Update

I’m living so many mini stories that it’s pushing me back to my roots of writing.

Channel it all out. Don’t keep it within. Document it.

That’s my inner dialogue, every day and night of this entire month.

Stuff that took 5 WHOLE YEARS.

The fun and the difficult side of entrepreneurship.

Get an idea → have the resources to deploy it → use more resources to make it faster → test and validate → improve → Repeat.

One project I’m building behind the scenes, it just might be my biggest asset so far.

“But son, don’t talk about it until it’s done.” ~ My dad

“Bhai, pehle kar, baat mat kar.” ~ My cousin

And yes, I’ve had too much experience in jinxing things. So I’m gonna shut up.

Flip side,

Life has been fast. Travel. Changes. Plans. Work. Fitness.

I’ve somehow put fitness on autopilot. 3x Jiu Jitsu, 2-3 weights sessions per week.

Way way lesser than what I do normally.

But it’s fine. I can’t neglect work anymore.

Somewhat of a small identity shift.

Instead of being 200% at all times in fitness, get it back down to 100% and go 200% in work.

No way I’ll sacrifice fitness to the point where I’ll become another of those creators putting stories of them on hospital beds talking about how they overworked.

That’s just stupid.

I want to go all in on pursuits, and I’ve believed in taking help always.

Next step is to get proper coaching again, and get in the best shape of my life.

Let’s get stuck right into the topic!

The First Lifestyle Shift

Compare 2 scenarios, you spent 4 years to get a degree, that on average pays you ₹6-₹10LPA, and after another years worth of work, you get to ₹12LPA.

That too, in most scenarios, is segregated with stock options and what not. Count taxes and expenses, you’re barely surviving.

You can go down that rabit-hole, not our topic of concern.

And before all the “what if you save, life frugal” ahh people come here, let me make one thing clear.

Living with basic necessities met, not worrying about bills, eating good food and giving back to your family, this makes it all worth it.

Your ₹2000 SIP is not gonna make you a millionaire.

That lifestyle is on the costlier side, specially challenging the usual stigma of people celebrating making ₹1lakh per month.

Which isn’t really that much.

I found out in my journey that I had the first taste of a real good lifestyle in India, when I was making ₹1.5-₹1.8lakh per month, back home, from my job at AOS media, and earning ₹20,000-₹40,000 a month through an editing side hustle.

I felt the richest. I could order sneakers, get random equipment, buy stuff for my parents and do stupid shit.

Not worrying about anything.

And I feel like that’s the sweet spot anyone who’s just starting out, or making a bit of money should target.

That ₹2lakh a month, with basic needs met.

Even if you’re living on your own, you could count ₹30,000-₹40,000 a month as your expenses, invest a bit, save up and have fun.

Best part is, your money is not locked by some stupid clauses.

This is where you start to get disconnected from a LOT of people around you.

Sure there’s no upper limit to comparison, but this mark is something else.

A whole another world opens up.

Let’s talk intricacies…

1. It Moves You Out of Survival Mode

At that range, rent is covered. Food’s covered. Your gym, workspace, transport, internet, all of it is handled.

You’re not rich. But you’re not scrambling either. You stop making decisions from fear. And that alone changes the way you create.

You’re no longer chasing clients out of panic.

You’re choosing the right ones with patience.

Your brain stops looping on “how do I survive” and starts asking “what do I want to build.”

And it’s liberating. Not worrying about the basic needs is what everyone must chase.

And at that moment, you start taking decisions out of abundance. You can build stuff.

Spend money and not worry about it.

Start new projects.

Different world.

2. Lifestyle Inflation Isn’t the Enemy. It’s the Trigger.

One of the most viral videos I’ve created talked about me buying expensive coffee.

And this is for all the “what if you save, life frugal” ahh people.

People demonize lifestyle inflation. But I’ve seen the opposite: It’s often the moment your standards finally rise.

The expensive coffee? Now it’s normal.

Dinner with family? You be the leader and cover expenses.

That camera you hesitated to buy? Now it’s a business tool.

Your base level as a human rises. What used to feel like a treat now feels like a requirement.

It’s not about flexing. It’s about becoming someone who operates at a higher bandwidth—physically, emotionally, creatively.

The pool of things you can get, gets bigger as you earn more.

Specially in our country, at this mark, you can live a great inflated life.

I moved to Pune when I was making ₹1.5-₹1.8 lakh. And I lived pretty great.

Bought my first ₹25,000 watch. Bunch of sneakers. Loads of equipment and books. And a lot more.

Best part?

Didn’t have to ask for any permission from my family. And they are the happiest people.

I have not asked my parents to support me financially for more than 3 years now, I’m at a point where I do more for them.

One of the main things that keep me fulfilled, and I look forward to giving back even more.

3. You Become Dangerous With Time

When your basic life expenses are locked in, you buy the one thing most builders ignore: Mental bandwidth.

You can sit in silence and think. You can say no to projects that don’t align. You can spend time refining offers, systems, and brand.

You’re not chasing anymore. You’re tuning.

And from this position, your asymmetrical bets begin.

You’re not gambling your rent money anymore. You’re making moves with precision.

You don’t feel the pressure of not being able to pay bills, you know it’s all covered.

Keeping a stable mental approach to this game, does more than you think.

The complainers love to call it burnout, when in reality it’s them operating from scarcity.

4. This Level Lets You Learn Without Pressure

Before ₹2L a month, most learning is done in survival mode. You’re reading, watching, building, but with anxiety in the background.

After that threshold, you can study deeper.

Take bigger risks. Learn slower, but better.

You start to stack long-term assets. Not just sell to plug cashflow holes.

Even in the space of content creation, it starts to show.

Because you’re doing something most people cannot, your words start to hold weight.

That’s when your brand begins to carry real weight. Not just in content, but in conviction.

5. You Start Playing Real Games

This is the stage where the question shifts from “how do I earn more” to:

• Who can I collaborate with?

• What system am I building?

• What’s the lifestyle I want long term?

• What do I want to be known for?

Your worst-case scenario is now a stable, respectable life with control.

From there, risk becomes a choice, not a default.

And that’s when you finally start building something worth scaling.

Final Words

Everyone talks about getting to $10K months or financial freedom. But for most of us?

The first ₹2L/month in profit is the real turning point.

It’s not the end goal. But it’s the foundation that lets you play the long game without cracking.

That’s when the noise gets quiet. That’s when your work starts compounding. That’s when the pretending ends.

If you’re close to this level, push harder. If you’re far, good. Now you know what to aim for.

Because once you hit that threshold, the game changes. And you change with it.

So where are you in this journey?

PS. Massive thanks to the Rundown AI for sponsoring this newsletter.

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