Turnaround

Turnaround explores the dynamics of improvement across various domains such as product management, startups, industry insights, technology trends, and personal development. It offers practical advice, analyses market strategies and trends, evaluates tech impacts, and shares tips on career growth and lifestyle enhancement, aiming to provide deeper understanding and actionable strategies for readers.

Product Management Startups and Entrepreneurship Technology Trends Personal Development Market Strategy and Analysis Career Growth Lifestyle and Health Financial Industry Trends Content Creation and Media Investment and Venture Capital

The hottest Substack posts of Turnaround

And their main takeaways

Leverage Points for solving complex problems

277 implied HN points • 01 Aug 22
💼 Business Management Systems Thinking Problem Solving Product Management
  1. Complex problems require moving away from linear thinking and embracing complexity thinking that involves understanding interconnections and dependencies.
  2. Leverage points in a system are areas where small changes can cause significant overall impact. These include adjusting parameters, dealing with stock buffers, considering system structures, managing feedback loops, controlling information flows, setting incentives and rules, enabling self-organization, and aligning with system goals and paradigms.
  3. Differentiating between complicated and complex systems is crucial in problem-solving. In complex interconnected systems, problem statements often fall into categories such as coupled, causal, or standalone.

What IS OCEN? What would it look like?

494 implied HN points • 05 Oct 20
💼 Business Fintech Lending Credit Banking Small business
  1. OCEN is a new credit infrastructure that could revolutionize lending in a way similar to how UPI transformed payments.
  2. It is a protocol, not a switch, and its potential lies in the consumer products that can be built on top of it.
  3. OCEN aims to address India's credit distribution problems by making access to credit easier for the Next Billion Users and SMEs, potentially reducing the concentration of capital.

Decoding Bytedance’s strategy to tap India’s music app market

296 implied HN points • 20 Jan 20
🕹 Technology Music Streaming Apps Market Strategies
  1. The music streaming industry in India faces challenges like messed up unit economics due to high operating costs, prompting companies like Spotify to create their own content to improve margins.
  2. Companies like Resso are introducing unique features like 'Vibes' to differentiate their music apps and engage users in social activities, adding layers of value generation and potentially solving the issue of new user growth.
  3. To tap into the Indian music app market successfully, companies like Bytedance are relying on user-generated content, social sharing, and potential breakthrough features to monetize through advertising in price-sensitive markets.

Turnaround #4: Career and money

316 implied HN points • 13 Aug 19
💼 Business Career Money Entrepreneurship Motivation Work-life balance
  1. When considering a career, focus on meaningful work and opportunities for growth rather than just money
  2. Money is important, but it's considered a hygiene factor in job satisfaction, not a primary motivator
  3. Finding a job that aligns with your values, allows for personal development, and provides opportunities for recognition and responsibility can lead to greater job satisfaction
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🤔 What's next?

39 implied HN points • 19 Sep 22
💼 Business Startups Finance Marketing Content creation Career development
  1. The author shares personal updates including changing jobs, buying a car, and family news.
  2. The author stopped several podcasts and writing commitments due to a new demanding job in the crypto industry.
  3. The author promotes a daily crypto newsletter for readers interested in simplified updates on the industry.

Getting over Writer's Block

1 HN point • 27 Feb 24
📚 Literature Writer's block Psychology
  1. Writer's block is not real, it's a mindset issue that can be overcome by taking action and confronting fears directly.
  2. Changing your environment can help you overcome writer's block, as shifting perspective and finding the right setting can make a difference.
  3. Experiment with different timings and environments to find what works best for you in terms of writing productivity.

Sorry to burst your Twitter bubble

158 implied HN points • 01 Nov 20
🕹 Technology Social media Psychology Self-worth
  1. Twitter can be a time-consuming distraction from more important matters like work or personal messages.
  2. Social media, like Twitter, can lead to feelings of self-worth being linked to likes, retweets, and followers.
  3. It's essential to recognize the negative impact of social comparison on mental health and find a balance in using platforms like Twitter.

