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Why Must a Founder Be Able to Understand the Balance Sheet?
When reviewing a balance sheet for a recent acquisition, I saw a “garden” that looked perfect at first glance. Profits were blooming, but cash flow had withered to just 10% of the previous year. That’s not a rounding error; that’s a distress signal. Many founders look at a balance sheet like a school report card:… Continue reading
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Do You Know a Profitable Business Can Still Be Financially Sick?
A mid-sized business of Mr. Rajkumar looked successful from the outside.Revenue had grown.The office was impressive.The team was expanding.And the profit numbers looked respectable. But while reviewing the balance sheet, a different story began to emerge.Receivables had sharply increased.Inventory was rising faster than sales.Working capital borrowings had climbed significantly.And operating cash flow had weakened badly.… Continue reading
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Why do we avoid difficult conversations?
A Delhi court recently said something that should worry and, therefore, awaken family businesses. The Sunjay Kapoor family dispute, it observed, had the potential to pale the Mahabharata. Let that sink in. The Mahabharata, a war that destroyed an entire dynasty, wiped out generations, and left a kingdom in ruins, was being used as a… Continue reading
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He Kept His Sons Together. That Was His Biggest Mistake.
Every founder I have met wanted the same thing.One family. One business. One table.It felt like love. It looked like legacy.It was neither. Because what the father saw at that table was harmony. What was actually happening beneath it was a slow accumulation of resentments, unspoken rivalries, suppressed ambitions, and silent scores being kept. The… Continue reading
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When Success Feels Empty
The founder had everything he once dreamed of. A family business that carried his name. Financial stability. A home that felt earned. Children educated abroad are returning with polished accents and degrees that impressed relatives. On paper, it was perfect. But during a quiet meeting, he leaned back, stared at the ceiling, and whispered: “I… Continue reading
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SME IPO: Capital Comes. Consequences Follow.
The Herd Is Moving. That Doesn’t Mean You Should. I recently met an SME founder planning to raise capital for growth.The need was genuine. The ambition was clear. But the method was already decided.“Everyone is doing an SME IPO… so we should too.”That sentence is more dangerous than it sounds. There was no real evaluation.No… Continue reading
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Family Business Succession Planning – How to Sort An Emotional Challenge
The Successor Selection Trap: Why Your Heart and Head Are Fighting Three children. One business. Zero clarity.Mehta Uncle, 70, ₹80 crore business:Karan: 25 years in business, knows everything, loyal… but resists change, fears tech.Priya: IIM grad, sharp, strategic… but only 3 years in family business. “Will she stay?”Rohan: CA, modernizing operations… but impulsive. Elder brother… Continue reading
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Mahabharata & Ramayana: Two Wars, One Missing Document:
Mahabharata & Ramayana: Two Wars, One Missing Document: Two of India’s greatest epics began for one simple reason: families had power, wealth, emotions… but no governance. Think about it: In the Ramayana, a single, unchecked, undocumented, and emotionally interpreted verbal promise sent a prince to the forest and shattered a kingdom’s stability. In the Mahabharata,… Continue reading
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A Business Success Book Every Indian Entrepreneur Shouldn’t Miss
I am happy to announce that my third book is getting published during the pandemic. After publishing Balancing is the Work in Oct 2020, a significant book, Indian Women & Financial Fitness, was published on International Women’s Day 2021. & now Indian Startups, SMEs, & Financial Literacy. Financial Literacy is a very important literacy, but ironically is not given the… Continue reading
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My New Book – What Early Readers Say?
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Toni Morrison Releasing my new book Balancing is the Work, To Live a Serene Life in the Extreme World, today on Amazon. At my 50th birthday dinner, my son (25) asked me what one piece of advice would… Continue reading
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