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Eye of a Tiger - Drishti'12 by Christ University

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Around a month back, on 27th January 2012 I got an opportunity to be a part of a wonderful platform at Christ University in Bangalore . The stage was Drishti'12 -  a platform for the visionaries of tomorrow to envision where India would stand by the year 2020. I was really fortunate that they choose me to be one of the judges among the three. The other two eminent judges were Prof. C.S.Dikshit and Srinivas S. Bubbling with ideas and imagination, participants challenged their thought processes and presented on following topics: Banking and Finance Economy Science and Technology International Issues Social Issues Environmental Issues They painted a vivid picture of how India will look like in these areas by year 2020. To me, the whole exercise was significant since it showed how India is preparing generation next to dream, break out of mold and imagine things which may look like very far, but in reality, catching up - changing fast. A lot of work had gone by eve

When we are not targets or traffic,

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we are eyeballs! But aren't we more than just unique traffic numbers? We are human beings who want the respect and treatment of a human being from the products we use. And that's why I don't want to see the results which Charlie Sheen sees. I want to see what I want to see. After all technology enables behavior, it doesn't cause them. Don't believe me? Hear out Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg

The problem with mass mailers is

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that they are "MASS" mailers. They are not written to me, they are not written for me and yet they land up in my inbox day after day, week after week, month after month.  So here is a solution: I need these mass mailers to be renamed as -mailers where denotes my name I need -mailers to talk to me Don't ask me how for #2. After all every time I transact with your website, your Facebook page, your Twitter profile; I leave so much of my critical information there like my name, browsing history, demographics - go and use that Make me partner in crime - use my information to benefit me.  See which city/country/hotel/airline I book and get deals on those for me at my -mailer See what do I read and publish that for me at my -mailer. Don't give all the junk authors I don't care about When you will do all this, may be our relationship can finally get better!

"That's how organizations work"

"But I have never done this before, so why should I do this?" "But my business unit uses different tool, then why should I use your tool?" "But it is working fine, so why do we need it!"  As soon as we get overly tied to the lessons we are taught in business school or elsewhere, we start doing things the way it’s been done in the past. And then we’re going to have a company that’s like those that existed in the past

Faster Horse or Car

Henry Ford, after "invented" the car and the process around it was asked if he asked around for what his customers want - in other words did a market research? He said, "If I would have asked them, they would have asked for faster horse, not car!" A lot of organizations with their razor sharp focus on their stakeholders requirements get into what I call a "faster horse" trap, where they just end up building a better version of what their stakeholders have used/already been using. What's more. at times, it backfires and "faster horse" ends up being "pooped horse". Then there is other side of the spectrum where data rules and whatever stakeholder wants in as a requirement, she has to substantiate with data. Sounds great and works great (most of the time). It becomes an Achilles heel when there is no data to substantiate a requirement, an ambitious requirement  which needs people to be intuitive and only people who have gone thro