My Journey So Far – From Failure to Flourish
Time for some Dil Se Designer Insights.
Hey Everyone,
I hope this email finds you well.
I wanted to take a moment to share my journey with you all. It’s been a rollercoaster ride, filled with highs, lows, and invaluable lessons. Here’s a little peek into my story and how it has shaped me as an entrepreneur.
Early Struggles and First Steps
Back in early 2014, I faced a major setback when I failed my final year B.Sc. exams. Mid-2014, I re-took the exams, but the results were disheartening. With marks too low to pursue a post-grad, I was shattered.
Despite this, I started working as a content writer and SEO associate at a local agency, nurturing my passion for graphic design using Photoshop on the side.
Venturing into Design and Development
By mid-2015, I moved on to a medical tourism startup, diving deep into design work and self-learning UX. In 2016, I transitioned to front-end development, combining my design skills with coding. The company's culture, however, wasn’t great, and by mid-2017,
I found myself freelancing and registering my proprietorship, Team Codesign.
Initial Success and Setbacks
Partnering with others didn’t go as planned, but I pressed on solo, eventually hiring my first team members. During 2018-2019, Team Codesign saw initial growth, moving to places like Hyderabad and working on-site with clients.
By 2020, we had an opportunity in Pune, but then Covid-19 happened. Like many, we weren’t prepared and faced business losses. However, 2021 brought enterprise partnerships back, and our business took off once again.
Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
Unfortunately, in the latter part of 2021 and throughout 2022, I chased shiny objects, losing focus on the core business and facing financial challenges.
But 2023 was a year of realization and damage control.
Refocusing on our core strengths has set us back on track, and 2024 looks promising.
Today, we are not just a team of designers but also proud product builders, marketers, and more. We’re learning every day, and I’m excited for our future growth.
Sharing My Journey
I’ve decided to start posting about these experiences on my newsletter, Dil Se Designer. If you’re interested, I’d love to know what specific topics or insights you’d like me to cover. Your feedback is invaluable to me, and I promise to share everything openly.
I hope this gives you a detailed insight into my journey and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. Let’s continue to grow and flourish together.
Feel free to respond with any topics or questions you’d like me to cover in the newsletter, and let's keep this conversation going!
Thank you for being a part of this journey.
Best,
Abhishek