What I meant to say

Author: Mayank Rai

  • Advisors – Human or AI? Who’s your real friend?

    I have had a couple of discussions in past few months on the future of advisory. AI has been one of the most regular topics to have come up, especially with regards to advisors. With clients, colleagues and anyone willing to debate. Here is what I can drill down from these “chats”.

    Robots handle the math. Humans handle the meaning. An advisor who lets AI do the boring spreadsheet work gets hours back to do the one thing no software can: care out loud. So here’s the new rule: let the robot crunch the numbers, and let the human crunch the doubts. Clients rarely leave because returns dipped 1%. They leave because nobody called.

    Knight Frank expects India’s UHNWI population, meaning net worth above $30 million, to grow from 19,877 to 25,217 by 2031, and its billionaires to rise from 207 to 313. Family-owned businesses are one of the main engines. Yet fewer than half of Indian business families have a succession plan.

    So a very large pile of wealth is heading to the next generation with a plan best described as “everyone will understand.” While the new generation is well conversant with AI, it’s always the one advisor who reaches out with a well timed “Chai Pe Charcha”, who would be trusted.

    AI is a friend, but you are the all weather friend.

    Ciao.

  • Confessions of an Information Nut!

    Hi, I have a problem. I hoard information the way some people collect stamps, except stamps don’t stop you from closing deals. Sounds familiar? Read on!

    I used to think more research made me a better banker. Turns out it just made me a slower one.

    This is the great lie of information overload: we tell ourselves we’re being thorough, when really we’re just avoiding the scary part : actually picking up the phone and asking for the business. Reading one more report feels productive. It feels safe. Nobody ever lost a deal by reading too little in the last five minutes before deciding not to call.

    In almost all businesses, the client’s window of interest is small. A competitor with half my knowledge and twice my speed gets there first, and lo and behold, the deal is lost. More information doesn’t win deals. Timely action does.

    I used to think, my knowledge is what will help me garner business at break neck speed. It’s not. I have learnt it the hard way. What’s working for me is just picking up the phone and having that conversation. Sometimes, it works and other times, it doesn’t. At least I don’t feel bad afterwards.

    So, I would say this again. You will never know everything. It’s just not possible. Go ahead, make that call. It might just work for you.

  • My life has become what I preach – A Diversified Portfolio

    Every asset allocator will tell you the same thing: don’t put all your eggs in one basket. So naturally, I spent sometime putting all my eggs in two baskets; one labeled “help rich people get richer” and one labeled “convince strangers that a villa in the hills is exactly what their family reunion needs.” Diversification, I was told, reduces risk. Nobody mentioned it also doubles your calendar invites.

    Here is the truth Morgan Housel would tell you gently over three paragraphs and a fable about a farmer: net worth and self-worth compound on completely different schedules, and mine have never once been on speaking terms. I can build you a stress-tested retirement plan with a 40-year time horizon. I cannot reliably plan my own Sunday. There is a word for this in behavioral finance. I believe the word is “irony,” though my compliance training tells me to check the footnotes.

    Here is the version Prof Galloway would give you, slower, louder, and with a chart nobody asked for: the modern professional doesn’t have a career, he has a cap table. I am long “wealth management,” long “hospitality,” and structurally short “free time.” My personal balance sheet reads like a man hedging against the possibility that spreadsheets alone won’t get him to the life he’s picturing; so he built a second business renting out other people’s dream houses while quietly failing to relax in his own. This is not a strategy. This is a coping mechanism with a business plan attached.

    I collect certifications the way other men collect watches. I have read enough about promoter families and generational wealth transfer to know exactly how the ultra-rich stay calm during market chaos. I have not yet figured out how to stay calm when my partner asks me if we will be able to make payroll this month.

    If there’s a lesson here, and Housel would insist there is, it’s this: the market rewards patience, and so, probably, does everything else. I’m still compounding. The returns just haven’t been audited yet.

    Diversify your assets, they said. Nobody warned me I’d become one.

  • Things get worse before they get better!

    I have always believed in thinking positive. I might sound negative some times, but I guess overall I believe that things do get better in the long run!

    Why am I saying this? Not trying to sound political here but I feel we are losing the essence of ourselves, our camaraderie over certain political issues. I have seen arguments blow up in family whatsapp groups, in otherwise civil coffee time discussions at offices and in general, any place else.

    The idea of the night being the darkest before dawn fills you with a sense of hope. It gives you that tiny sliver of good and warm fuzzy feelings, once you know that a new day is just on the horizon. The idea that one can make a fresh start to another day where you are not constrained by failures of the past day but looking forward to achieving something better today.

    I had literally lost my writing mojo, a while back. Not that I have found it, but at least I know I am moving in the right direction. This post utilizes no AI and I am proud to say that I have tried to be as authentic here as I can. AI in itself might work for some, but I want my writing to represent me, imperfections and all.

