Hey there, how was your weekend?
Something interesting happened last week.
We hosted a webinar for our new Mac application. 65+ people joined live, and it went really well.
The next day, a colleague told me, “You’re a natural when it comes to speaking. Live or in front of a camera.”
My immediate reaction was to deflect.
“Oh no, I worked hard on it…”
But halfway through that sentence, I stopped.
Yes, I’ve improved over time. But it wouldn’t be fair to say I worked hard at it. Compared to other skills I’ve struggled to build, this one feels… effortless.
Which leaves only one honest answer.
It comes naturally.
So here’s the strange part — why does that feel uncomfortable to admit?
I’m not in the top 5% of speakers. I’m not extraordinary. But if something comes easily to you, why do we feel guilty owning it?
Maybe because we’re conditioned to glorify struggle.
If it wasn’t painful, it doesn’t count.
During engineering, we built four different projects and pitched them at competitions. We won a few too. Somewhere in that process, I realized something important.
I was good at engineering.
But I was great at marketing.
I could take a 200-rupee soldered board and convincingly explain why it was from the future. That’s when I decided to pursue an MBA — and I never looked back.
The goal isn’t to become decent at everything.
It’s to find what feels unfairly easy to you — and double down on it.
Not everyone figures it out quickly. But often, you can at least identify where you’re not strong. Sometimes that clarity comes from retrospection. Sometimes from feedback.
Be open to feedback. But process it carefully. Most feedback is opinion, not truth.
You might have noticed this newsletter is a day late. I almost skipped it.
Yesterday, the same friend I built those projects with sent me a video while driving in Dubai. Thick black smoke filled the skyline. It’s different reading about something in the news versus seeing it unfold in real time.
Things are safe where I am. I hope the situation improves soon.
And I hope you and your loved ones are safe, too.
See you guys next week 🙂