UPDATED - Venue in Hyd & Chennai + Panelists in Chennai
Listing all events scheduled around the book in next 2 weeks.
All are welcome :)
MUMBAI
Date: Friday July 16, 2010
Venue: Oxford Bookstore, Churchgate
Time: 630 pm
Panel: Ranjiv Ramchandani (Tantra tshirts) and Sunita Ramnathkar (Fem) - both featured in Connect the Dots will be there to interact with the audience.
HYDERABAD
Date: Friday July 23, 2010
Venue: Landmark bookstore, Banjara Hills road # 12
Time: 630 pm
Panel discussion on entrepreneurship with:
Deepesh Agarwal, founder, GoCars (An ISB graduate who is currently operating his mobile technology start up from the Incubation Lab on the ISB campus).
Mansur Ahamed, founder, Tigertail Gaming Studios (An IIM Ahmedabad graduate who turned down offers from investment banks to start up his own venture).
Sundar Subramanian, co-founder Dimdim Technologies (An MS in Computer Science from Drexel University, passionate about working on cutting edge technology).
CHENNAI
Date: Saturday July 24, 2010
Venue: Landmark bookstore, Citi Centre, Mylapore
Time: 630 pm
Panel:
Mr M Mahadevan of Oriental Cuisine, from Connect the Dots
Mr K Raghavendra Rao of Orchid Pharma, from Stay Hungry Stay Foolish
Sudarshan Anandkumar, co-founder of TING, a recent start-up.
Apart from the above I would be visiting a couple of colleges in each city. And if any of you would like to do a meetup over dinner after these events let me know!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Connecting the Dots in Pune
An event around 'Connect the Dots' in Pune - many of you have asked when? Well. here it is at last and here are the details
Date: Friday 9th of July
Time: 630 pm
Venue: Landmark bookstore, SGS mall
You are all cordially invited!
Hanmant Gaikwad (Jugaad section of CTD, founder of Bhatrat Vikas Group) will be present. I have also invited two local entrepreneurs – Saurabh Garg (co-founder, Four Fountains spa chain) and Ajay Aggarwal (IT entrepreneur and mentor to start-ups).
So we’ll have a small panel discussion & audience interaction – so do come, join in if you can!
Date: Friday 9th of July
Time: 630 pm
Venue: Landmark bookstore, SGS mall
You are all cordially invited!
Hanmant Gaikwad (Jugaad section of CTD, founder of Bhatrat Vikas Group) will be present. I have also invited two local entrepreneurs – Saurabh Garg (co-founder, Four Fountains spa chain) and Ajay Aggarwal (IT entrepreneur and mentor to start-ups).
So we’ll have a small panel discussion & audience interaction – so do come, join in if you can!
The Naked Truth
So, there is currently a controversy around whether a well-loved professor of NID asked students to undress, as part of an experiment. The chap stoutly denies the allegation and students have come out in his support.
Course participant Pratik Shah told DNA: "The concept of his course is that we all are bound by many things like the norms of society, fear of different things and so on. If we want to be creative in the work that we do, we need to free ourselves from this binding which will enable us to think out of the box."
So, there was a session where each student was asked to walk alone in the night in 'pitch dark' of a jungle without a torch. And yes, there were 'talks' of nudity to take students beyond their comfort zone.
"There was also a session on 'who would strip' just to challenge the need for conformance to societal norms, but when somebody dared to do so, the professor stopped them."
I personally believe this version of events. I also believe we in India are especially touchy when it comes to nudity. Which is funny, considering our national dress (the sari) reveals more than the standard attire of most other cultures.
I think it starts early, this idea that nudity is somehow dirty and/or undesirable. Toddlers are taught that to be nanga is 'shame shame'. I mean sure, we have to teach them to keep their pants on but why choose an adjective like that?
Then there was the issue of privacy; the concept hardly existed in our society. Both for cultural and logistical reasons.
Mujhe yaad aata hai wo scene. In the aangan of our old house in Ratlam my uncles bathing in their blue and green striped kacchhas. My aunts - when we sometimes bathed together for logistical reasons (a large family with single gusalkhana) - always kept their underclothes on.
I think it was quite common to do so, even when bathing alone.
My first shock as far as nudity goes is when I was at high school in the US. In the locker rooms after PE class, girls did not squeeze their wet bodies into clothes inside the bathrooms. Afraid that someone might see them exposed - the way we would be.
They had body confidence which desis of my generation simply never had.
My next adventure with nudity occurred - ironically - during a course we took at IIMA called ERI (Exploring Roles and Identity). But there was no instructor involved.
In the dead of the night, on the beach of Teethal (near Valsad) where we spent four days, a friend suggested we go skinnydipping.
And that's what we did. Removing clothes was the easy part; walking into the darkness towards the water was what scared me. Even though it's a flat beach - in low tide the sea recedes a km away. The waves are small and gentle. So you know you can't get swept away...
It felt good.
Five years later I was in Kyoto, staying at an international youth hostel. The place was great, but there was one problem. They had Japanese style bathrooms, meaning no private bathing area.
You enter a large room with showers on the side. In the centre of the room is a largish tub. After showering you can go soak in the tub - with other people.
So there are separate baths for men and women but still, the first day I decided I couldn't. I simply did not have a bath. But on day two I said - what the hell. This too is an experience. I showered and then sat in the hot tub - nude - with two Korean girls (also nude).
We briefly glanced at each other and noted the difference in body structure (they were very slim and small built). And that was it - no awkwardness at all. They didn't speak English and I didn't speak Korean, so we all enjoyed the warmth of the water (It was December and bloody cold!).
I slept really well that night :)
I think I crossed the final frontier when I gave birth to Nivedita. A different doctor came in every 15 minutes to check how many cms I was dilated under a flimsy sheet. And my mother, mother-in-law and husband hung around watching like it was no big deal.
Later I realised, it was a liberating moment.
Or maybe I was just in too much pain to feel shy or violated!
That day I fell in love with this amazing piece of biological machinery that is my body. And in the years since, I have made a conscious effort to love myself.
All of myself, including my physical being.
Well no more 'adventures' since then. But if I happen to be on the French Riviera and find a nudist colony on the beach, I won't hesitate to take my clothes off.
I don't have a perfect body. Maybe I will, someday. But it's really not about that.
If someone asks you to strip in a classroom - sure, that's unacceptable. But try it in the privacy of your own home, with curtains drawn. I bet most of us will quickly cover ourselves up because... it just feels 'unnatural'.
Which is ironic, isn't it?
And in a metaphorical sense, can you see all the layers of beliefs, of rules and judgements with which you cover up your True Self? Imagine looseing your tie, opening the buttons... shedding even a belief or two.
You will feel light and easy and all-new.
Course participant Pratik Shah told DNA: "The concept of his course is that we all are bound by many things like the norms of society, fear of different things and so on. If we want to be creative in the work that we do, we need to free ourselves from this binding which will enable us to think out of the box."
So, there was a session where each student was asked to walk alone in the night in 'pitch dark' of a jungle without a torch. And yes, there were 'talks' of nudity to take students beyond their comfort zone.
"There was also a session on 'who would strip' just to challenge the need for conformance to societal norms, but when somebody dared to do so, the professor stopped them."
I personally believe this version of events. I also believe we in India are especially touchy when it comes to nudity. Which is funny, considering our national dress (the sari) reveals more than the standard attire of most other cultures.
I think it starts early, this idea that nudity is somehow dirty and/or undesirable. Toddlers are taught that to be nanga is 'shame shame'. I mean sure, we have to teach them to keep their pants on but why choose an adjective like that?
Then there was the issue of privacy; the concept hardly existed in our society. Both for cultural and logistical reasons.
Mujhe yaad aata hai wo scene. In the aangan of our old house in Ratlam my uncles bathing in their blue and green striped kacchhas. My aunts - when we sometimes bathed together for logistical reasons (a large family with single gusalkhana) - always kept their underclothes on.
I think it was quite common to do so, even when bathing alone.
My first shock as far as nudity goes is when I was at high school in the US. In the locker rooms after PE class, girls did not squeeze their wet bodies into clothes inside the bathrooms. Afraid that someone might see them exposed - the way we would be.
They had body confidence which desis of my generation simply never had.
My next adventure with nudity occurred - ironically - during a course we took at IIMA called ERI (Exploring Roles and Identity). But there was no instructor involved.
In the dead of the night, on the beach of Teethal (near Valsad) where we spent four days, a friend suggested we go skinnydipping.
And that's what we did. Removing clothes was the easy part; walking into the darkness towards the water was what scared me. Even though it's a flat beach - in low tide the sea recedes a km away. The waves are small and gentle. So you know you can't get swept away...
It felt good.
Five years later I was in Kyoto, staying at an international youth hostel. The place was great, but there was one problem. They had Japanese style bathrooms, meaning no private bathing area.
You enter a large room with showers on the side. In the centre of the room is a largish tub. After showering you can go soak in the tub - with other people.
So there are separate baths for men and women but still, the first day I decided I couldn't. I simply did not have a bath. But on day two I said - what the hell. This too is an experience. I showered and then sat in the hot tub - nude - with two Korean girls (also nude).
We briefly glanced at each other and noted the difference in body structure (they were very slim and small built). And that was it - no awkwardness at all. They didn't speak English and I didn't speak Korean, so we all enjoyed the warmth of the water (It was December and bloody cold!).
I slept really well that night :)
I think I crossed the final frontier when I gave birth to Nivedita. A different doctor came in every 15 minutes to check how many cms I was dilated under a flimsy sheet. And my mother, mother-in-law and husband hung around watching like it was no big deal.
Later I realised, it was a liberating moment.
Or maybe I was just in too much pain to feel shy or violated!
That day I fell in love with this amazing piece of biological machinery that is my body. And in the years since, I have made a conscious effort to love myself.
All of myself, including my physical being.
Well no more 'adventures' since then. But if I happen to be on the French Riviera and find a nudist colony on the beach, I won't hesitate to take my clothes off.
I don't have a perfect body. Maybe I will, someday. But it's really not about that.
If someone asks you to strip in a classroom - sure, that's unacceptable. But try it in the privacy of your own home, with curtains drawn. I bet most of us will quickly cover ourselves up because... it just feels 'unnatural'.
Which is ironic, isn't it?
And in a metaphorical sense, can you see all the layers of beliefs, of rules and judgements with which you cover up your True Self? Imagine looseing your tie, opening the buttons... shedding even a belief or two.
You will feel light and easy and all-new.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Life and death
48 hours after she was found hanging from her ceiling, newschannels are still speculating,"Who killed Viveka Babajee???!!!"
Methinks the frisson of excitement is for two reasons:
* The victim was a model, in fact she was the KS model. So, enough pretty pictures and rampwalking sequences to make bad news look kind of good. Which matters a great deal on television.
Plus, her friends are models, so a chance to beam more pretty faces - all of whom declare she was wonderful and strong and they are shocked. But not shocked enough to appear on TV teary-eyed, or without make-up.
* Dozens of people kill themselves everyday - who cares. But if someone who is beautiful, successful, rich and famous kills themselves... ouch! That means the majority of human beings - average-looking, unknown, living in Vasai (E), with nagging mother-in-laws and leakage in the bathroom - what hope do they have?
So - accept your Fate. Nobody is happy, samjhe?
The other aspect of this story I find sad is the glee with which anchors and columnists are placing the blame on a 'string of unhappy relationships'. That the break-up with the latest guy in her life was the straw that broke her back.
Okay. This line of thought assumes that people who get married to their boyfriends will definitely be happy and never think about killing themselves.
Let me give you a (completely imaginary but plausible) scenario B.
Ex-model marries stockbroker boyfriend.
They quickly discover, we are not 'made for each other'.
Husband sleeps around (openly).
Wife sleeps around (discreetly).
The two rage and sulk, fight and argue.
Every day, every night...
Two things can happen:
* The couple separates
* The couple sticks on
The second scenario is more likely if a child has been born. You see, the child needs a 'family' (at least in the photo album).
The woman adjusts to the 'benefits' that come with the tag of being Mrs XYZ. Bangla, gaadi, spending money she doesn't have to earn.
The man also enjoys his perks. After all, someone has to manage dhobi, cook, 'bring up' the children and keep elders happy (chalo, finally dikra settle toh ho gaya).
And so Boy and Girl stay together - for reasons of lifestyle, for convenience and for social status. There is no 'love', no real sharing or companionship. But why kill yourself over it?
You are already a part of the 'Living Dead'.
Also see: Blog I wrote back in 2006 - Depression: It could happen to you
Methinks the frisson of excitement is for two reasons:
* The victim was a model, in fact she was the KS model. So, enough pretty pictures and rampwalking sequences to make bad news look kind of good. Which matters a great deal on television.
Plus, her friends are models, so a chance to beam more pretty faces - all of whom declare she was wonderful and strong and they are shocked. But not shocked enough to appear on TV teary-eyed, or without make-up.
* Dozens of people kill themselves everyday - who cares. But if someone who is beautiful, successful, rich and famous kills themselves... ouch! That means the majority of human beings - average-looking, unknown, living in Vasai (E), with nagging mother-in-laws and leakage in the bathroom - what hope do they have?
So - accept your Fate. Nobody is happy, samjhe?
The other aspect of this story I find sad is the glee with which anchors and columnists are placing the blame on a 'string of unhappy relationships'. That the break-up with the latest guy in her life was the straw that broke her back.
Okay. This line of thought assumes that people who get married to their boyfriends will definitely be happy and never think about killing themselves.
Let me give you a (completely imaginary but plausible) scenario B.
Ex-model marries stockbroker boyfriend.
They quickly discover, we are not 'made for each other'.
Husband sleeps around (openly).
Wife sleeps around (discreetly).
The two rage and sulk, fight and argue.
Every day, every night...
Two things can happen:
* The couple separates
* The couple sticks on
The second scenario is more likely if a child has been born. You see, the child needs a 'family' (at least in the photo album).
The woman adjusts to the 'benefits' that come with the tag of being Mrs XYZ. Bangla, gaadi, spending money she doesn't have to earn.