    Coming back to the political discourse, I feel that we need to be clear in what we expect from our leaders. We can’t and shouldn’t accept any one on face value. Question, criticise, doubt everything. This would mean that you are actively taking part in the democracy that is India.

  • Half year done, what’s the next surprise?

    The calendar tells me I’ve completed six months of whatever this grand experiment called blogging is. The receipts, however, tell a different story. Missed deadlines for posts and overall shabby writing, but hey I am not complaining!

    Few Surprises that stood out for me this year:

    First surprise: my alarm clock now doubles as a motivational coach with a cruel sense of humor. It buzzes at the exact moment I decide to ignore responsibility, then rewards me with a gentle reminder about missed exercise slots, I so so diligently planned out. Needless to say, I am looking at cheaper Mounjaro/Ozempic options.

    Second surprise: meetings labeled “quick catch-up” have the dramatic length of a feature film. It’s complete with cliffhangers, plot twists, and a mid-roll intermission titled: “Did you actually read the agenda?” I’ve learned to bring snacks, a notebook, and the patience of a saint who has memorized the corporate mission statement. Absent 1 on 1s makes the heart grow fonder.

    So, what’s the takeaway after six months of this unconventional course? Expect the unexpected, but do not underestimate the charm of small, ridiculous victories.

    As the next six months approach, I resolve to welcome surprises with better posture, a keener sense of humor, and a head stocked with patience, calmness and the wisdom not to shout out loud “I don’t give a fuck!”

    Ciao!!

  • The Last-Minute Method: It’s Not Chaos. It’s Strategy.

    Let me tell you something nobody in the productivity-porn industrial complex wants to admit.

    The people crushing it, the ones closing deals, shipping product, generating returns are not the people with color-coded Notion boards and 5 AM journaling rituals. They’re the ones who wait. Who sit on it. Who let the deadline do the heavy lifting.

    They are, in the parlance of people who’ve never actually built anything, procrastinators.

    And they are correct.

    Parkinson’s Law is real. Treat it like gravity.

    Work expands to fill the time available for its completion. Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote this in 1955. We collectively nodded, said “fascinating,” and then proceeded to give ourselves three weeks to do three-hour tasks.

    The last-minute operator is simply someone who has internalized Parkinson and weaponized it. They’ve collapsed the expansion. They’ve given the work nowhere to bloat.

    That’s not laziness. That’s compression. Compression is how you get diamonds. Isn’t it?

    The market rewards speed, not polish.

    Ask any VC what kills startups. It’s not shipping a rough product. It’s shipping nothing while perfecting everything. The market doesn’t care about your internal review process. It cares about what lands in front of it and when.

    The last-minute practitioner is, structurally, a faster shipper. Their cycle time is shorter because their ramp-up is nonexistent. They bypass the weeks of anxious pre-work, the phantom meetings, the “alignment” theater, and go straight to the part where output actually happens.

    In a world that compounds, speed is a return multiplier. The person who ships at 80% quality in 20% of the time is not underperforming.

    And this is what I could come up with, before my self imposed deadline of at least 1 post in April expired. Phew!! Next time, I will do better.

  • Dude, Where’s my blog?

    So, I wrote in my January blog (this year) that I will start blogging “aggressively“. What do I go ahead and do then? No posts in February and finally realizing that I would be missing out in March too.

    My last post was in April 2024(before the grand announcement post) . I had never been a regular writer but I always wanted to write. Some of my posts(whether LinkedIn or otherwise) have been indirectly alluded to be AI generated, but I can assure everyone. All this “SLOP” is mine.

    So, I get back on the horse and I get riding to the blogging horizon. I am going to write at least a post each month and may be more, but who knows?The fact of the matter is that it takes an enormous amount of motion for me to move out of my inertia. The idea of writing to inspire has long gone. Now I write to “brain dump” and “aura farm“. See, my effort at the Gen-Z lingo falls flat, right?

    I am ready to fail again but this time, I want to be a bit more regular while writing. Not to be popular, but it feels a bit cathartic to me. Of all the time pass activities I do, this one is my favorite and yet the most neglected. Looking forward to posting my next one, hope you are too!

  • Blogging: Why Aggresive Persistence Will Define My 2026

    Hey everyone! Yes, it’s me, dusting off this old blog after what feels like an eternity. If you’re reading this, you’re either a loyal reader from my more active days or a new face curious about my return. Either way, welcome back (or welcome aboard). It’s January 26, 2026, and I’m hitting “publish” on my first post in ages. Why now? I don’t know but I intend to find out.

    The Long Hiatus: Life Happened, But Excuses Won’t Cut It

    Let’s be real: I stopped blogging consistently a couple of years back. Work piled up, side hustles distracted me, and that endless scroll of social media promised quicker wins. “Blogs are dead,” I told myself, focussed more on catching up with the fleeting Instagram stories. Sound familiar? We all have those phases where momentum fizzles, and the keyboard gathers dust.

