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The Freedom Manifesto: 7 Rules To Live the Life of Your Calling
‘First, sit in a quiet place. Now, close your eyes and visualize your ideal life ten years from now. Don’t worry, this isn’t a wishful exercise to manifest your dreams. Instead, we’re taking the first practical step to articulate your deepest, most personal goals. The hard work required to achieve your goals will come next.’
In 2019, Karan Bajaj quit his job as Discovery India’s head to start WhiteHat Jr with the mission of making every kid a creator in this world. At the time, everyone thought Karan was reckless to give up a high-flying corporate career at the age of forty, but eighteen months later, WhiteHat Jr was acquired by BYJU’s for $300 million. On the surface, it was one of the fastest startup-to-exit journeys in India, but the seeds of this were planted a decade ago when Karan first decided to create his own set of life rules.
In The Freedom Manifesto, Karan, for the first time, reveals these secrets to help you transform your life. Unconventional, practical and no-nonsense, these seven rules will help you prioritize what matters most, radically transform your mindset from an employee to an owner, create a daily routine to end self-doubt and negativity and break the shackles of conformity to design a life of your calling. These rules will set you free, not just financially, but also help to reveal your best self.
In 2019, Karan Bajaj quit his job as Discovery India’s head to start WhiteHat Jr with the mission of making every kid a creator in this world. At the time, everyone thought Karan was reckless to give up a high-flying corporate career at the age of forty, but eighteen months later, WhiteHat Jr was acquired by BYJU’s for $300 million. On the surface, it was one of the fastest startup-to-exit journeys in India, but the seeds of this were planted a decade ago when Karan first decided to create his own set of life rules.
In The Freedom Manifesto, Karan, for the first time, reveals these secrets to help you transform your life. Unconventional, practical and no-nonsense, these seven rules will help you prioritize what matters most, radically transform your mindset from an employee to an owner, create a daily routine to end self-doubt and negativity and break the shackles of conformity to design a life of your calling. These rules will set you free, not just financially, but also help to reveal your best self.
254 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2022
70 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
About the author
Karan Bajaj
12 books962 followersKaran Bajaj is the Founder of WhiteHat Jr, acquired by BYJU’s in the fastest startup
exit of its size in India. He’s also a bestselling novelist whose books have sold more
than 200,000+ copies in India and optioned for movie deals: Keep off the Grass, Johnny Gone Down, The Seeker, and The Yoga of Max’s Discontent, published by HarperCollins and Penguin Random House.
A graduate of IIM-Bangalore, Karan has earlier served as the Country Head for Discovery Networks in South Asia. He was selected a Top 40 Under 40 Executive by Advertising Age US in his business career and shortlisted for Teacher’s Achievement Award, Crossword Book Pick of the Year, Indiaplaza Golden Quill and India Today’s 35 Under 35 in his writing career.
A striving yogi, Karan has taken three year-long career sabbaticals to pursue his interests in spirituality, backpacking and hiking. He can be reached via his blog at www.karanbajaj.com.
Web: www.karanbajaj.com
IG: instagram.com/realkaranbajaj
Email: karan@karanbajaj.com
Writing Advice: https://www.karanbajaj.com/category/w...
exit of its size in India. He’s also a bestselling novelist whose books have sold more
than 200,000+ copies in India and optioned for movie deals: Keep off the Grass, Johnny Gone Down, The Seeker, and The Yoga of Max’s Discontent, published by HarperCollins and Penguin Random House.
A graduate of IIM-Bangalore, Karan has earlier served as the Country Head for Discovery Networks in South Asia. He was selected a Top 40 Under 40 Executive by Advertising Age US in his business career and shortlisted for Teacher’s Achievement Award, Crossword Book Pick of the Year, Indiaplaza Golden Quill and India Today’s 35 Under 35 in his writing career.
A striving yogi, Karan has taken three year-long career sabbaticals to pursue his interests in spirituality, backpacking and hiking. He can be reached via his blog at www.karanbajaj.com.
Web: www.karanbajaj.com
IG: instagram.com/realkaranbajaj
Email: karan@karanbajaj.com
Writing Advice: https://www.karanbajaj.com/category/w...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
November 5, 2022
I recently (October 2022) had the opportunity to read an advance-review copy of the book - ‘The Freedom Manifesto - 7 Rules to Live the Life of your Calling’. Here’s my candid book-review, presented as 10 Q&As.
1. Context - Author and his inclinations
I believe, a little awareness of the author helps better-understand and contextualize their work.
Karan Bajaj is a popular Indian-origin author, and a charismatic technology entrepreneur - best known as the founder and CEO of WhiteHat Jr. He built a technology platform/business from grounds-up in record-time, and sold it to BJYU’s for a record sum of money.
As an author and entrepreneur, his impact on employees, customers and readers, are both inspiring and praiseworthy. You can sample his knowledge-shares over YouTube and LinkedIn.
2. What kind of book is this? What genre?
I’d say, this is a combination of a Management and a Self-Help book.
The book brings forth the charm of a Robin Sharma’s Ferrari-less monk, nudging you to ‘do this exercise right-now’ in Anthony Robbins’ style, and listing down ‘kids of rich-dads don’t make mistakes like these’ lessons like Robert Kiyosaki.
3. What is the core-philosophy of the book?
The book is all about Net Impact Plunge – urging you to devote your time and intellect to a cause that will create meaningful and deep-impact to a large group of people. The book empowers you with conviction, tools, rules and examples to follow through your net impact plunge.
You could use these nudges to create art, novels, or (the recommended option) a StartUp.
4. Scope of the book - what all does it cover?
The book is structured into 2 sections. The first half is all about claiming freedom, and mindfulness necessary to make a net-impact plunge. The second half is all about execution.
Karan pours out all of his hard-learnt lessons from the battlefield to help you succeed at your own net impact plunge.
5. How engaging is the narration/book?
Humane and heart-felt, the book is quite engaging, as Karan Bajaj artfully juggles the plot between his personal life and business realities. The author brings to bear his insights from across various walks of his life – arduous backpacking tours, rigorous yoga trainings, authorship and entrepreneurship journeys.
The mental-exercises listed along the chapters force you to introspect, think and can be potential life-changers. These exercises keep you emotionally invested in the book – till the end.
6. What is the good/best part about this book?
Unafraid to own-up and tell us his own missteps and failures in business/life, Karan has kept the conversation very real and grounded to reality.
The first half of the book a good collection of rules/formulas to build a mindset of a creator and free-man. My favourite was the second half which is a masterclass in Starting-Up your business idea.
7. Any let-downs, disappointments from the book?
What starts-off as a book for everyone, takes a rather narrow focus towards technology entrepreneurship in the second half. If you’re only interested in the 7 rules, the second half may feel like out-of-syllabus.
For wannabe and struggling entrepreneurs – You may feel that most of the examples, lessons and frameworks are focused towards a SaaS and Platform model of business.
8. How long will it take to read/complete this book
This book takes about 5-10 hours of reading depending on your interest, how seriously you take-up the exercises, and most importantly - how good (or eager) you are to assimilate start-up lessons.
9. Three quotes form the book – as samplers of what’s in store
• “Experiences breathe and grow, while possessions deprecate and die” – Karan Bajaj, while emphasizing the need to invest in yourself to grow as a person.
• “Life punishes the vague wish and rewards the specific ask” – Karan Bajaj, reminding you to communicate clearly with business associates to get the work done.
• “Creation lies at the edges of the system, never at the centre of it. You’re solving a problem that hasn’t been articulated” – Karan Bajaj, while convincing you to dream bigger, have a bold vision and believe in your convictions.
10. What’s my verdict?
As an entrepreneur, and someone with a undying urge to be-more and do-more, I could very deeply relate-to Karan’s philosophy and his teachings.
The first part is a handy-collection of the all the formulas and rules-to-life I wish, I had known when I was 15 years younger. The second half is a master-class in building your SaaS startup. Both the halves, I recommend is a valuable/essential read for ambitious people.
A good book to read it yourself. Also, a good book to gift you new-graduate and wannabe-entrepreneur friends.
1. Context - Author and his inclinations
I believe, a little awareness of the author helps better-understand and contextualize their work.
Karan Bajaj is a popular Indian-origin author, and a charismatic technology entrepreneur - best known as the founder and CEO of WhiteHat Jr. He built a technology platform/business from grounds-up in record-time, and sold it to BJYU’s for a record sum of money.
As an author and entrepreneur, his impact on employees, customers and readers, are both inspiring and praiseworthy. You can sample his knowledge-shares over YouTube and LinkedIn.
2. What kind of book is this? What genre?
I’d say, this is a combination of a Management and a Self-Help book.
The book brings forth the charm of a Robin Sharma’s Ferrari-less monk, nudging you to ‘do this exercise right-now’ in Anthony Robbins’ style, and listing down ‘kids of rich-dads don’t make mistakes like these’ lessons like Robert Kiyosaki.
3. What is the core-philosophy of the book?
The book is all about Net Impact Plunge – urging you to devote your time and intellect to a cause that will create meaningful and deep-impact to a large group of people. The book empowers you with conviction, tools, rules and examples to follow through your net impact plunge.
You could use these nudges to create art, novels, or (the recommended option) a StartUp.
4. Scope of the book - what all does it cover?
The book is structured into 2 sections. The first half is all about claiming freedom, and mindfulness necessary to make a net-impact plunge. The second half is all about execution.
Karan pours out all of his hard-learnt lessons from the battlefield to help you succeed at your own net impact plunge.
5. How engaging is the narration/book?
Humane and heart-felt, the book is quite engaging, as Karan Bajaj artfully juggles the plot between his personal life and business realities. The author brings to bear his insights from across various walks of his life – arduous backpacking tours, rigorous yoga trainings, authorship and entrepreneurship journeys.
The mental-exercises listed along the chapters force you to introspect, think and can be potential life-changers. These exercises keep you emotionally invested in the book – till the end.
6. What is the good/best part about this book?
Unafraid to own-up and tell us his own missteps and failures in business/life, Karan has kept the conversation very real and grounded to reality.
The first half of the book a good collection of rules/formulas to build a mindset of a creator and free-man. My favourite was the second half which is a masterclass in Starting-Up your business idea.
7. Any let-downs, disappointments from the book?
What starts-off as a book for everyone, takes a rather narrow focus towards technology entrepreneurship in the second half. If you’re only interested in the 7 rules, the second half may feel like out-of-syllabus.
For wannabe and struggling entrepreneurs – You may feel that most of the examples, lessons and frameworks are focused towards a SaaS and Platform model of business.
8. How long will it take to read/complete this book
This book takes about 5-10 hours of reading depending on your interest, how seriously you take-up the exercises, and most importantly - how good (or eager) you are to assimilate start-up lessons.
9. Three quotes form the book – as samplers of what’s in store
• “Experiences breathe and grow, while possessions deprecate and die” – Karan Bajaj, while emphasizing the need to invest in yourself to grow as a person.
• “Life punishes the vague wish and rewards the specific ask” – Karan Bajaj, reminding you to communicate clearly with business associates to get the work done.
• “Creation lies at the edges of the system, never at the centre of it. You’re solving a problem that hasn’t been articulated” – Karan Bajaj, while convincing you to dream bigger, have a bold vision and believe in your convictions.
10. What’s my verdict?
As an entrepreneur, and someone with a undying urge to be-more and do-more, I could very deeply relate-to Karan’s philosophy and his teachings.
