Stop Planning. Start Building.
School taught you how to memorize. It didn’t teach you how to win.
We live in a world where a 16-year-old making dance videos earns more than a senior accountant. The old rules—”Get good grades, get a safe job, retire”—are dead.
Raj Shamani, one of India’s youngest and loudest entrepreneurs, wrote Build, Don’t Talk as a wake-up call for the internet generation. It is not a book about “business theory.” It is a book about execution.
If you are stuck in “Analysis Paralysis,” planning a business you never start, or afraid to post content because people might judge you, this guide is your kick in the teeth. In this Ultimate 2025 Guide, we break down how to stop talking about success and actually build it.
Part 1: The School Trap
Why are school toppers often employees of the backbenchers?
The Curriculum Gap
School rewards you for Compliance (doing what you are told) and Memorization.
The real world rewards you for Disruption (doing something new) and Problem Solving.
Shamani argues that unless you unlearn the “wait for permission” mindset school gave you, you will never build anything of value.
The Reality
You know the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. But do you know how to file taxes? How to sell a product? How to handle rejection?
2025 Application: Don’t wait for a degree to start a business. The market doesn’t care about your GPA; it cares about your ROI (Return on Investment).
Part 2: Content Creation is Not a Hobby
“If you are not creating content, you do not exist.”
In the past, real estate (land) was the most valuable asset. Today, Attention is the most valuable asset.
You don’t create content to become “famous.” You create content to build Leverage. When 10,000 people know, like, and trust you, you can sell anything, launch anything, or get hired anywhere.
Real World Example:
Look at freelancers.
Freelancer A: Has a resume.
Freelancer B: Has a TikTok/LinkedIn with 50k followers sharing tips.
Freelancer B charges 10x more because they have Authority.
Part 3: Stop Charging for Your Time
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is “Cost Plus Pricing.” (I worked 1 hour, I want $20).
The Wrong Way ❌
“It took me 10 minutes to fix this.”
If you charge based on time, you are punished for being fast and efficient. You cap your income because you run out of hours.
The Right Way ✅
“This fix saved you $10,000.”
Charge based on Value. If you design a logo that helps a company make millions, don’t charge $50. Charge based on the problem you solved, not the minutes you spent.
The 3 Rules of Growth
Shamani boils down success to three simple, aggressive rules.
1. Don’t Plan Too Much
Planning is procrastination in disguise. You cannot plan for variables you haven’t encountered yet. Start messy. Fix it later.
2. Listen to the Market
Don’t build what you want. Build what they want. If the market says your product sucks, it sucks. Don’t argue with the data.
3. Speed is Key
Money loves speed. The person who executes an average idea today beats the person who executes a perfect idea tomorrow.
Part 5: How to Network (Without Being annoying)
Networking isn’t about handing out business cards. It’s about value exchange.
The “Fanboy” Mistake: Approaching a mentor and saying, “Can I pick your brain?” (Translation: Can I steal your time for free?).
The “Value First” Approach:
“Hey, I saw your website has a broken link/typo. I fixed it for you, here is the code.”
Result: You provided value before asking for anything. Now they owe you attention.
Part 6: Fail Fast, Fail Cheap
In school, “F” stands for Failure. In business, “F” stands for Feedback.
If you haven’t failed, you haven’t tried anything hard enough. The goal isn’t to avoid failure; it’s to fail when the stakes are low so you learn the lesson cheaply.
The “Figuring It Out” Mindset
Nobody knows what they are doing when they start. Musk didn’t know how to build rockets. He figured it out.
Stop saying “I don’t know how.” Start saying “I will learn how.”
Conclusion: Close This Tab
Reading this blog post feels like work. But it isn’t work. It’s passive consumption.
The only way to respect the advice in Build, Don’t Talk is to stop reading and start doing.
Your Action Items:
- 📹 Post One Thing: A tweet, a video, a blog. Today.
- 💰 Identify One Problem: Find something broken in your life and fix it.
- 🔨 Start Building: Launch the imperfect version.
Don’t just be a consumer. Be a creator.