The man also enjoys his perks. After all, someone has to manage dhobi, cook, 'bring up' the children and keep elders happy (chalo, finally dikra settle toh ho gaya).
And so Boy and Girl stay together - for reasons of lifestyle, for convenience and for social status. There is no 'love', no real sharing or companionship. But why kill yourself over it?
You are already a part of the 'Living Dead'.
Also see: Blog I wrote back in 2006 - Depression: It could happen to you
Sunday, June 20, 2010
'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' - review
Like millions of others, I recently discovered Stieg Larsson's 'Girl with the Dragon tattoo' and said, "Wow, what a book!"At one level it's a pretty good murder mystery but what I really loved was the backdrop. I've read one too many book set in London, Paris, Los Angeles & New York. Sweden is a whole new and fascinating world and came with many surprises.
I've always thought of Sweden as some kind of socialist paradise where people are smiling, peaceful and blonde. Well, this book brutally explodes that postcard picture. The Sweden where girls sport dragon tattoos has a dark underbelly - just like any other part of the world.
The principal character in the book is Michael Blomkvist, a journalist who brings out a small magazine called 'Millenium'. At the very beginning, Michael is sentenced to 3 months in prison for defaming a business magnate by the name Hans-Erik Wennerstorm.
Not that Wennerstorm ain't a slimeball, but sometimes, it's complicated.
To save his magazine and his sanity, Blomkvist takes up an unusual assignment from another tycoon called Henrik Vanger. Vanger is obsessed with a 37 year old mystery in his family - the disappearance of his 16 year old niece Harriet. Foul play was suspected, but neither her body nor her murderer were ever found.
Henrik wants Blomkvist to examine the mystery with 'fresh eyes' and is willing to pay a humongous sum of money if Blomkvist agrees to spend a year in the rural outpost of Hedestad. Pretending to write a book on the Vanger family and empire.
So far so good, but the really interesting character in the tale is runnning a parallel track. Lisbeth Salander is a quaint, misunderstood, genius-level hacker and freelance private detective. In fact, officially, she is considered 'unfit' as an adult and therefore must have a legal guardian provided by the State.
And here's where the author really departs from the world of Agatha Christie where evil lurks in man even in the idyllic countryside. But there is never any cruelty, exploitation or indeed systemic failure.
You are forced to wonder, who, really can decide on another man or woman's sanity? People who would never sport a dragon tattoo and appear to be model citizens can actually, be monsters underneath.
In fact the original Swedish title of the book 'Men who hate women' is quite appropriate! I won't say anymore because it will take away from your reading pleasure. Salander and Blomkvist eventually team up and discover deep dark secrets (yeh part thoda filmi laga mujhe) but hell, I'm sure Hollywood will soon make one :)
Apart from the 'story', I enjoyed a couple of other aspects about the book. Blomkvist has sex with three different women - but it's not in the James Bond mode. There's just a different sense of morality, less boxed-in relationships.
For example, Erika - Blomkvists's long time friend and business partner - is married to Greger. But she spends many evenings and weekends with him, with the knowledge - and tacit consent - of her husband. And this arrangement works fine for all three parties.
Lastly, Blomkvist is passionate about the role and responsibility of journalists. In fact, he has written a book titled 'The Knights Templar: A Cautionary Tale for Financial Reporters' in which he minces no words to describe the depths to which this reportage has fallen.
"In the last 20 years, Swedish financial journalists had developed into a group of incompetent lackeys who were puffed up with their own self-importance and who had no record of thinking critically... (they) seemed content to regurgitate the statements issued by CEOs and stock market speculators - even when this information was plainly misleading or wrong."
Sounds familiar doesn't it? Human nature, and the nature of power and politics is pretty much the same. Wherever you go. That's why this series from Sweden has sold 35 million copies...
Sadly, all after the author's own sudden and untimely death, before any of it was published. Life - and the way it works - is the biggest mystery of all.
Well, I have parts 2 and 3 to look forward to. Uske baad, back to looking for something new and different to read...!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Share your bschool experience
If you're a current student or recent graduate of an Indian or international bshool - boy, I am I glad you're reading this.
Please contribute to Businessworld's bschool guide 2010-11, help aspirants understand what your school is all about. Your feedback will be published, along with your photograph.
If interested, drop me a line at rashmi_b at yahoo.com and I'll send across the questionnaire :)
Please contribute to Businessworld's bschool guide 2010-11, help aspirants understand what your school is all about. Your feedback will be published, along with your photograph.
If interested, drop me a line at rashmi_b at yahoo.com and I'll send across the questionnaire :)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Career query of the week
The amount of thought, logic and reason some of you put into your career-related decisions never ceases to amaze me. Here is one such 'thoughful' young man.
I am currently in a junction point of my career. I got selected for the MS(by Research) program in Finance(Finance+OR+Maths) at IIT Madras. I am currently working as Software Engineer with XXX (leading MNC IT co). I will quickly mention my credentials and then go to my question.
I have 92% marks in 10th standard, 93% marks in 12th standard (both from West bengal State Board) and 9.14 CGPA in Computer Engineering (3rd Rank in class) from NIT XX. I have been working for 3 years after my B.Tech.
This MS program will give me either an analytics job (current recruiters are Irevna, HCL, ICICI etc) with a package of 7.5-8.0 Lpa or I can get admission to a good Finance PhD from one of the top 10 US Universities (with IIT tag and good reco hopefully!).
My question is whether it will be a right move for me to join this course given some other possible career moves:
1. I can take GRE this year and apply directly for PhD in Finance from tier 2 US business schools.
Pros: I can finish PhD by at least 1 year early and enter Job. My 2 years in MS will be saved.
Cons: Acceptance rate for Fin PhD is very low: around 2-5% as many Maths/Physics PhD, fresh MBA from top B-Schools opt for the same. I may not even get into a reasonably good school (Like UT Austin, USC, Maryland etc) (are my assumpsions correct?)
2. I can take CAT this year and get into IIMs
Pros: I can enter Finance job market early and probably decide over PhD after doing job for a couple of years.
Cons: Getting into IIM A/B/C/L is highly uncertain. This year I got only 84 percentile(without any preparation, my father had collected the form). With good preparation for next 5 months I may get good score, but, even then I am not sure how much worthy it will be to join IIM I/K or MDI/SpJain/NITIE after 4 years work ex in a top company.
3. I can continue with my job for another two years and write GMAT and get into 1 year Exec MBA from ISB/IIM A/ IIM B/IIM C.
Pros: The opportunity cost will be less as I will be working more and can save some money to fund my MBA partially.
Cons: I will probably not get a Finance job at all/ get entry level job after 5 years of work ex in software field.
My premises are:
1. I love Mathematics, Statistics, Theoritical Computer Science, Algorithms. If money was not a factor I would love to do advanced studies and research in these fields. PhD in Finance or Financial Engineering would be a good fit based on my area of interest. But also I don't want to reduce my earning potential by 50% for the rest of my life if it (Phd) means so.
2. I dont like classes that teach leadership kind of stuff (attended some corporate trainings) and I am not a typical sales guy. I hate HR also. Historically I did not participated much in the kind of tasks which required managing or influencing people a lot (eg. organizing college fest, raising funds for the same, contacting companies and alumni etc)
3. I am not very passionate about technology and so to continue in product company may not prove very fruitful for me.
4. Business PhD and specially Finance is always more rewarding than Engineering PhD. With PhD I will have both options of Industry(I-Bank Quant jobs,Consultancy) and Academia open. I also love teaching. I teach underpriviledged kids at a local school in Hyderabad on weekends.
5. I can't afford the financial risk of Foreign MBA/ Foreign MFE (Master in Financial Engineering) given my background and the house loan I have taken already.
6. The opportunity cost of a PhD is very high as compared to MBA since I will enter the Job market at least after 3 years.
7. I am 25 years old and unmarried.
If I join the MS-Fin course at IIT, my motivation will be to join top 10 US PhD-Fin programs and not job after MS. Do you think it is a right career move on my part given my premises/credentials/possible options? Please put your thoughts across.
My response: Dear Young Man, clearly,
a) You are not passionate abt technology.
b) You want to make a lot of money, quickly, in the field of finance.
What I am not clear is, why PhD? Because you won't be burdened with a loan is your logic.
But my dear time is money - a PhD will take 3 years (at the very least) while an MBA can be completed in a year or two.
If you get into IIMA, B or C (you have not even tried for it seriously) - you have high probability (given yr profile & inclination) of getting into a 'high paying job' with an i bank or similar.
Paying off the loan would not be an issue.
Now you are a mathematical chap who is always weighing the possibility 'what if' I do not get in. Life mein itna belief rakhna padta hai.. u have to take a leap of faith and give it your best.
After your best shot, if you don't reach your goal then yes, you look at options like MBA abroad from a top school.
Just remember, hurry creates worry. So be ambitious but also patient. All the best.
Young Man replies: The logic behind PhD is:
1. It gives a sense of achievement of a topmost degree. Taking IIM A/B/C and ISB together annually ~1500 high quality MBAs are produced in India alone. By simple demand supply equation PhD in business has a clear edge.
2. I will still have the option of I-Banks/Consultancy, besides the doors of Academia opens. (with the foreign university bill, specially business academia is going to be next happening thing)
3. As you wrote in one of your articles: 'As you rise up higher in the ladder, success is increasingly defined not by what you know or do, but how you manage and motivate your people'.
I think leadership and administration is not by strength area. True that I can do a descent job there with some training and grroming, but by natural instincts are towards Individual contributor (IC) path, where to build a good model and advising people the benefits of it can give me more pleasure. And in IC path PhDs will always be one step ahead of MBAs (hope this holds true in Financial job markets also).
4. I liked your advice "Hurry creates worry". But considering my dad retires after 5 years, I dont want to shift the burden of house loan and my family on my retired father in case I am going to do PhD after MBA followed by 2-3 years of work. So, agar PhD karna hai toh isi saal join karna hai. So it has now become a choice between MBA or PhD in Business.
5. And one bewkoof logic: many of my classmates from school are currently doctoral students at Stanford, MIT, Cornell etc and they are having no worse lifestyle than me doing a not-so-satisfying job I have right now. So sometimes I get the kick that I should have been doing some thing better, something more fundamental.
My response: When you have so much conviction re: PhD you should then certainly go and do it. However I would be happier to hear more of 'This excites me' rather than 'I don't like this, this and this therefore..."
An active choice based on interest and passion always works better than a logical one based on eliminating options.
Second point is, 'leadership' is always required, whatever you do. No man is an island, PhD or not. My father is a PhD in Space Physics and leading the team which is building India's first astronomy satellite Astrosat. Even though he may be a 'pure' scientist ultimately he is also a manager and administrator.
Lastly, EMI should not worry you to death. If it becomes a burden, dispose of the house and buy again after completing studies - when you have the money and secure job once again.
By the way, the EMI advice applies to anyone and everyone who wants to do something different in life. Live on rent, live without fear. You will own a house one day. You don't have to, at 25!
Do add yr comments/ advice for Young Man. Esp if you are on the PhD path yourself.
I am currently in a junction point of my career. I got selected for the MS(by Research) program in Finance(Finance+OR+Maths) at IIT Madras. I am currently working as Software Engineer with XXX (leading MNC IT co). I will quickly mention my credentials and then go to my question.
I have 92% marks in 10th standard, 93% marks in 12th standard (both from West bengal State Board) and 9.14 CGPA in Computer Engineering (3rd Rank in class) from NIT XX. I have been working for 3 years after my B.Tech.
This MS program will give me either an analytics job (current recruiters are Irevna, HCL, ICICI etc) with a package of 7.5-8.0 Lpa or I can get admission to a good Finance PhD from one of the top 10 US Universities (with IIT tag and good reco hopefully!).
My question is whether it will be a right move for me to join this course given some other possible career moves:
1. I can take GRE this year and apply directly for PhD in Finance from tier 2 US business schools.
Pros: I can finish PhD by at least 1 year early and enter Job. My 2 years in MS will be saved.
Cons: Acceptance rate for Fin PhD is very low: around 2-5% as many Maths/Physics PhD, fresh MBA from top B-Schools opt for the same. I may not even get into a reasonably good school (Like UT Austin, USC, Maryland etc) (are my assumpsions correct?)
2. I can take CAT this year and get into IIMs
Pros: I can enter Finance job market early and probably decide over PhD after doing job for a couple of years.
Cons: Getting into IIM A/B/C/L is highly uncertain. This year I got only 84 percentile(without any preparation, my father had collected the form). With good preparation for next 5 months I may get good score, but, even then I am not sure how much worthy it will be to join IIM I/K or MDI/SpJain/NITIE after 4 years work ex in a top company.
3. I can continue with my job for another two years and write GMAT and get into 1 year Exec MBA from ISB/IIM A/ IIM B/IIM C.
Pros: The opportunity cost will be less as I will be working more and can save some money to fund my MBA partially.
Cons: I will probably not get a Finance job at all/ get entry level job after 5 years of work ex in software field.
My premises are:
1. I love Mathematics, Statistics, Theoritical Computer Science, Algorithms. If money was not a factor I would love to do advanced studies and research in these fields. PhD in Finance or Financial Engineering would be a good fit based on my area of interest. But also I don't want to reduce my earning potential by 50% for the rest of my life if it (Phd) means so.
2. I dont like classes that teach leadership kind of stuff (attended some corporate trainings) and I am not a typical sales guy. I hate HR also. Historically I did not participated much in the kind of tasks which required managing or influencing people a lot (eg. organizing college fest, raising funds for the same, contacting companies and alumni etc)
3. I am not very passionate about technology and so to continue in product company may not prove very fruitful for me.
4. Business PhD and specially Finance is always more rewarding than Engineering PhD. With PhD I will have both options of Industry(I-Bank Quant jobs,Consultancy) and Academia open. I also love teaching. I teach underpriviledged kids at a local school in Hyderabad on weekends.
5. I can't afford the financial risk of Foreign MBA/ Foreign MFE (Master in Financial Engineering) given my background and the house loan I have taken already.
6. The opportunity cost of a PhD is very high as compared to MBA since I will enter the Job market at least after 3 years.