The first part is a handy-collection of the all the formulas and rules-to-life I wish, I had known when I was 15 years younger. The second half is a master-class in building your SaaS startup. Both the halves, I recommend is a valuable/essential read for ambitious people.
A good book to read it yourself. Also, a good book to gift you new-graduate and wannabe-entrepreneur friends.
October 8, 2022
The Freedom Manifesto is insightful and gripping in a way that I did not expect. I generally do not read non-fiction and especially books of self-help or self-improvement (not yet anyway!). However, this book is indeed a stepping stone for me, inspiring me to consider reading more books out of my comfort zone ( usually fiction) and to explore new avenues and genres.
The book draws on the author's personal experiences as the basis for explaining several simple steps to transform your life. Karan doesn't just talk to us about his successes but highlights his failures and the lessons he learnt from them. He is open, accepting of his decisions (both the ones that worked and those that did not), precise and clear in his thinking and critical of himself in a way that draws the reader in, igniting sparks of interest in following his journey. Through this journey, we also read about steps that we can follow to help ourselves, questions to ask to help introspect and suggestions on what to do after we have thought of the answers. I found the style of writing and presentation to be quite unique and this is what captured my attention. The book and writing are personal but written in a way that anyone can understand or relate to and this is something I quite enjoyed.
In conclusion, I truly enjoyed reading this book even though some of the formulas went over my head. This is something I would have to truly look into at some point. In general, I realized that a lot of the questions that Karan raises or suggests that we ask ourselves are ones which I have thought of but never focused on specifically. The point which sticks with me is what to do with the answers once have them and how to prioritize things which are important to us. All this makes this book worth reading!
The book draws on the author's personal experiences as the basis for explaining several simple steps to transform your life. Karan doesn't just talk to us about his successes but highlights his failures and the lessons he learnt from them. He is open, accepting of his decisions (both the ones that worked and those that did not), precise and clear in his thinking and critical of himself in a way that draws the reader in, igniting sparks of interest in following his journey. Through this journey, we also read about steps that we can follow to help ourselves, questions to ask to help introspect and suggestions on what to do after we have thought of the answers. I found the style of writing and presentation to be quite unique and this is what captured my attention. The book and writing are personal but written in a way that anyone can understand or relate to and this is something I quite enjoyed.
In conclusion, I truly enjoyed reading this book even though some of the formulas went over my head. This is something I would have to truly look into at some point. In general, I realized that a lot of the questions that Karan raises or suggests that we ask ourselves are ones which I have thought of but never focused on specifically. The point which sticks with me is what to do with the answers once have them and how to prioritize things which are important to us. All this makes this book worth reading!
December 18, 2022
Got this book as a gift and finished it in 2 days, so I guess you can call it a page turner.
I had been following Karan bajaj since he shot to fame with the acquisition of WhiteHat Jr as I felt his ethos and life resonated a lot with my own. I was already aware about his life story and his journey with Whitehat as I heard a couple of podcasts of his.
The book is broken into two parts -
1. How to be free to do what you want to do in life - which is basically do something super high ownership/impact aka startup.
2. How to do a startup.
I resonated more with the first bit as I have been implementing the FIRE journey as well as a lot of the principles in the first part religiously for the last few years. I haven't done a startup so can't say for the second bit.
Let me summarise first part:
1. How to be free to do what you want to do in life
To be free to never work again for money,
Step 1: make enough money that you don't have to work for a day (4% rule)
Step 2: If you can't do it with a job, the way to make money quick is to have a larger impact in the world aka high leverage roles
Step 3: But you need to take risks to do this. So get a runway. Salary/14 lakh = no of months you can take off to have a shot at having a larger impact in the world
Step 4: have the right mindsets to ensure you succeed in your shot: exercise, meditate, read, be ready for failure and always be investing in yourself to learn and have distinct experiences
Step 5: After all this, good luck! if you succeed awesome, if you don't go back to your life at step 3 and rinse repeat
The author did this step 1-5 a few times trying to be an author and finally succeeded as a entrepreneur. All the above ideas were not new for me. I deeply understand and believe them but it's hard to put them in practice. I also believe that these rules are so high level that no amount of reading can help you internalise them. You have to live them to understand them. Only people who have lived through these can understand what they mean. You can read and understand this stuff.
The one big takeaway that I took from this book is - You have to follow your dharma. Being who you are will continue to push you towards this path and make you go through steps 1-5 again and again. Its important to look within and understand what your dharma is and put your life in sync with your dharma and then continue to do it again and again.
Part 2: How to startup:
Lots of tips and insights on what to do at a different stages of a startup. Couldn't relate as much as I am not a founder. Although it did feel that this would vary a LOT for each founder and no amount of reading would prepare you for the real deal. It did feel good advice but top level not tactical enough.
Overall: read if you want to know about Karan bajaj's journey from IIM to traveller to yogi to founder to a rich person. Rest of the gyaan is covered well in similar type of books a lot.
I had been following Karan bajaj since he shot to fame with the acquisition of WhiteHat Jr as I felt his ethos and life resonated a lot with my own. I was already aware about his life story and his journey with Whitehat as I heard a couple of podcasts of his.
The book is broken into two parts -
1. How to be free to do what you want to do in life - which is basically do something super high ownership/impact aka startup.
2. How to do a startup.
I resonated more with the first bit as I have been implementing the FIRE journey as well as a lot of the principles in the first part religiously for the last few years. I haven't done a startup so can't say for the second bit.
Let me summarise first part:
1. How to be free to do what you want to do in life
To be free to never work again for money,
Step 1: make enough money that you don't have to work for a day (4% rule)
Step 2: If you can't do it with a job, the way to make money quick is to have a larger impact in the world aka high leverage roles
Step 3: But you need to take risks to do this. So get a runway. Salary/14 lakh = no of months you can take off to have a shot at having a larger impact in the world
Step 4: have the right mindsets to ensure you succeed in your shot: exercise, meditate, read, be ready for failure and always be investing in yourself to learn and have distinct experiences
Step 5: After all this, good luck! if you succeed awesome, if you don't go back to your life at step 3 and rinse repeat
The author did this step 1-5 a few times trying to be an author and finally succeeded as a entrepreneur. All the above ideas were not new for me. I deeply understand and believe them but it's hard to put them in practice. I also believe that these rules are so high level that no amount of reading can help you internalise them. You have to live them to understand them. Only people who have lived through these can understand what they mean. You can read and understand this stuff.
The one big takeaway that I took from this book is - You have to follow your dharma. Being who you are will continue to push you towards this path and make you go through steps 1-5 again and again. Its important to look within and understand what your dharma is and put your life in sync with your dharma and then continue to do it again and again.
Part 2: How to startup:
Lots of tips and insights on what to do at a different stages of a startup. Couldn't relate as much as I am not a founder. Although it did feel that this would vary a LOT for each founder and no amount of reading would prepare you for the real deal. It did feel good advice but top level not tactical enough.
Overall: read if you want to know about Karan bajaj's journey from IIM to traveller to yogi to founder to a rich person. Rest of the gyaan is covered well in similar type of books a lot.
October 22, 2022
Karan has been a thought leader whom I had worked with and have been following. He has evolved these best practices from bottom of his heart while being a practitioner himself.
There would be many who want to do good, and bring a change. But only few step forward, and 10% of those stepping forward succeed. Karan is not just enabling you to be in that 1%, but he also diving the depth factor into that 1% to last longer. This manifesto of freedom, will let you know where you are with power of visualization to the journey that gets you there!
Thanks for being what you are, Karan. Wish you more strength and power to impact at scale!
There would be many who want to do good, and bring a change. But only few step forward, and 10% of those stepping forward succeed. Karan is not just enabling you to be in that 1%, but he also diving the depth factor into that 1% to last longer. This manifesto of freedom, will let you know where you are with power of visualization to the journey that gets you there!
Thanks for being what you are, Karan. Wish you more strength and power to impact at scale!
October 16, 2022
5/5 as this is the most practical self help book ever . It is as real as it gets.
It includes an action plan for even the most complex topics like - The formula to calculate the funds required to take a risk on pursuing a passion to number of months it takes to find a job after a sabbatical to things like meditation.
The author is brutally honest and has really let us in to see what it is to be manifest freedom- both the highs and more importantly the many many lows.
His diverse life experiences from being a corporate employee to living a mundane life to his quest of finding purpose to being totally consumed by it as he set up his own company are very relatable but what I love the most was the ‘Not - To - Dos’ and the way he has detailed down the challenges encountered.
After reading self help books for many years now I was initially a bit unsure about the real lessons that I ended up implementing. Hence after reading the subtitle on the cover page ‘7 rules to lead the life of your calling’ , I almost thought of all my past failed attempts. But to my surprise this book from Karan Bajaj helped me take the necessary decisions which I have held on to for far too long now.
1) It gives me clarity on the what it really takes to pursue my passion .
2 ) Gives me a rude but an important reality check on how far away am I financially to pursue it
3) It has forced me to take action . The best is I have decided where I want to spend my energy.
Being a firm believer of ‘books happen to people at the right time’ - so glad I read this.
It includes an action plan for even the most complex topics like - The formula to calculate the funds required to take a risk on pursuing a passion to number of months it takes to find a job after a sabbatical to things like meditation.
The author is brutally honest and has really let us in to see what it is to be manifest freedom- both the highs and more importantly the many many lows.
His diverse life experiences from being a corporate employee to living a mundane life to his quest of finding purpose to being totally consumed by it as he set up his own company are very relatable but what I love the most was the ‘Not - To - Dos’ and the way he has detailed down the challenges encountered.
After reading self help books for many years now I was initially a bit unsure about the real lessons that I ended up implementing. Hence after reading the subtitle on the cover page ‘7 rules to lead the life of your calling’ , I almost thought of all my past failed attempts. But to my surprise this book from Karan Bajaj helped me take the necessary decisions which I have held on to for far too long now.
1) It gives me clarity on the what it really takes to pursue my passion .
2 ) Gives me a rude but an important reality check on how far away am I financially to pursue it
3) It has forced me to take action . The best is I have decided where I want to spend my energy.
Being a firm believer of ‘books happen to people at the right time’ - so glad I read this.
December 30, 2022
Excellent first person account of an unconventional career built on the author's pursuit of financial freedom and doing meaningful work.
Principles laid down here are relatable, rules are actionable, and the overall journey inspiring.
Principles laid down here are relatable, rules are actionable, and the overall journey inspiring.
October 15, 2022
The book is Karan Bajaj's manifesto on Financial freedom- that holy grail of existential dilemma, that he conquered with quite an aplomb.
My initial thoughts were, is it another I-made-it, let-me-tell-you-how book.
Yes, the book is that. But more.
There is abounding curiosity and not a small bit of envy about this entrepreneur who goes from 0 to USD 300 million in 1.5 years, all cash! And this human, this journey behind the entrepreneur that he enlivens is the triumph of this book.
If you have been yearning to get out of your corporate misery, but dithering because you don't know where to start, this book attempts to handhold you with that.
Bajaj writes with clarity and conviction. His writing is lucid, and at 260 pages, the book is an easy read. A kind of a step-by-step guide, where each chapter ends with an exercise for the reader, nudging you into into execution.
So it's 2022, and if you are still at your 9-to-5, looking for that first step, this book gives you that. Or if you are curious to know the yogi, wanderer, seeker behind one of India's most successful exits, the book delivers on that too.
PS: I received an advance copy of the book from the author for an honest review.
