Not just a notebook!

I created this notebook during those challenging days at the hospital when my father was battling a terminal illness. I would often find myself alone in the hospital, which makes it a bittersweet memory for me. It's sweet because it represents the first product from my brand, Vigyan Vyanjan. I managed the entire process myself—from listing it on Amazon, packing and mailing it, to using a third-party service like Delhivery, and finally sending it to the Amazon warehouse. The Amazon customer care team was incredibly helpful; I received responses from them within minutes for issues I had been struggling with for months on my own.

It was bitter because I didn't conduct any research before creating the product, especially when customised notebooks were readily available in the market. Why would anyone want to purchase a notebook with images from NASA when those images are freely available? Moreover, the fact that my boss presented it as a challenge I could accomplish within a few months didn't make it any less bitter.

However, what makes it sweeter is the time I invested in creating it. It all began with listing the five astronomers, Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, Christiaan Huygens, and the legendary Isaac Newton, followed by extensive research about them. The most enjoyable part was crafting verses about their discoveries and then finding a suitable NASA image. I made sure to select an image that represented the latest findings built upon the original discovery by a specific astronomer. Most importantly, this endeavor provided me with the strength to face the days when my father's condition was critical. Coincidentally, during one of my searches for images, it coincided with the biggest challenge of my life. It required my family and me to make a difficult decision regarding an invasive procedure that could prolong my father's life - without which he might not survive. Unlike many of the astronomers who did not receive support for their discoveries because they were ahead of their time, I received full support from my family to make this decision independently. Not to mention, the foundation of this enterprise lies in my father teaching his daughter, always smiling even in the ICU.

It's no wonder that the notebook received positive feedback. None of the customers knew the backstory, but just as love is a special magical ingredient in cooking, it also plays a significant role in any other venture. In this case, it was my father's love for me that became the special ingredient in the creation of Stellar Bagels.

The amazing suggestions I received from numerous diverse people—mostly friends—will help me bring forth another stellar product. This time, it won't just be a notebook.

*ITC offers much higher quality and lower-priced notebooks that I would prefer to use over my own. However, I still have 60 copies of Stellar Bagels, so for the next few years, you can guess which notebook I will be scribbling on.

**Images from NASA can be used for commercial purposes with proper credits and a disclaimer stating that NASA does not endorse the product or the company.

^I did refer to Wikipedia.

Stellar Bagels, which features Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Huygens, and Newton, is an A5-sized notebook. Get your copy now from our shop or Amazon!

This blog article was first published on sciencebagels.com.