Consultant - Commodity and Energy Trading

Startup Idea 2: Matrimony Matchmaking

What started as an Instagram-inspired social experiment has turned into a startup idea. (Refer: Men https://grapevine.in/post/808462ef-8ae0-4269-aaa3-c683ba1194bb and women https://grapevine.in/post/6bcaeffa-0cac-44a2-98a5-fc7a14786e85 survey) Few observations: 1. Our generation has moved on from orthodox thinking (baring few people) to more emotional compatibility 2. Men have more worldly expectations, while women seek spiritual features; none are right/wrong as long as they find each other. 3. Very glad that no one 'expected' the partner to take up gendered roles as dictated by society So, coming to the matchmaking platform. The idea is to have all aspects of life considered - personality, profession, family, demographics, physical attributes, etc. and have a weighted scale against them. Though I have my doubts here 1. An Introvert will need an extrovert to seek them but will be drained of social battery later. How do they match? 2. Physical attributes pull down people who aren't confident with their looks; that doesn't relate to how good/bad they are as partners. But without pictures, it will be a risky surprise element. 3. Prevent parents from creating accounts on children's behalf. Probably a social media log-in Share your thoughts on the compatibility algorithm and the problems we may face. P.S. I am not a techie, will need someone to actually build this. Will take care of marketing. Let's help someone find their soulmate ❤️ P.P.S. If this takes off, I will change my username to TimaSaparia

Lohum Plans $200M Fundraise Ahead of 2027 IPO

- Lohum, a critical mineral refining and processing company, is planning to raise $200 million from private equity funds as it prepares for an IPO in early 2027. - The company aims to expand its capacity in lithium, nickel, platinum, palladium, and cathode active materials across multiple locations in India. - Lohum has already raised $100 million since its inception in 2018, with investors including Singularity Growth, Baring Private Equity, and Cactus Venture Partners. - The company announced the expansion of its lithium refining capabilities with a new 1,000-tonnes-per-annum facility, making it one of the largest lithium refiners outside of China. - Lohum's current annual revenue stands at around ₹1,000 crore, with plans to quadruple it by 2027 through significant capacity expansions and new projects. Source: [The Economic Times](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/ipos/fpos/lohum-plans-to-raise-200-million-ahead-of-ipo/articleshow/118771793.cms), [Mint](https://www.livemint.com/companies/lohum-ipo-in-early-2027-mineral-refining-lithium-cobalt-refiners-11741268695124.html)

Can I get scolded in corporate? Or set boundaries. Long post but if you read till end i would be happy!

I'm not sure who needs to hear this, but I’m briefly sharing my experience! I have around 3YOE in software development. Previously, I worked at a large product-based company, where everything was fine except for the salary and hikes, which didn't meet my expectations. So, I decided to switch jobs and ended up at a consulting start-up-like firm with a small product development team (about 15 people inc myself), receiving a decent 50% raise. This is my first job switch. The working style between the two companies is significantly different (5 days WFO, only formal attire, 10 hr working as the norm, etc.). I've noticed a few odd things. ->It’s my third month in this company, and I admit I’m a bit of a slow performer. It’s taking me time to understand their applications, pick up the pace, and get up to speed. My assigned tasks are falling behind deadlines, while my co-workers are able to complete theirs on time. I acknowledge this, and I’m working on improving and catching up. ->In meetings and scrum calls, I’m getting yelled at when my tasks don't progress. If I hit a roadblock and ask my manager or the lead for help, instead of getting the support I need, I’m hit with questions like, "We've implemented the same feature in other applications without any issues—why are you the only one facing these doubts or blockers?" or "If xyz (a colleague who joined with me but has less experience) is getting their tasks done, why are you the only one struggling with these doubts or blockers?" ->Frequent UI-UX changes and sudden shifts in implementation, whenever they feel like it, are quite confusing for me and result in a lot of rework. However, these ad-hoc changes are never acknowledged, and the effort spent on reworking isn't captured anywhere. When I mention that I've worked on these changes, they respond by questioning why I need time for them, as if my code will magically handle everything on its own,apne ap hojayega! -> I am questioning my abilities after coming to this team, whether I am the right fit or not. Very harsh comments are passed right in front of my face: Other team mates say to me that "You are Lucky in this team! This much leverage the management has never given to me or others, they are baring you even if your tasks are not moving ahead!", In 1-on-1 my manager is saying ki "I don't know, this much leverage and patience we have never shown to anyone"(its hardly 2.5m after joining), "I don't know what to say, other team mates are asking me(to my manager) if he(ie me) can do lesser work ,we are performing way higher why do you have problems with us! This creates problems in teams". He further added "Comparison shouldn't be made, but xyz is also newly joined but he picked up, but I don't have confidence in you to give any task and feel you will accomplish it!" ->When I ask my co-workers casual questions or try to have a small interaction, their responses are things like, "Oh, do we really have to explain all this?" or "What do you want this time? Why are you eating my head?" It's a small team of 14-15 people, and they all sit together and go for coffee or lunch, but no one includes me or talks to me. I know this isn't directly related to work, and it shouldn't matter, but I just wanted to express how uncomfortable the air is around me. -> Even though xyz’s work has several bugs and coding standard mismatches, it’s brushed off as normal. But when it comes to my work, it’s heavily scrutinized. My manager even created a group with a tester where, every day, I have to update what feature I implemented and log the hours I spent on it. The tester then immediately tests it and flags bugs on the same day. This testing happens alongside my development, even before my code is pushed to production. It feels like my manager has completely lost trust in me, and now, every hour of my work is under a microscope. Some of you might be managers—how do you handle folks in their first few months of joining? How do you handle someone who performs slow? I’m constantly improving, and compared to previous sprints, my tasks are getting better, but before I can even take a breath, I’m hit with these comments that make me feel dumb. The phrases I’ve included in quotes are actual words I hear daily, and I've only mentioned a few of them. Is this how corporate life works? Is it normal to be treated like this, or should I feel privileged that I haven't been fired yet? Should I be setting boundaries when it comes to receiving such intense criticism? I’m not sure what to do. No matter how much I push myself to improve, it feels like they expect me to perform at 200kph, and I just can’t keep up. I feel completely inadequate and dumb. Thanks for reading all the way through...