My initial thoughts were, is it another I-made-it, let-me-tell-you-how book.
Yes, the book is that. But more.
There is abounding curiosity and not a small bit of envy about this entrepreneur who goes from 0 to USD 300 million in 1.5 years, all cash! And this human, this journey behind the entrepreneur that he enlivens is the triumph of this book.
If you have been yearning to get out of your corporate misery, but dithering because you don't know where to start, this book attempts to handhold you with that.
Bajaj writes with clarity and conviction. His writing is lucid, and at 260 pages, the book is an easy read. A kind of a step-by-step guide, where each chapter ends with an exercise for the reader, nudging you into into execution.
So it's 2022, and if you are still at your 9-to-5, looking for that first step, this book gives you that. Or if you are curious to know the yogi, wanderer, seeker behind one of India's most successful exits, the book delivers on that too.
PS: I received an advance copy of the book from the author for an honest review.
November 2, 2022
I am a avid reader and read more than 40 books in a year, mostly self help, spiritual and a lot about investing. This book combines a lot of those interesting and important topics in a single book. Karan has kept the book true to its title.
It is indeed a Freedom Manifesto. and provides a step by step path to achieving freedom of all kinds (Financial, Health and Mind).
This book is especially relatable because of the Indian context to all the advice vis a vis the Deepak Chopras and Robert Kiyosaki's which are more americanised and not very practical to us.
Karan has given a lot of practical advice that can be followed and even shared emails/contacts of people who have helped him out.
My only thought is how would the advice have changed if someone wouldn't want to start their own company, Would they still have to spend their 20 yrs to earn their retirement corpus ?
Many of us are in jobs and aren't the starting up types so we will have to make our own assumptions from his learnings.
There are definitely concepts that are new, useful and can be followed. His Simplicity and wisdom is truly an inspiration to all of us. The book is written in a simple language and is easy to follow.
It is indeed a Freedom Manifesto. and provides a step by step path to achieving freedom of all kinds (Financial, Health and Mind).
This book is especially relatable because of the Indian context to all the advice vis a vis the Deepak Chopras and Robert Kiyosaki's which are more americanised and not very practical to us.
Karan has given a lot of practical advice that can be followed and even shared emails/contacts of people who have helped him out.
My only thought is how would the advice have changed if someone wouldn't want to start their own company, Would they still have to spend their 20 yrs to earn their retirement corpus ?
Many of us are in jobs and aren't the starting up types so we will have to make our own assumptions from his learnings.
There are definitely concepts that are new, useful and can be followed. His Simplicity and wisdom is truly an inspiration to all of us. The book is written in a simple language and is easy to follow.
January 4, 2023
I recently finished reading 'Freedom Manifesto:7 Rules to Live the Life of Your Calling' by Karan Bajaj, and it was a game-changer for me & I couldn't recommend it more highly!
The writing style of the author (Karan Bajaj ) is simple, sharp, witty,elegent brilliant practical dialogue basis the immense radical transformation he has gone through in the last 10 years.
The book has written in such a lucid manner that it has the ability to capture the imagination of young minds who intend to build or start up something on their own.
The authors discuss the concepts of 7 rules to live the life of yoour calling, and how reframing our thoughts and experiences can open up new possibilities & growth avenues.
As someone who works in the startup edtech industry, I found this book to be incredibly relevant and thought-provoking for startup founders. It made me think about how we can stay ahead of the curve and avoid getting distracted on the output which may not be controlled eveytime.Every day Show up & putting 100% is the key.
As someone who is also students of Strategic & Conceptual Sales leadership development, I found this book to be incredibly thought-provoking and inspiring in building and scaling systems and building organizations full of Water- Walkers.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is:
Life is measured in decades not days.
'Every day, each of us has the opportunity to choose the frame( growth vs fear) through which we will see the world.'
If you're interested in expanding your growth mindset, personnel transformation, and exploring new ways of thinking, I highly recommend giving this book a read.
Freedom Manifesto is available at Amazon for complete book reading:
https://tinyurl.com/BkPl01
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Freedom Manifesto: 7 Rules to Live the Life of Your Calling
Author Karan Bajaj. This is 4th book written by Karan Bajaj. After the Keep of the grass, Johnny gone Down and the Seeker
The Freedom Manifesto has become one of the most practical books on self-help. The book is very well articulated and a lot of practical, easy-to-implement thoughtful ideas and action points have been shared. It is the nuggets and pearls of wisdom shared by the author from the challenge and opportunities of his own life.
The book has been divided into two parts: Part 1 Talks about the seven rules and part 2 consists of 7 startup starter kits.
The Seven rules given in (Part -1) of the book are unconventional, useful, and realistic, and can assist anyone in setting priorities and fundamentally changing perspective guiding principles of life. All seven rules are accompanied by the exercise/implementation in individual life. Unless implemented individually all seven concepts will not yield any results.
Some of the Important quotes:
Always made make the decisions of growth versus fear/worry/ What people will say/how resumes will look.
Growth opens new avenues. Fear contracts Life
Life is measured in decades not days.
Always select experiences over possessions. Experience breathe and grow, possessions deprecate and die.
The Seven Start-up execution methodology (Part -2) of the book is realistic and practical implementation within time bound manner.
To design a life that fulfills your calling, you must prioritize what matters most, dramatically establish a daily pattern to stop self-doubt and negativity and throw off the chains of procrastination. The framework given in the books will free you not only financially but also by enabling you to be the best version of yourself.
Some of the important concepts covered in the books are
Power of Visualization: Your life is measured in decades, not in days
Taking decisions of growth vs decisions of fear. Growth opens new avenues /fear contracts your life.
Finding your freedom ( to live and pursue the life of your highest calling) using the 4% rule
Understanding How Net worth=Net Impact (The biggest self-less goal and its impact.) How Creation leads to growth and growth leads to more creation.
How to quit your job to pursue your net impact idea.How long-term personnel growth has a direct correlation with the financial growth of individuals.
Developing a 30x7 ownership shift. (30 years of low-intensity work compressed into 7 years of high-intensity work.) Founder Growth = Company growth leveraging 10 x goal with 10x Thinking.)
Developing Daily routine (1:1:!)+Daily Diet+Daily Thought= Self-discipline
Time Management from the Concepts of Makers vs manager time. Expand your goals, Time will automatically expand to achieve big goals.
How to find your game-changing idea that has the magnitude & depth to touch millions of lives?
How to build low fidelity /zero code prototype in 30 days with 10x market size keeping globe audience in mind./
How to make the pitch deck connected with the personnel story with initial business tractions?
How do business valuations fully depend on your vision for tomorrow and business reality today?
How to find swimmers and waters walkers in your team?
How to build the team Hackers+Designers+ Marketers?
How to develop the product market fit (PMF) fastest way possible?
How to do the System Steup and scaling at the Blitzscale?
The writing style of the author (Karan Bajaj ) is simple, sharp, witty,elegent brilliant practical dialogue basis the immense radical transformation he has gone through in the last 10 years.
The book has written in such a lucid manner that it has the ability to capture the imagination of young minds who intend to build or start up something on their own.
Finally, I would say, Freedom Manifesto is a delightful, rigorous author journey that stood the test of time although running on an unconventional path. It must read for people who are looking to redesign their life & looking for more independence.
The writing style of the author (Karan Bajaj ) is simple, sharp, witty,elegent brilliant practical dialogue basis the immense radical transformation he has gone through in the last 10 years.
The book has written in such a lucid manner that it has the ability to capture the imagination of young minds who intend to build or start up something on their own.
The authors discuss the concepts of 7 rules to live the life of yoour calling, and how reframing our thoughts and experiences can open up new possibilities & growth avenues.
As someone who works in the startup edtech industry, I found this book to be incredibly relevant and thought-provoking for startup founders. It made me think about how we can stay ahead of the curve and avoid getting distracted on the output which may not be controlled eveytime.Every day Show up & putting 100% is the key.
As someone who is also students of Strategic & Conceptual Sales leadership development, I found this book to be incredibly thought-provoking and inspiring in building and scaling systems and building organizations full of Water- Walkers.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is:
Life is measured in decades not days.
'Every day, each of us has the opportunity to choose the frame( growth vs fear) through which we will see the world.'
If you're interested in expanding your growth mindset, personnel transformation, and exploring new ways of thinking, I highly recommend giving this book a read.
Freedom Manifesto is available at Amazon for complete book reading:
https://tinyurl.com/BkPl01
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Freedom Manifesto: 7 Rules to Live the Life of Your Calling
Author Karan Bajaj. This is 4th book written by Karan Bajaj. After the Keep of the grass, Johnny gone Down and the Seeker
The Freedom Manifesto has become one of the most practical books on self-help. The book is very well articulated and a lot of practical, easy-to-implement thoughtful ideas and action points have been shared. It is the nuggets and pearls of wisdom shared by the author from the challenge and opportunities of his own life.
The book has been divided into two parts: Part 1 Talks about the seven rules and part 2 consists of 7 startup starter kits.
The Seven rules given in (Part -1) of the book are unconventional, useful, and realistic, and can assist anyone in setting priorities and fundamentally changing perspective guiding principles of life. All seven rules are accompanied by the exercise/implementation in individual life. Unless implemented individually all seven concepts will not yield any results.
Some of the Important quotes:
Always made make the decisions of growth versus fear/worry/ What people will say/how resumes will look.
Growth opens new avenues. Fear contracts Life
Life is measured in decades not days.
Always select experiences over possessions. Experience breathe and grow, possessions deprecate and die.
The Seven Start-up execution methodology (Part -2) of the book is realistic and practical implementation within time bound manner.
To design a life that fulfills your calling, you must prioritize what matters most, dramatically establish a daily pattern to stop self-doubt and negativity and throw off the chains of procrastination. The framework given in the books will free you not only financially but also by enabling you to be the best version of yourself.
Some of the important concepts covered in the books are
Power of Visualization: Your life is measured in decades, not in days
Taking decisions of growth vs decisions of fear. Growth opens new avenues /fear contracts your life.
Finding your freedom ( to live and pursue the life of your highest calling) using the 4% rule
Understanding How Net worth=Net Impact (The biggest self-less goal and its impact.) How Creation leads to growth and growth leads to more creation.
How to quit your job to pursue your net impact idea.How long-term personnel growth has a direct correlation with the financial growth of individuals.
Developing a 30x7 ownership shift. (30 years of low-intensity work compressed into 7 years of high-intensity work.) Founder Growth = Company growth leveraging 10 x goal with 10x Thinking.)
Developing Daily routine (1:1:!)+Daily Diet+Daily Thought= Self-discipline
Time Management from the Concepts of Makers vs manager time. Expand your goals, Time will automatically expand to achieve big goals.
How to find your game-changing idea that has the magnitude & depth to touch millions of lives?
How to build low fidelity /zero code prototype in 30 days with 10x market size keeping globe audience in mind./
How to make the pitch deck connected with the personnel story with initial business tractions?
How do business valuations fully depend on your vision for tomorrow and business reality today?
How to find swimmers and waters walkers in your team?
How to build the team Hackers+Designers+ Marketers?
How to develop the product market fit (PMF) fastest way possible?
How to do the System Steup and scaling at the Blitzscale?
The writing style of the author (Karan Bajaj ) is simple, sharp, witty,elegent brilliant practical dialogue basis the immense radical transformation he has gone through in the last 10 years.
The book has written in such a lucid manner that it has the ability to capture the imagination of young minds who intend to build or start up something on their own.
