Writing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is not enough. You have to write it, let your team study it, and then test whether they’ve actually learned it. At our company, we even reward the top scorer of the SOP quiz—a small token of appreciation, but it goes a long way.
Growing the team was one of the hardest things I’ve done. A few months ago, I made a classic mistake. I thought if I hired experienced people, they’d handle everything while I could focus on vision and strategy—the “easy” part.
But I was wrong.
Even experienced people need clear, written guidance. Because no one is truly experienced when it comes to building something that’s never been done before—especially a new business model.
It was a hard lesson.
I ended up writing a 36-page handwritten SOP—and it’s still growing. Anything I’ve had to say twice, I wrote down. Every past mistake? Documented. I even included the why behind every task, so people understand the purpose, not just the process.
Then came the KPIs.
SOPs are useless unless they’re followed—and KPIs ensure accountability. In my experience, strong performers appreciate KPIs, while poor performers avoid them. Implementing KPIs helped improve the quality and consistency of our work.
I also added the full history of Palki Motors to the handbook. Since then, something shifted. The team feels more connected. They understand the journey. They see why certain decisions were made, and where we’re headed.
This wasn’t just a management exercise—it was something I felt in my bones. It was hard. It was expensive. But now, the team understands the past better, aligns with the present, and believes in the future.