‘The Country Doesn’t Apologise’: What An Indian Entrepreneur Learned After Spending Days In US

A Mumbai-based entrepreneur revealed why he “came back with an uncomfortable thought” after visiting the United States for the first time. He spoke about a clear difference he noticed between how people in India and the US approach growth and success. During his early days in America admired the wide roads, tall buildings, driverless cars and beautiful sunsets.

Everything looked impressive and well planned. But after the initial excitement, he felt there was something more going on. According to him, America doesn’t hesitate while sharing its story. It speaks loudly, clearly and with full confidence.

A Filmmaker’s Way Of Seeing The World

Taking to X, the entrepreneur wrote, “I recently went to the US for the first time, and came back with an uncomfortable

thought. Most of us are taught to build quietly. Americans are taught to build loudly. For the first few days, I did what every first time visitor does. I stared at the roads, the buildings, the waymos and the sunsets. The spectacle works. It’s designed to. That’s the opening act.”

“But once the novelty wore off, something else became impossible to ignore. Beneath the infrastructure and branding was something deeper at play. America is exceptionally good at telling its own story. Not subtly. Not apologetically. Confidently. Almost aggressively,” he added.

I recently went to the US for the first time, and came back with an uncomfortable thought :

Most of us are taught to build quietly.
Americans are taught to build loudly.

For the first few days, I did what every first-time visitor does. I stared at the roads, the buildings, the… pic.twitter.com/R1CjY1JH2b

— anupam sidhant (@anupamsidhant) January 1, 2026

The businessman explained that once the early excitement faded, he began to notice how carefully everything was presented. With his background in films, he naturally breaks things down and studies them closely. He keeps thinking about why something is shown in a certain way and why it feels real or convincing.

He also shared that good artists guide people’s feelings on purpose. This is not a bad thing, but part of the job. When people trust the creator, they are happy to go along with the experience. Even when he knows that scenes, settings and moments are not real, he still enjoys believing in them.

He added, “America Owns the Suit: And this is where the US hit me hardest. The country doesn’t apologise for its story. It doesn’t whisper. It doesn’t downplay it. It wears the suit like it was tailored for it. The suit may be rented – but it wears it like it owns it. Now, a necessary disclaimer: I was only in California. I don’t pretend to understand the entire country. A friend rightly pointed out that landing elsewhere in the US might have given me a very different impression. That’s true. But the same applies to India, my home country. Where you land shapes what you think you know. So this is my version of California. This California had a very clear instinct.”

“They Don’t Just Build. They Celebrate: Every city has souvenir shops. Every town wears its name on a T-shirt. Colleges, beaches, studios – all merchandised, all celebrated. At Universal Studios, the parking lot is called Jurassic Parking. That detail alone is so revealing. They don’t just celebrate the fun details though. It’s warts and all. Hell they’ve even commoditised the metal mug that Al Capone drank coffee from in Alcatraz. That takes both pride and audacity. They build things – and then they make sure you know they built them. And here’s the part that surprised me, I didn’t feel manipulated. I felt invited. I bought four Trader Joe’s bags (among other things). I bought into the story willingly. I wanted to carry it back home,” the entrepreneur shared.

He explained that the real difference he noticed was not about skill, but about confidence. He felt that people know how to do good work, but hesitate to speak proudly about it. While growing up, many are taught to stay silent, avoid praising and let their work stay in the background. Over time, this turns into a habit of hiding others’ efforts. He believes this is not true humility, but fear of being judged. According to him, there is nothing wrong with saying you have done good work, especially when you have worked hard for years.

He also shared that people should stop hiding what they create. Making something and keeping it unseen helps no one. Sharing work in public, even if it is not perfect, builds clarity. He compared confident people with strong animals that remain calm and steady instead of panicking. From the young people he met abroad, he saw the same calm attitude and fearlessness. He believes this way of thinking plays a big role in building the future. To him, owning your story is a decision, and showing confidence helps others respect your work.