From “too much work” to “I’m doing it.”

This week, I want to share the story of someone in that raw, early stage of building something from nothing.

I met Komal Kashiramka at a networking event a few months ago. We hit it off immediately and have supported each other in our respective journeys.

I was inspired by her focus, her passion, and—most of all—her generosity. You know when someone’s all in on what they’re building, and it’s not coming from ego? That’s her.

Komal is the founder of Poshan, a startup rethinking how families make one of the most essential (and underrated) foods in the world: roti.

She’s building a fully automatic countertop appliance that makes hot, soft rotis with the push of a button—no preservatives, no plastic, no stress.

What inspired me wasn’t just what she’s building–an actual physical product in a startup ecosystem obsessed with AI tools. It was why she finally said yes—and what it took to get there.

“It’s too much work… it feels lonely.”

That was Komal’s first reaction to the idea of starting a business.

Too many moving parts. Too many unknowns. And the toughest part? The prospect of doing it alone.

But over time, something started to shift. The discomfort didn’t disappear—but it stopped being the loudest voice in the room.

“I care about the damn thing… I am doing it.”

That was the moment. No big external sign. No funding round or perfect co-founder falling from the sky. Just a decision: this matters enough to begin.

“If I care about it, I better do something about it.”

What Happens After You Say Yes

Like any early-stage founder, Komal didn’t get here in a straight line.

The path from idea to action is full of twists. False starts. Dead ends that turn out to be goldmines—once you’ve had time to learn from them.

And that’s part of the deal. You try something, it doesn’t work, and then you come back stronger. That’s not failure. That’s the business working on you—making you more resilient, more creative, more antifragile.

The Co-Founder Wake-Up Call

Like many early-stage founders, Komal felt the unspoken pressure to find a co-founder—advice echoed by startup mentors, successful entrepreneurs, and the collective “wisdom” of the ecosystem.

She spent months trying to make the relationship work.

It wasn’t a lack of skill. It was a lack of alignment. She kept showing up. Kept giving trust. And kept hearing that it wasn’t enough.

“They wanted a lot more trust from me than they were willing to give.”

Eventually, she called time on it. Not with bitterness—but with clarity.

The kind of clarity that we’ve all experienced at one point:

“I’m not going to stall my momentum waiting for someone else to catch up.”

What She’s Focused on Now

When we spoke, Komal was shifting from pitching the concept to building something real—an actual, working prototype.

The idea is simple: fresh rotis, made at home, without the headache. For families who want quality, cultural connection, and real food—without having to carve out another hour to make it happen.

You can find her sharing practical insights across platforms—like which artificial preservatives to avoid, how rotis are a good source of fiber, and why roti deserves a comeback in modern diets. She’s having fun with it, too.

👉 Start here: @rotitales on Instagram and rotitales.com, where you’ll find the full list of where she’s active.

“At this point, my relationship with the idea is the most important thing. Everything else will come later.”

What If That’s True for You Too?

Here’s what I love about Komal’s story:

She didn’t leap because everything lined up. She leapt because she stopped waiting for it to.

This is what deciding looks like.
Not a perfect plan.
Not total clarity.
Just caring enough to start.

Know someone who’s standing at the cusp of starting their own business?
Forward them this post. You never know what story will be the one that helps them finally say yes.

With inspiration,

Pierre

Certified Professional Coach

P.S. Komal spent 20+ years leading engineering and product teams at Meta, Microsoft, and Gopuff. She knows how to lead. This time, she’s choosing to follow her own vision. More here.

Photo by siddharth vyas on Unsplash