Joe Rogan-Spotify deal: The search engine moment for podcasting?

178 implied HN points • 24 May 20
🕹 Technology Podcasts Business Monetization Distribution Ecosystem
  1. The $100M Spotify deal with Joe Rogan may change the podcasting landscape by moving towards exclusivity and away from the open RSS architecture.
  2. Spotify's push for exclusive podcast deals could lead to a limited number of platforms controlling podcast discovery, similar to how Google and Facebook dominate web traffic.
  3. The importance of owning distribution in the media and content industry is highlighted, emphasizing the need for content creators to have control over their distribution channels.

✍🏽 Become a better writer in 3 minutes? 

98 implied HN points • 17 May 21
🚌 Education Writing Books Tools Practice Reading
  1. Good writing is a result of mastering grammar, vocabulary, and style through practice, reading, and editing.
  2. Reading and imitating content you admire can help you develop your own unique writing style.
  3. Editing is essential for improving your writing - give your drafts time to rest, get them edited, and don't be afraid to make mistakes.

🔬Parsing India's app ban

158 implied HN points • 06 Jul 20
🌍 World Politics Economic Implications National Security Foreign Investment
  1. India banned 59 Chinese apps due to security concerns and to boost domestic company growth. The move was praised by Indian entrepreneurs hoping for a local-first approach.
  2. After the ban, the Indian app market saw a surge in TikTok alternatives. These new companies face user retention challenges and the potential return of TikTok in the future.
  3. The app ban affects not just Chinese companies, but also American ones like Zoom and Indian smartphone companies like Xiaomi, indicating broader economic and geopolitical impacts.

Tech-Financial-VC Bubbles

158 implied HN points • 04 Apr 20
💰 Finance Technology Startups Investing Venture Capital Economics
  1. Financial bubbles follow a pattern of phases - starting with intense innovation funding, moving into financial speculation, and finally reaching maturity before a possible burst.
  2. Technology and financial bubbles can be compared to the Greek myth of Sisyphus, where we continually build and push bubbles until they burst, repeating the cycle.
  3. The current tech bubble seems concentrated within private and venture capital, driven by factors like low interest rates, leading to bigger deal sizes and a shift from IPOs to unicorn aspirations.

Product Management ++ 👀

138 implied HN points • 16 Dec 19
💼 Business Product Management Technology Marketing Management Career development
  1. Neil McElroy's memo proposing the 'Brand Men' role at Procter & Gamble laid the foundation for modern brand management and product management in consumer product companies.
  2. The evolution of technology has shifted the composition of Fortune 500 companies towards the technology industry, impacting the role of product managers who now require a blend of management frameworks and tech understanding.
  3. Product managers today need to not only understand management strategies but also be adept at technology to succeed in the competitive landscape of building successful companies.

A practical guide to getting fit

158 implied HN points • 05 Aug 19
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Nutrition Sleep Habits
  1. Start by integrating fitness slowly into your lifestyle instead of setting short-term goals. Focus on developing systems and habits over time.
  2. Running can be a core part of a fitness journey, but it's essential to listen to your body, build endurance gradually, and focus on proper hydration.
  3. Nutrition is crucial in fitness; it's more important than working out. Learn about the food you eat, include more protein, and avoid falling for influencer-endorsed products without research.

WTF- A short comic strip analysis

98 implied HN points • 09 May 20
🪑 Design UI/UX Web Design Product Design Tech stack
  1. Browsers are getting more powerful, so make sure your product/app embraces this shift towards client-driven applications with fast startup times.
  2. Simplify design by making buttons more prominent, reducing text, and ensuring users intuitively know how to interact without needing explanations.
  3. Prepare for the future of faster speeds with 5G connectivity - speed will be a critical factor in user experience going forward.

