Not in AC office cabins but on Rapido bike rides: Oracle techie-turned-entrepreneur on how he develops business strategy

Beyond textbooks, practical life lessons are our real teachers. When you navigate through life, the experiences you encounter shape your perspective, offering valuable insights that help you grow and flourish in every field. But in the world of corporate meetings and never-ending PowerPoint presentations, we tend to forget this hack. The best learnings show up in everyday encounters that happen in busy streets, bustling markets and random interactions with strangers. All you have to do is pay attention, be curious and have an open mind.

Recently, am an ex-tech professional, Pradeep Kannan, encapsulated the concept through a thought-provoking write-up on X. He revealed that business ideas do not necessarily pop up inside AC cabins at workplaces. Instead, they strike you when you step out on the streets.

Studying cities beyond data and desks

Whenever he wishes to explore or understand a new city better, Pradeep Kannan avoids staying inside an office premise or relying solely on digital reports. What he does instead is book a Rapido bike ride and explore unknown territories and hidden lanes or various spots for a firsthand observation. The entrepreneur notices traffic patterns, studies crowded areas and tries to find out the reason why some shops are thriving and why others are struggling.



The former techie engages in candid conversations with bike riders or local drivers, asking them about the neighbourhood, their growth and popular brands. For him, online data and research documents might be helpful, but they can never replace what one-to-one observation reveals. Pradeeo Kannan believes in moving around physically, watching closely and understanding people before drawing any conclusions.

Business insights come from common people

Through this approach, Pradeep Kannan is emphasising the power of ground-level exposure that comes through authentic insight. While data can indicate certain trends, it is by lived experience that reveals behaviour, sentiment and momentum. Like the entrepreneur, if you immerse yourself in different surroundings every day, you can also capture particular nuances, beneficial for business, that numbers often miss.

In conclusion, business decisions should be rooted in real human interaction, not just assumptions formed behind corporate desks. True market understanding develops when an individual says goodbye to their comfort zones, breaks the 9-5 monotony, engages with communities different from one’s own and witnesses consumer realities as they unfold. What do you think?