7. I am 25 years old and unmarried.
If I join the MS-Fin course at IIT, my motivation will be to join top 10 US PhD-Fin programs and not job after MS. Do you think it is a right career move on my part given my premises/credentials/possible options? Please put your thoughts across.
My response: Dear Young Man, clearly,
a) You are not passionate abt technology.
b) You want to make a lot of money, quickly, in the field of finance.
What I am not clear is, why PhD? Because you won't be burdened with a loan is your logic.
But my dear time is money - a PhD will take 3 years (at the very least) while an MBA can be completed in a year or two.
If you get into IIMA, B or C (you have not even tried for it seriously) - you have high probability (given yr profile & inclination) of getting into a 'high paying job' with an i bank or similar.
Paying off the loan would not be an issue.
Now you are a mathematical chap who is always weighing the possibility 'what if' I do not get in. Life mein itna belief rakhna padta hai.. u have to take a leap of faith and give it your best.
After your best shot, if you don't reach your goal then yes, you look at options like MBA abroad from a top school.
Just remember, hurry creates worry. So be ambitious but also patient. All the best.
Young Man replies: The logic behind PhD is:
1. It gives a sense of achievement of a topmost degree. Taking IIM A/B/C and ISB together annually ~1500 high quality MBAs are produced in India alone. By simple demand supply equation PhD in business has a clear edge.
2. I will still have the option of I-Banks/Consultancy, besides the doors of Academia opens. (with the foreign university bill, specially business academia is going to be next happening thing)
3. As you wrote in one of your articles: 'As you rise up higher in the ladder, success is increasingly defined not by what you know or do, but how you manage and motivate your people'.
I think leadership and administration is not by strength area. True that I can do a descent job there with some training and grroming, but by natural instincts are towards Individual contributor (IC) path, where to build a good model and advising people the benefits of it can give me more pleasure. And in IC path PhDs will always be one step ahead of MBAs (hope this holds true in Financial job markets also).
4. I liked your advice "Hurry creates worry". But considering my dad retires after 5 years, I dont want to shift the burden of house loan and my family on my retired father in case I am going to do PhD after MBA followed by 2-3 years of work. So, agar PhD karna hai toh isi saal join karna hai. So it has now become a choice between MBA or PhD in Business.
5. And one bewkoof logic: many of my classmates from school are currently doctoral students at Stanford, MIT, Cornell etc and they are having no worse lifestyle than me doing a not-so-satisfying job I have right now. So sometimes I get the kick that I should have been doing some thing better, something more fundamental.
My response: When you have so much conviction re: PhD you should then certainly go and do it. However I would be happier to hear more of 'This excites me' rather than 'I don't like this, this and this therefore..."
An active choice based on interest and passion always works better than a logical one based on eliminating options.
Second point is, 'leadership' is always required, whatever you do. No man is an island, PhD or not. My father is a PhD in Space Physics and leading the team which is building India's first astronomy satellite Astrosat. Even though he may be a 'pure' scientist ultimately he is also a manager and administrator.
Lastly, EMI should not worry you to death. If it becomes a burden, dispose of the house and buy again after completing studies - when you have the money and secure job once again.
By the way, the EMI advice applies to anyone and everyone who wants to do something different in life. Live on rent, live without fear. You will own a house one day. You don't have to, at 25!
Do add yr comments/ advice for Young Man. Esp if you are on the PhD path yourself.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Exempt exempt exempt
News channels spent most of their time yesterday talking about the new Direct Tax Code. It's wonderful how often and how quickly the government tweaks and sharpens its financial instruments.
Meanwhile the country's judicial system remains a rusting and blunt knife, as is
clear from the Bhopal Gas Verdict.
Last night CNN IBN was the one channel which continued to keep Bhopal and its victims as the top story. Editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai aired clips of his visit to the affected area, where he spoke to survivors.
Visuals of the children born handicapped, deformed, unable to speak - a generation later - are absolutely heart rending.
And they are suffering, not just because of Union Carbide.
For the last 26 years residents of the area have been drinking contaminated water. So in effect they have been poisoning themselves - every single day!
And victims or activists who have raised their voices against this and other injustices have been harassed. 60 and 70 year old women who marched in protest are now visiting court every month, as cases of 'rioting' have been upon them.
But guess what - you wouldn't know all this if you hadn't watched CNN IBN last night. And how much impact can a single channel make?
The gas tragedy and the tragic state of its victims is a national shame, which all media should be covering relentlessly. If all major print & TV networks deputed a good reporter to camp in Bhopal, all kinds of horrific stories would be uncovered.
There would be pressure on the government and civil society to 'do something'.
But in this hyper-competitive world, every newshound is busy sniffing out his or her own 'exclusive story'.
Hindi channels are following their own scheme of priorities.
The newspapers have moved Bhopal off the front page, pretty much.
No media house has given a clarion call for 'candlelight vigil'.
Warren Anderson will die with a guilty conscience but what about the rest of us?
If the government and the offending company cannot cough up money and medicine to improve victims' quality of life (or rather punishment period on this earth) - can an alternative be found by citizens?
Is there some NGO which lets people 'adopt an affected child' - pay for his or her treatment and upbringing?
It's not fair of course, but it's something.
Something positive.
Maybe the new direct tax code can add a special EEE and make it more 'attractive'.
Meanwhile the country's judicial system remains a rusting and blunt knife, as is
clear from the Bhopal Gas Verdict.
Last night CNN IBN was the one channel which continued to keep Bhopal and its victims as the top story. Editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai aired clips of his visit to the affected area, where he spoke to survivors.
Visuals of the children born handicapped, deformed, unable to speak - a generation later - are absolutely heart rending.
And they are suffering, not just because of Union Carbide.
For the last 26 years residents of the area have been drinking contaminated water. So in effect they have been poisoning themselves - every single day!
And victims or activists who have raised their voices against this and other injustices have been harassed. 60 and 70 year old women who marched in protest are now visiting court every month, as cases of 'rioting' have been upon them.
But guess what - you wouldn't know all this if you hadn't watched CNN IBN last night. And how much impact can a single channel make?
The gas tragedy and the tragic state of its victims is a national shame, which all media should be covering relentlessly. If all major print & TV networks deputed a good reporter to camp in Bhopal, all kinds of horrific stories would be uncovered.
There would be pressure on the government and civil society to 'do something'.
But in this hyper-competitive world, every newshound is busy sniffing out his or her own 'exclusive story'.
Hindi channels are following their own scheme of priorities.
The newspapers have moved Bhopal off the front page, pretty much.
No media house has given a clarion call for 'candlelight vigil'.
Warren Anderson will die with a guilty conscience but what about the rest of us?
If the government and the offending company cannot cough up money and medicine to improve victims' quality of life (or rather punishment period on this earth) - can an alternative be found by citizens?
Is there some NGO which lets people 'adopt an affected child' - pay for his or her treatment and upbringing?
It's not fair of course, but it's something.
Something positive.
Maybe the new direct tax code can add a special EEE and make it more 'attractive'.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
'The Truth about IIPM's Tall Claims': Update
It was exactly 5 years ago that JAM magazine first published the story 'The Truth about IIPM'S Tall Claims' in its issue dated Jun 15-29 2005.
This was the first time that any media in India had examined the claims made by IIPM in its ubiquitous full page advertisements where it dared students to 'dream beyond IIMs'.
As readers of this blog would be aware, IIPM carried out a malicious personal attack on me, for publishing this article. Legal action was threatened but never initiated.
We had full documentary evidence for every claim we had questioned, and wherever we had found the institute lacking.
Last week, there was a new development.
We recieved a notice from Silchar in Assam, where the Hon Civil Judge no 1 at Cachat had passed an injunction restraining us from displaying the above article. As per the court's instruction, we have temporarily removed the link to the article.
Let me assure you JAM will seek legal recourse against this injunction. As the matter is sub-judice I would not like to get into the details.
However, the following questions are pertinent:
1) If IIPM had a strong case why did it not file one in 2005. when the article was originally published?
2) The head office of JAM is in Mumbai, while that of IIPM is in New Delhi. So why has a case been filed in Silchar?
Apart from this, why does IIPM continue to fight a proxy internet campaign to malign me by spidering a blog created by 'IIPM Student-9' where I am referred to as a trickster publishing a yellow journal.
(No I am not providing a link here, the offending page appears when you type my name in google on the first page of 'search results'.)
I have faith in the country's judicial system as regards the protection of free speech. And I believe journalists must continue to write free and fair reports in the public interest, regardless of the pressures and pulls involved.
Thank you all for your love and support.
This was the first time that any media in India had examined the claims made by IIPM in its ubiquitous full page advertisements where it dared students to 'dream beyond IIMs'.
As readers of this blog would be aware, IIPM carried out a malicious personal attack on me, for publishing this article. Legal action was threatened but never initiated.
We had full documentary evidence for every claim we had questioned, and wherever we had found the institute lacking.
Last week, there was a new development.
We recieved a notice from Silchar in Assam, where the Hon Civil Judge no 1 at Cachat had passed an injunction restraining us from displaying the above article. As per the court's instruction, we have temporarily removed the link to the article.
Let me assure you JAM will seek legal recourse against this injunction. As the matter is sub-judice I would not like to get into the details.
However, the following questions are pertinent:
1) If IIPM had a strong case why did it not file one in 2005. when the article was originally published?
2) The head office of JAM is in Mumbai, while that of IIPM is in New Delhi. So why has a case been filed in Silchar?
Apart from this, why does IIPM continue to fight a proxy internet campaign to malign me by spidering a blog created by 'IIPM Student-9' where I am referred to as a trickster publishing a yellow journal.
(No I am not providing a link here, the offending page appears when you type my name in google on the first page of 'search results'.)
I have faith in the country's judicial system as regards the protection of free speech. And I believe journalists must continue to write free and fair reports in the public interest, regardless of the pressures and pulls involved.
Thank you all for your love and support.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
'The Immortals of Meluha' - Why I loved it!
It is the rare book which keeps me awake into the night, turning the pages, in a fever to reach 'the end'. And rarer still is such a book from an Indian author.'The Immortals of Meluha' is that unusual piece of writing.
It is a book which defies classification. I think the genre it falls in is 'mythological fantasy'. Meaning you're reading a story with familiar sounding characters and concepts but, that's just the gravy.
The plot has been entirely cooked up by the author and the beauty is you lose track of where myth ends and fiction begins.
The novel is set in 1900 BC. Shiva is the young leader of the Gunas, a tribe which is constantly battling for survival in the rough and arid landscape of Tibet. He accepts the offer of a mysterious foreigner to emigrate to Meluha - a rich, powerful and near perfect empire created by Lord Ram.
Whose inhabitants are immortal.
However, the Suryavanshis - as the citizens of Meluha describe themselves - are threatened by an invisible enemy. Legend has it that 'when evil reaches epic proportions, when all is lost... a hero will emerge.'
As you might have guessed, that hero is Shiva.
A bewildered and reluctant hero.
The author asks a startling question, "What if Lord Shiva was not a figment of a rich imagination, but a person of flesh and blood? Like you and me. A man who rose to god-like proportions because of his karma."
So apart from being a thrilling and imaginative story this is a book with a Big Idea: "What if there exists a potential god in every human being??"
But, this is a subtle kind of message, more of the book involves action, imagination, intrigue. And yeah, even a dash of humour and a touching love story (Shiva falling in love with Sati - daughter of the ruler of Meluha).
Apart from story, what's interesting is the way the author has used the familiar and given it a twist. Whether it is Neelkanth, Har Har Mahadev or Somras.
I won't reveal, you should read and find out for yourself.
The interpretation of caste and the concept of vikarma is also quite thought provoking. In the 'perfect' society of Meluha all women give birth to their children and give them up to the State to bring up. This is known as the 'maika' system.
Every child is given equal opportunity and takes up a profession as per his or her natural talents. In this way the privileges of caste and class become irrelevant and a just & fair society is created.
Families adopt a child at age 16 and 'civilisation' flourishes.
Under the same system, those affected by misfortune (eg the handicapped or a woman who gives birth to a stillborn) are known as vikarmas. They have an inferior status in society and accept this as their Fate.
The logic is that it is frustation inside a person which creates rebellion and discontent in society.
There are many such ideas to chew on... many references to modern times (including terrorism and an India-Pakistan kind of intractable ek doosre ko samajhne ka problem).
So in short I would like to congrtulate Amish for coming up with a fine, very different, very India book. But one with a universal, international appeal as well.
The cover is beautifully produced and so is the promotional trailer.
It's also wonderful to see that this book, brought out by a small publisher (Tara Press) has become a best-seller (over 25,000 copies sold so far).
Apparently Amish took five years to write the book and eight months waiting for a publisher to revert, before Anuj Bahri of Bahrisons asked if he could publish it himself.
It's also fascinating to know that Amish was never religious, in fact he took pride in being a non-believer... until the certainty that there is a Superior Force just crept up on him.
And lastly, I am happy to see an 'IIM author' who has done something totally unpredictable, different, exciting.
I only hope that the holier-than-thou brigade does not one day wake up and 'take offence'. After all Shiva has been portrayed as a human being who speaks colloquially and is not always 'godly'.
That is exactly why I loved the book and why the religious types might not.
But it's a chance Amish has taken and with Shiva's blessing he should be able to face - anything.
Meanwhile us mortals await parts 2 and 3. And the movie version, of course :)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
'Connect the Dots' event in Delhi: Fri May 28
Venue: Oxford BookstoreStatesman House
Barakhamba Rd
New Delhi
Date: Fri May 28
Time: 6 pm
All are welcome. Look forward to meeting!
Monday, May 17, 2010
'Connect the Dots' event in Mumbai
Thu, 20th of May @ 730 pmLandmark bkshop, Palladium, Phoenix Mills.
All are welcome.
We're expecting the following entrepreneurs from 'Connect the Dots':
* Sunita Ramnathkar, Fem
* Prem Ganapathy, Dosa Plaza
* Ranjiv Ramchandani, Tantra t-shirts
* Samar Gupta, Trikaya Agriculture
* Hanmant Gaikwad, BVG
It will be an informal, interactive session so do come!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Career Query of the Week
Hi Rashmi,
I am pursuing CA ,and this was my third attempt for CA inter but don’t think will pass this time also. I don’t know what I am lacking in preparation but it's really ruining my precious years.