Finally, I would say, Freedom Manifesto is a delightful, rigorous author journey that stood the test of time although running on an unconventional path. It must read for people who are looking to redesign their life & looking for more independence.
January 2, 2023
Freedom Manifesto: 7 Rules to Live the Life of Your Calling
Author Karan Bajaj. This is 4th book written by Karan Bajaj. After the Keep of the grass, Johnny gone Down and the Seeker
The Freedom Manifesto has become one of the most practical books on self-help. The book is very well articulated and a lot of practical, easy-to-implement thoughtful ideas and action points have been shared. It is the nuggets and pearls of wisdom shared by the author from the challenge and opportunities of his own life.
The book has been divided into two parts: Part 1 Talks about the seven rules and part 2 consists of 7 startup starter kits.
The Seven rules given in (Part -1) of the book are unconventional, useful, and realistic, and can assist anyone in setting priorities and fundamentally changing perspective guiding principles of life. All seven rules are accompanied by the exercise/implementation in individual life. Unless implemented individually all seven concepts will not yield any results.
Some of the Important quotes:
Always made make the decisions of growth versus fear/worry/ What people will say/how resumes will look.
Growth opens new avenues. Fear contracts Life
Life is measured in decades not days.
Alwwyas select experiences over possessions. Experience breathe and grow, possessions deprecate and die.
The Seven Start-up execution methodology (Part -2) of the book is realistic and practical implementation within time bound manner.
To design a life that fulfills your calling, you must prioritize what matters most, dramatically establish a daily pattern to stop self-doubt and negativity and throw off the chains of procrastination. The framework given in the books will free you not only financially but also by enabling you to be the best version of yourself.
Some of the important concepts covered in the books are
Power of Visualization: Your life is measured in decades, not in days
Taking decisions of growth vs decisions of fear. Growth opens new avenues /fear contracts your life.
Finding your freedom ( to live and pursue the life of your highest calling) using the 4% rule
Understanding How Net worth=Net Impact (The biggest self-less goal and its impact.) How Creation leads to growth and growth leads to more creation.
How to quit your job to pursue your net impact idea.How long-term personnel growth has a direct correlation with the financial growth of individuals.
Developing a 30x7 ownership shift. (30 years of low-intensity work compressed into 7 years of high-intensity work.) Founder Growth = Company growth leveraging 10 x goal with 10x Thinking.)
Developing Daily routine (1:1:!)+Daily Diet+Daily Thought= Self-discipline
Time Management from the Concepts of Makers vs manager time. Expand your goals, Time will automatically expand to achieve big goals.
How to find your game-changing idea that has the magnitude & depth to touch millions of lives?
How to build low fidelity /zero code prototype in 30 days with 10x market size keeping globe audience in mind./
How to make the pitch deck connected with the personnel story with initial business tractions?
How do business valuations fully depend on your vision for tomorrow and business reality today?
How to find swimmers and waters walkers in your team?
How to build the team Hackers+Designers+ Marketers?
How to develop the product market fit (PMF) fastest way possible?
How to do the System Steup and scaling at the Blitzscale?
The writing style of the author (Karan Bajaj ) is simple, sharp, witty,elegenat brilliant practical dialogue basis the immense radical transformation he has gone through in the last 10 years.
The book has written in such a lucid manner that it has the ability to capture the imagination of young minds who intend to build or start up something on their own.
Finally, I would say, Freedom Manifesto is a delightful, rigorous author journey that stood the test of time although running on an unconventional path. It must read for people who are looking to redesign their life & looking for more independence.
Freedom Manifesto is available at Amazon for complete book reading:
Author Karan Bajaj. This is 4th book written by Karan Bajaj. After the Keep of the grass, Johnny gone Down and the Seeker
The Freedom Manifesto has become one of the most practical books on self-help. The book is very well articulated and a lot of practical, easy-to-implement thoughtful ideas and action points have been shared. It is the nuggets and pearls of wisdom shared by the author from the challenge and opportunities of his own life.
The book has been divided into two parts: Part 1 Talks about the seven rules and part 2 consists of 7 startup starter kits.
The Seven rules given in (Part -1) of the book are unconventional, useful, and realistic, and can assist anyone in setting priorities and fundamentally changing perspective guiding principles of life. All seven rules are accompanied by the exercise/implementation in individual life. Unless implemented individually all seven concepts will not yield any results.
Some of the Important quotes:
Always made make the decisions of growth versus fear/worry/ What people will say/how resumes will look.
Growth opens new avenues. Fear contracts Life
Life is measured in decades not days.
Alwwyas select experiences over possessions. Experience breathe and grow, possessions deprecate and die.
The Seven Start-up execution methodology (Part -2) of the book is realistic and practical implementation within time bound manner.
To design a life that fulfills your calling, you must prioritize what matters most, dramatically establish a daily pattern to stop self-doubt and negativity and throw off the chains of procrastination. The framework given in the books will free you not only financially but also by enabling you to be the best version of yourself.
Some of the important concepts covered in the books are
Power of Visualization: Your life is measured in decades, not in days
Taking decisions of growth vs decisions of fear. Growth opens new avenues /fear contracts your life.
Finding your freedom ( to live and pursue the life of your highest calling) using the 4% rule
Understanding How Net worth=Net Impact (The biggest self-less goal and its impact.) How Creation leads to growth and growth leads to more creation.
How to quit your job to pursue your net impact idea.How long-term personnel growth has a direct correlation with the financial growth of individuals.
Developing a 30x7 ownership shift. (30 years of low-intensity work compressed into 7 years of high-intensity work.) Founder Growth = Company growth leveraging 10 x goal with 10x Thinking.)
Developing Daily routine (1:1:!)+Daily Diet+Daily Thought= Self-discipline
Time Management from the Concepts of Makers vs manager time. Expand your goals, Time will automatically expand to achieve big goals.
How to find your game-changing idea that has the magnitude & depth to touch millions of lives?
How to build low fidelity /zero code prototype in 30 days with 10x market size keeping globe audience in mind./
How to make the pitch deck connected with the personnel story with initial business tractions?
How do business valuations fully depend on your vision for tomorrow and business reality today?
How to find swimmers and waters walkers in your team?
How to build the team Hackers+Designers+ Marketers?
How to develop the product market fit (PMF) fastest way possible?
How to do the System Steup and scaling at the Blitzscale?
The writing style of the author (Karan Bajaj ) is simple, sharp, witty,elegenat brilliant practical dialogue basis the immense radical transformation he has gone through in the last 10 years.
The book has written in such a lucid manner that it has the ability to capture the imagination of young minds who intend to build or start up something on their own.
Finally, I would say, Freedom Manifesto is a delightful, rigorous author journey that stood the test of time although running on an unconventional path. It must read for people who are looking to redesign their life & looking for more independence.
Freedom Manifesto is available at Amazon for complete book reading:
November 4, 2022
A Practical how-to guide for designing a life of FREEDOM, based on an authentic LIVED Experience of a SEEKER.
As a fellow seeker, this book took me on a beautiful journey into my own self.
The book is about taking ownership and finding freedom.
It is presented in to two parts:
Part 1 has seven rules/habits for life that the author has found useful which served as his foundations all the way.
Part 2 is about step-by-step and stage-by-stage instruction on how to start-up a life of creation, ownership, impact and freedom.
My most inspiring lines are here:
"The bigger and more selfless the objective, the bigger will be the conflict, and hence the bigger the story. Whether they win or lose is almost secondary to their transformation. We admire these characters because of the audacity of their goals, and we’re inspired by their stories because they face the life-or-death conflicts inherent in pursuing big goals with relentless determination.
Just like life."
Here are my insights I connected with from Rules in Part 1:
1. JUST SHOW UP DAILY. The output is not my control but the input is. All I owed life was the gift of 100 percent energy to my input daily.
2. 120 days of Learning Framework -90 days of sravana, 15 days of manana ( outline and wireframe ), 15 days of Nididhyasana ( Exectution mode ). Then go 10X.
3. Your time, capability, or resources don't need to expand to succeed. Only your goals do.
4. People around the world are more similar than different.
5. The larger the goal, the higher and deeper the self-transformation.
6. Mindset: Money as a tool for spiritual growth rather than material acquisition.
7. 1,1,1 routine - 1 Hour of Exercise ( Routine and variety ) , 1 hour of meditation ( 30 min. after wakeup, 30 before sleep), 1 hour of reading/reflection ( 80% Power, 20% Perennial )
Here are my insights I connected with the execution as an owner ( start-up journey ) in Part 2:
1. Learning agility is the single-best predictor of career success, not grades or college pedigrees - Korn Ferry
2. Make Growth a Need
3. 0 - 6 months - Idea Validation, 6 to 12 - 10X Product, 12 to 18 - System & Load testing, 18 to 24 - Scaling
4. Life punishes the vague wish and rewards the specific asks, and so does talent!
5. People are driven by 1. Creation and the challenge involved to solve a life problem 2. Scale and usefulness/impact of their creation. 3. Beauty
6. Magnitude and Depth of a Business IDEA.
7. The best talent is brutally self-aware.
8. As a leader, you can delegate but not abdicate responsibility.
9. What VCs look out for ( What makes any IDEA click? ): 1. A ‘Big and Obvious’ vision for tomorrow. and 2. A strong business today.
10 It is better to be alone than to be with those who will hinder your progress - Buddha
11. The three metrics to define the performance of a start-up: 50 percent NPS - World-class product, 50 percent revenue from referrals - Users love the product, 50 percent renewal rates - users want more
12. The deepest human yearning is that of surviving, thriving, growing and finding meaning.
13. The rule of three - 1.Measure every metric that matters daily 2.Have an owner for each metric 3.Review every metric daily in a management meeting.
14. Speed is your lifeblood. Simplify to scale.
15. RULE OF SEVEN: A message must be communicated seven times before someone hears it once, according to an old maxim
16. The founder’s energy drives the energy of the organization.
One more time, I must emphasize that the details shared are coming from a LIVED experience of a seeker and one would deeply connect with the author's vulnerability and authenticity.
Grab a copy and experience it yourself.
As a fellow seeker, this book took me on a beautiful journey into my own self.
The book is about taking ownership and finding freedom.
It is presented in to two parts:
Part 1 has seven rules/habits for life that the author has found useful which served as his foundations all the way.
Part 2 is about step-by-step and stage-by-stage instruction on how to start-up a life of creation, ownership, impact and freedom.
My most inspiring lines are here:
"The bigger and more selfless the objective, the bigger will be the conflict, and hence the bigger the story. Whether they win or lose is almost secondary to their transformation. We admire these characters because of the audacity of their goals, and we’re inspired by their stories because they face the life-or-death conflicts inherent in pursuing big goals with relentless determination.
Just like life."
Here are my insights I connected with from Rules in Part 1:
1. JUST SHOW UP DAILY. The output is not my control but the input is. All I owed life was the gift of 100 percent energy to my input daily.
2. 120 days of Learning Framework -90 days of sravana, 15 days of manana ( outline and wireframe ), 15 days of Nididhyasana ( Exectution mode ). Then go 10X.
