Be a better person.
Every single day.
We’re all trying. Aren’t we?
To get smarter at work. To do better with people.
Just that, I share everything I learn, here.
Shamelessly LOL.
Who is Mani Karthik?
Small-town guy from India, who fell in love with the internet.
Went on to do some awesome stuff and worked with some of the smartest minds, at some of the coolest offices and places.
But wanted to do something on my own and decided to
return to India to follow my passion.
Today, I’m an entrepreneur & mentor,
helping early-stage startups grow.
If you got a kickass new app, product or service that needs help with growth, perhaps I can help.
If you’re hungry to learn about marketing
and think you could use directions from me, hit me up..
I’m on a mission to help NRIs who want to return to India, make it back easy & safe.
Companies I’ve worked with.
The Golden 90s in India
Life was so much fun back then, isn’t it?
“Chitrahaar” on Wednesdays, “Mahabharat” and “Disney Tales” on Sundays!
Lots of cricket, video games, friends and fun!
Boy, I miss those days!
Check out my 90’s India article. You’ll Love it.
The Blogger Life
Blogging has always been my passion.
Being able to pen down my thoughts & opinion on anything.
And someone from half-way around the globe, being able to collaborate to it.
Man, gives me the kick even today!
What do you really do bro?
It’s the most repeated question.
I help young early stage startups grow & scale. I blog & share my learning
here & on my YouTube channel.
I run websites, communities & such online properties.
If you got a product/app/website that can use my help, hit me up!
.
Are you an influencer?
“Sure. What can I influence you with today?”
I got a few thousand friends on social media. Doesn’t mean I’m out there to “influence”.
I make friends bro! Like we are, now.
What do you blog about?
I write about everything that I find interesting.
From personal finance to technology, spirituality, and everything in between.
Every day is a new learning and every blog is research.
My blog is just an extension of my personality.
What tools do you use?
I work from my home office and collaborate with remote teams.
Some of them are in the US, a few in Delhi, and few in Singapore.
We work together using various collaboration tools.
Trust me, there isn’t one day that goes by where I don’t test a new tool.
How to make money blogging
Being able to make money and earn a living through my blogs are truly a privilege and something that happened as an after effect of the things I do.
Today, blogging could be a career choice for anyone.
At least, it can earn you a side income, apart from your day job. Try it out.
Where do you host your blogs?
I host most of my blogs on reliable hosts with exceptional tech, good (read exceptional) customer support, and a lot of flexibility.
Never the cheapest ones or the most expensive ones.
This is why you’ll notice that, most of my high traffic websites are fast and popular!
What do you use for “SEO”?
I keep experimenting with different SEO tools all the time, but one that I’ve found myself using regularly is this one – SEMrush review.
It’s got everything that let me make my websites “Google friendly” and generate traffic.
It’s one of those tools that I don’t mind paying for. Take a look..
What email tool
do you use?
I’m not a big fan of email marketing as I personally find it spammy. But sometimes, you got to do what you got to do.
So for some projects, I end up using a lot of email marketing automations and a lot of emails..
And I do it only on tools that can send emails to my customers, easily.
What about your travel blog?
Just like you, I love travel for sure. But I’m not anything like a typical travel blogger. I don’t carry a GoPro wherever I go. I just can’t.
I’d rather immerse in the place and travel experience that I’d write about on the blog later. I write a lot about travel tips, safety and planning though. Like how to visit USA and which are the best travel insurance for USA, etc.
And what about personal finance?
It’s only since I moved to USA, that I learned about personal finance. Ever since, I’ve been experimenting. Where to invest, what to buy, where to buy, how to cut costs, what’s the best splurge etc.
Personal finance in India is still a young concept but I write a lot about best credit cards in India, stock trading, insurance and the like.
Why you obsessed with India?
India is an emotion. She’s so amazing that I haven’t found any other country as loving as she is.
Every few hours, you’ll find a different language, different culture, different food and what not. She’s overwhelming, she’s unpredictable and she’s so full of life.
To me, she’s a lot of opportunities to contribute, and uplift.
Listened to my Podcast, yet?
Or, watch my YouTube videos, perhaps?
Oh! I’ve been featured on the media. Flex! 😉
Join my FB Group
Answers to Your Questions
Are you an Idiot?
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Depends on who is asking and what I did just before. But generally, I am one. I think it’s nice to be a learner. Without assumptions. Like a blank page. You learn as you go.
Can I work with you?
Yes. If you have the talent and hunger, you can work with me and my team remotely. If you think you can help me, please contact me with the details and a quick intro.
What exactly do you do?
I have a small boutique company on my own. And I have many projects under it. I work with remote distributed teams who help me run the company. So it’s like a large team but working remotely.
Are you a blogger?
Yes. I fell in love with blogging back in the early 2000s and is still strong. Blogging lets me share my knowledge with anyone on the internet. It’s a weirdly satisfying feeling knowing that your blog helped someone.
I blog so I share what I learned!
I write about anything that I personally am interested in. As I research on the internet, I also try and create a blog on it, so that others who might be searching for it find it useful. I end up writing on anything and everything! Ah, the blogger life.
I wrote about the best banks in India – it is still one of the most popular articles on the blog. I even wrote about the best matrimonial sites in India once. Even best debit cards in India.
Ever since I got to the world of internet, I’ve been keeping watch of which are the best internet providers in India, so a best internet in India wala post to banta hai boss! Heck, I even have a separate article about best 4G internet in India.
Wondering which are the best tour operators in India? I got you covered. Wondering which are the best colleges for direction? I even wrote about the best online shopping websites in India. Sheesh, it took a month long research.
Blogging for passion and money!
I started blogging back in 2007-ish as a fun thing. Never a way to make money or anything. But this blog has grown so much that today it’s helping millions find answers to their questions.
I write about how to make money blogging but that’s just my way of giving back to the readers. Show them also, a way to make money online, do a side gig and fetch some dollars. Whatever I’ve tested (and sometimes failed) I share.
Typical Desi in USA story!
Being in USA, there’s a lot you learn. Everything from how to use credit cards to how to ship things to India. My seven years of life in US was filled with daily learning experiences and boy I wrote about them. Every little thing. Like which are the best India calling cards, how to get job in USA.. how to buy stuff from USA etc. Never did I know that others would find them interesting. But there it is.
I once wrote about what to buy from USA to India – super popular!
And of course, Tech to default hai! lol My Indian genes in the work.
I wrote about how to find unknown callers. I even wrote about best astrologers in India. Ever since I got into the world of personal finance, I wrote extensively about best stock trading apps in India and more..like how to start stock trading and such.
I’ve also been advocating the idea of having a side income via online methods like blogging and such (I talk about it extensively on the YouTube channel). So there are some very popular articles on the blog like best work from home jobs India and such.
Travel - One place at a time!
Wish I had a pic where I could pose in front of a private jet! Nah, I don’t do that. Yet.
My travel has been part of my work really. I travel a lot for attending conferences or meet a client or just taking a break between things. Working remotely gives you the luxury of traveling at your leisure.
And I write extensively about travel planning, hacks, tips for visa arrangements and stuff. You know, the dirty stuff I don’t find many people showing off about.
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Jose Veloso Salgado’s painting 1898 - :Vasco da Gama Perante O Samorim"
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