Sachin Bansal: Lessons About Life And Leadership

The year was 2007 and companies were struggling to make their presence felt. When Sachin Bansal quit his job at Amazon, he knew he had to create something larger than life, an e commerce platform dedicated solely for marketing books on the internet. From creating a platform solely dedicated to selling books, Flipkart grew to such a large extent that it was taken over by Walmart in one of the largest acquisitions to date! From being a startup in just a two bedroom apartment to achieving an impossible dream, Sachin Bansal has achieved a lot. Here is taking a look at some truly inspiring life lessons from Sachin Bansal!

1. Always keep the customer in mind 

At the time when Sachin and Binny Bansal started Flipkart in 2007, e commerce based platforms were not heard of and were an alien concept. The idea was just brewing and developing, with companies like MakeMyTrip and IRCTC paving the path for a new innovation. When the Bansals started, they broke the code no one else had: your customer is your ultimate goal and whatever you do, should be done keeping them in mind. Even when Flipkart was only a platform for selling books, it still did really well because of the way the Bansals marketed the website. Keep your clients and customers close and your business will grow!

2. Experiment. Experiment. Experiment. 

With a business plan focused strongly on enhancing customer experience, it was imperative for the two founders to always be innovative and creative. After the first three years of only selling books, the Bansals realised it was about time they changed the products they sold. From playing around with their website’s interface to creating a diverse range of products, the founders started adding a brand new range of products meant to not only keep their current users engaged, but also to increase the number of people visiting their website! Rule of thumb? Always experiment with the kind of things you have to offer!

3. Work with people who believe you can succeed

When you are growing in life, there are always people who will pull you down in everything you do. Despite their best interests, these kinds of people have more of a negative impact than a positive one. Learn to let go of the people who are bringing you down in life and have only those around you who help keep you afloat! To get better at what you do, keep the people who help you grow closer. The naysayers are always going to be there, but that does not mean you have to always listen to them! For instance, when Sachin Bansal first started off, he had a lot of people telling him the internet era was just a phase. Had he listened to them, Flipkart would not be here today!

4. Learn to adapt 

When you expand, you will have to learn to adapt. You cannot always think life will fall in your lap without any backlashes. When you expand and move out of your comfort zone, you know there is going to be backlash after a point. Three years post the launch of Flipkart, the time had come to expand into new horizons. If they had to stick to the rigid boundaries of their industry, they would have never grown! Learn to adapt with not just the changing trends, but also the new products coming into the market. So, grow, learn and always keep thinking on your feet!

5. Know that success will come, but will be slow 

You know you have put in the hard work and you have put in the amount of time required. When you know you have invested the right kind of time into the business, also know that success will come hand in hand. Just do not be impatient and do not run. In the initial years, Flipkart did not even break even, forget making a profit. Only after diversifying their product range and sticking to the growing trends did the platform realise any form of profit! Remember the tortoise? Slow and steady always wins the race. You will too!

Sachin Bansal has grown to become the man he is today because of the amount of time and effort he put into the business. If anything he has done in life has inspired you to make a change, comment and let us know!