Musings

Making Miracles Ordinary: The Decline of Aviation /  by Aanarav Sareen

It’s 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon and my brother and I are arguing with an American Airlines agent about transit policies for the United Kingdom. Despite being a very frequent traveler with the airline ad this route, the agent at JFK is dismissive. I eventually end up calling the executive desk at American Airlines who then summons the airport manager to resolve the issue. 

This entire process – and frustration that goes along with it takes nearly 2 hours and completely turns me off. What was supposed to start off as an amazing trip to India for a family wedding ends up starting off with extreme frustration. 

As sad as this is – American Airlines is probably the best US airline in regards to dealing with these types of disputes, especially if you are a premium passenger. Overall, most commercial airlines in the United States suffer from the same problem. 

Aviation is magical. Someone plans a trip with the intention of enjoying their destination. And while they’re thinking about the destination, the excitement starts far before that – when they are planning the trip, when they’re working out the logistics and when the arrive at the airport. 

But, today, when you get to an airport, you’re almost guaranteed to be ripped off. Many casual travelers have no choice but to put up with the frustrating policies of airlines. It starts off with the baggage policies, then it’s the TSA in the United States and then it’s the $4 bottles of water – if you are lucky. 

And that’s how most people end their vacation – dealing with the antiquated policies of airlines that are struggling to remain profitable. 

Here’s the thing – airlines and aviation in general are perhaps one of the largest drivers of innovation of our generation. 

I’ve had the great pleasure of going to bed in New York and waking up in Sydney. 

I’ve had the distinct honor of judging technology contests at 35,000 feet. 

I’ve flown in aircraft that define and then redefine luxury. 

I’m just wrapping up a 34 hour trip – door to door – and I’m writing this on a seat that becomes a bed while wearing PJs and being pampered with cologne and other premium products by the world’s best designers. 

But, I’m also fortunate that I’ve figured out how to make this all happen for me. For me, regardless of the destination, travel is still something so amazingly beautiful. The folks that I know who work in aviation are genuinely happy about how aviation connects the world. These people are friends, some are family. They want to see innovation. They still get excited when they get to visit a new country, whether it’s once a year or once a month. 

Airlines – especially in the United States – have made the process of flying such a drag that I really wish we could hit the reset button and start all over again. 

There isn’t a single person I know who wouldn’t like to be treated like a human being again on an aircraft. Aviation connects families. It reunites people. It fosters new relationships and has done more for commerce than many other forms of innovation the past few decades. 

So, to all the legacy United States carriers – let’s keep the bigger picture in mind. Let’s reinvent and redefine commercial aviation. For our sake. And especially for yours. 

Comfort Zones, Focus and Feeling New /  by Aanarav Sareen

When I came back from New Zealand, I made some critical decisions. Some of them were painful to make. Others were necessary. Not for today, nor for tomorrow.

The worst part about growing up is that people settle and become comfortable.

“Life always begins with one step outside of your comfort zone.”
― Shannon L. Alder

Comfort doesn’t move the world forward.

But, being uncomfortable also doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is OK. There are two ways to react to being uncomfortable — one is fear and terror. The other is optimism and the desire to succeed.

The first option — almost always — will paralyze you and throw you into a downward spiral.

The second option — the more challenging of the two — will push your limits every single day.

Unfortunately, there is a very thin line between the two options. And going over the line in either way is an easy trap.

When I look back on every success story, it is riddled with anecdotes of rejection, failure and tough decisions.

As painful as it is, it is necessary. Over the past 10 days, I've narrowed my focus to a select few goals.

No longer am I taking calls at 5:30am to answer random questions. And no longer am I a sounding board about relationships, work problems or industry trends. Our group of companies are on the cusp of solving not one, but two large problems in e-commerce. That requires significant focus.

Just earlier today, I asked a client to email me again in September simply because I don’t have the ability to think about anything else at the moment.

I now wake up at 9am; go to the gym, grab breakfast and make it to my office by 11am. Only then do I check my emails and deal with the rest of the world.

Doing so consistently over the past few days has proved useful.

  • One of my portfolio companies has listed me as a co-inventor on a geolocation patent. Thank you, Ryan + team.
  • I have been rejected far more times in the past week than I have in the past few months. Which is a great thing, purely based on the law of numbers.
  • I’ve spent my weekend doing things I am genuinely passionate about. This includes: photography, long brunches (4 hours!) and meeting with investors/advisors.

None of the above are glorious in anyway shape or form. But, I thoroughly enjoy building products.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it”
― Abraham Lincoln

 

Being in New York and being a startup founder forces you to run at a million miles an hour. In that time, people forget that the only thing that makes the world move forward is people. People that understand human nature. People that solve huge problems. And people that genuinely and truly care.

Being compassionate doesn’t mean being a pushover. It means understanding other people. It means remembering that people have feelings. One of my favorite books is Not Fade Away — A Short Life Well Lived.

