Issue 170, Part Time CEO Newsletter

Hey, it's Dhiren 👋,
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The newsletter has been quieter than usual lately.

If you read the last issue, you know why. The situation here in the U.A.E, hasn't fully settled. And honestly, neither have I.
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Motivation has been hard to find. Some days it still is.

I'm naming this because I'm certain I'm not alone. A lot of founders I speak to are feeling exactly this. Trying to show up for their businesses while carrying something heavy and unspoken. Motivation feels elusive. Focus feels elusive. And there's a guilt that comes with that too, like you should be pushing through, like slowing down means falling behind.

I don't think that's true. But I understand why it feels that way.

Which is partly why I started Open Floor a few weeks ago. A space where founders can come together and just be real. No agenda. No teaching. No performing. This Tuesday was our third call.

One founder asked what everyone in the room was already thinking.

"How do I even contact clients right now? Is it even legitimate to be selling?"

And I sat with that for a moment. Because there were two things inside it. The practical question. And the quieter one underneath, am I wrong for even thinking about my business right now?

Here's what I told her.

Nobody wants to be sold to. But everybody wants to buy. And the difference comes down to one thing, whether you show up with an agenda or without one.

Your clients aren't in buying mode right now. Not because their problems went away. But because their attention is somewhere else. And when you push into that space, it doesn't just fail. It damages something.

The move is to meet people where they are. Not where you want them to be.

Call the client who's gone quiet. Not to reopen a conversation. Not to follow up on a proposal. Just to ask how they're doing and mean it. Show up as a guide, not a salesperson. The guide's job isn't to close, it's to make someone feel seen first.

Another founder on the call said it better than I could. "What people need right now is just a space to feel heard." He said it quietly, like it was too soft an answer.

It's not soft. It's the whole answer.

And honestly, it's why I'm writing this today. Not to teach. Just to show up. To let you know that if you're finding it hard to stay motivated right now, that makes complete sense. The situation is heavy. Give yourself some grace.

And when you're ready, start small. One call. One client. No agenda.

That's the whole move.

🧭 Know a founder who needs to hear this?
Forward this. It could be the push they need.

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📢 Dhiren’s Updates

The next Open Floor is on April 14.

If this newsletter resonated, come. It's exactly this, but live. A small group of founders, being real with each other about what's actually going on.

No agenda. No pitch. No performing.

Just a space to be heard.

It's open to everyone. You can grab your spot here: https://luma.com/js86ffzt​

📌 Dhiren’s Pick of the Week

Project Hail Mary is having a moment. The movie is great, the audiobook is phenomenal and you probably already know this.

But the soundtrack is what I want to talk about.

It's worth listening to on its own, separate from the film. My favourite track is Box in a Box. Put it on while you're working, while you're thinking, while you're trying to find some stillness in a noisy week. It does something to the room.

🎧 Click here to take a listen 🎧

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ps: did someone forward this to you?​
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Cheers,