Also I messed up my graduation 1st year and failed terribly. Presently I am in 2nd year Bcom DU(Correspondence).
I used to be an average student upto high school got 79% in 12th , never dreamt of me failing in any field but now my life is trapped in these fails. My self-confidence has now become very low.
Can you guide me what should I do to avoid more chaos in my life.
A G
dear A G
I understand how difficult it must feel right now but the good news is - putting everything down on paper means you have accepted you have a problem. And now we can start working on it.
Exams are a part of life, more important in my opinion is addressing your low self confidence and how you feel about yourself. I know this may be a hard concept to swallow at first, but the more you focus on how badly you are performing, and visualise the chances of failing in the future - the more likely you are to fail.
This is called the 'Law of Attraction'. What you focus on, what you think about most - is what you attract into your life.
To understand this better please read a book called 'The Secret'.
OK. You might now say "I don't want to feel low, and think negative thoughts but I can't stop myself from doing it." This is a very common problem but again, the good news is, you can choose to think differently.
It won't happen in a day but with time, with practice you will feel the change in yourself.
I suggest you attend either a basic 'Art of Living' or 'Isha Yoga' course. Both teach you certain breathing practices which help to calm your mind and still the chaos in your head. In time, you can learn other yoga and meditation techniques.
You can also learn reiki.
I also find a book by Louise Hays called 'You can heal your life' to be really amazing. If you have to read only ONE self-help book in your entire life, it has to be this one.
What I am suggesting to you will help you tackle the root cause of your problem - not just the symptoms. Once you are confident, energised and radiating with positivity you will be successful at whatever you do. Be it an exam, be it anything else.
All the very best!
Note to readers
What I have told AG works for any problem, in any aspect of your life. The power of your thoughts is what creates your world, your experience.
And this is coming from someone who was once a complete skeptic.
Open your mind to this possibility, put logic and rationality to sleep for a while, and see how different (how much better!) life can be.
Maine khud aazmaaya hai and I highly recommend it. Only thing is, you need faith and you need patience! Both of which are in short supply in this day and age...
I am pursuing CA ,and this was my third attempt for CA inter but don’t think will pass this time also. I don’t know what I am lacking in preparation but it's really ruining my precious years.
Also I messed up my graduation 1st year and failed terribly. Presently I am in 2nd year Bcom DU(Correspondence).
I used to be an average student upto high school got 79% in 12th , never dreamt of me failing in any field but now my life is trapped in these fails. My self-confidence has now become very low.
Can you guide me what should I do to avoid more chaos in my life.
A G
dear A G
I understand how difficult it must feel right now but the good news is - putting everything down on paper means you have accepted you have a problem. And now we can start working on it.
Exams are a part of life, more important in my opinion is addressing your low self confidence and how you feel about yourself. I know this may be a hard concept to swallow at first, but the more you focus on how badly you are performing, and visualise the chances of failing in the future - the more likely you are to fail.
This is called the 'Law of Attraction'. What you focus on, what you think about most - is what you attract into your life.
To understand this better please read a book called 'The Secret'.
OK. You might now say "I don't want to feel low, and think negative thoughts but I can't stop myself from doing it." This is a very common problem but again, the good news is, you can choose to think differently.
It won't happen in a day but with time, with practice you will feel the change in yourself.
I suggest you attend either a basic 'Art of Living' or 'Isha Yoga' course. Both teach you certain breathing practices which help to calm your mind and still the chaos in your head. In time, you can learn other yoga and meditation techniques.
You can also learn reiki.
I also find a book by Louise Hays called 'You can heal your life' to be really amazing. If you have to read only ONE self-help book in your entire life, it has to be this one.
What I am suggesting to you will help you tackle the root cause of your problem - not just the symptoms. Once you are confident, energised and radiating with positivity you will be successful at whatever you do. Be it an exam, be it anything else.
All the very best!
Note to readers
What I have told AG works for any problem, in any aspect of your life. The power of your thoughts is what creates your world, your experience.
And this is coming from someone who was once a complete skeptic.
Open your mind to this possibility, put logic and rationality to sleep for a while, and see how different (how much better!) life can be.
Maine khud aazmaaya hai and I highly recommend it. Only thing is, you need faith and you need patience! Both of which are in short supply in this day and age...
'Connect the Dots' event in Bangalore
I am delighted to invite you to the launch of 'Connect the Dots' in Bangalore.
Date: Saturday 15th May
Time: 3 - 4.30 pm
Venue: Strand Book store
1st floor, South Block
Manipal Centre, Dickenson Rd,
Bangalore – 42.
Directions and more info here .
I will also be at the Infosys campus between 5 and 630 pm on Friday May. Having a CTD event there as well but that's open only to Infy employees :)
See you Saturday!
Date: Saturday 15th May
Time: 3 - 4.30 pm
Venue: Strand Book store
1st floor, South Block
Manipal Centre, Dickenson Rd,
Bangalore – 42.
Directions and more info here .
I will also be at the Infosys campus between 5 and 630 pm on Friday May. Having a CTD event there as well but that's open only to Infy employees :)
See you Saturday!
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Age no bar
"Bete, har cheez ki ek umar hoti hai", parents used to say.
There is a time to focus on studies.
A time to build your career.
A time to shoulder responsibilities.
But in the Indian scheme of things you are never 'old enough' to really live your life the way you want to.
Until ultimately you are old and telling other - "Bete, har cheez ki ek umar hoti hai..."
Philosophy aside, there is a very real dilemma facing parents today. My ten year old daughter (if you ask her she'll say, "11 in 3 months time!") wants to join Facebook.
Now officially you have to be over 13 to be on Facebook but you know how simple it is to circumvent that rule. Her point is, lots of kids in class have Facebook accounts.
I have no way to verify that - and neither should be the basis of my decision. So what do I do?
This is but one example. There is the 'when can I get a cellphone' question.
When can I go to the mall with my friends - and no adult escort?
Recently I was stumped by when can I get a manicure (just want to try it once).
My standard response is:"When you are in class 10". But I doubt I will actually be able to hold out for another five years.
So what are my concerns, why stop her from 'having it all' as soon as possible?
Well, like all parents, I want to protect her. From the big bad world out there. And yet, I do not want to spy. And I do not want to worry when I don't spy (and therefore don't know what company she is keeping).
The hope is, the older you get, the wiser you get. But is there any such guarantee in this world?
At best, you are postponing the inevitable.
I've let her read the 'Twilight' series (it's supposed to be teen fiction but hey.. it's a rage among kids her age).
I switch off 'Desperate Housewives' when she is around but she's just discovered 'Friends' and funny as it is, the storylines are definitely 'adult'.
I've handed down my ipod to her (but strictly forbidden taking it out of home).
Yes, kids are growing up faster - physically and mentally. But you know they're still kids when they ask you - can we do this or that?
The day they 'just do it' is the day they have grown up.
Har cheez ki ek umar hoti hai. The question for parents is, when will be old and wise enough to let go?
There is a time to focus on studies.
A time to build your career.
A time to shoulder responsibilities.
But in the Indian scheme of things you are never 'old enough' to really live your life the way you want to.
Until ultimately you are old and telling other - "Bete, har cheez ki ek umar hoti hai..."
Philosophy aside, there is a very real dilemma facing parents today. My ten year old daughter (if you ask her she'll say, "11 in 3 months time!") wants to join Facebook.
Now officially you have to be over 13 to be on Facebook but you know how simple it is to circumvent that rule. Her point is, lots of kids in class have Facebook accounts.
I have no way to verify that - and neither should be the basis of my decision. So what do I do?
This is but one example. There is the 'when can I get a cellphone' question.
When can I go to the mall with my friends - and no adult escort?
Recently I was stumped by when can I get a manicure (just want to try it once).
My standard response is:"When you are in class 10". But I doubt I will actually be able to hold out for another five years.
So what are my concerns, why stop her from 'having it all' as soon as possible?
Well, like all parents, I want to protect her. From the big bad world out there. And yet, I do not want to spy. And I do not want to worry when I don't spy (and therefore don't know what company she is keeping).
The hope is, the older you get, the wiser you get. But is there any such guarantee in this world?
At best, you are postponing the inevitable.
I've let her read the 'Twilight' series (it's supposed to be teen fiction but hey.. it's a rage among kids her age).
I switch off 'Desperate Housewives' when she is around but she's just discovered 'Friends' and funny as it is, the storylines are definitely 'adult'.
I've handed down my ipod to her (but strictly forbidden taking it out of home).
Yes, kids are growing up faster - physically and mentally. But you know they're still kids when they ask you - can we do this or that?
The day they 'just do it' is the day they have grown up.
Har cheez ki ek umar hoti hai. The question for parents is, when will be old and wise enough to let go?
Monday, May 03, 2010
Customer service ha ha ha
The ads depict bank executives who care so much for you that they bring out a laddoo for you, Coz it's your birthday.
Well, if they spent a little less on laddoos and on advertisements, they just might be able to provide what customers really want - like working ATMs.
This afternoon 3 out of 4 ATMs in a large branch in Vashi were not working. The 4th was disbursing cash in dribbles (40 notes).
One or more of these machines is usually not working - every other time you go there.
The executive sitting under the 'complaints' desk is non-responsive. I fill out a receipt book kind of form (carbon copied) - and she non-chalantly mentions that "We don't maintain the ATMs, some other company does it..."
Ah, kitna karti hai company 'khayaal aapka'.
Ultimately, the gent in the 'wealth management' section was kind enough to agree there is a problem. Not just with ICICI but all ATMs in the Thane-Vashi belt. And he will definitely tell the Branch Manager to look into it.
Well, another shining example of customer service is the Reliance Big Flix store. Three days ago - it was functioning as usual, inside Reliance Webworld. Today, all shelves are empty.
Apparently customers were informed by sms that the store will be shutting down. Why? Because the entire Webworld is shutting down, in a month.
Okay.
But couldn't the boy at the counter tell customers who were visiting the shop to pick up or return DVDs (yes, they have home delivery but some of us are just old fashioned).
At the very least, could someone have put up a print out announcing the same?
No, sir.
And while I am at it, let me rant a bit about Kishore Biyani's Food Bazaar chain of stores. I know it's a little desi, but I've always had a soft spot for this store. Despite the arrival of HyperCity I would still drop in at times - but not any more.
First of all, there is a new rule under which ladies purses must be zipped and sealed into a transparent plastic bag. Before you enter the store.
I find it cheap and silly - agreed shoplifting may be a problem, but how much can one shoplift in a purse that too in a store atta, dal and phal-subzi? What was the magnitude of the problem - can someone from Future Group kindly share?
To me, it is a sign that all izz not well at Food Bazaar - and possibly most other modern retailers. That's when you look for where to cut corners, save a little here and there - at the expense of the brand. And loyalty of the customer.
Apart from the purse issue, there are others. Many niche brands which Food Bazaar once stocked - which I liked to buy - are no longer there. I bet some consultant did a study recommending the 'long tail' of products which sell slowly and therefore are less profitable, can be axed.
Well then what is the difference between a supermarket and a kirane ka dukaan? Sure, the price conscious customers who want to save Rs 73 on a bill of Rs 1100, and get a plastic mug free - they will still come.
But if someone else like Reliance Fresh offers them Rs 83 off on the same basket of goods, they would happily go there.
All you get is a price war that no one can win. People like me go back to our local slightly exotic foods rakhne wala kirana(takes far less time at the cash register!)
And oh, there are three Food Bazaars within a 1 km radius of my home - all of which are mostly empty. Why not close two of them and have one, smooth-as-silk managed store?
Well, bolne se dil halka hota hai. So bol diya. Ab halke kadmon se ja rahi hoon... park mein sair karne.
Jai Maharashtra, Jai Hind.
Well, if they spent a little less on laddoos and on advertisements, they just might be able to provide what customers really want - like working ATMs.
This afternoon 3 out of 4 ATMs in a large branch in Vashi were not working. The 4th was disbursing cash in dribbles (40 notes).
One or more of these machines is usually not working - every other time you go there.
The executive sitting under the 'complaints' desk is non-responsive. I fill out a receipt book kind of form (carbon copied) - and she non-chalantly mentions that "We don't maintain the ATMs, some other company does it..."
Ah, kitna karti hai company 'khayaal aapka'.
Ultimately, the gent in the 'wealth management' section was kind enough to agree there is a problem. Not just with ICICI but all ATMs in the Thane-Vashi belt. And he will definitely tell the Branch Manager to look into it.
Well, another shining example of customer service is the Reliance Big Flix store. Three days ago - it was functioning as usual, inside Reliance Webworld. Today, all shelves are empty.
Apparently customers were informed by sms that the store will be shutting down. Why? Because the entire Webworld is shutting down, in a month.
Okay.
But couldn't the boy at the counter tell customers who were visiting the shop to pick up or return DVDs (yes, they have home delivery but some of us are just old fashioned).
At the very least, could someone have put up a print out announcing the same?
No, sir.
And while I am at it, let me rant a bit about Kishore Biyani's Food Bazaar chain of stores. I know it's a little desi, but I've always had a soft spot for this store. Despite the arrival of HyperCity I would still drop in at times - but not any more.
First of all, there is a new rule under which ladies purses must be zipped and sealed into a transparent plastic bag. Before you enter the store.
I find it cheap and silly - agreed shoplifting may be a problem, but how much can one shoplift in a purse that too in a store atta, dal and phal-subzi? What was the magnitude of the problem - can someone from Future Group kindly share?
To me, it is a sign that all izz not well at Food Bazaar - and possibly most other modern retailers. That's when you look for where to cut corners, save a little here and there - at the expense of the brand. And loyalty of the customer.
Apart from the purse issue, there are others. Many niche brands which Food Bazaar once stocked - which I liked to buy - are no longer there. I bet some consultant did a study recommending the 'long tail' of products which sell slowly and therefore are less profitable, can be axed.
