi, India this month. It was a 7-day visit with lots of meetings and tons of agenda items to cover. Meeting the C2FO India team and my friends in New Delhi was fun (and frankly that was the one thing that kept me going!!).
Key learnings/reflections from the trip:
- True friendships and relationships stand the test of time. When I met my friends from the industry, there was a lot to discuss and share but the joy and fun of meeting them were very much alive. And true friends would never wait to embarrass you when they get a chance.
- Listening is more important than speaking. I am a big fan of listening to people and their stories when I meet them (not because I do not have topics :)) but because listening helps me learn a lot. Most of the issues/problems can easily be solved by actively listening to the other person.
- Inflation is a real thing. My Uber rides in November were ~20-25% more expensive than in July. I must also congratulate Uber India. Drivers didn’t ask me for the drop location and no one demanded cash payments (thanks to the product enhancements !!)
- Being neutral and not bringing emotions in tough conversations is super difficult but always helps in getting to the right outcomes. I see it play out over and over again. I am grateful to my mentors who taught me this skill early in my career.
Statistics:
| From location | Toronto, Canada |
| To location | New Delhi, India |
| Purpose | Work |
| Trip duration | 7 days |
| Travel time | ~15 hours on each side |
| What did I do on the plane? | I used the time to read “Escaping the Build Trap: How effective product management creates real value “, listen to a few podcasts, read emails, and sleep a little bit. |
| Interesting moments | I misplaced the phone charging cable, and purchased a new one but lost that too, Poor me !! |
Photos:
Disclaimer: https://vinaysachdeva.com/disclaimer/. The opinions expressed in the blog post are my own and do not reflect the view(s) of my employer.