Steps to Starting a Startup...

I've been recording "cool app ideas" since the past 4 years now, and I'm fed up of seeing new startups stealing them one by one by one... Its time to take action!

Baby Step 1 : Flesh out 3 ideas... Alright... at least 1 idea!
Baby Step 2 : Discuss ideas with smart people...
Baby Step 3 : Research, iterate and get a spec ready.
Boy Step 4 : Build a proof of concept (PoC).
Boy Step 5 : Unleash PoC on early adopters (namely friends and family ; ))
Boy Step 6 : Gather feedback and re-evaluate.

Idea still sounds good? Go on to the next step.
Not quite? Start over... (Step 1 is the most fun and requires the least hard work any way!)

BigBoy Step 7 : Get a team of awesome people together.
Man Step 8 : Now it's time to Start Up!

I'm on Baby Step 1.5 right now...

Are you brilliant? Are you Done and Get Things Smart? Are you Super Smart and Get The Right Things Done?
Most importantly, do you have similar motivations to mine for doing a startup?
[Bonus criterion] Do you possess a sense of humor?
Then talk to me, and get started on Baby Step 1 already!

Why do I wanna do a Start Up?

Mainly...
1. To create something useful, valuable, delightful, and most importantly something absolutely awesome!
2. To solve a problem that really could use solving.
And also...
3. [Bonus] To make the world a better place... ; )

Pleasant side effects of doing an awesome startup...
1. Work with an awesome team of passionate people, and create together.
2. See the faces of delighted customers. (Satisfied ain't nearly enough)
3. Learn! Learn! Learn!
The becoming rich and famous bit is not too bad either... : )

I've been recording ideas since the past 4 years now, and I'm fed up of seeing new startups stealing them one by one! Its time to take action, one baby step at a time...

Insights from College...

I've been meaning to write down some insights from College ever since I gave an "inspirational talk" to the younger students in AIT last year...

I better write down these invaluable, hard earned insights lest I forget them and have to learn them all over again...
Oh and maybe you'll find them useful if you're in college...
If you're done with college, and have become an overflowing source of (unsolicited) advice like me, feel free to comment and add some tips!

Some of the topics that come to mind are...

- Everyone does not have to be a C programming God!
- Lessons from Engineering...
- How to get 62% with 1 week of studying...
- How to bag a kickass BE project...
- How to bang the living daylights out of a Google/Microsoft Interview...
- Where has the perfectionist gone?
- Exams are just a game...
- 5 simple things that separate a Rockstar Developer from the Average Programmer...
- Going from an Infy Resume to a Microsoft Resume... OR Going from "I'm a clueless kid just outa college, please hire me" resume to a "I love what I do & I'd like to do some great work with you" resume.
- If I was in college again...
- Pratik's Guide to kicking ass in college
- So why are you at college in the first place!?
- Pratik's List of Must Read Articles for anyone in Software!