Well then what is the difference between a supermarket and a kirane ka dukaan? Sure, the price conscious customers who want to save Rs 73 on a bill of Rs 1100, and get a plastic mug free - they will still come.
But if someone else like Reliance Fresh offers them Rs 83 off on the same basket of goods, they would happily go there.
All you get is a price war that no one can win. People like me go back to our local slightly exotic foods rakhne wala kirana(takes far less time at the cash register!)
And oh, there are three Food Bazaars within a 1 km radius of my home - all of which are mostly empty. Why not close two of them and have one, smooth-as-silk managed store?
Well, bolne se dil halka hota hai. So bol diya. Ab halke kadmon se ja rahi hoon... park mein sair karne.
Jai Maharashtra, Jai Hind.
iSay, you say, we all say, to Nokia
I used to think I would never use a phone other than Nokia.
The love affair began with the Nokia 3310. My first cellphone back in what, 2001 or 2002.
The little grey number was easy to use, felt great in the hand and featured the original version of snake with the long pixels chasing the single-pixel.
Three years later I graduated to the Nokia 6670 - the main attraction was its one megapixel camera. Using the Symbian OS was quite a pain (and prompted me to write an article titled 'Too dumb for a smartphone' at the time).
But eventually, used-to ho gaye, and the silver brick became part of me.
Three and a half years later, in the summer of 2008, I finally retired the 6670 due to extreme old-age issues. I bought another Nokia - this time an N82.
I wasn't happy about it for multiple reasons: it was too bulky, too ugly, had no choice of colour (there was silver - which would look exactly like the one I had used for 3 years and black, which I opted for though it wasn't much of an option).
This phone, sadly, served me for just about 18 months before the keypad conked out. After two cycles of repair I decided it was too much of a bother - kya karein ab?
Well, God heard my prayers as suddenly I received a gift.
"You tell me: iPhone or Blackberry?"
Well, it was a no-brainer for me and today I am the proud owner of an iPhone 3GS.
I'm sorry, but I simply do not see myself using a Nokia - again.
Life has changed after the iPhone in many small ways. The first two weeks I was paranoid about losing it, dropping it or scratching it. Now the iPhone's grown on me and feels safe in my hands.
For the first time in years I actually play games. The iPhone games are way cooler than anything I ever saw on Nokia. My current favourites include Paper Toss, Monkey and Fall Down. All absolutely free, on iStore.
And oh, Bubble Wrap - there is a special childish pleasure in popping the bubbles on the screen with your finger, as opposed to using up and down keys, to do the same.
The second great thing is I purged my mailbox of at least 2 dozen mailers I barely ever read. The reason I did this is data plans on iPhone are expensive and I don't want to pay for mbs and gbs of PR mail and random news from here and there.
In the process, I've reduced email stress on myself - considerably.
Using iPhone as a wireless device is also simply great. Esp now that wireless is available in more and more places (home, office, some public places). That should only get better.
Typing messages on the iPhone - took a little getting used to, but easy enough.
My one grouse is the camera. I think the N82 took far better pictures and in 5 megapixels. So I keep the N82 in my purse - and use it as a camera :)
Poor Nokia, things are not looking too good for them. Businessweek magazine reports: lacking a hit handset in the smartphone category, its profit margins are falling.
And in India, there are too few Apple users to even blame (thanks to the pricing). Go to any shop selling phones and people are walking in and asking for handsets like LG Icecream and Samsung Corby by name.
Nokia's number series has become so very confusing - it's perhaps time they gave some of those phones a naamkaran. And made it easier for us all.
Nokia is still a market leader in the lower end handsets. But there too companies like Micromax are coming in aggressively with high end features at very competitive rates.
It's time for Nokia to go back into the laboratory and come up with something that make you want to chuck what you have and buy a new one. Imagine a stunningly good-looking girl with an IQ of 180 - but in the form of a phone.
I don't know what it could be. Maybe a jellyphone which takes the shape of your hand. Maybe the slimmest phone in the world. Maybe an indestructible phone, a handset which will not break - no matter what.
Just a few crazy ideas. I am sure there are designers and engineers out there can come up with much better.
Because product lifecycles are getting shorter and shorter. If you're not dreaming 'what next', 'what more', your brand is one step closer to the grave.
Nokia still enjoys tremendous goodwill, and marketshare. But it needs some stardust to sprinkle on consumers. To work its magic spell, to mesmerise us into saying "lena to Nokia hi hai, question is 'which model'!"
The love affair began with the Nokia 3310. My first cellphone back in what, 2001 or 2002.
The little grey number was easy to use, felt great in the hand and featured the original version of snake with the long pixels chasing the single-pixel.
Three years later I graduated to the Nokia 6670 - the main attraction was its one megapixel camera. Using the Symbian OS was quite a pain (and prompted me to write an article titled 'Too dumb for a smartphone' at the time).
But eventually, used-to ho gaye, and the silver brick became part of me.
Three and a half years later, in the summer of 2008, I finally retired the 6670 due to extreme old-age issues. I bought another Nokia - this time an N82.
I wasn't happy about it for multiple reasons: it was too bulky, too ugly, had no choice of colour (there was silver - which would look exactly like the one I had used for 3 years and black, which I opted for though it wasn't much of an option).
This phone, sadly, served me for just about 18 months before the keypad conked out. After two cycles of repair I decided it was too much of a bother - kya karein ab?
Well, God heard my prayers as suddenly I received a gift.
"You tell me: iPhone or Blackberry?"
Well, it was a no-brainer for me and today I am the proud owner of an iPhone 3GS.
I'm sorry, but I simply do not see myself using a Nokia - again.
Life has changed after the iPhone in many small ways. The first two weeks I was paranoid about losing it, dropping it or scratching it. Now the iPhone's grown on me and feels safe in my hands.
For the first time in years I actually play games. The iPhone games are way cooler than anything I ever saw on Nokia. My current favourites include Paper Toss, Monkey and Fall Down. All absolutely free, on iStore.
And oh, Bubble Wrap - there is a special childish pleasure in popping the bubbles on the screen with your finger, as opposed to using up and down keys, to do the same.
The second great thing is I purged my mailbox of at least 2 dozen mailers I barely ever read. The reason I did this is data plans on iPhone are expensive and I don't want to pay for mbs and gbs of PR mail and random news from here and there.
In the process, I've reduced email stress on myself - considerably.
Using iPhone as a wireless device is also simply great. Esp now that wireless is available in more and more places (home, office, some public places). That should only get better.
Typing messages on the iPhone - took a little getting used to, but easy enough.
My one grouse is the camera. I think the N82 took far better pictures and in 5 megapixels. So I keep the N82 in my purse - and use it as a camera :)
Poor Nokia, things are not looking too good for them. Businessweek magazine reports: lacking a hit handset in the smartphone category, its profit margins are falling.
And in India, there are too few Apple users to even blame (thanks to the pricing). Go to any shop selling phones and people are walking in and asking for handsets like LG Icecream and Samsung Corby by name.
Nokia's number series has become so very confusing - it's perhaps time they gave some of those phones a naamkaran. And made it easier for us all.
Nokia is still a market leader in the lower end handsets. But there too companies like Micromax are coming in aggressively with high end features at very competitive rates.
It's time for Nokia to go back into the laboratory and come up with something that make you want to chuck what you have and buy a new one. Imagine a stunningly good-looking girl with an IQ of 180 - but in the form of a phone.
I don't know what it could be. Maybe a jellyphone which takes the shape of your hand. Maybe the slimmest phone in the world. Maybe an indestructible phone, a handset which will not break - no matter what.
Just a few crazy ideas. I am sure there are designers and engineers out there can come up with much better.
Because product lifecycles are getting shorter and shorter. If you're not dreaming 'what next', 'what more', your brand is one step closer to the grave.
Nokia still enjoys tremendous goodwill, and marketshare. But it needs some stardust to sprinkle on consumers. To work its magic spell, to mesmerise us into saying "lena to Nokia hi hai, question is 'which model'!"
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Tinker, tailor, plumber, carpenter
I get many emails from founders of startups seeking advice. Many of them just ask for a bit of publicity. So here it is - a bit of advice, and some free publicity to a few entrepreneurs taking their baby steps.
1) www.fix-all.biz
Vaidyanathan Ramachandran from IIM Ahmedabad's PGP X program has founded this biz which aims at providing 'clean, reliable and hassle-free home improvement services'.
Although the name is 'fix-all', as of now they focus only on electrical services in the city of Chennai. This needs to be communicated more clearly, right next to the number given on the homepage.
Is there a need?: Yes, certainly. There should be a lot of people willing to try such a service.
What could be better: The website is basic, pictures could be better. Some information on who are the people behind this venture would inspire more confidence.
The pricing for chhota mota jobs is Rs 90 for labour only. Which my mom thinks is high (the local electrician charges Rs 30). But for complex jobs - like an entire home's electrical fitting, I may be willing to pay a premium for reliable and knowledgeable service.
Pitfalls: What if the electricians under contract with Fix-it start doing freelance on the side. Once I have the cell no of a workman, I can bypass Fix-it and pay him Rs 50 and get my work done. Not saying it will happen, but it's a distinct possibility.
Parting advice: Training and motivation of workmen is key to the success of this venture. Polite, punctual fellows who do their job with sincerity are what you need. Uniforms and smiles would add to the attractiveness of the package.
The website name is a little tough to remember but I guess you can't have everything!
Well, great minds think alike and more so in the competitive world of business.
2) A similar service - but with its own USPs - is Liveazee.
The site is broader in scope than Fix-it. Right now they offer two services:
1) Electronics repair: TV repairs are done at your home, audio systems and DVD players are picked up and repaired at the service centre.
There is a 30 day guarantee in case the same problem recurs. Charges range from Rs 100-500 + parts.
2) Bill Pay: In a world where ECS and online payment mechanisms have reduced this hassle, there is apparently a large enough market to merit a home pick up service for your utility payments. It costs Rs 150 a month for 10 such pick-ups.
A killer app - in my opinion - is the EazeeBox where a box is installed in your society for this purpose. That makes the service far more economical. (I live in a building full of senior citizens and that makes a big difference!)
But the most unique service this site offers is a 'Home Staff Register'. The idea is to register the personal information of all your home staff - cook, maid, driver, nanny etc.
Now this is something we all know we should, but rarely do. So let's say I download the 3 page form and fill up all the details. I am not clear what is the benefit of putting the info online... May as well go to your local police station and register the domestic with them, no?
Other services like plumbing, electrical, carpentry etc will be offered on the site soon.
Is there a need?: Probably - different takers for different services.
What could be better: The website could use some user testimonials and information about who is behind the venture. Another thing - in the Home Staff Register that I downloaded I did not see any space for a photo.
Pitfalls: Same as above. Finding and retaining reliable workmen, and making sure they are working only on company payroll will be a challenge.
And again, the name. I'm sorry but it did not make much sense until I saw the website. It's Live + Eazee -LIVeazee. (Maybe, it's just me).
Parting advice: Cities where the service is available should be clearly mentioned. Since the target audience would include a lot of working couples and bachelors weekend and late evening services (upto 11 pm!) could be offered. If I am saved the trouble of taking a half day from work to get my flush fixed, I would be willing to pay a premium.
I'm sure there might be a few more young entrepreneurs in this space (like there are in juices!) . Well, the good news is the market is big enough for all. It's a completely chaotic and unorganised sector which makes it a huge opportunity, as well as a huge challenge.
In response to my last post Dhruv Kakar left this comment: "Don't these ideas look like copy cats...what is their USP....How they are different....I think something is missing... something like different...why everyone wants to be CCD or Barista....is entrepreneurship is just a fad."
Well, some years ago I would have reacted like Dhruv. Ki bhai kuch karna hai to unique karo, nahin to mat karo. But I realised there are many routes you can take in entrepreneurship.
If you have a unique idea and faith in it - go ahead. eg Give India (ref. Stay Hungry Stay Foolish).
But if you don't have such an idea.. well, you still gotta start somewhere. Sanjeev Bikhchandani started a small company producing reports - naukri.com came later. In his case, he had the idea of a job directory in 1991 but only with the arrival of the internet could he make that dream a reality.
Because he was already an entrepreneur, he could grab the opportunity and run with it.
Similarly, these juicewallahs and electrical contractors are learning what it is to do business in India. With time, they will get very good at what they do - maybe spot another opportunity before anyone else. Or simply scale up their own operations to a level where it becomes a force to reckon with.
I am reminded of Ganesh Ram of Veta (chapter 3 in my new book 'Connect the Dots'). He started by giving maths tuitions himself. Then set up an all-subject tutorial center. In time, he decided to focus only on English and set up a distance learning program. Today his company runs India's largest chain of spoken English training centres.
So, kuch kariye - as Sukhwinder Singh would say. And karnewaale are welcome to drop me a mail at rashmi_b at yahoo.com. Will try and feature as many as possible in this space.
You can also post your stories at www.connectthedots.in/forums/
1) www.fix-all.biz
Vaidyanathan Ramachandran from IIM Ahmedabad's PGP X program has founded this biz which aims at providing 'clean, reliable and hassle-free home improvement services'.
Although the name is 'fix-all', as of now they focus only on electrical services in the city of Chennai. This needs to be communicated more clearly, right next to the number given on the homepage.
Is there a need?: Yes, certainly. There should be a lot of people willing to try such a service.
What could be better: The website is basic, pictures could be better. Some information on who are the people behind this venture would inspire more confidence.
The pricing for chhota mota jobs is Rs 90 for labour only. Which my mom thinks is high (the local electrician charges Rs 30). But for complex jobs - like an entire home's electrical fitting, I may be willing to pay a premium for reliable and knowledgeable service.
Pitfalls: What if the electricians under contract with Fix-it start doing freelance on the side. Once I have the cell no of a workman, I can bypass Fix-it and pay him Rs 50 and get my work done. Not saying it will happen, but it's a distinct possibility.
Parting advice: Training and motivation of workmen is key to the success of this venture. Polite, punctual fellows who do their job with sincerity are what you need. Uniforms and smiles would add to the attractiveness of the package.
The website name is a little tough to remember but I guess you can't have everything!
Well, great minds think alike and more so in the competitive world of business.