3. Your time, capability, or resources don't need to expand to succeed. Only your goals do.
4. People around the world are more similar than different.
5. The larger the goal, the higher and deeper the self-transformation.
6. Mindset: Money as a tool for spiritual growth rather than material acquisition.
7. 1,1,1 routine - 1 Hour of Exercise ( Routine and variety ) , 1 hour of meditation ( 30 min. after wakeup, 30 before sleep), 1 hour of reading/reflection ( 80% Power, 20% Perennial )
Here are my insights I connected with the execution as an owner ( start-up journey ) in Part 2:
1. Learning agility is the single-best predictor of career success, not grades or college pedigrees - Korn Ferry
2. Make Growth a Need
3. 0 - 6 months - Idea Validation, 6 to 12 - 10X Product, 12 to 18 - System & Load testing, 18 to 24 - Scaling
4. Life punishes the vague wish and rewards the specific asks, and so does talent!
5. People are driven by 1. Creation and the challenge involved to solve a life problem 2. Scale and usefulness/impact of their creation. 3. Beauty
6. Magnitude and Depth of a Business IDEA.
7. The best talent is brutally self-aware.
8. As a leader, you can delegate but not abdicate responsibility.
9. What VCs look out for ( What makes any IDEA click? ): 1. A ‘Big and Obvious’ vision for tomorrow. and 2. A strong business today.
10 It is better to be alone than to be with those who will hinder your progress - Buddha
11. The three metrics to define the performance of a start-up: 50 percent NPS - World-class product, 50 percent revenue from referrals - Users love the product, 50 percent renewal rates - users want more
12. The deepest human yearning is that of surviving, thriving, growing and finding meaning.
13. The rule of three - 1.Measure every metric that matters daily 2.Have an owner for each metric 3.Review every metric daily in a management meeting.
14. Speed is your lifeblood. Simplify to scale.
15. RULE OF SEVEN: A message must be communicated seven times before someone hears it once, according to an old maxim
16. The founder’s energy drives the energy of the organization.
One more time, I must emphasize that the details shared are coming from a LIVED experience of a seeker and one would deeply connect with the author's vulnerability and authenticity.
Grab a copy and experience it yourself.
October 31, 2022
If you are convinced that one day you will finally find a lamp, you will rub it, an overweight, vulgarly dressed genie will show up and grant you your wishes, then please ignore this book. Otherwise, rub the words of this book with your vision. There is a strong likelihood of you transforming yourself into your personal wish-granting Genie for yourself and your family, a well-dressed one hopefully.
I often hear people say this book/lecture/podcast/seminar/whatever, changed my life. All these things give motivation, sure, and we all know it lasts forever and we do everything we need to do, become an unstoppable force and achieve our dreams/desires. Happy Days! You wish!
Reality: Motivation lasts a day, or two if we are lucky.
We need more than motivation to keep pressing on and get going when the going gets tough and it does get tough. Remember coming out of your quilt on a chilly Saturday morning because you want to start Jogging - that tough! This book CAN give you the mindset.
You want to become the best at your work - find out how in this book
You want to become an entrepreneur - find out how in this book
You want to live a life of significance - ok you know what I am going to say
You want to invest your money to make some returns - …….
Wherever you are in your life, I am optimistically confident that you will find your next step in this book. The immediate next step, buy it on Amazon, Flipkart, if you are at the airport, pick it up from the bookshop - you'll really be up in the air.
On a very serious note, if you are not buying this book, you are doing yourself a disservice. There is so much to learn from this book, Decisions of growth or Decisions of fear, what are they and how we keep making decisions of fear and keep complaining of bad luck or how a less deserving prick got the things we desire.
I personally believe there is a river of wisdom flowing out there. Some of us are chosen by a formless substance- God if you will, to let this wisdom flow through them. Some of these chosen ones use this wisdom not only for their personal gain but to help others, which is their Dharma and in alignment with their purpose.
Karan is a Gem, easy to figure that when you read his book “The Seeker” also titled as “The Yoga of Max’s Discontent” in the West.
If I was allowed only 5 books to read in my life, this book will be one of them.
I know what you are thinking... yes, Karan did pay me all of $300 Million to write this review – I Wish!
I encourage you to read this book and congratulate you on your decision of buying a copy
I often hear people say this book/lecture/podcast/seminar/whatever, changed my life. All these things give motivation, sure, and we all know it lasts forever and we do everything we need to do, become an unstoppable force and achieve our dreams/desires. Happy Days! You wish!
Reality: Motivation lasts a day, or two if we are lucky.
We need more than motivation to keep pressing on and get going when the going gets tough and it does get tough. Remember coming out of your quilt on a chilly Saturday morning because you want to start Jogging - that tough! This book CAN give you the mindset.
You want to become the best at your work - find out how in this book
You want to become an entrepreneur - find out how in this book
You want to live a life of significance - ok you know what I am going to say
You want to invest your money to make some returns - …….
Wherever you are in your life, I am optimistically confident that you will find your next step in this book. The immediate next step, buy it on Amazon, Flipkart, if you are at the airport, pick it up from the bookshop - you'll really be up in the air.
On a very serious note, if you are not buying this book, you are doing yourself a disservice. There is so much to learn from this book, Decisions of growth or Decisions of fear, what are they and how we keep making decisions of fear and keep complaining of bad luck or how a less deserving prick got the things we desire.
I personally believe there is a river of wisdom flowing out there. Some of us are chosen by a formless substance- God if you will, to let this wisdom flow through them. Some of these chosen ones use this wisdom not only for their personal gain but to help others, which is their Dharma and in alignment with their purpose.
Karan is a Gem, easy to figure that when you read his book “The Seeker” also titled as “The Yoga of Max’s Discontent” in the West.
If I was allowed only 5 books to read in my life, this book will be one of them.
I know what you are thinking... yes, Karan did pay me all of $300 Million to write this review – I Wish!
I encourage you to read this book and congratulate you on your decision of buying a copy
October 27, 2022
This book is a manual for anyone who wants to get out of their comfort zone and wanted to explore something new in life. I am sure there are many of us who want to do multiple things but get stuck with corporate race. You have, with your own examples, have given a step-by-step process of how to come out of that and follow the ‘Dharma’ of our own. This tool kit approach is quite helpful.
Through examples, you have articulated the fears and common mistakes during this journey; which is rare and lot of us can relate quickly.
I quite liked the section 2 as well, which is a practical guide of building a product, pitching to investors, achieving the PMF and eventually scaling. This is quite interesting any startup owner.
I quite liked as how you have combined the teachings of spiritual texts in to daily life, “sravan’ ‘manan’ ‘nididhyasana’. As how you have combined that to company’s growth is equal to founder’s growth. (Pg 63)
The biggest investment is your growth, the concept of 50/30/20 rule is quite powerful and adds lots of direction to founder’s life. (pg 131)
Impact of meditation, as how profound the technique is and how it is going to benefit to the life as whole.
Some learnings:
“Extra Ordinary growth events hurt massively in the start but always pay back in later stages” (Pg 44)
World’s systems are inefficient in the short term but efficient in the long term (Pg 45)
This book is quite detailed account of how one should plan the life and still pursue one’s dream, and how to face the uncertainty (The uncertainty you faced after quitting Discovery). And it is quite motivating account of how to face the life in general. The narration is excellent and composition is tight, it allows the reader to stick to the story and it is so powerful that I felt I am part of your life’s story; from US, to South America backpacking, your meditation camp, discovery days and WhiteHat Jr days, even your experience of hike where you encountered massive snow where you had to put your socks over your shoes; I felt I was there with you. The language is very powerful.
One part I felt, can be little diluted is, about impact and magnitude. Though example of your book and WhiteHat Jr is quite sufficient, but if you could dilute the essence a bit so that it can be easily understood
Through examples, you have articulated the fears and common mistakes during this journey; which is rare and lot of us can relate quickly.
I quite liked the section 2 as well, which is a practical guide of building a product, pitching to investors, achieving the PMF and eventually scaling. This is quite interesting any startup owner.
I quite liked as how you have combined the teachings of spiritual texts in to daily life, “sravan’ ‘manan’ ‘nididhyasana’. As how you have combined that to company’s growth is equal to founder’s growth. (Pg 63)
The biggest investment is your growth, the concept of 50/30/20 rule is quite powerful and adds lots of direction to founder’s life. (pg 131)
Impact of meditation, as how profound the technique is and how it is going to benefit to the life as whole.
Some learnings:
“Extra Ordinary growth events hurt massively in the start but always pay back in later stages” (Pg 44)
World’s systems are inefficient in the short term but efficient in the long term (Pg 45)
This book is quite detailed account of how one should plan the life and still pursue one’s dream, and how to face the uncertainty (The uncertainty you faced after quitting Discovery). And it is quite motivating account of how to face the life in general. The narration is excellent and composition is tight, it allows the reader to stick to the story and it is so powerful that I felt I am part of your life’s story; from US, to South America backpacking, your meditation camp, discovery days and WhiteHat Jr days, even your experience of hike where you encountered massive snow where you had to put your socks over your shoes; I felt I was there with you. The language is very powerful.
One part I felt, can be little diluted is, about impact and magnitude. Though example of your book and WhiteHat Jr is quite sufficient, but if you could dilute the essence a bit so that it can be easily understood
November 9, 2022
Right off the bat, the author gives you an exercise, a straightforward one: visualise your ideal life. Don’t we all do that all the time? Such dreams help set life goals, but as with all things worthy, we need to work hard to achieve them. That is where this book fits: guiding the readers along the path and hopefully enabling them to meet these goals.
This first-person narrative book is an account of Karan's personal, or should I say, adventurous life. In the past, he has juggled between being an author, an entrepreneur, and a corporate executive, all the while dealing with unmet expectations. As we all know, in the end, he finds his calling and achieves tremendous success.
This is not a lengthy or complex one. The language is simple, and the message is clear. One can easily finish reading it within a couple of days, though applying the lessons in one's own life will take time and sincere effort.
The book is ideal for those who grind their days away at a corporate job without joy and hope to someday find meaning in life. The solutions Karan provides are to find what you love and have the financial freedom to take the plunge into it. In Karan’s case, that love is creating something with impact and depth (a meaningful book or starting a venture impacting millions of lives). These rules, exercises, and "startup kits" can be applied to anything that matters.
A couple of points that were missed and would have made the book far richer are:
1. The author should have dwelt more on the process of preparing oneself to risk it all. Fear looms large in everyday life. Building inner strength and an emotional support system are crucial.
2. Since the book is divided into chapters defining specific rules, I feel the narrative continuity was compromised. Not a big deal when the content is so helpful, but it could have been better.
The book is written with honesty. Karan does not shy away from revealing the mistakes he has made and his struggles to overcome personal, financial, and spiritual dilemmas.
If you too are willing to break free of the existential crisis many of us face daily, read this book, take notes, and start the journey. You will find Karan’s advice helpful and hopefully life-changing.
PS: I received an advance copy of the book for an honest review.
This first-person narrative book is an account of Karan's personal, or should I say, adventurous life. In the past, he has juggled between being an author, an entrepreneur, and a corporate executive, all the while dealing with unmet expectations. As we all know, in the end, he finds his calling and achieves tremendous success.
This is not a lengthy or complex one. The language is simple, and the message is clear. One can easily finish reading it within a couple of days, though applying the lessons in one's own life will take time and sincere effort.
The book is ideal for those who grind their days away at a corporate job without joy and hope to someday find meaning in life. The solutions Karan provides are to find what you love and have the financial freedom to take the plunge into it. In Karan’s case, that love is creating something with impact and depth (a meaningful book or starting a venture impacting millions of lives). These rules, exercises, and "startup kits" can be applied to anything that matters.
