“What’s one difference between when you started your entrepreneurial journey and today?”

I was asked during a session,

“What’s the most significant lesson you’ve learned in your entrepreneurial journey?”

I replied, “The one that stands out is—I no longer let ego drive my decisions.”

“What do you mean?” came the curious follow-up.

I shared this example:

👉 “Back in 2017, when I was forced into entrepreneurship, I’d price my product purely based on what I thought was ‘right.’

If I sold a water bottle, I’d stick to market prices, factoring in my desired profit margin.

The result? Months of zero sales.

Why?

📌 Competing with established brands that already had a loyal customer base.
📌 Selling cheap bruised my ego.

💧 I nursed my pride at the cost of my business.

But today, my approach is radically different:

🚀 If it makes business sense, I’d happily sell that same water bottle for ₹1 or even give it away for FREE.

Why?

To:
✔️ Build a customer base.
✔️ Gather real feedback.
✔️ Improve my product.

As trust grows and the product evolves, customers naturally prefer me over competitors—and then, the pricing game changes.

This shift represents the Employee Mindset vs. Entrepreneurial Mindset: Choosing ego over something that makes business sense.

✨ So, to answer in one sentence, “I learned to let my mission and strategy—not pride—drive my decisions.”