2) A similar service - but with its own USPs - is Liveazee.
The site is broader in scope than Fix-it. Right now they offer two services:
1) Electronics repair: TV repairs are done at your home, audio systems and DVD players are picked up and repaired at the service centre.
There is a 30 day guarantee in case the same problem recurs. Charges range from Rs 100-500 + parts.
2) Bill Pay: In a world where ECS and online payment mechanisms have reduced this hassle, there is apparently a large enough market to merit a home pick up service for your utility payments. It costs Rs 150 a month for 10 such pick-ups.
A killer app - in my opinion - is the EazeeBox where a box is installed in your society for this purpose. That makes the service far more economical. (I live in a building full of senior citizens and that makes a big difference!)
But the most unique service this site offers is a 'Home Staff Register'. The idea is to register the personal information of all your home staff - cook, maid, driver, nanny etc.
Now this is something we all know we should, but rarely do. So let's say I download the 3 page form and fill up all the details. I am not clear what is the benefit of putting the info online... May as well go to your local police station and register the domestic with them, no?
Other services like plumbing, electrical, carpentry etc will be offered on the site soon.
Is there a need?: Probably - different takers for different services.
What could be better: The website could use some user testimonials and information about who is behind the venture. Another thing - in the Home Staff Register that I downloaded I did not see any space for a photo.
Pitfalls: Same as above. Finding and retaining reliable workmen, and making sure they are working only on company payroll will be a challenge.
And again, the name. I'm sorry but it did not make much sense until I saw the website. It's Live + Eazee -LIVeazee. (Maybe, it's just me).
Parting advice: Cities where the service is available should be clearly mentioned. Since the target audience would include a lot of working couples and bachelors weekend and late evening services (upto 11 pm!) could be offered. If I am saved the trouble of taking a half day from work to get my flush fixed, I would be willing to pay a premium.
I'm sure there might be a few more young entrepreneurs in this space (like there are in juices!) . Well, the good news is the market is big enough for all. It's a completely chaotic and unorganised sector which makes it a huge opportunity, as well as a huge challenge.
In response to my last post Dhruv Kakar left this comment: "Don't these ideas look like copy cats...what is their USP....How they are different....I think something is missing... something like different...why everyone wants to be CCD or Barista....is entrepreneurship is just a fad."
Well, some years ago I would have reacted like Dhruv. Ki bhai kuch karna hai to unique karo, nahin to mat karo. But I realised there are many routes you can take in entrepreneurship.
If you have a unique idea and faith in it - go ahead. eg Give India (ref. Stay Hungry Stay Foolish).
But if you don't have such an idea.. well, you still gotta start somewhere. Sanjeev Bikhchandani started a small company producing reports - naukri.com came later. In his case, he had the idea of a job directory in 1991 but only with the arrival of the internet could he make that dream a reality.
Because he was already an entrepreneur, he could grab the opportunity and run with it.
Similarly, these juicewallahs and electrical contractors are learning what it is to do business in India. With time, they will get very good at what they do - maybe spot another opportunity before anyone else. Or simply scale up their own operations to a level where it becomes a force to reckon with.
I am reminded of Ganesh Ram of Veta (chapter 3 in my new book 'Connect the Dots'). He started by giving maths tuitions himself. Then set up an all-subject tutorial center. In time, he decided to focus only on English and set up a distance learning program. Today his company runs India's largest chain of spoken English training centres.
So, kuch kariye - as Sukhwinder Singh would say. And karnewaale are welcome to drop me a mail at rashmi_b at yahoo.com. Will try and feature as many as possible in this space.
You can also post your stories at www.connectthedots.in/forums/
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Chai guy
Last month Vaibhav Gupta emailed me as follows:
Dear Rashmi,
Let me introduce myself. I did B. Tech in Chem Engg from IIT Bombay and PGDCM from IIM Calcutta. I worked for 3 years in Hinduja Group.
Now I have resigned from the job and started Elbbub (http://www.elbbub.in). It is a chain of tea shops across different malls in the country. We offer 30 diferent varieties of tea including Bubble Tea, which we are launching first time in India.
We have started our first shop at Ground Floor, City Centre Mall, Vashi.
Request you to visit our kiosk sometime.
Vaibhav Gupta
MD& CEO
Elbbub Tea Shop
So, last evening, when I happened to be at the very same City Centre Mall with the Elbbub kiosk right in my face as I exited Food Bazaar... I had to try it.
The menu was long, for a tea shop. I decided to try 'bubble' tea simply for the novelty value. The boy at the counter said it is 'like a milkshake'.
Now which flavour to choose? Kaafi ajeebogareeb flavours the, like khus, sitafal, lychee. No chocolate, surprisingly.
I opted for 'peach apricot'. Some mixing and stirring started behind the counter.
This is what the concoction looked like.
It did taste like a milkshake, though I am told the drink contains tea syrup. And it has 'bubbles' in the form of rubber-textured balls (kind of like sabudana).
Not bad. Not particularly good either. Maybe, an acquired taste.
A slightly hassled guy in a striped t-shirt arrived at the counter. The thick chashma indicated he might be Vaibhav. It was.
We chatted for a bit. He mentioned HR issues. Yup - welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!
I think Vaibhav has done a brave thing, by going into business. It's not going to be easy. Bubble tea may be doing well in southeast Asia but may not necessarily work in India.
Right now Elbbub's menu is way too long and confusing. Regular tea, designer tea, bubble tea - and all sold right opposite a Cafe Coffee Day.
But I am sure with time Vaibhav - like any other entrepreneur - will figure out what is working, what is not. He will tweak the product, create new products - kill off the rest.
That is how every enterprise finds its feet.
Rahi baat yeh, ki is this the kind of business an IIM graduate should get into? Well, why not? The food business is as good a business as any.
Of course, it involves more manual than cerebral work. Although in time, you will have to use all those management principles to scale it up (refer chapters on Dosa Plaza and Oriental Cuisines in my new book 'Connect the Dots')
And what is so cerebral about working in some hedge fund or telecom company anyways? I bet you use only a small part of your brain, your accumulated knowledge as you slip into a system which already exists.
Try running the tiniest enterprise on your own and you know - chaar paise kamaana kitna mushkil hai. You will see the bhelpuriwallah who stands at your street corner with new respect!
Lage raho, Vaibhav.
The school of hard knocks iw what prepares you, for bigger things in life.
Related story: IIT Bombay student Prabhkiran Singh runs a lassi stall by the name'Khadke Glassi' on campus.
I like the clear, focussed, limited menu. And the way he has represented each drink with pictures... So much of 'marketing' is simple common sense!
P.S. I am inspired to revive my Young Entrepreneur series. I know there are many out there, but the enterprise must catch my fancy.
Do nominate any interesting business you know of! The id is rashmi_b at yahoo.com
Dear Rashmi,
Let me introduce myself. I did B. Tech in Chem Engg from IIT Bombay and PGDCM from IIM Calcutta. I worked for 3 years in Hinduja Group.
Now I have resigned from the job and started Elbbub (http://www.elbbub.in). It is a chain of tea shops across different malls in the country. We offer 30 diferent varieties of tea including Bubble Tea, which we are launching first time in India.
We have started our first shop at Ground Floor, City Centre Mall, Vashi.
Request you to visit our kiosk sometime.
Vaibhav Gupta
MD& CEO
Elbbub Tea Shop
So, last evening, when I happened to be at the very same City Centre Mall with the Elbbub kiosk right in my face as I exited Food Bazaar... I had to try it.
The menu was long, for a tea shop. I decided to try 'bubble' tea simply for the novelty value. The boy at the counter said it is 'like a milkshake'.
Now which flavour to choose? Kaafi ajeebogareeb flavours the, like khus, sitafal, lychee. No chocolate, surprisingly.
I opted for 'peach apricot'. Some mixing and stirring started behind the counter.
This is what the concoction looked like.
It did taste like a milkshake, though I am told the drink contains tea syrup. And it has 'bubbles' in the form of rubber-textured balls (kind of like sabudana).
Not bad. Not particularly good either. Maybe, an acquired taste.
A slightly hassled guy in a striped t-shirt arrived at the counter. The thick chashma indicated he might be Vaibhav. It was.
We chatted for a bit. He mentioned HR issues. Yup - welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!
I think Vaibhav has done a brave thing, by going into business. It's not going to be easy. Bubble tea may be doing well in southeast Asia but may not necessarily work in India.
Right now Elbbub's menu is way too long and confusing. Regular tea, designer tea, bubble tea - and all sold right opposite a Cafe Coffee Day.
But I am sure with time Vaibhav - like any other entrepreneur - will figure out what is working, what is not. He will tweak the product, create new products - kill off the rest.
That is how every enterprise finds its feet.
Rahi baat yeh, ki is this the kind of business an IIM graduate should get into? Well, why not? The food business is as good a business as any.
Of course, it involves more manual than cerebral work. Although in time, you will have to use all those management principles to scale it up (refer chapters on Dosa Plaza and Oriental Cuisines in my new book 'Connect the Dots')
And what is so cerebral about working in some hedge fund or telecom company anyways? I bet you use only a small part of your brain, your accumulated knowledge as you slip into a system which already exists.
Try running the tiniest enterprise on your own and you know - chaar paise kamaana kitna mushkil hai. You will see the bhelpuriwallah who stands at your street corner with new respect!
Lage raho, Vaibhav.
The school of hard knocks iw what prepares you, for bigger things in life.
Related story: IIT Bombay student Prabhkiran Singh runs a lassi stall by the name'Khadke Glassi' on campus.
I like the clear, focussed, limited menu. And the way he has represented each drink with pictures... So much of 'marketing' is simple common sense!
P.S. I am inspired to revive my Young Entrepreneur series. I know there are many out there, but the enterprise must catch my fancy.
Do nominate any interesting business you know of! The id is rashmi_b at yahoo.com
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Cool summer jobs and internships
If you're a student looking for a summer job or internship, look no further. JAM magazine has a host of listings here.
Some of the jobs I think are most interesting include:
1) Flash games Developer (Mumbai) - Infinity Technologies
Developing interactive Flash games and presentation. Your games would be eventually published on FaceBook.
2) Marketing Intern (Mumbai)- GiveIndia
Reach out to employees in some of India's biggest and best corporates in comfortable workplaces
3) Research intern (Bangalore) - H S Brands International (mystery shopping company)
The candidate review and edit reports to check for authenticity and consistency of information
And here are the two coolest part-time gigs (if you have the skill!):
1) Ghost writing for travel and lifestyle magazine
2) Karaoke hostess at TGI Friday's (Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad)
For the karaoke job you can apply directly to kjsubz at gmail.com
Happy croaking!
Some of the jobs I think are most interesting include:
1) Flash games Developer (Mumbai) - Infinity Technologies
Developing interactive Flash games and presentation. Your games would be eventually published on FaceBook.
2) Marketing Intern (Mumbai)- GiveIndia
Reach out to employees in some of India's biggest and best corporates in comfortable workplaces
3) Research intern (Bangalore) - H S Brands International (mystery shopping company)
The candidate review and edit reports to check for authenticity and consistency of information
And here are the two coolest part-time gigs (if you have the skill!):
1) Ghost writing for travel and lifestyle magazine
2) Karaoke hostess at TGI Friday's (Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad)
For the karaoke job you can apply directly to kjsubz at gmail.com
Happy croaking!
Connect the Dots: FAQs
I've been getting tweets and mails from you guys re: 'Connect the Dots', so let me give an all-for-one and one-for-all answer
1. Where can I buy the book?
Bookstores everywhere.
Yes, I know the distribution has been a bit slow but I'm told you will get 'Connect the Dots' in Crossword and other major chain stores by the end of this week. Do let me know if that's not the case!
2. Can I buy 'Connect the Dots online?
At the following websites:
a) Infibeam: click here
Infibeam will ship the books to locations in India and selected countries including
USA, Canada, Australia and Singapore.
b) Flipkart: click here
c) Indiaplaza: click here
By the way all three websites are selling author-signed copies. Yup, I sat and signed a mountain of books to make that happen...
And that's just the first 500!
3. Yet another title inspired by Steve Jobs?
Yes, the title 'Connect the Dots' is inspired by the same speech at Stanford where Steve Jobs exhorted graduates to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish'. And I have acknowledged that right at the beginning of the book.
Why am I obsessed with Steve Jobs? Well, I just am (and now that I own an iPhone that might get worse :) But seriously, I was inspired by Steve Jobs a long time ago, when I read the book Odyssey: from Pepsi to Apple.
Steve Jobs persuaded John Sculley, the President of Pepsi, to join Apple with these immortal words:"Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?"
That line remained in my mind, and served as a guidepost, when I stood at the crossroads in my career.
That said, I can promise you the title of my third book is not inspired by Steve Jobs :)
4) Is 'Connect the Dots' a sequel to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish'?
Yes, and no.
Yes, because so many of you asked why does 'Stay Hungry' only feature stories of MBAs - that too from IIMA - I felt compelled to look at the completely opposite kind of profile.
My contention with Stay Hungry was that MBAs can be entrepreneurs and it was the objective (set by CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad) that the book should inspire young bschool graduates to consider such a career option.
Many of the readers however concluded that an MBA is what they should aim for, if they wanted to be successful entrepreneurs.
Anyhow, I thank them for their plaintive emails to me asking "what about us, 'ordinary' graduates". That question set the stage for 'Connect the Dots' and I am happy to say that in terms of sheer variety of people I met, this book was a more interesting experience!
5. So, is 'Connect the Dots' as good as the first book?
Well, I certainly cannot comment on that. In fact I have no idea if the first book was 'good' either :)
But here are some reviews from early readers of 'Connect the Dots':
Have read 5 stories so far, and each one stays, cos it's written so well, and the stories of each of the entrepreneurs are so inspiring. I also like that there's no melodrama and all the interviewees seem to accept things for what they are (for example, Ranjiv Ramchandani when asked if he decided not to cut corners wrt the quality of his t-shirts says, nah it's just that i was ignorant about the quality! Great read...