Some people are born to lead and destined to teach by the example of living life to the fullest, and facing death with uncommon honesty and courage. Peter Barton was that kind of person.
Driven by the ideals that sparked a generation, he became an overachieving Everyman, a risk-taker who showed others what was possible. Then, in the prime of his life — hugely successful, happily married, and the father of three children — Peter faced the greatest of all challenges. Diagnosed with cancer, he began a journey that was not only frightening and appalling but also full of wonder and discovery.


Compassion is not about walking away. Compassion is about listening and caring for others. Compassion is not about acting superior when others are down. Compassion is about showing up with strong shoulders and open arms. Compassion is treating others well. And once you do, I can promise you that you will feel more than you have ever felt. And you and everyone else around you will be better off.

As uncomfortable as I am right now, the feeling of uncertainty and unknown is exciting. It reminds me of days where I made decisions without fear. But more importantly, it reminds me of results and work that I was proud of: two books, half-a-dozen books with credits, a magazine cover, a top-10 podcast, etc.


For This /  by Aanarav Sareen

I'm sitting on an Airbus A380, operated by Emirates, the world's largest operator of these jumbo jets. I'm sitting in a first-class suite which features showers on board and a bar. I'm sipping a glass of Dom Perignon and later on, I'll be drinking Hennessey Paradis, the most expensive liquor in the sky.

I lean back, get ready for the jet to thrust into the air and take me home. I catch myself in the mirror in my suite and I have a huge smile on my face.

This is it. This is my life.

At some point in my past, I made 2 decisions. The first one forced me to walk away from everything. The second decision was to give up a very well paying job to build my companies.

These decisions meant not to accept small victories or instant gratification. But to fight for the things worth chasing. To commit all the way or to not bother at all. I made a decision to live life my way. And that's what I've done on this trip.

I produced my first video in a long time:

I captured stunning sunrises: 

And capped my days with jaw dropping sunsets:

I flew on the world's first commercial airline to offer an apartment:


And as this trip comes to an end, I'm excited to get back to the grind. There are a few large hurdles I need to cross amongst our group of companies. But, if the past is any indication - there's a way.

Nothing worth having is easy. Nothing easy is worth keeping. Every good thing in life takes 3 things: time, patience and perseverance.

And those that want it badly enough are the ones that get it.

Live well. Be well. Chase your dreams. And be strong enough to make them reality.

What You’re Taught and Why it’s Wrong /  by Aanarav Sareen

(A repost from nearly 3 years. Nearly every word still holds true.)

The past few weeks have been interesting. I’ve had severe setbacks in ventures and then great upswings. It’s a weird feeling, but it also reminds me of how different real life is than what school and professional institutions force into your head.

Elementary school:

Remember elementary school? Where they taught you A for Apple, B for Ball and C for Cat? When’s the last time you had an apple while playing ball with a cat? Never. Elementary school sets you up to dream. Yet, as people progress through life, the dream – whatever it may be – slowly starts dwindling down to the path of least resistence.

Middle school:

Middle school is where you start reading books. Not fancy Shakespeare just yet, but good books that are mostly inspirational and highly adventerous. Yet, there are so few people who pursue adventure in real life.

High school:

Remember when you snuck out of your house to do something fun that your parents didn’t want you to do? That was fun. Yet, most people don’t have fun – don’t pursue fun as they get older. They stick to their boring desks in a useless job and in their tiny apartments and just keep on working. Sneak out and go have fun!

College:

College is another animal. If you don’t have fun in college, you’re missing out. And yet, this point in your life, you’re independent, living in the crappiest location and have the least amount of money. Still, the fun never stops. 

Job: 

If you go through all the different types of schools and end up at just another job – you’ve already lost the game. Finding a job is great. Finding the right job is important. Many people find a job based on their professional degree. That should never be the case. Finding a job on your passion is far more important. A professional degree has a set path. If you’re satisfied with that path, fine. You’ll make a six figure salary in the next 15 years, you’ll take 2 weeks off every year to go to Florida or Mexico or some other pre-defined place – because that’s what every one does. 

But, take a look at everyone who is succesful and happy – they fought their way to be there. No one – ever – is going to give you the opportunity to succeed just by staying on one path. 

The “system” is broken. Companies don’t succeed, because people don’t like their job. People don’t like their job, because they don’t enjoy it. They don’t enjoy it because it’s not their passion.

Most people are talented. Heck, everyone is talented. Just do what you want. And don’t accept less than perfect. It’s not worth it. 

Untrustworthy People /  by Aanarav Sareen

“Trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if it’s broken, but you can still see the crack in that mother fucker’s reflection.
”
— Lady Gaga

I've written quite a bit about why we invest in people first and everything else later. It's because we need to be comfortable with people and build a layer of trust before we decide to work with them or support them. More importantly, it is so that we don't waste our most valuable asset - time. 

Over the past few weeks, as we've moved into looking at two particular scenarios in depth - one personal/professional and the other one purely professional, I've been taken back. 

Yesterday, I had a minor outburst on Twitter and received a few offline messages about them. And the truth of the matter is - that once you think you trust a person - and then you find out that they're living a secret life, it sucks. It sucks that people have the audacity to lie to you - when all you've done is support them unconditionally. But it also becomes really easy to back away. 

“You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
— Marilyn Monroe

And so it goes. Another day. Another story.