Kushal Ghimire is a successful serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Assignmate, an app that helps students connect with tutors worldwide.
In this episode 125, Kushal and Jules dive into the world of tech startups. Kushal brings a unique lens because he’s helping pioneer the new wave of startup culture in Nepal, which was virtually nonexistent until recent years.
You’ll learn:
- Tips to develop an app from the drawing board to production.
- How to find and enroll investors to fund your app.
- Daily practices to keep yourself focused, motivated, and productive at work.
Key lessons from this episode:
1. Persevere. Kushal and his team brought Assignmate to life in spite of countless setbacks. Based out of Nepal, they endured frequent 18-hour “blackout” periods with no electricity or wifi. While they could have used this as justification to give up on their dreams, instead they used it as a testament to their strength. They didn’t give up; they persevered. The lesson? Don’t make obstacles your excuse, make them part of your testimony.
2. Emulate Your Role Models. Kushal modeled his app off of Uber. He was inspired by the success Uber had using the simple principle of making others’ lives easier. Identify which companies in your industry are at the top and study what sets them apart. Emulate this and make it your own.
3. Be a Leader. If you don’t know of anyone doing what you want to do, don’t let that stop you. You don’t need to wait for other people to lead the way; you can be a leader and a pioneer. Nepal lacked a tech startup scene, so what did Kushal do? He bought a ticket to the US, immersed himself in the startup scene there, and brought it back home. He saw an opening and decided to initiate action and fill it. Take decisive action and be the one to generate new possibilities.
4. Create a Daily Practice and Stick to It. It’s essential to have a daily self-care practice, ritual, or routine that helps keep you in the best physical and mental state to be effective. Kushal says he wakes up early everyday and works out first thing in the morning. What sparks your creativity, elevates your mood, and energizes you? Whether it’s an exercise routine, a walk in nature, a soak in the tub, or a drink from your favorite smoothie joint, make a list of actions that are vital to your well-being and be sure to do some of them daily so you can do your best work.
5. Utilize Your Resources. Reading books, listening to podcasts, watching vlogs, attending free webinars, and the like are great tools to accelerate your growth. Immersing yourself in these resources can be beneficial simply for the sake of being in the “atmosphere” of powerful people. Mindset, energy, and belief systems are contagious. Surround yourself with successful and uplifting and you will invariably adopt some of their habits and success-oriented outlooks on life.
