

Code and Capital are the two highest forms of leverage. I use both.

I spent the first half of my career as an Operator: building, scaling, and exiting.

I am spending the second half as an Architect: designing systems that run without me.

Currently building a sovereign ecosystem bridging Private Equity and AI.

The Work:
- Writing: #dhandhekafunda — Deconstructing the algorithms of success.
- Guiding: House of Starts — Funding the next generation of founders.
- Building: Engines of freedom, not just companies.

If you are building at the edge of AI, Finance, or Systems Thinking, follow my linkedin profile. 

Utpal Vaishnav

We often promote people for their Execution (Column 4):

Then we are shocked when they fail because they have zero Self-Mastery (Column 1).

Leadership is not a single skill. It is a "Full Stack" discipline.

If you treat Leadership like an engineering problem, these are the 5 subsystems you need to maintain:

1. Self-Mastery: The Operating System. (EQ, Discipline, Gratitude). If this crashes, the whole server goes down.

2. People & Communication: The Network Layer. (Listening, Feedback, Trust). You cannot lead people you cannot understand.

3. Thinking & Decision Making: The Processor. (Critical Thinking, Problem Solving). The ability to be right when the data is incomplete.

4. Execution & Productivity: The Output. (Delegating, Saying No, Time Management). Vision without execution is hallucination.

5. Growth & Resilience: The Antivirus. (Learning from failure, Combating Imposter Syndrome). How fast do you reboot after a crash?

I mapped out the 50 Essential Skills across these 5 pillars.

Don't try to master all 50 today. Pick one column where you are weak. Focus there for Q1.

Which column is your "bottleneck" right now? (I am doubling down on Column 3 this year.)

~~~
♻️ Repost this #DhandheKaFunda to remind your network that "Soft Skills" are actually the most challenging part.
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Founder & Architect • Systems & Models for Builders, Ventures & Capital

50 Skills of a Great Leader: The Complete Executive Skill Stack (2026 Checklist)

by 

Utpal Vaishnav

#DhandheKaFunda

Most smart people know strategy buzzwords.
Very few actually use them when the next move really matters.

They think in quarters, not decades.
They obsess over plans, not failure points.
They protect today, but never place small bets on tomorrow.

This document gives you 10 simple upgrades you can steal before your next big decision.

1. The 10-year horizon. Think in decades. Decide in years. Execute in weeks.

2. SWOT without self-deception. Strengths you can prove. Weaknesses you will pay for.

3. Second-order thinking. Ask. And then what. Twice.

4. Inversion. Design around how this fails.

5. Kaizen plus Kaikaku. Small improvements keep you sharp. Big shifts keep you alive.

6. Game theory. Stop only playing your own game. Start playing theirs back.

7. Category of one. Compete on a new axis, not a crowded leaderboard.

8. Barbell strategy. Protect the base. Place small bets on asymmetric upside.

9. Skill stacking. Top 10 percent in three skills is rare leverage.

10. Regret minimization. If future you will regret it, present you is already late.

Strategy is not knowing.
Strategy is choosing.

Which of these 10 upgrades do you need to use this quarter?

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10 Strategy Upgrades for 2026 (The High-Agency Playbook):

You think you are a rational decision-maker.
You are actually a rationalizing storyteller.

According to Daniel Kahneman (Nobel Prize winner), our brain has two modes:

• System 1 (The Autopilot): Fast, emotional, intuitive. It runs 95% of your life.
• System 2 (The Pilot): Slow, logical, effortful. It only wakes up when you force it to.

The problem? System 1 is terrible at math and statistics. It relies on shortcuts (Heuristics) that create "Cognitive Illusions."

I mapped out the Thinking Fast & Slow Cheat Sheet to help you debug your own brain:

The Top 3 Traps to Watch For:

1. WYSIATI (What You See Is All There Is):
System 1 builds a story based only on the data in front of it. It never asks: "What data am I missing?" This is why we are so confident in bad decisions.

2. The Planning Fallacy:
We always underestimate time and cost. We imagine the "Best Case Scenario" and treat it as the "Most Likely Scenario." (System 1 is an optimist).

3. Loss Aversion:
The pain of losing $100 is 2x stronger than the joy of finding $100. This makes us play "Not to Lose" rather than "Playing to Win."

How to use this sheet:
Whenever you are making a big decision (Hiring, Investing, Strategy), stop.

Ask yourself: "Is this System 1 jumping to a conclusion? Or has System 2 actually reviewed the data?"

Which of these biases is your personal nemesis? (I suffer from the Planning Fallacy every single week).