- Amrithaa on Flipkart
More reviews at Flipkart
Rashmi Bansal’s new book - ‘Connect The Dots‘ is a follow-up to her hugely successful book ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’. The earlier book mentioned the inspiring stories of IIMA graduates. Connect The Dots is about successful entrepreneurs without the typical MBA degree.
The book has classified entrepreneurs in three categories:
1. Jugaad - Ones who have no formal business training and learnt by observation, experimentation and application of mind.
2. Junoon - Ones who are driven by passion and ideas which are ahead of its time.
3. Zubaan - Ones who are creative people with unique talent
The book has a biographical account of the entrepreneur and advice to other entrepreneurs - same style as Stay Hungry Stay Foolish. The selection of the entrepreneurs is interesting indeed which adds diversity to the book and the subject of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs behind success stories like Reva, Dosa Plaza, Su-Kam, Crossword, Tantra T-Shrits, Veta, Fem Care are featured as well as Film Director Paresh Mokashi and Wildlife Photographer Kalyan Verma. Though there are no formulas to success, it is interesting to know the journey of the fellow entrepreneurs.
Rashmi Bansal’s style and language is amazing as always ! She has got another bestseller! Read it !
- Ashok Karania
Reviews on Infibeam
Twitter feedback:
@YouthPad I like the narrative of Connect the Dots.. :)
@ravisagar Read first 3 stories this morning. Truly inspirational stories. Almost finished the book. Why don't you write part 3???
6. When are you having a book launch in Mumbai, Delhi, etc etc?
There will be 'Connect the Dots' launch events in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai in the month of May. Would love to see you there, will keep you posted!
1. Where can I buy the book?
Bookstores everywhere.
Yes, I know the distribution has been a bit slow but I'm told you will get 'Connect the Dots' in Crossword and other major chain stores by the end of this week. Do let me know if that's not the case!
2. Can I buy 'Connect the Dots online?
At the following websites:
a) Infibeam: click here
Infibeam will ship the books to locations in India and selected countries including
USA, Canada, Australia and Singapore.
b) Flipkart: click here
c) Indiaplaza: click here
By the way all three websites are selling author-signed copies. Yup, I sat and signed a mountain of books to make that happen...
And that's just the first 500!
3. Yet another title inspired by Steve Jobs?
Yes, the title 'Connect the Dots' is inspired by the same speech at Stanford where Steve Jobs exhorted graduates to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish'. And I have acknowledged that right at the beginning of the book.
Why am I obsessed with Steve Jobs? Well, I just am (and now that I own an iPhone that might get worse :) But seriously, I was inspired by Steve Jobs a long time ago, when I read the book Odyssey: from Pepsi to Apple.
Steve Jobs persuaded John Sculley, the President of Pepsi, to join Apple with these immortal words:"Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?"
That line remained in my mind, and served as a guidepost, when I stood at the crossroads in my career.
That said, I can promise you the title of my third book is not inspired by Steve Jobs :)
4) Is 'Connect the Dots' a sequel to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish'?
Yes, and no.
Yes, because so many of you asked why does 'Stay Hungry' only feature stories of MBAs - that too from IIMA - I felt compelled to look at the completely opposite kind of profile.
My contention with Stay Hungry was that MBAs can be entrepreneurs and it was the objective (set by CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad) that the book should inspire young bschool graduates to consider such a career option.
Many of the readers however concluded that an MBA is what they should aim for, if they wanted to be successful entrepreneurs.
Anyhow, I thank them for their plaintive emails to me asking "what about us, 'ordinary' graduates". That question set the stage for 'Connect the Dots' and I am happy to say that in terms of sheer variety of people I met, this book was a more interesting experience!
5. So, is 'Connect the Dots' as good as the first book?
Well, I certainly cannot comment on that. In fact I have no idea if the first book was 'good' either :)
But here are some reviews from early readers of 'Connect the Dots':
Have read 5 stories so far, and each one stays, cos it's written so well, and the stories of each of the entrepreneurs are so inspiring. I also like that there's no melodrama and all the interviewees seem to accept things for what they are (for example, Ranjiv Ramchandani when asked if he decided not to cut corners wrt the quality of his t-shirts says, nah it's just that i was ignorant about the quality! Great read...
- Amrithaa on Flipkart
More reviews at Flipkart
Rashmi Bansal’s new book - ‘Connect The Dots‘ is a follow-up to her hugely successful book ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’. The earlier book mentioned the inspiring stories of IIMA graduates. Connect The Dots is about successful entrepreneurs without the typical MBA degree.
The book has classified entrepreneurs in three categories:
1. Jugaad - Ones who have no formal business training and learnt by observation, experimentation and application of mind.
2. Junoon - Ones who are driven by passion and ideas which are ahead of its time.
3. Zubaan - Ones who are creative people with unique talent
The book has a biographical account of the entrepreneur and advice to other entrepreneurs - same style as Stay Hungry Stay Foolish. The selection of the entrepreneurs is interesting indeed which adds diversity to the book and the subject of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs behind success stories like Reva, Dosa Plaza, Su-Kam, Crossword, Tantra T-Shrits, Veta, Fem Care are featured as well as Film Director Paresh Mokashi and Wildlife Photographer Kalyan Verma. Though there are no formulas to success, it is interesting to know the journey of the fellow entrepreneurs.
Rashmi Bansal’s style and language is amazing as always ! She has got another bestseller! Read it !
- Ashok Karania
Reviews on Infibeam
Twitter feedback:
@YouthPad I like the narrative of Connect the Dots.. :)
@ravisagar Read first 3 stories this morning. Truly inspirational stories. Almost finished the book. Why don't you write part 3???
6. When are you having a book launch in Mumbai, Delhi, etc etc?
There will be 'Connect the Dots' launch events in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai in the month of May. Would love to see you there, will keep you posted!
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Launch of my second book: 'Connect the Dots'
Dear ReadersI am delighted to invite you to the launch of my second book 'Connect the Dots' on Saturday, April 3, 2010.
Venue: Crossword, Mithakali, Ahmedabad
Time: 6 pm
'Connect the Dots' is a sequel to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish'. It features the inspiring stories of 20 entrepreneurs without an MBA who dared to find their own path.
Four of the entrepreneurs featured in the book will be present.
They are:
1) Kunwer Sachdev, Founder, Su-kam
2) R Sriram, Founder, Crossword bookstore
3) Ganesh Ram, Founder, Veta (Vivekananda English Training Academy)
4) Satyajit Singh, Founder, Shakti Sudha Industries
A second event will be held at Crossword, Baroda on 4th April (Sunday) at 11 am
There will be more events in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad over the next month and I look forward to seeing you at some of them!
Thank you all for your love and support.
Book website and 'where you can buy it' (online, offline) will be updated tomorrow.
'Connect the Dots' is published by Eklavya Foundation and will retail for Rs 150.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Up in the Air
“If you have 150 million or 160 million children who don’t go to college, what is going to happen to them 10 or 15 years from now?” asked Kapil Sibal, the government minister overseeing education. “The demographic dividend will become a demographic disaster.”
- quoted in The New York Times this morning
Mr Sibal, let me put the opposite question to you. What happens if 160 million children DO go to college? Another demographic disaster, if we continue to define 'college' as it is today.
Let me give you a small example. The Indian Express carried this poignant piece a couple of days ago:
Maharashtra AHA moment: ‘Tribals don’t fit aviation bill’
About three years ago, every time an aircraft flew over Pen in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, children in the tribal village would look at it and say Bharti Sheed, one of their own, was on it.
It was a matter of pride for the community as Sheed, 24, had made it to the first batch of a course specially designed by the state government for the tribal community at the privately run Air Hostess Academy (AHA) in Pune. And even though she was still pursuing the course then, she was already a star for her community.
Three years on, those dreams have rudely crash-landed for Sheed and more than 100 other tribal youngsters who had joined AHA. None of the students who passed out of the first batch of the course in 2008 or the second one a year later has got any aviation jobs.
Following a lack of response from airlines to students who passed out of AHA, the government has now scrapped the course.
Commissioner for Tribal Development D S Rajurkar goes on to say...
“They are not physically appealing and because of their strong local accent they are not good communicators too. I had met (Civil Aviation Minister) Praful Patel to push for jobs but nothing concrete came out of it”
On the bright side, many girls have got jobs - in the hospitality sector. But, they feel cheated because sarkaar ne unhe ek bada sapna dikhaya. A job with glamour, a chance to move into a new social and economic circle.
And that dream has crashlanded.
The point is: As more and more Indians get a 'higher education', their aspirations rise. Even if I have done engineering from Jhumritalaiyya Institute of Technology, I see myself as an engineer in Infosys.
Is the economy and the job market growing fast enough to fulfil these aspirations? Not by a long shot.
Yes, there are jobs but according to the Ma Foi Employment Trends survey, the top three sectors creating these jobs in the near future are as follows:
1) Healthcare (283,000 new jobs on a total base of 3.6 million workers in this sector)
2) Hospitality (137,000 new jobs on a total base of 5.9 million workers in this sector)
3) Real Estate (136,000 new jobs on a total base of 730,000 workers in this sector)
Real estate is seeing extremely highest growth, thanks to the sundry infrastructure and building projects across the country. But when I met Santosh Parulekar of Pipal Tree Ventures, a social enterprise which trains disadvantaged youth to work in the construction industry, he was blunt.
"Our brochures show pictures of exactly what is steel fixing and bar bending - it is a field job. Otherwise, boys join and then drop out saying they don't want to do this kind of work."
This, despite the fact that placement of Rs 6000 p.m. is guaranteed, the fee is nominal (taken from the student only when he starts drawing salary) and there is opportunity for growth.
But even an 6th class dropout has a picture in his mind, about what kind of job he wants.
The vast majority of India - thanks to higher education - want naukris in air conditioned offices. Jobs with 'officer-like' qualities.
Working on computers.
Shifting papers.
Supervising someone else.
Nothing wrong in wanting, but there just aren't enough such jobs. It's a mismatch of skills with requirements; expectations clashing with reality. The problem exists right at the very top - in the IITs and IIMs. And extends all the way down to the grassroots.
So, what can be done? Well, yeh expectation ka virus aaj ki hawa mein hai. Like dry grass, the young 'educated' person awaits the baarish of opportunity.
The least we can do is refrain from lighting a matchstick and setting off a forest fire.
Instead of pushing tribal girls into aviation, can we motivate them to take up nursing? Because it is estimated that India needs one million nurses.
But certainly not more than a few hundred air-hostesses.
Instead of offering MBA (Finance) to all and sundry can tier 3 bschools be practical and stick to Sales and Marketing? Because every kind of business needs salespeople.
But only a handful require investment banking.
Minds can be moved, attitudes can be changed, students can be gently nudged in the required direction right from school.
Let us communicate that 'ITI' or diploma holders are no less than those with 'degrees'.
Let us make vocational courses a real, alternative career track and not just for have-nots and 'losers'.
Let us not wave around pieces of paper with acronyms printed on them and feel pride in our 'educated' status.
What matters is the skills you have, the ability to contribute and become a valuable member of the workforce, Mr Sibal.
Not merely attending 'college'.
- quoted in The New York Times this morning
Mr Sibal, let me put the opposite question to you. What happens if 160 million children DO go to college? Another demographic disaster, if we continue to define 'college' as it is today.
Let me give you a small example. The Indian Express carried this poignant piece a couple of days ago:
Maharashtra AHA moment: ‘Tribals don’t fit aviation bill’
About three years ago, every time an aircraft flew over Pen in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, children in the tribal village would look at it and say Bharti Sheed, one of their own, was on it.
It was a matter of pride for the community as Sheed, 24, had made it to the first batch of a course specially designed by the state government for the tribal community at the privately run Air Hostess Academy (AHA) in Pune. And even though she was still pursuing the course then, she was already a star for her community.
Three years on, those dreams have rudely crash-landed for Sheed and more than 100 other tribal youngsters who had joined AHA. None of the students who passed out of the first batch of the course in 2008 or the second one a year later has got any aviation jobs.
Following a lack of response from airlines to students who passed out of AHA, the government has now scrapped the course.
Commissioner for Tribal Development D S Rajurkar goes on to say...
“They are not physically appealing and because of their strong local accent they are not good communicators too. I had met (Civil Aviation Minister) Praful Patel to push for jobs but nothing concrete came out of it”
On the bright side, many girls have got jobs - in the hospitality sector. But, they feel cheated because sarkaar ne unhe ek bada sapna dikhaya. A job with glamour, a chance to move into a new social and economic circle.
And that dream has crashlanded.
The point is: As more and more Indians get a 'higher education', their aspirations rise. Even if I have done engineering from Jhumritalaiyya Institute of Technology, I see myself as an engineer in Infosys.
Is the economy and the job market growing fast enough to fulfil these aspirations? Not by a long shot.
Yes, there are jobs but according to the Ma Foi Employment Trends survey, the top three sectors creating these jobs in the near future are as follows:
1) Healthcare (283,000 new jobs on a total base of 3.6 million workers in this sector)
2) Hospitality (137,000 new jobs on a total base of 5.9 million workers in this sector)
3) Real Estate (136,000 new jobs on a total base of 730,000 workers in this sector)
Real estate is seeing extremely highest growth, thanks to the sundry infrastructure and building projects across the country. But when I met Santosh Parulekar of Pipal Tree Ventures, a social enterprise which trains disadvantaged youth to work in the construction industry, he was blunt.
"Our brochures show pictures of exactly what is steel fixing and bar bending - it is a field job. Otherwise, boys join and then drop out saying they don't want to do this kind of work."
This, despite the fact that placement of Rs 6000 p.m. is guaranteed, the fee is nominal (taken from the student only when he starts drawing salary) and there is opportunity for growth.
But even an 6th class dropout has a picture in his mind, about what kind of job he wants.
The vast majority of India - thanks to higher education - want naukris in air conditioned offices. Jobs with 'officer-like' qualities.
Working on computers.
Shifting papers.
Supervising someone else.
Nothing wrong in wanting, but there just aren't enough such jobs. It's a mismatch of skills with requirements; expectations clashing with reality. The problem exists right at the very top - in the IITs and IIMs. And extends all the way down to the grassroots.