SPACs a.k.a "Vegas Wedding Chapel of liquidity events"

59 implied HN points • 25 Jan 21
💼 Business Investing Startups Venture Capital Private Equity IPOs
  1. Startups are increasingly staying private longer due to the availability of private money and growth of Venture Capital and Private Equity.
  2. SPACs, or Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, offer more certainty and speed for companies going public compared to traditional IPOs.
  3. SPACs may be seen as more expensive than IPOs due to higher fees, but have evolved and come under greater scrutiny by the SEC.

The State of India's Banking Sector

59 implied HN points • 04 Jan 21
💼 Business Banking Regulation Technology Innovation Public Sector
  1. In 2020, more deposits went to private banks in India than Public Sector Banks for the first time.
  2. The bad loan crisis in Indian banks was tackled through measures like Asset Quality Review and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
  3. Indian public sector banks need to focus on technology and adapt to changing consumer demands to compete with private banks in terms of market share.

Turnaround #2

98 implied HN points • 29 Jul 19
🎨 Art & Illustration Storytelling Writing Tools Analytics Editing
  1. Good storytelling helps you stand out and get noticed, conveying facts more effectively than presentations.
  2. A good story typically includes a central character, conflict, message, plot, and a journey.
  3. Timing matters in sharing your story - consider waiting until product-market fit or a launch to engage with media.

What do Negative Interest Rates mean for Innovation?

59 implied HN points • 29 Jun 20
💰 Finance Innovation Economy Bonds Venture Capital Cryptocurrency
  1. Negative interest rates can impede the process of creative destruction by keeping unproductive "zombie companies" alive, hindering market opportunities for new and innovative startups.
  2. Negative interest rates may lead to more funding flowing into startups and venture capital as investors seek higher returns in riskier assets, potentially boosting the startup ecosystem.
  3. Negative interest rates could boost the crypto economy by driving more interest in cryptocurrency as a viable alternative to traditional banking, particularly if mainstream banking options become unattractive due to negative rates.

Turnaround #1

79 implied HN points • 22 Jul 19
💼 Business Leadership Content Strategy Networking Design Hiring
  1. Thoughtful leaders and a supportive culture can successfully drive change in even giant corporations that have made big mistakes in the past.
  2. Empathy plays a crucial role in business success, as highlighted by Satya Nadella's focus on empathy in his book.
  3. Some books are meant to be read slowly and savored, with breaks to chew over the content and admire the writing.

Ideas about ideas

59 implied HN points • 21 Oct 19
🕹 Technology Startups Tech Trends Privacy Health tech Innovation
  1. Finding your passion or the problem you want to work on can be a mix of luck, timing, and expertise, but there's value in a deliberate approach too.
  2. Ideas can come from exposure, such as reading books, meeting experts, following trends, and being open to new experiences.
  3. Leverage social capital, find solutions for individual privacy, and explore emerging shifts to generate innovative ideas by staying informed and open to new possibilities.

Turnaround #6: A new podcast for you & more

59 implied HN points • 23 Sep 19
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Gaming Industry Market Analysis Entrepreneurship
  1. The Indian mobile gaming sector is seeing significant growth on the new internet highway, attracting serious venture capital.
  2. The gaming industry in India is evolving, with skill-based games like Fantasy Sports and Rummy gaining traction despite some legal challenges.
  3. The future of the gaming sector in India holds potential for growth, with predictions of increasing interest from Chinese companies and opportunities in ancillary areas like creator tools and blockchain-based gaming.

Turnaround #5: How do I read

59 implied HN points • 26 Aug 19
📚 Literature Fiction Non-fiction Reading habits Recommendations
  1. Reading easy books can help you get back into the habit of reading and give you a sense of accomplishment.
  2. Asking voracious readers for book recommendations can lead you to unexpected and insightful reads that algorithms might miss.
  3. Setting aside at least an hour each day for reading can help you form a habit and make significant progress in covering various topics.

Getting started

59 implied HN points • 19 Jul 19
🕹 Technology Media Software Content
  1. The author is a journalist and part-time writer-editor-publisher-typist-investor at a newsletter, with a background in covering technology and co-founding a media company.
  2. The newsletter aims to feature topics like corporate storytelling, early-stage companies/founders, SaaS trends from India, tips and tools for fitness, and more.
  3. Readers will receive weekly updates and occasional in-depth breakdowns of topics in their inbox, providing an opportunity to get to know the author better.