A couple of points that were missed and would have made the book far richer are:
1. The author should have dwelt more on the process of preparing oneself to risk it all. Fear looms large in everyday life. Building inner strength and an emotional support system are crucial.
2. Since the book is divided into chapters defining specific rules, I feel the narrative continuity was compromised. Not a big deal when the content is so helpful, but it could have been better.
The book is written with honesty. Karan does not shy away from revealing the mistakes he has made and his struggles to overcome personal, financial, and spiritual dilemmas.
If you too are willing to break free of the existential crisis many of us face daily, read this book, take notes, and start the journey. You will find Karan’s advice helpful and hopefully life-changing.
PS: I received an advance copy of the book for an honest review.
October 19, 2022
Self-help books have never been a genre which I am very fond of but once in a while you may come across a book which defies all the cliches associated with this genre. 'The Freedom Manifesto - 7 Rules to Live the Life of Your Calling' by Karan Bajaj is one such book which I started skeptically, expecting a lot of impractical advices replete with plenty of borrowed success stories. The only reason which motivated me to give it a try, was the previous fictional work of Karan Bajaj - 'The Seeker', which struck the right chord with me.
Stimulating, Page-turner, Gripping, Concise - the adjectives are ubiquitously used for describing a fast paced and engaging work of fiction, but I find these apt for this non-fictional work of Karan Bajaj, which not only entertains you with his autobiographical treatment of the content but also give you quite a lot insightful lessons which you can practically apply to live the life of your calling. With personal accounts of all his major successes and failures, Karan Bajaj has bared it all to make the readers know what could work for any venture to be successful with the cautions about the mistakes which can be avoided. Buddhist Dhamma and virtues may have been the underlying influence on Karan's work wherein he has shared all his trade secrets for the benefits of all.
If you are not good in numbers and formulas then figuring out stats applicable to you might act as a speed breaker in this otherwise engrossing narrative but in a way that also prevents you from becoming passive in this insightful journey. I feel that Karan's successful stint in ed-tech venture has made its way into his writing style which seems to have incorporated the elements of instructional designs or pedagogical/ learning theories giving emphasis on making the readers/ learners active by engaging them in various tasks and activities to maximize the learning.
To conclude, Karan's wisdom has the potential to inspire many. To put it in his words, it has the desired Depth as well as Magnitude, which is going to make a tremendous impact.
Stimulating, Page-turner, Gripping, Concise - the adjectives are ubiquitously used for describing a fast paced and engaging work of fiction, but I find these apt for this non-fictional work of Karan Bajaj, which not only entertains you with his autobiographical treatment of the content but also give you quite a lot insightful lessons which you can practically apply to live the life of your calling. With personal accounts of all his major successes and failures, Karan Bajaj has bared it all to make the readers know what could work for any venture to be successful with the cautions about the mistakes which can be avoided. Buddhist Dhamma and virtues may have been the underlying influence on Karan's work wherein he has shared all his trade secrets for the benefits of all.
If you are not good in numbers and formulas then figuring out stats applicable to you might act as a speed breaker in this otherwise engrossing narrative but in a way that also prevents you from becoming passive in this insightful journey. I feel that Karan's successful stint in ed-tech venture has made its way into his writing style which seems to have incorporated the elements of instructional designs or pedagogical/ learning theories giving emphasis on making the readers/ learners active by engaging them in various tasks and activities to maximize the learning.
To conclude, Karan's wisdom has the potential to inspire many. To put it in his words, it has the desired Depth as well as Magnitude, which is going to make a tremendous impact.
November 9, 2022
Has the question, "Who am I?" ever kept you awake at night? If yes, this is the book for you. Karan's story is almost too relatable. The odds are always against us. But how do you turn things around and become the person you're destined to be?
The Freedom Manifesto inspires a sense of commitment to ourselves. Like the promise Karan made to himself when he decided he would create something that creates a huge Net Impact (Depth X Magnitude) on the world.
Rarely are we able to find such an honest account of an individual’s success journey. Not only does the book dive deep into entrepreneurial life but also helps understand the "why" behind the actions and decisions. I've never read something so authentic that knocks so much sense into you.
I've read tons of books, but every once in a while, you come across a book that becomes a playbook you keep referring to again and again. There is a rationale behind every idea - so you're aware of why is an exercise a good idea to implement in your life.
When you read a first-hand account of an entrepreneur, you feel a sense of companionship without ever meeting them in person.
Critique
This book is like a placebo for all the people looking to break free and achieve freedom in their lives. But for any placebo to work, the patient needs to have belief in the systems and practices that have been mentioned. For someone like me this would do wonders and can bring about life-changing benefits, but for someone else, it might just be another book.
Also, the journeys, background, upbringing, and context varies from person to person, so creating generic rules/ framework might not be relatable for all audiences.
Recommendation
Everyone should read this book. If you want to uncover your duty to the world, and how to perform it at your highest potential - Karan's book is the blueprint you need.
If you don't have a mentor, but want one, this book does the job. I can vouch for this because I have personally implemented some of the rules mentioned and the impact is visible
The Freedom Manifesto inspires a sense of commitment to ourselves. Like the promise Karan made to himself when he decided he would create something that creates a huge Net Impact (Depth X Magnitude) on the world.
Rarely are we able to find such an honest account of an individual’s success journey. Not only does the book dive deep into entrepreneurial life but also helps understand the "why" behind the actions and decisions. I've never read something so authentic that knocks so much sense into you.
I've read tons of books, but every once in a while, you come across a book that becomes a playbook you keep referring to again and again. There is a rationale behind every idea - so you're aware of why is an exercise a good idea to implement in your life.
When you read a first-hand account of an entrepreneur, you feel a sense of companionship without ever meeting them in person.
Critique
This book is like a placebo for all the people looking to break free and achieve freedom in their lives. But for any placebo to work, the patient needs to have belief in the systems and practices that have been mentioned. For someone like me this would do wonders and can bring about life-changing benefits, but for someone else, it might just be another book.
Also, the journeys, background, upbringing, and context varies from person to person, so creating generic rules/ framework might not be relatable for all audiences.
Recommendation
Everyone should read this book. If you want to uncover your duty to the world, and how to perform it at your highest potential - Karan's book is the blueprint you need.
If you don't have a mentor, but want one, this book does the job. I can vouch for this because I have personally implemented some of the rules mentioned and the impact is visible
November 28, 2022
The equivalent of a MBA course on Entrepreneurship and Startups with a whip-smart seasoned professor
This is Karan's wife Kerry here.
First and foremost, if you’re the type to question all of the ways that society pressures us to conform, this is for you. Karan shares his story of how it is not easy to buck convention (sometimes even the most well-meaning friends/ family can be a bit discouraging), but it is possible and worthwhile to live an authentic and expansive life of growth and meaning.
Second, if you've ever thought about creating your own startup, joining a startup, or even if you hunger to be more fulfilled in your career, you'll be stunned by the insightful behind-the-curtain details that are shared in this book. I know that many would love to have a "pick your brain" coffee for an hour with a startup founder to bounce off ideas for their company. But having that coffee will only get you so far - it's a short brainstorm session to validate your idea and ask a few questions. Whereas this book is more like the equivalent of a startup MBA course. Karan gives you a step-by-step ownership kit with detailed plans for validating your idea, raising funding, writing your pitch deck, understanding valuation, building your team, finding product market fit, and scaling. When I say detailed, I mean you will literally get slide-by-slide successful tried & tested pitch deck templates. The section on validating your idea is hugely important as it will save you much time and disappointment by not chasing the 'wrong' idea. In addition, Karan is quite honest and generous in sharing his mistakes and learnings along the way in each section so you can learn from the same.
Finally, as Karan is so positively impacted by his pursuits of reading, writing, exercise, hiking, and meditation, you’ll be sure to finish this book inspired to push yourself to climb a mountain, walk a long pilgrimage, or finally start to meditate - if not all of the above!
This is Karan's wife Kerry here.
First and foremost, if you’re the type to question all of the ways that society pressures us to conform, this is for you. Karan shares his story of how it is not easy to buck convention (sometimes even the most well-meaning friends/ family can be a bit discouraging), but it is possible and worthwhile to live an authentic and expansive life of growth and meaning.
Second, if you've ever thought about creating your own startup, joining a startup, or even if you hunger to be more fulfilled in your career, you'll be stunned by the insightful behind-the-curtain details that are shared in this book. I know that many would love to have a "pick your brain" coffee for an hour with a startup founder to bounce off ideas for their company. But having that coffee will only get you so far - it's a short brainstorm session to validate your idea and ask a few questions. Whereas this book is more like the equivalent of a startup MBA course. Karan gives you a step-by-step ownership kit with detailed plans for validating your idea, raising funding, writing your pitch deck, understanding valuation, building your team, finding product market fit, and scaling. When I say detailed, I mean you will literally get slide-by-slide successful tried & tested pitch deck templates. The section on validating your idea is hugely important as it will save you much time and disappointment by not chasing the 'wrong' idea. In addition, Karan is quite honest and generous in sharing his mistakes and learnings along the way in each section so you can learn from the same.
Finally, as Karan is so positively impacted by his pursuits of reading, writing, exercise, hiking, and meditation, you’ll be sure to finish this book inspired to push yourself to climb a mountain, walk a long pilgrimage, or finally start to meditate - if not all of the above!
February 12, 2023
Have you ever felt leaving your job and travel the world but at the same time being financially secured and living off your savings for the rest of your life? FREE. LIBERATED. DONE.
If YES. Then this book is for you.
Genre - Non Fiction ( Business)
In this book ' THE FREEDOM MANIFESTO' author Karan Bajaj founder of WhiteHat Jr (now acq by BYJU's) reveals the secrets to help you break the shackles of conformity and design a life of your calling.
The author talks about how he felt suffocated by the monotonous rhythm of a corporate job and craved change. He wanted his life to count more than just having a job and paying taxes, he wanted to explore and experience new things. He wanted to start something of his own.
▪️In this book he shares as to how he took the plunge and how he planned his finances accordingly so he can live a life of his calling. He talks about his failures and overall how Yoga, Travel, Meditation, Reading Books helped him throughout. He talks about how he left his well paying job at Discovery India to start something of his own. And thats how WhiteHat Jr was born.
___
👉The book is divided into 2 parts.
While the 1st part talks about the mental models to take the plunge, the 2nd part focuses on step by step tools to execute your ownership once you have taken the plunge.
Although a self help book i found it quite engaging. I actually had that urge to read till last page. It is fast paced with a smooth flow and easy language. I found the content practical, helpful and inspiring. The author also shares his personal experiences which made it altogether more gripping.
The book is not for weak ones but for those who are brave enough to take the plunge.
Overall i love how the content in the book is not just directed to do better financially but also helps to reveal your best self.
A good read for those who want to break out from the consumerist mentality, for those who want to start a start up, and anyone can read and get inspired by it.
Recommended ✔
If YES. Then this book is for you.
Genre - Non Fiction ( Business)
In this book ' THE FREEDOM MANIFESTO' author Karan Bajaj founder of WhiteHat Jr (now acq by BYJU's) reveals the secrets to help you break the shackles of conformity and design a life of your calling.
The author talks about how he felt suffocated by the monotonous rhythm of a corporate job and craved change. He wanted his life to count more than just having a job and paying taxes, he wanted to explore and experience new things. He wanted to start something of his own.