    But here’s the truth, I missed it. The rhythm of stringing words into ideas, hitting publish, and connecting with you all. My break wasn’t a noble sabbatical; it was procrastination disguised as busyness. Coming back feels vulnerable, like stepping onto a stage after years away. Yet, that’s the point: persistence means showing up, even when the spotlight flickers.

    Persistence: The Unsung Hero of 2026

    This year, persistence is my north star. Not the flashy goals like “go viral” or “monetize overnight,” but the gritty habit of daily action. Think of it like training for a marathon—you don’t win on race day; you win in the quiet miles before dawn.

    Why persistence? In a world of AI tools and instant gratification, real progress demands showing up repeatedly. Studies back this: psychologist Angela Duckworth’s research on “grit” shows that perseverance trumps talent every time. It’s not about perfection; it’s about stacking small wins. One post a month becomes a habit. A habit becomes a voice. A voice becomes impact.

    For me, persistence looks like this in 2026:

    • Weekly writing sprints: 500 words, no matter how messy. Linkedin posts or Blog posts, I don’t care!
    • No zero weeks: Even on tough weeks, I jot notes or outlines.
    • Embracing rejection: Not every post will blow up, and that’s fine.
    • Community over isolation: Engaging with readers like you keeps the fire lit.

    These aren’t resolutions, rather they’re commitments. Because last year taught me that quitting mid-journey leaves you with regrets, not rest.

    Lessons from the Comeback Trail

    Returning to blogging has already surfaced gems I almost forgot:

    • Clarity through consistency: Writing forces me to think deeply. My first draft this week clarified my entire 2026 vision: persistence as the theme that ties fitness, career, and creativity together.
    • The compound effect: One post snowballs. This one might inspire your own return to a forgotten passion.
    • Joy in the process: Metrics matter, but the thrill of creation? Priceless.

    What’s Next: Join the Persistence Party

    I’m committing to weekly posts here: stories, tips, and raw reflections on making persistence stick. Topics ahead? Building habits that last, overcoming creative blocks, and real-talk on balancing life in fast-paced India.

    If you’re restarting something this year, a blog, a gym routine, a side project, know this: persistence isn’t superhuman. It’s human. It’s choosing “one more try” when the easy button calls.

    Stick around. Let’s persist together.

    What about you? What’s one thing you’re persisting with in 2026?

  • It’s been a long day, I mean, year!!

    So my blog was last updated in January of this year and before that in April of last year! I thought I would be updating this thing at least monthly but couldn’t be bothered to update this. Being honest, Netflix kept me more occupied than this blog.

    So, after a year or so of whiling away my time on Netflix, Instagram Reels and other such time sinks, I thought of updating my blog, just to restart my writing habit. This would most definitely be my sixth or so post on “Restart” or some such theme.

    I recently read a blog post on the most essential skill in the coming years, in the wake of Generative AI and other technical advancements. What struck me in the advice below (quoted verbatim from the post) is the sheer timelessness of the advice. It was relevant 20 years back and would relevant 20 years from now, besides also being relevant now. Learn to build a narrative. It’s going to take you far.

    The arc of evolution bends toward good storytellers. Communities with larger proportions of skilled storytellers experience greater levels of cooperation, and … procreation. Their evolutionary fitness is buttressed, as storytelling translates to more efficient transmission of survival-relevant information. Storytellers themselves are more likely to receive acts of service from their peers — and among men, being skilled in storytelling increases attractiveness and perceived status to potential long-term mates. My dad used to tell me that men get turned on with their eyes, women with their ears. It turns out his theory is backed by science.

    Scott Galloway – https://www.profgalloway.com/storytelling/

    So, I think, in the vast digital expanse, your story matters. So pick up your pen or your keyboard , embrace your authenticity, and let your words ripple across the ether. For in the end, it’s not the algorithm that remembers you—it’s the hearts you touch.

  • False Starts and Life

    My previous post on the blog was around April of last year. I had written about being committed to the blog but I wasn’t able to stick to it. Ironic, isn’t it?

    Well, life happened. I had joined a new job and was a bit caught up with the same. I have been pretty busy with the job and meeting new people, although, mainly for work. When you are nearing 40s, you recognise that most of your friends were made before you turned 25. All others are just acquaintances.

    I have been meaning to write about what I have been feeling for a long time now, but I have been held back by a couple of false starts. What I felt was a good idea to write, turned out to be a half baked idea in my head, and I thought that it shouldn’t be that way. Then I realised, or rather heard(or probably read) somewhere that perfection is the enemy of progress. If you are looking to express some of your ideas, start by expressing them, no matter how half baked they are. Once you get into the groove, edit your work, but till then, keep churning out something.

    Something similar happens with life too. Keep attempting what you wish to do. Write what you want to, sing if you want to, dance if you want to. However, keep in mind, you have a finite life. Having grit is great, but knowing when to give up and retreat is also a good thing.

    Here is me recovering from another false start and going back to what I loved doing once.

    Ciao!