Attention is a gift

Here's a cheat code no one brags about: five real minutes.

Not the loud, performative kind. The quiet, boring stuff that leaves dents in memory. And just enough to change how someone feels about their day and about you.

Caught up with a close friend recently and it reminded me of all the things not to do. Tiny slips that make good people feel unseen. So i wrote myself a rule: give five honest minutes.

Quiet truth. Kindness isn't grand gestures. It's micro choices, repeated.

Phone stays away. Eyes on the person. Listen. Dont reload your next point.

PS: Checking your phone in a 1:1 says "you are not important to me right now."

Buy the coffee. Set a generous tone. If you argue to split, you missed the point.

Respect the clock. Show up on time. End five minutes early. After, send three lines: decision, next step, action item.

Open one door (literally and figuratively!) Pick the most relevant person for them. Ask both first, then intro with two lines of context.

Do the no payback test - If it never pays back, would i still do it? If no, skip. People can smell neediness.

Roles flip. Today's intern can be tomorrow's founder or investor. Treat titles like weather. Notice them. Don't worship them.

The truth is: attention is the rarest gift. Give it.

Costs? ₹0 / $0. In a world of chasing and one-upping, showing up wins.

And hey hey - spend five minutes and open one door before you log off today :)