▪️In this book he shares as to how he took the plunge and how he planned his finances accordingly so he can live a life of his calling. He talks about his failures and overall how Yoga, Travel, Meditation, Reading Books helped him throughout. He talks about how he left his well paying job at Discovery India to start something of his own. And thats how WhiteHat Jr was born.
___
👉The book is divided into 2 parts.
While the 1st part talks about the mental models to take the plunge, the 2nd part focuses on step by step tools to execute your ownership once you have taken the plunge.
Although a self help book i found it quite engaging. I actually had that urge to read till last page. It is fast paced with a smooth flow and easy language. I found the content practical, helpful and inspiring. The author also shares his personal experiences which made it altogether more gripping.
The book is not for weak ones but for those who are brave enough to take the plunge.
Overall i love how the content in the book is not just directed to do better financially but also helps to reveal your best self.
A good read for those who want to break out from the consumerist mentality, for those who want to start a start up, and anyone can read and get inspired by it.
Recommended ✔
December 19, 2022
The book makes a good read. Packed with practical advise from author’s own experience.
The book is divided into 2 parts: the first dealt with 7 rules for freedom and the second discusses advice for entrepreneurs who would like to embark on a journey with their own business / startup.
Here are my key takeaways:
**The 7 rules**
- The 4 percent rule:
- Your target net worth for financial freedom = (Your annual expenses) / (4 percent)
- Net Impact rule:
- Reach to millions with your work (magnitude) and you’ll make millions of dollars
- Touch people deeply (depth) and you’ll find yourself suddenly, unexpectedly rich
- Net impact = (Magnitude of your impact) * (Depth of your impact)
- What makes a good story typically works for a good life. LOCK format found useful: L: Lead, O: Objective, C: Conflict, K: Knockout. You have a lead character, who has a big, selfless objective and faces tremendous conflict. Eventually the lead character either achieves big or he doesn’t (knockout)
- Salary / 14 Lakh quitting rule
- How many months would your savings last for quitting your job to pursue your pasion
- (Liquid savings / Monthly expenses) -(Salary / 14 lakh)
- 30 X 7 Ownership shift
- Ownership compresses 30 years of low-intensity corporate work into 7 years of high-intensity work
- Learn, Reflect, Execute
- 10x thinking: Be 10 times better and 10 times bigger goals
- Daily 1,1,1 routine
- Exercise 1 hour
- Mediation 1 hour
- Read / Learn 1 hour
- 90 percent failing / 100 percent learning rule
- As learning from your failure compounds does your success rate increases
- 50 / 30 / 20 investing rule
- Invest you net take home salary as follows:
- 50% needs
- 30% wants
- 20% savings
- Choose experiences over possessions
Find your idea that you should invest your future in based on the above principles
The book is divided into 2 parts: the first dealt with 7 rules for freedom and the second discusses advice for entrepreneurs who would like to embark on a journey with their own business / startup.
Here are my key takeaways:
**The 7 rules**
- The 4 percent rule:
- Your target net worth for financial freedom = (Your annual expenses) / (4 percent)
- Net Impact rule:
- Reach to millions with your work (magnitude) and you’ll make millions of dollars
- Touch people deeply (depth) and you’ll find yourself suddenly, unexpectedly rich
- Net impact = (Magnitude of your impact) * (Depth of your impact)
- What makes a good story typically works for a good life. LOCK format found useful: L: Lead, O: Objective, C: Conflict, K: Knockout. You have a lead character, who has a big, selfless objective and faces tremendous conflict. Eventually the lead character either achieves big or he doesn’t (knockout)
- Salary / 14 Lakh quitting rule
- How many months would your savings last for quitting your job to pursue your pasion
- (Liquid savings / Monthly expenses) -(Salary / 14 lakh)
- 30 X 7 Ownership shift
- Ownership compresses 30 years of low-intensity corporate work into 7 years of high-intensity work
- Learn, Reflect, Execute
- 10x thinking: Be 10 times better and 10 times bigger goals
- Daily 1,1,1 routine
- Exercise 1 hour
- Mediation 1 hour
- Read / Learn 1 hour
- 90 percent failing / 100 percent learning rule
- As learning from your failure compounds does your success rate increases
- 50 / 30 / 20 investing rule
- Invest you net take home salary as follows:
- 50% needs
- 30% wants
- 20% savings
- Choose experiences over possessions
Find your idea that you should invest your future in based on the above principles
November 6, 2022
I like to say “God in his ultimate wisdom never meant man to live this way” deadlines, priorities, physical and mental stress, yes they are all necessary, but what the Freedom Manifesto does is help the reader create a mental and spiritual refocus on the purpose of life while still pursuing our ambitions.
First let me start by saying Karan's Book The Seeker was instrumental, it starting me on my emotional and spiritual journey after lying dormant for way to many years. Karan writing is from the heart, reading his books makes you feel like you are sitting with a dear friend getting worldly advice
The Freedom Manifesto starts off in true Bajaj fashion, open and forth right exposing his desire for life and meaning. Loved and truly enjoyed the first part of the book, your time away, sabbaticals, and personal development, the seeker continuing the journey, as we should.
You're so call failures that you addressed were not failures at all, but a prelude and opening to another path.
Karan develops a very deliberate, mindful, and detailed approach for the entrepreneur, or new business owner.
Full disclosure Karan exposes challenges and shares strategies that have been developed throughout the process known as life, the good bad and ugly with the expectations and hopefulness that you may avoid the same pitfalls he experienced, along with giving the reader a realistic and definitive idea what to expect.
Truly a must read in this continually chaotic, volatile and changing environment.
November 7, 2022
The book “The 7 Rules of Freedom” is a practical way of- How to get a Freedom in Life. The true and ultimate meaning of success is to have the Freedom in Time and Money (wealth). This Freedom impacts in every area of Life and it is interconnected. A downfall in any one of the areas of life will have a collective impact overall – in physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual. Book explains how to lead a holistically abundant life. The book reveals all aspect of the real success and how you can be achieved.
The best part of the book is that it creates a belief in common man’s mind that Big Success is achievable. The spiritual angle of life plays a critical role in shaping one’s life. The Hero’s journey is always important. This alignment is most important. The1-1-1 rule/formula for daily routine is always at my CenterStage. I am trying to follow this routine. The 4% rule is important to get the Freedom Life.
The start-up Starter kit is the best thing for the person who wish to build a scalable startup business. The Ideation stage, Incubation, MVP, systems setup for scale, the dashboard review for day to day operations and many more things can be learnt from this book. I have personally learnt a lot from this book and this knowledge is taken from different life lessons. Also, Karan has read a lot of books. So the wisdom has depth of thought and rich experience.
Thanks a lot for this book. I have reviewed only a small part. But overall, this book is useful to learn and grow in life and business to lead a holistically abundant life.
The best part of the book is that it creates a belief in common man’s mind that Big Success is achievable. The spiritual angle of life plays a critical role in shaping one’s life. The Hero’s journey is always important. This alignment is most important. The1-1-1 rule/formula for daily routine is always at my CenterStage. I am trying to follow this routine. The 4% rule is important to get the Freedom Life.
The start-up Starter kit is the best thing for the person who wish to build a scalable startup business. The Ideation stage, Incubation, MVP, systems setup for scale, the dashboard review for day to day operations and many more things can be learnt from this book. I have personally learnt a lot from this book and this knowledge is taken from different life lessons. Also, Karan has read a lot of books. So the wisdom has depth of thought and rich experience.
Thanks a lot for this book. I have reviewed only a small part. But overall, this book is useful to learn and grow in life and business to lead a holistically abundant life.
October 10, 2022
“First, sit in a quiet place. Now, close your eyes and visualize your ideal life ten years from now.” I read this line from Karan Bajaj’s new book, The Freedom Manifesto. A thought crossed my mind, ‘Really! After ten years what should be my ideal life? Can anybody plan a life? ‘
Then I read further, just out of curiosity, what he is going to offer to plan anybody’s life! Then the secret was revealed. Some equations just went bouncer as I am very poor in handling monetary affairs and investments. But I took help from others to understand. I felt somehow that equation will help for sure. The other most hunted question in my life too is how much money should one keep leading a trouble-free life after retirement. In the book, he came up with a very good and quite logical equation, which can enable a Person to have a figure, an amount. After saving that amount he can pursue his dream, his soul call. Because someway or other I too plan things in a very unconventional way. In the book, he had just quantified it. I can relate to his method. What I liked most about this book is his honest revelation about his ventures and adventures as well as the success and failures related to them. While reading, I just walked through the entire process of making white hat jr. The analysis of the failures will help people who are going to start or into the business of new start-ups. Very nice book. Wish to see it as a bestseller.
Swayamprava panda
Mumbai
Then I read further, just out of curiosity, what he is going to offer to plan anybody’s life! Then the secret was revealed. Some equations just went bouncer as I am very poor in handling monetary affairs and investments. But I took help from others to understand. I felt somehow that equation will help for sure. The other most hunted question in my life too is how much money should one keep leading a trouble-free life after retirement. In the book, he came up with a very good and quite logical equation, which can enable a Person to have a figure, an amount. After saving that amount he can pursue his dream, his soul call. Because someway or other I too plan things in a very unconventional way. In the book, he had just quantified it. I can relate to his method. What I liked most about this book is his honest revelation about his ventures and adventures as well as the success and failures related to them. While reading, I just walked through the entire process of making white hat jr. The analysis of the failures will help people who are going to start or into the business of new start-ups. Very nice book. Wish to see it as a bestseller.
Swayamprava panda
Mumbai
October 13, 2022
You have hit the core of many people who are in the space of doing and willing to do something with their life and making it more meaningful to feel and live it . This one is surely breaking records than the past of the books so far ,because it has the depth and the magnitude that one looks for .
Incredible start with the choice of quote to begin with which pulls you to read and go through the journey essayed . Each word and sentence can be visualized and felt the way it is written ... the narrative, the emotions and the flow draws you to be hooked on totally not leaving it down for a moment .
Dreams come true with faith, belief, conviction , planning & action , failures are one stepping stone and it's been proven in your narration ,but the best part is you keep moving each time in every phase and evolving taking in the right perspective and the learnings from each facet of your life .
From the Beginning till the White Hat Junior journey it's been a rollercoaster ride of choices ,following your gut ,support system, and a lot more which is certainly not going to stop here after publishing this one . There is still more to come with greater magnitude and depth and wish you great success and best wishes to that !
One more thing to add , even though this book has the road map , The Seeker Continues to be on the top list even now for some unknown reasons :)
Incredible start with the choice of quote to begin with which pulls you to read and go through the journey essayed . Each word and sentence can be visualized and felt the way it is written ... the narrative, the emotions and the flow draws you to be hooked on totally not leaving it down for a moment .
Dreams come true with faith, belief, conviction , planning & action , failures are one stepping stone and it's been proven in your narration ,but the best part is you keep moving each time in every phase and evolving taking in the right perspective and the learnings from each facet of your life .
From the Beginning till the White Hat Junior journey it's been a rollercoaster ride of choices ,following your gut ,support system, and a lot more which is certainly not going to stop here after publishing this one . There is still more to come with greater magnitude and depth and wish you great success and best wishes to that !
One more thing to add , even though this book has the road map , The Seeker Continues to be on the top list even now for some unknown reasons :)
November 28, 2022
Many times, you read a book and you feel delighted by the end of the story or you can relate to some of its content with your life. On the other hand, you think that why have not I read this book earlier. However, it is very rare that a book comes across, you can relate it to each chapter, and it comes to you at a perfect time. This happened to me when I read this book. I was browsing the internet for months with no idea how to proceed, I mean I had some sense of what I want to do but I guess I needed this book to firm up my process and probably who knows what happens with my future.
