Mumbai to San Francisco: the Decade No One Sees

Hello {{first_name | There}}!

There was a long phase in my journey where nothing dramatic was happening.

No spikes.
No invitations.
No sense that things were “taking off.”

When I recorded my first online course almost a decade ago, it wasn’t done with confidence. It was done with uncertainty. A small room. Basic equipment. And a simple question I didn’t have the answer to yet. Will this matter to anyone?

What kept me moving wasn’t motivation.
It was repetition.

Years passed where progress felt invisible. Work went out quietly. Effort went in daily. Feedback came slowly, if at all. This is the phase most people underestimate. Not because it’s hard, but because it’s silent.

Growth doesn’t announce itself when it’s happening.

In September 2025, I found myself in two invite-only rooms in the same week. One in San Francisco. Another in Mumbai. Different continents. Different conversations. But the same realization.

Nothing “sudden” had happened.

Opportunities don’t arrive as rewards. They arrive as consequences.

Looking back, the pattern is obvious. It’s the same pattern Six Sigma has always taught us.

There was no viral moment.
No shortcut.
Just years of doing work that didn’t get noticed right away.

Recognition is delayed feedback. Capability is real-time.
Most journeys look ordinary until they suddenly don’t.

The compass never changed for me.
Help the learner.
Create real value.
Accept that results lag effort.

If you’re in a phase where the work feels slow and unseen, you’re not behind. You’re building depth.

What is the process you’re staying committed to today, even though it hasn’t paid back yet?

If this entry resonated, I share these reflections regularly on LinkedIn as well. Lessons from the field, the work, and the realities behind mastery. You can follow me there if you’d like to stay connected.

Until the next diary entry.
Reduce noise. Build capability. Stay the course.

Warm Regards,
Rahul G. Iyer.