90 Days Update & Roadmap

"The first step is to decide what to work on. The work you choose needs to have three qualities: it has to be something you have a natural aptitude for, that you have a deep interest in, and that offers scope of great work." - Paul Graham

90 days into starting Trek Library , it is safe to say that I have found what to work on. It meets all three criterias stated above. It took me a decade to get here but now that I am here, I plan to go all-in. 

Here is a snapshot of newsletter growth since we started:

April 15 - 0 subscribers

May 15 - 75 subscribers

June 15 - 151 subscribers

July 7 - 250 subscribers

It is nothing to beat my chest about but that's almost a plane full of amazing people. Let's get into what I have in store for the next 1 / 3 / 6 / 12 months. The principal driver of all projects is to follow my curiosity, learn, document and share with you.

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Corporate ambassador program

How to grow Trek Library without compromising on the quality of our members?

Majority readers of this newsletter are well educated, work for a reputed company and have ambitious dreams. You take good care of their families, health and finances. And of course you enjoy being in nature which is the common thread of this tribe. 

I could very well run targeted social media ads and gain a big following fast but would end up risking the high quality of community we currently have. So far it has been a curated experience with me inviting those that I believe share common traits. Ads is a gamble I am not willing to take right now.

Couldn't the money for ads be used for a more worthy cause?

This has led me to create an unique brand ambassador led program called 'Heal The Himalayas'. The health of our mountains is a genuine concern and I want to contribute. 

A referral program where we will donate money on behalf of our brand ambassadors for every new subscriber that comes through them. Waste Warriors , whose mission is to remove garbage from the Himalayas will be our on-the-ground execution partners.

Four amazing community members have volunteered to help spread the word - Elston Misquitta Jayesh Parelkar Smriti M Tushar Samal . If you would be interested in joining, read the full details here .

Imagine, helping clean the mountains just by asking your adventure loving colleagues, cousins, friends or neighbor to join our community!

Launch time: 30 days.

Youtube & Podcast 🎙

The next progressive step is to invite elite athletes for a long form conversation around adventure, sports, health and mindset. The modern athlete, professional and non-professional, takes their craft seriously and is constantly evolving. From supplements to strength training to sleep. There's a lot we will gain from their process.

In the typical spirit of Trek Library - I will dissect, learn, document and share my findings with you. This time in a new format of video and audio.

Last night, I recorded the first episode with strength and nutrition coach Aanchal Aneja . I will be speaking with 'Seven Summits' climber Deeya Bajaj  next week and have an amazing lineup of guests including Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awardee Keval Kakka  and my dear humble giant friend Bharath Thammineni .

Once I have a bank of 10 episodes I will start releasing them.

Launch time: 90 days

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Coaching 🧑🏽🏫

During the Instagram Live chat  with my brother Sehgal Sahab  of Boots & Crampons we were discussing the main reasons why there have been a significant increase in accidents and deaths on the mountains. I had even spoken to SDRF rescue officers to understand the root cause of why so many trekkers died in 2022 .

Going unprepared, hiring cheap guides to save money and lack of knowledge about the trail were the top 3 reasons.

Even those that do prepare, train for a race rather than for a trek. Both sports require different training. You won't expect a high altitude trekker who has never ran to do a half marathon, would you? Similarly don't expect to safely complete a high altitude peak even if you are a good runner. 

I envision three different levels of coaching -

Climb a 4000 m / 5000 m / 6000 m peak

A group / cohort style course has the highest success rate in terms of student satisfaction and transfer of knowledge. Wheels in my head are turning and I want to make this the best trekking course available online. 

Launch time: 6 months.

Sports Nutrition 💊

The long term goal is to develop science backed nutritional products that solve health problems and improve athletic performance of active individuals. You and me.

Again, my starting point is to scratch my own itch and see how far it will take me. I have struggled with muscle cramps and a leaky gut for decades. These would be the first problems I would work on.

But, I'm no scientist!

So, I reached out to a reputed university that has a fully functional research lab and scientists that will help me with the formulations, testing, licensing etc. A MOU is being prepared and I am extremely excited about this venture.

Launch time: 12 - 15 months

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Each of these projects are being built keeping YOU in mind. If there is anything you are struggling with when it comes to your training, mindset, logistics for a trek, please get in touch.