The Story of Poln: Demystifying E-Commerce /  by Aanarav Sareen

Find qualified new customers with the simplest ad platform available! Automate your advertising, boost traffic, and generate new revenue.

Nearly $250 billion in annual revenue is generated by small to mid-sized online retailers. They come from different backgrounds, they're passionate about what they're selling and often times, they dedicate all possible resources into building their store. 

However, having worked in data-driven organizations, I've been shocked to see the disregard and lack of return in a way that is absolutely unacceptable. Retailers start with small test campaigns across marketing platforms that are so challenging to use that you need a computer science degree to understand them. And then retailers blow through their budget in a few hours by not knowing the shortfalls or the stop gap measures for many of these outlets. 

The only thing that does is leave a very sour taste. 

Why isn't new user acquisition easy? Why aren't ad platforms effective? Why the mystery surrounding the very core of what makes a business work?

And that's the reason why we started Poln. Poln makes new user acquisition easy and helps people sell more products. That's it. No complicated budgeting menus, no random pricing mechanism and no inflated promises. We've seen the platform, at the very least, double the conversion rate for many of our retailers and for some, it's been an OK investment. 

Advertising is part science and part creativity. I was on a plane back from Los Angeles after spending some time analyzing a client's e-commerce store and was horrified to see the technical performance of a very well known agency. The work that they had developed for this specific client was awful - broken links, no effective call-to-action buttons and a laggy experience at best. 

Here's the thing - good advertising requires a good ecosystem. And despite all the changes going on in ad-tech, I'm proud that our small team has been able to help so many brands. Our results speak for themselves and our goal is to help the hundreds of thousands of online retailers who've gotten lost in the process of reaching and acquiring new users. 

Poln's simple. It's effective. And if you're a retailer looking to try it - email me directly at asareen@poln.co. I will personally make sure that it delivers for you. 

The Leap of Faith Principle /  by Aanarav Sareen

Holidays are a great time to reflect on the past 12 months and anxiously plan for the next year. And if you're lucky enough to be in New York for the holidays, you realize how many people come to this city primarily to find a job or to visit. And then they leave - leaving the city beautifully empty and eerily different. 

I was having drinks with a colleague of mine this week and we were discussing how our social networks consist of people who - when committed to an idea - follow through with immense passion and intense dedication. Everything around them not related to the idea fades away and they're focused on making it - the idea - a reality. 

On the other hand, when we talk about this pursuit with outsiders, they're terrified of pursuing their ideas or in awe when others are courageous enough to follow through. 

Taking this leap of faith is not easy by any means, but once you do it enough times, it becomes easier every subsequent time. 

And despite the strenuous process of turning an idea to a product and then taking a company to market liquidity - it is the absolute core of how financial markets operate. 

Whether you’re reading this on an iPhone, an iPad or even a computer - the device that you’re reading on is built by people who took that leap of faith. No one really needed computers back in the day and not too long ago, using a touch screen as your primary device was a crazy idea. 

Same thing about launching a service that could only communicate in 140 characters or somehow finding all the world’s information via a simple text box. 

All of those are created by people who took the leap of faith and changed the path of humanity. 

It is that leap of faith that drives entrepreneurs and separates *billions* of people from chasing a dream. 

2015 /  by Aanarav Sareen

I can't believe that this year has come to an end. It has been nothing short of amazing.

In Numbers:

  • 154,096 miles
  • 12 countries
  • 50 cities
  • 20 million ads (via Poln)

Through the Lens:

It's been a year of adventure...

bucket lists...

unprecedented opportunities...

infinite sunrises and sunsets...

family celebrations...

intimate memories...

spontaneous moments...

unparalleled beauty...

beautiful weddings...

giddy feelings...

And it's another year where this city is still home:

It's been incredible.

To blue skies and tailwinds...cheers! 

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.