I would like to say that this book has everything for someone, be it an entrepreneur or a corporate employee. It enhances your vision and gives you courage to get out and do what you want to do for those who need an extra push.
Talking about the chapters, it is not just the story but practical lessons to reflect upon and use it in your life. Especially for those who want to do something outside of their routine job. All it takes is to convince yourself when you want to do something out of the box, and this book gives you lot of reasons to go out and do what you want to do with your life. Even if you fail “90%” times, your learning will be “100%” each time.
I would suggest to all my friends to read this book, no matter which phase of life you are in, it will bring best out you in some or the other way. All the best.
I would like to say that this book has everything for someone, be it an entrepreneur or a corporate employee. It enhances your vision and gives you courage to get out and do what you want to do for those who need an extra push.
Talking about the chapters, it is not just the story but practical lessons to reflect upon and use it in your life. Especially for those who want to do something outside of their routine job. All it takes is to convince yourself when you want to do something out of the box, and this book gives you lot of reasons to go out and do what you want to do with your life. Even if you fail “90%” times, your learning will be “100%” each time.
I would suggest to all my friends to read this book, no matter which phase of life you are in, it will bring best out you in some or the other way. All the best.
Read
December 3, 2022At first The Freedom Manifesto by Karan Bajaj reads like a memoir. He chucked up jobs people would give an arm and a leg for, to go backpacking to South America, getting by with sign language. He trekked to the Himalayas to learn meditation and then dropped a position as CEO with Discovery India to sink everything he had in a startup WhiteHat Jr, coding software complete with online teaching set up for 4 - 10 year-old children.
This book is in two parts. Part 1 tells us why and how Bajaj took the decisions he did, where planning, instinct and doggedness won the day. He guides the reader through setting up and running a globally successful enterprise giving details of every step he took, every mistake he made and the corrective measures that worked. He lists professionals who helped him, along with their contact details.
I have an issue with the repetitive nature of his startup pointers. And then you come to his Rule of Seven: “A message must be communicated seven times before someone hears it once”.
Startups are not for the fainthearted, since 90% of them fail within the first 5 years. The Freedom Manifesto gives you a stab at being one of the 10% successful entrepreneurs. I wish I had read this book when I coined the word “Bollywood”. It ticks all Bajaj’s boxes. It has global reach, is a household name and everyone loves it. Read this book. You can change the world for the better.
(Bevinda Collaço, author of “I’m Old, I’m Wise & I Know My Sh*t”)
This book is in two parts. Part 1 tells us why and how Bajaj took the decisions he did, where planning, instinct and doggedness won the day. He guides the reader through setting up and running a globally successful enterprise giving details of every step he took, every mistake he made and the corrective measures that worked. He lists professionals who helped him, along with their contact details.
I have an issue with the repetitive nature of his startup pointers. And then you come to his Rule of Seven: “A message must be communicated seven times before someone hears it once”.
Startups are not for the fainthearted, since 90% of them fail within the first 5 years. The Freedom Manifesto gives you a stab at being one of the 10% successful entrepreneurs. I wish I had read this book when I coined the word “Bollywood”. It ticks all Bajaj’s boxes. It has global reach, is a household name and everyone loves it. Read this book. You can change the world for the better.
(Bevinda Collaço, author of “I’m Old, I’m Wise & I Know My Sh*t”)
January 28, 2023
The book is a great read as to how one can plan their financials to lead a life that is fulfilling. Karan draws from his experiences and presents a clear and concise summary of various techniques one can use to achieve financial freedom and take an exit from the corporate highway into passion lane. With the seven rules he highlights in the book, each of them has been detailed and presented with examples which helps the reader understand and figure out a plan to implement the same in their lives. The best thing about the book is that it is not preachy at any point. The explanations are simple and Karan presents logical connections to arrive at the point he is presenting. The first part of the book explores the way to strengthen your foundation before you take the plunge, almost like packing a parachute and a spare before you take the plunge off the cliff.
The second part of the book is basically a cheat sheet to navigate a parachute in the air before you hit the ground. The seven start up kits he has given are a wonderful set of information for anyone looking to explore their entrepreneurial side and start off on their own. The tips and information he provides would be invaluable for any founder. Presenting the mistakes he made and the lessons he learnt is a wonderful manner to learn the tricks of the trade. He provides information on valuation, hiring the right people, raising funds etc., in a way that you can understand and relate to.
The second part of the book is basically a cheat sheet to navigate a parachute in the air before you hit the ground. The seven start up kits he has given are a wonderful set of information for anyone looking to explore their entrepreneurial side and start off on their own. The tips and information he provides would be invaluable for any founder. Presenting the mistakes he made and the lessons he learnt is a wonderful manner to learn the tricks of the trade. He provides information on valuation, hiring the right people, raising funds etc., in a way that you can understand and relate to.
December 21, 2025
What a book.
It is like reading hard things about hard things, but the journey started ten years before, much before even the thought of a startup.
I love reading how a person thought through their life decisions, what made them choose a partícular decision, what mistakes they made, what worked for them, how did it turn out ultimately, and the author delivered.
He also gave a blueprint of how he went about thinking about life decisions like living in center of Singapore to taking sabbatical, and to finally take a risk at the point that someone else would consider holy grail of one's career.
I started this book in 2023, and restarted it a few times because I wanted to make sure I take the whole message in one go, to go deeper into what the author was thinking when he wrote this, what led him to this conclusion, what would I do in that case. The book came in the right time as I also finished my four month long South American sabbatical, and I am at the crossroads of what to do next after a long stint in tech.
Overall, I am glad I took my own time and finished the book now. Looking forward to moving fast and taking decisions that will unlock the next path for me.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn how to think about their life, even if you don't want to start a startup. Also, check out his YouTube channel, such amazing points on how to achieve clarity of thought!
It is like reading hard things about hard things, but the journey started ten years before, much before even the thought of a startup.
I love reading how a person thought through their life decisions, what made them choose a partícular decision, what mistakes they made, what worked for them, how did it turn out ultimately, and the author delivered.
He also gave a blueprint of how he went about thinking about life decisions like living in center of Singapore to taking sabbatical, and to finally take a risk at the point that someone else would consider holy grail of one's career.
I started this book in 2023, and restarted it a few times because I wanted to make sure I take the whole message in one go, to go deeper into what the author was thinking when he wrote this, what led him to this conclusion, what would I do in that case. The book came in the right time as I also finished my four month long South American sabbatical, and I am at the crossroads of what to do next after a long stint in tech.
Overall, I am glad I took my own time and finished the book now. Looking forward to moving fast and taking decisions that will unlock the next path for me.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn how to think about their life, even if you don't want to start a startup. Also, check out his YouTube channel, such amazing points on how to achieve clarity of thought!
November 12, 2022
For a reader of any book of this genre, there has to be a certain trust established with the author for the guidance offered to be imbibed in our day to day lives. I have been a long time follower of Karan Bajaj's blog posts and books and that was already established. Also, having stayed in New York in my late 20's, exploring adventure and spirituality at this phase in my life, I also found it very relatable to Karan's own journey.
This book offers a framework and a mindset which enables one to handle the external world so that one has the freedom to explore one inner world. "Money is a tool for one's spiritual growth", was a phrase from the book which rightly sums this up. The book also draws examples from the author's own life and provides the backdrop for why the principle works. The author has not minced words when describing his failures and he takes the reader through to his mindset and his takeaways. This book offers perspectives on diverse topics like investing, learning mindset, taking calculated risks for personal growth to name a few. It offers answers to questions like "What is the number where you could claim financial freedom", which I have often thought about it myself. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking to grow their external and internal worlds.
This book offers a framework and a mindset which enables one to handle the external world so that one has the freedom to explore one inner world. "Money is a tool for one's spiritual growth", was a phrase from the book which rightly sums this up. The book also draws examples from the author's own life and provides the backdrop for why the principle works. The author has not minced words when describing his failures and he takes the reader through to his mindset and his takeaways. This book offers perspectives on diverse topics like investing, learning mindset, taking calculated risks for personal growth to name a few. It offers answers to questions like "What is the number where you could claim financial freedom", which I have often thought about it myself. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking to grow their external and internal worlds.
November 17, 2022
The journey of Protagonist i.e. Karan in Freedom Manifesto appears so relatable in context of anyone who strive to carve out their own path. The non-fiction story of Karan progresses nicely along with his personal journey,as he lays down different rules to enable better life decisions. Being a startup enthusiast and entrepreneur myself, I could relate to that urge for change, impact and freedom.
Its an amazing guide for someone who wish to start as first time entrepreneurs, with 7 unique & tested formulas and rules to arrive at any decision. The breaking down of no.s has been super awesome.
Many people still think that Karan got lucky with 300M$ exit in less than 2 years but after reading this real roller-coaster ride of Karan's Personal Freedom Manifesto, not only they will be able to aspire for more but would be more able to believe about the miraculous effort and conviction which shaped White Hat Jr.
The protagonist give hope ,survival manual, purpose and guidance for achieving dreams throughout the story. Karan has nicely covered the startup kit in series of youtube videos , would recommend readers to go through that also on Karan's YT channel.
I wish that all the teenagers and youngster , aspiring to do bigger things in lives should refer this Manifesto once.
Best,
Gaurav
Its an amazing guide for someone who wish to start as first time entrepreneurs, with 7 unique & tested formulas and rules to arrive at any decision. The breaking down of no.s has been super awesome.
Many people still think that Karan got lucky with 300M$ exit in less than 2 years but after reading this real roller-coaster ride of Karan's Personal Freedom Manifesto, not only they will be able to aspire for more but would be more able to believe about the miraculous effort and conviction which shaped White Hat Jr.
The protagonist give hope ,survival manual, purpose and guidance for achieving dreams throughout the story. Karan has nicely covered the startup kit in series of youtube videos , would recommend readers to go through that also on Karan's YT channel.
I wish that all the teenagers and youngster , aspiring to do bigger things in lives should refer this Manifesto once.
Best,
Gaurav
October 10, 2022
It's rare to be able to admit to your failures in public. Karan Bajaj does that and more in his new book 'The Freedom Manifesto'. Using his own life as an example, he tells us about his successes and errors in each step of his journey of writing, yoga and entrepreneurship. If you're considering quitting your job to pursue your passion, Karan can tell you exactly how much you need in the bank and when it's safe to take the plunge. If you decide to give up and search for a job again, you'll find exact figures here as to how many months it will take you find another job and whether your salary will increase or decrease! My key takeaway was the concept of an idea needing both magnitude and depth to succeed.
A must for every entrepreneur, this book is a holistic approach with detailed step by step plans on eating right, meditation, yoga and even investment strategies to develop the perfect body, finances and mindset to take your dreams to reality. The journey to taking the seed of an idea to a mega business with an experienced teacher holding your hand every step of the way, pointing out pitfalls and strategies - this exhaustive book is well worth the time taken to read.
A must for every entrepreneur, this book is a holistic approach with detailed step by step plans on eating right, meditation, yoga and even investment strategies to develop the perfect body, finances and mindset to take your dreams to reality. The journey to taking the seed of an idea to a mega business with an experienced teacher holding your hand every step of the way, pointing out pitfalls and strategies - this exhaustive book is well worth the time taken to read.
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