Work With Me (WIP)

Hello!

If you want to work with me, in any capacity, please do read this page before signing the dotted line. I have outlined my ethos, principles, quirks, values and other things that I live by.

These are not in any order.

Saurabh Garg’s Life Principles / Beliefs / Values / Ethos / WHATEVER YOU MAY CHOOSE TO CALL THESE

  1. I know this too shall pass.
  2. I believe that I need to do unto others as I want them to do with me. I thus operate from a very high level of empathy. I am a people-first person and I approach each decision with careful consideration.
  3. While I may be easygoing about almost everything and I hold no stand on any issue affecting us as humans, Indians, nature or whatever, I tend to take myself and my work seriously. And yet, I like lighthearted communication. As some of the comics would say, I don’t have a stick up my arse.
  4. On those, I am a believer in ‘strong beliefs loosely held‘. Oh, and do read this.
  5. I do have a stick up my arse when it comes to time. Time is the most important asset that we have. I respect other people’s time and I want my time to be respected as well.
  6. There are way too many wrongs in the world and battles must be fought. And each battle needs a hero, a saviour. I am aware of a lot of battles that need heroes. However, I choose to fight only the selective ones that feed my soul.
  7. I like building in public. This means that I will talk about what I am working on out loud. On blogs, websites, Twitter, and every other place I hang out at. I can NOT keep secrets. I can not stifle my thinking just because the partners I work with want to keep it secret. More than that, I like the idea of living in public. My morning pages are brutally honest and is my attempt at self-reflection each day. Update on 30 Dec 2023 – my morning pages have stopped for a long time now. I hope to get back to it soon.
  8. Progress > Perfection.
  9. I want to ship. Steve Jobs said it the best, “real artists ship“.
  10. I like being honest from the get-go. It saves time for everyone involved. I will even lay all my cards on the table.
  11. I think I am the luckiest person in the world. Even if I get dealt a few bad hands, over the long-term, I am lucky. And to keep my luck coefficient high, I try to be around others who believe they are lucky. I avoid people who think they are unlucky. I dont like to be around pessimists. I dont like people who are dissing others.
  12. I am not religious.
  13. I am a study in contrasts and contradictions. I suspect I have mild bipolar disorder. And while I am at it, I do believe that I had ADHD / ADD or whatever is the equivalent for adults. PS – I use these terms loosely and I may actually NOT suffer from these but if you spend time around me, you would agree with my analysis.
  14. I like the idea of a free world. I love the idea of owning time. I envision a world where anyone will be free to work on things they want to, when they want to, how they want to. Each thing I do is in chase of this freedom.

On partnerships…

For me, all I do is work. I am unidimensional like that.

The work we do will ALWAYS be a partnership.
I may work for you.
You may work for me.
But we would ALWAYS work WITH each other.
And thus…

  1. Each person I work with (I like to work with people and not with companies), I assume that they and I would be in business forever and I want to take a very long-term view of things. You know, like Naval says, play long-term games with long-term people. I am a long-term person. And I want to work play with long-term ones.
  2. I trust handshakes more than I trust contracts. I have been hurt, short-charged, taken for a ride, stabbed in the back, and all that. But I continue to maintain that people are generally good and I want to continue to trust handshakes.
  3. I like to have a sense of urgency in how I work. Read this.
  4. I err a LOT on the side of commission. And almost never on omission.
  5. I believe I am a fair person. Oh, fairness is subjective.
  6. If you are looking to hire me, don’t use me as a contractor. Use me as a partner. Am best used when I can roll my sleeves and stand next to you. And make things happen.

My shortcomings…

  1. I can NOT focus. I will do multiple things at the same time. My magic comes from spreading myself too thin. This also means that in most things I do, I do not reach a logical conclusion.
  2. If you speak to me politely, I will give my life for you. However, if you try to throw your weight around, I am from Haryana.
  3. I am straightforward. I will call a spade a spade. Dont expect me to be politically correct. But I am empathetic as well. So figure.

Finally,

If you want to know more about me (or C4E), do read our Culture Book. And the Promise. Do see this shared album where I upload things that I want to share with the world.

I also have this Miro board where I have a visual chart of my values…

That’s about it.
Let’s go on an adventure together!

Oh, and the best way to reach me is via Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thanks,
SG
Last updated on 6 Feb 2025

PS: This update on the 6the Feb 2025 has been inspired by Hardik Pandya’s work with me page. PLEASE DO READ THE PAGE!