Turnaround #7: More on games and pitching VCs in India

39 implied HN points • 07 Oct 19
🕹 Technology Gaming Podcasts Tech Giants Tech Trends
  1. The vision for India's growth and prosperity by 2020 inspired many, even if not all aspects were realized. A vision like this can motivate and unite people.
  2. Books and podcasts can provide valuable insights and information on trends and developments in various industries. They can offer foresight and connect dots in a seemingly effortless way.
  3. Gaming significantly impacted tech companies' trajectories in China compared to India, leading to innovative features in non-gaming apps inspired by gaming. Understanding pricing dynamics in gaming can be complex and crucial for investors in the space.

💥Chennai Express

19 implied HN points • 20 Jan 20
💼 Business Technology Podcasts Finance Music Analysis
  1. The author shares about reading 'Zorba The Greek' and interesting themes of temptations within the book.
  2. The author discusses the SaaSBhoomi conference happening in Chennai and plans for a podcast on Indian SaaS.
  3. Exclusive content for paying subscribers includes in-depth analysis of Resso, the music streaming app, by Chinese tech giant Bytedance.

Product Management 2: Deepak Abbot, ex SVP at Paytm on Building an App for India & Growth Hacking [BONUS VIDEO CONTENT]

19 implied HN points • 30 Dec 19
🕹 Technology Product Management App Development
  1. India's app market is fast-growing and competitive, but retention rates can be challenging with high uninstall percentages within the first day.
  2. Creating a successful app for the Indian market involves understanding user behaviors, focusing on product design to capture attention, and strategically planning the app's lifecycle stages.
  3. Deepak Abbot, former SVP at Paytm, shares valuable insights on benchmarking data, growth hacking, and app development specifically tailored for the Indian market in a bonus video presentation.

Product Management 3: A Prioritisation Framework

0 implied HN points • 06 Jan 20
💼 Business Product Management Decision-making Prioritization Framework
  1. Having a good prioritisation framework is crucial for Product Managers to remove ambiguity in decision-making and set correct expectations, especially when dealing with backlogs.
  2. Using a scoring formula can help Product Managers prioritize ideas, features, and tasks to create a ranked order that the team can understand and follow during product roadmap planning.
  3. Product Managers can benefit from a prioritization framework like a modified RICE model, which involves assigning scores based on various factors like customer value, engineering effort, and product line priority to create a rational backlog grooming session.

Tech Regulation in India-Some important developments

0 implied HN points • 14 Feb 20
🕹 Technology Regulation Innovation Policy Content Industry
  1. Tech regulation should strike a balance between innovation and control to avoid stifling progress.
  2. India's central bank is looking to set up a new entity for regulating retail payments, which may impact startups and payment gateways.
  3. OTT content providers in India are opting for self-regulation to avoid government regulations, setting an example for the tech industry.

Presentation: Deepak Abbot on App Development and Growth Hacking

0 implied HN points • 30 Dec 19
🕹 Technology App Development
  1. The post is about a presentation by Deepak Abbot on App Development and Growth Hacking.
  2. It discusses the evolution of Turnaround and the Use Case podcast, starting as a personal growth experiment and evolving into something more substantial.
  3. The platform aims to provide great content, valuable insights, and opportunities to its subscribers in 2020.

🙏🏽 Thank you! A new thing

0 implied HN points • 29 Mar 21
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Marketing Technology Writing
  1. The author shares the journey and challenges faced while pursuing a career in journalism, eventually leading to the opportunity to write a book about Xiaomi.
  2. The upcoming book, 'Xiaomi: How a Startup Disrupted the Market & Created a Cult Following,' delves into the success, strategies, and impact of Xiaomi in the tech industry.
  3. Testimonials from industry experts like Kunal Shah and Hamish McKinzie highlight the significance and value of the author's upcoming book.