The Write Wing | Suraj Sudhakar

Building My Presence, Not My Audience

12 Apr 2025 08:22 PM

I love the idea of building my presence. I hate the idea of building my audience. 

Among other things, the Internet and the World Wide Web created an o...

The Joys of Building

11 Apr 2025 08:12 PM
A reflection on rediscovering joy through making — from IDEO workshops to lines of code to pixels on a screen.

When Proof of Concept Isn’t Enough: Fundraising Realities in the Social Sector

10 Apr 2025 08:46 PM

In the early days, circa 2017, our request for meetings was not even answered by prospective funders. Fitness Coaching as a solution to the inactivity problem among school students in underserved schools, and as a career opportunity for sports persons from poor families was not getting any traction ...

Why I Write Without a Comments Section

09 Apr 2025 08:09 PM
Why I turned off blog comments: a reflection on writing, clarity, and a lesson from a ride on the Delhi Metro.

The Resistance Never Leaves. But Neither Do I.

08 Apr 2025 08:10 PM

Steven Pressfield was right — it never gets easier. 

Another night. I'm staring at my screen, willing myself to come up with something worth writing. I'm tired, but I get the sense that my mind is making me feel more tired than I actually am. I can already hear the voice in my head offering me a...

Success as a Pilot but Failure at Scale

07 Apr 2025 04:44 PM

The Problem: Pilotitis

The social sector is rife with pilots. 

The phenomenon of organizations in the sector launching pilot projects but then failing to scale them is so common that there is a term for it —  Pilotitis

If you are trying something new, it does make sense to start with ...

You might be right!

06 Apr 2025 08:00 PM

Surprisingly, those four words are my magic escape from non-essential intellectual arguments.

As someone who is curious, I've grown comfortable with my ignorance on a variety of topics. Even in areas that interest me, I'm most excited by what I don't know. 

A couple of years ago, I came across a&...

On Bias, Belief, and Building a Social Venture

05 Apr 2025 03:42 PM

My recent post on how social change is hard — and personal change even harder — might just be a textbook example of confirmation bias.  

My instant appreciation o...

Social Change is Hard. Personal Change is Harder

04 Apr 2025 08:35 PM

I never expected social change to be easy. But in the early days of my career in the sector, I was confident that I could easily pick up the skills needed to create social change. And with my middle-class dreams of seeing the world, I imagined moving from place to place, creating meaningful cha...

Two Quotes, One Realization

03 Apr 2025 08:55 PM

Today ended up being an incredibly busy day. Now, at the end of it, I am out of steam staring at a blank Writer document   — still determined to keep my commitment to publishing daily. But as the minutes pass, stress builds. 

It's the kind of stress Jeff Bezos describes:...

From FocusWriter to Focused Writer

02 Apr 2025 02:11 PM

Using Linux daily on my MacBook Air is like taking a cold shower  - a small act of discomfort that builds confidence. It's too early to say if my knowledge of computer systems is improving, but I can see my confidence soaring. Every morning is a pleasant reminder that I am choosing to...

The Essay That Deserves Your Solitude

01 Apr 2025 05:20 PM

Since Sunday, I have been mulling on this quote by Edward Gibbon - "Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius."

Yesterday, aft...

Maker's Schedule

31 Mar 2025 08:52 PM

Paul Graham's essay Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule is one of my all time favourites. It put into words something I had always felt but never fully articulated - to myself or my colleagues. I am a Maker....

Mistaking Confidence for Competence: A Personal Wake-Up Call

30 Mar 2025 09:39 PM

I almost dismissed one of the best teachers I've ever met - before she even said a word. 

My wife and I are on the lookout for schools for our boys. Our oldest, who is four...

How do you eat an elephant?

29 Mar 2025 05:09 PM

One bite at a time, it seems. Or at least that's how I remember the joke I liked telling in second grade.

I am using a similar logic t...

Book Review - Inclusive Business Models by Sourav Mukherji

28 Mar 2025 02:48 PM

My verdictIf you are someone who is even remotely interested in inclusive business models, please do read this book.

"The session by Prof. Sourav Mukherji on inclusive business models was my highlight," shared Vishnu, my co-founder at CoolCoach Academy. He was attending an incubati...

The Truth About Streaks: They Are Not Enough!

27 Mar 2025 03:18 PM

I had a 229-day streak on Duolingo, yet my Spanish barely improved. That's when I realized - streaks alone just don't work for me. 

I am your average person when it comes to failed resolutions, habits that failed to stick, and projects that were started with great fanfare but stopped nowhere nea...

Frequently Received Advice (FRA*) - You are the CFO (Chief Fundraising Officer)!

26 Mar 2025 07:01 PM

Am I? 

I am always baffled when successful founders tell me that fundraising is the main job of a social sector founder/CEO. It is definitely part of the job, but the main one, seriously? 

When asked to elaborate in public, I get a polished response: "Founders are the custodia...

Frequently Received Advice (FRA*) - You should do this in a rural area!

25 Mar 2025 01:36 PM

"You should do this in a Rural area! Even better if you can do it in one of the most backward districts of the country."

My heart sank when I heard the very first sentence of feedback. By the time the second sentence was spoken, I wanted to retort, "Do you think we would have Google an...

The Knowing-Doing Gap

24 Mar 2025 08:18 PM

I want to write regularly, but I struggle with it.

James Clear is clear about the key to building lasting habits. It has to start with the identity. Stephen King says identity is not sufficient; you need to show up and write daily. Seth Godin encourages you to publish (blog) daily. And if you ever f...