~~~
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Thinking Fast & Slow: A Visual Summary of Daniel Kahneman's Framework (System 1 vs. System 2)

Utpal Vaishnav


The biggest mistake new managers make is trying to be “fair”.

They think fairness means treating everyone the same.

It does not.

Treating a junior with low skill the same as a senior with high skill is not fair.

It is negligent.

The junior drowns from lack of guidance.
The senior quits from micromanagement.

Great leadership is situational.
You must diagnose the person before you prescribe the management style.

I use the Skill / Will Matrix to choose the right tool.

1. High Performer (high skill . high will)
Strategy. Delegate and empower.
Trap. Getting in their way. Give them the goal and get out.

2. Contributor (low skill . high will)
Strategy. Guide and support.
Trap. Assuming enthusiasm equals competence. They need training, not just praise.

3. Potential Detractor (high skill . low will)
Strategy. Excite and engage.
Trap. Ignoring them. They are smart enough to undermine the culture if bored or bitter. Find out why their will is low.

4. Low Performer (low skill . low will)
Strategy. Direct or exit.
Trap. Hoping they will change. Give clear expectations. If they do not execute, make the hard call.

Stop looking for one leadership style.
You need four.

Which quadrant is your most difficult team member in right now.

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The Skill / Will Matrix: How to Adjust Your Management Style (Situational Leadership Cheat Sheet)

By Utpal Vaishnav

MSP Concepts

Talent Acquisition Executive

1) Finding resource from various way such on a (LinkedIn, Monster, Naukri, Indeed) etc.

2) Shortlisting resumes and recruiting the candidates

3) Taking Screening rounds

4) Explaining thoroughly about the company policy and convincing them about the same

5) Coordinating interviews

6) After interview sharing feedback with the employee

7) In case if they are selected then salary negotiation and follow up with them till on-boarding

8) Pitching candidates for vacancies available

9) Updating daily work report

10) Collaborate with managers to identify future hiring needs

Jr. It Recruiter

SimpliHire

1) Gathering requirement from client and Update the JD.

2) Make poster for Job posting.

3) Finding resource from various way such on a( LinkedIn, Monster, Naukri, Indeed ) etc.

4) Screening upcoming Resume.

5) Maintaining Pipeline of candidate.

6) Taking follow ups time to time.

7) Negotiate and convince candidate.

8) Communicate with them till the joining

Recruitment Executive

👋 Welcome to my LinkedIn profile! I'm thrilled to connect with talented professionals and forward-thinking organizations.

🔹 About Me 🔹
Passionate about talent acquisition and driven by a desire to connect outstanding professionals with their dream careers, I am a Recruitment Executive with 3+ years of experience in the field. My focus is on sourcing top-notch candidates, fostering meaningful relationships, and contributing to the growth and success of organizations.

🔹 Key Skills 🔹
✔ Full-Cycle Recruitment: Proficient in managing end-to-end recruitment processes, from job profiling to offer negotiation.
✔ Candidate Sourcing: Skilled in utilizing various sourcing channels to identify and engage with high-potential candidates.
✔ Candidate Experience: Committed to providing a positive and personalized candidate journey throughout the hiring process.
✔ Relationship Building: Adept at cultivating strong relationships with candidates, hiring managers, and stakeholders.
✔ Market Research: Experienced in conducting market research to stay updated on industry trends and best practices.

🔹 Career Objective 🔹
As a Recruitment Executive, my goal is to continue honing my talent acquisition expertise and contribute to the growth of forward-thinking organizations. I am eager to collaborate with dynamic teams, explore new recruitment technologies, and leverage data-driven insights to attract and retain top talent.

🔹 Why Connect? 🔹
I am keen on expanding my professional network, connecting with industry peers, and exploring opportunities to collaborate on recruitment projects. Let's connect to exchange ideas and insights that elevate the recruitment experience for both candidates and employers.

🔹 Contact Me 🔹
📧 Email: recruiter@msp-group.co.uk  
📞 Phone: +91 63567 25329
🌐 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayaz-pathan-/

#RecruitmentExecutive #TalentAcquisition #SourcingSpecialist #Hiring #Networking #RecruitmentExpert #CandidateExperience #HumanResources

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