So, what can be done? Well, yeh expectation ka virus aaj ki hawa mein hai. Like dry grass, the young 'educated' person awaits the baarish of opportunity.
The least we can do is refrain from lighting a matchstick and setting off a forest fire.
Instead of pushing tribal girls into aviation, can we motivate them to take up nursing? Because it is estimated that India needs one million nurses.
But certainly not more than a few hundred air-hostesses.
Instead of offering MBA (Finance) to all and sundry can tier 3 bschools be practical and stick to Sales and Marketing? Because every kind of business needs salespeople.
But only a handful require investment banking.
Minds can be moved, attitudes can be changed, students can be gently nudged in the required direction right from school.
Let us communicate that 'ITI' or diploma holders are no less than those with 'degrees'.
Let us make vocational courses a real, alternative career track and not just for have-nots and 'losers'.
Let us not wave around pieces of paper with acronyms printed on them and feel pride in our 'educated' status.
What matters is the skills you have, the ability to contribute and become a valuable member of the workforce, Mr Sibal.
Not merely attending 'college'.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
What were you thinking?
hii dis is xxx...i m frm xaviers..studying in sybmm.. i m looking for placement.. plz let me knw if der r any...i hav sent u my resumare...plz hav a look at it...
This is a real email.
I swear.
I want to meet this kid.
I want to meet her and ask,"What were you thinking?"
Why did you join a mass media course anyways?
Because it sounds cool, better than doing just a B.A.
Because it sounds like you are on a path to 'somewhere' and maybe, in a good year, you might even land a job.
Of course, the poor sod who employs you will wonder "What were you thinking, St Xavier's?"
Can you at least pick people who can read and write English ?
Can you ensure that two years into the course they are aware of basic etiquette when addressing a prospective employer?
Can you drill into their heads that even though there is Google, real journalism is about going out there - on the street, on the beat.
Media schools, can you teach your students that being a journalist means paying attention to details.
Like recording interviews, whenever possible.
Taking care to quote people correctly.
Doing your basic homework and then asking for inputs.
Think, before you send off an email asking an expert to practically do your job for you.
Please revert me back with your ideas... We will appreciate if you write the story along with me.
"What were you thinking, young journalist?"
Ah, but you never knew journalism involved thinking.
This is a real email.
I swear.
I want to meet this kid.
I want to meet her and ask,"What were you thinking?"
Why did you join a mass media course anyways?
Because it sounds cool, better than doing just a B.A.
Because it sounds like you are on a path to 'somewhere' and maybe, in a good year, you might even land a job.
Of course, the poor sod who employs you will wonder "What were you thinking, St Xavier's?"
Can you at least pick people who can read and write English ?
Can you ensure that two years into the course they are aware of basic etiquette when addressing a prospective employer?
Can you drill into their heads that even though there is Google, real journalism is about going out there - on the street, on the beat.
Media schools, can you teach your students that being a journalist means paying attention to details.
Like recording interviews, whenever possible.
Taking care to quote people correctly.
Doing your basic homework and then asking for inputs.
Think, before you send off an email asking an expert to practically do your job for you.
Please revert me back with your ideas... We will appreciate if you write the story along with me.
"What were you thinking, young journalist?"
Ah, but you never knew journalism involved thinking.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Sugar free matrimonials
While glancing through the Sunday papers, I noticed this interesting new concept launched by The Times of India called 'Equality Matrimonials'.
The tagline: "Because marriage is an equal vow between two individuals. Not two families."
Yeah right. And this is not India, it is Utopia.
Still, for what it is worth let me take you through the "Equality Marriage Contract" drafted by them. Which - they hope - brides and grooms advertising under this column will sign.
Metaphorically speaking, I guess
Equality Marriage Contract
(remarks in italics below each point are mine)
HUM = TUM
Manifesto for equality in marriage
The HUM = TUM matrimonial column is for prospective brides and grooms who believe in a democratic marriage - a coming together of two individuals who value freedom of choices including those of parenthood, family and household responsibilities, social interactions and career-related decisions, as follows:
1. Personal preferences including those related to dress, food and hobbies will be respected, with no pressure from in-laws or relatives.
The wife can respect the husband's ponytail, and the husband can respect her thunder thighs in a mini-skirt. But what in-laws and relatives say or do is hardly in their control!
2. The couple would share the responsibility of caring for each others' parents - while each would remain the primary caregiver for their own parents.
Eh.. means we buy a 4 bedroom house and your dad and my mom can stay with us. But you make sure you have dinner with your own mom?
3. Both partners have an equal right to pursue - or not to pursue - a career and play the role of primary breadwinner. Either one could follow the other's decision to relocate home as per career movement.
Hee hee ha ha.
4. If both choose to work, responsibility for child rearing and home management will be shared equally.
Hee hee hee hee ha ha ha ha.
5. Together, the couple will resolve to overcome attempts by extended family to interfere in their key life choices. eg whether and when to have a baby will be decided only by the couple, not by parents and other family members who will not comment on, goad or influence the couple.
Note: When you have that Big Fat Indian Wedding with chaar peedi ke rishtedaars make sure to give some duct tape along with the mithai ka dabbas!
6. The bride does not 'leave her home' to merge seamlessly or fit into her in-laws scheme of things, she now has another home that she might choose to call her own in addition to the home she comes from.
'In-laws scheme of things'? Thy copywriter doth see too much Star Plus, methinks.
But seriously.
The 'contract' does address some key issues leading to breakdown in marriage today. Possibly, those advertising under this section will not be confronted by grooms who look 'well educated' on paper but belong to the caveman mindset.
I recall the kind of guys my cousin - an MBA and working girl - met through the matrimonials. There was a particularly memorable fellow who said,"You can continue to work but... make sure you get home before me".
Which meant approximately five o'clock. But it's really a blessing in disguise when people with such expectations say it upfront! And conversely, people who advertise in 'Equality Matrimonials' believe both spouses can kill themselves at work.
"Equality in high blood pressure, it is my birthright."
Sorry about the PJs, but you can't take this 'contract' seriously. Equality is an imaginary concept - like finding Blue Aliens Who Use Their Tails like USB Sticks.
Apples and Oranges cannot be equal. They can only exist in a fruit basket in a spirit of mutual respect and enjoy each other's fruitiness.
That's a good marriage.
The trouble arises when the Apples squeeze the Oranges. And when the whole world extols the virtues of being Orange Juice.
Let me say here that the principle also applies in reverse. Apple does not get the respect it deserves, in the pantheon of Juice. It must be strong, because nobody appreciates an apple gone phusky.
Here's a challenge. Show me one woman who is so career-oriented that she and the husband will actually sit down and discuss 'which one of us will continue working after the baby'.
OK, maybe there is one, but show me ten. Or a hundred. Or a thousand.
A majority of women will cite motherly instinct as a Supreme Right. One which precludes busting their butts to be the 'primary breadwinner'.
You get my point, I hope.
And at the end of the day, the things we want at 25, are not the same as at 30, or 40, or 50. So any 'contract' - real or notional - between two people, has to be fluid.
If the foundation is solid, the building stands. Otherwise you're just going to scream during a fight,"To think you found me through 'equality matrimonials'. Ab kahaan gayi equality huh? HUH?"
P.S. I must compliment the people at The Times of India. This is a great marketing gimmick. Folks, if any of you advertise under this column, do let me know how it went!
How you carefully cut the brownie at Barista in equal portions, and discussed how many shoes she would be allowed - you know, to keep things equal!
P.P.S. Abhi inaugural discount bhi chal raha hai - pachchis percent. Hurry, equality on offer as long as stocks last...
The above post was not sponsored by Equal. Zindagi ke pyaale mein asli mithaas ka koi substitute nahin.
As they say, shaadi koi mazaak to nahin so let me end on this senti note :)
The tagline: "Because marriage is an equal vow between two individuals. Not two families."
Yeah right. And this is not India, it is Utopia.
Still, for what it is worth let me take you through the "Equality Marriage Contract" drafted by them. Which - they hope - brides and grooms advertising under this column will sign.
Metaphorically speaking, I guess
Equality Marriage Contract
(remarks in italics below each point are mine)
HUM = TUM
Manifesto for equality in marriage
The HUM = TUM matrimonial column is for prospective brides and grooms who believe in a democratic marriage - a coming together of two individuals who value freedom of choices including those of parenthood, family and household responsibilities, social interactions and career-related decisions, as follows:
1. Personal preferences including those related to dress, food and hobbies will be respected, with no pressure from in-laws or relatives.
The wife can respect the husband's ponytail, and the husband can respect her thunder thighs in a mini-skirt. But what in-laws and relatives say or do is hardly in their control!
2. The couple would share the responsibility of caring for each others' parents - while each would remain the primary caregiver for their own parents.
Eh.. means we buy a 4 bedroom house and your dad and my mom can stay with us. But you make sure you have dinner with your own mom?
3. Both partners have an equal right to pursue - or not to pursue - a career and play the role of primary breadwinner. Either one could follow the other's decision to relocate home as per career movement.
Hee hee ha ha.
4. If both choose to work, responsibility for child rearing and home management will be shared equally.
Hee hee hee hee ha ha ha ha.
5. Together, the couple will resolve to overcome attempts by extended family to interfere in their key life choices. eg whether and when to have a baby will be decided only by the couple, not by parents and other family members who will not comment on, goad or influence the couple.
Note: When you have that Big Fat Indian Wedding with chaar peedi ke rishtedaars make sure to give some duct tape along with the mithai ka dabbas!
6. The bride does not 'leave her home' to merge seamlessly or fit into her in-laws scheme of things, she now has another home that she might choose to call her own in addition to the home she comes from.
'In-laws scheme of things'? Thy copywriter doth see too much Star Plus, methinks.
But seriously.
The 'contract' does address some key issues leading to breakdown in marriage today. Possibly, those advertising under this section will not be confronted by grooms who look 'well educated' on paper but belong to the caveman mindset.
I recall the kind of guys my cousin - an MBA and working girl - met through the matrimonials. There was a particularly memorable fellow who said,"You can continue to work but... make sure you get home before me".
Which meant approximately five o'clock. But it's really a blessing in disguise when people with such expectations say it upfront! And conversely, people who advertise in 'Equality Matrimonials' believe both spouses can kill themselves at work.
"Equality in high blood pressure, it is my birthright."
Sorry about the PJs, but you can't take this 'contract' seriously. Equality is an imaginary concept - like finding Blue Aliens Who Use Their Tails like USB Sticks.
Apples and Oranges cannot be equal. They can only exist in a fruit basket in a spirit of mutual respect and enjoy each other's fruitiness.
That's a good marriage.
The trouble arises when the Apples squeeze the Oranges. And when the whole world extols the virtues of being Orange Juice.
Let me say here that the principle also applies in reverse. Apple does not get the respect it deserves, in the pantheon of Juice. It must be strong, because nobody appreciates an apple gone phusky.
Here's a challenge. Show me one woman who is so career-oriented that she and the husband will actually sit down and discuss 'which one of us will continue working after the baby'.
OK, maybe there is one, but show me ten. Or a hundred. Or a thousand.
A majority of women will cite motherly instinct as a Supreme Right. One which precludes busting their butts to be the 'primary breadwinner'.
You get my point, I hope.
And at the end of the day, the things we want at 25, are not the same as at 30, or 40, or 50. So any 'contract' - real or notional - between two people, has to be fluid.
If the foundation is solid, the building stands. Otherwise you're just going to scream during a fight,"To think you found me through 'equality matrimonials'. Ab kahaan gayi equality huh? HUH?"
P.S. I must compliment the people at The Times of India. This is a great marketing gimmick. Folks, if any of you advertise under this column, do let me know how it went!
How you carefully cut the brownie at Barista in equal portions, and discussed how many shoes she would be allowed - you know, to keep things equal!
P.P.S. Abhi inaugural discount bhi chal raha hai - pachchis percent. Hurry, equality on offer as long as stocks last...
The above post was not sponsored by Equal. Zindagi ke pyaale mein asli mithaas ka koi substitute nahin.
As they say, shaadi koi mazaak to nahin so let me end on this senti note :)
Monday, March 01, 2010
The Constant Gardener
I haven't updated this blog for a while, for many 'reasons'.
First of all, I was writing a book. And now it's finally done. Yes, my second book has gone to print and will be out this month.
It is a 'sequel' to Stay Hungry and yet, different. Better, I think.
Writing it was exhilarating and yet exhausting. Many were the times when I would rather have blogged about Kapil Sibal than struggled with another chapter. Or proofread pages for the nth time.
But, it is over, I have moved on. In fact, I am now completing a third book.
Which brings me to reason # 2, a bigger reason. And that is, many were the times when I could have blogged - despite the book writing - but something inside me said 'stop'.
In a quiet moment I asked myself,"Why?" And I discovered an uncomfortable truth.
Writing has been one of the great joys of my life. A talent, a gift, a skill which has the power to take me out of myself. When I write, I am in flow. Thoughts come, fingers fly, words are strung together and this sequence of events gives me pleasure - as well as peace -at the same time.
And the amazing thing is, what I write - for the most part - touches people.
You appreciate me, you respond, you are moved to share a part of yourself. Although I do not write for appreciation, I appreciate the appreciation, for sure. In fact, apart from love of writing itself, it is one of the reasons that keeps me going as a blogger.
So?
Well, this part of life, the 'writer' part has been doing extremely well. Without any conscious effort. I mean sure, I do have to put my nose to the grindstone and struggle with 'what am I trying to say' at times. But I know it's just part of the process.
I know I can navigate myself out of any tunnel, no matter how dark.
But that's not the case with the 'rest of my life'. The one that involves people, and relationships. I mean, non-intellectual and 'real world'.
For the longest time, this was a part of myself I always thought I could be 'no good at'. Or at best, average.
Pictures of 'happy families' always made me think - "uh huh, lucky people". I've never felt really close in that way to the people I call my loved ones.
Over the years I realised I am a person whose brain always ruled over her heart. In fact, I barely knew how to deal with emotions - at all.
And yet, leading this life seemed okay to me.
Because, 'you can't have everything'.
Because maybe some people are meant to be this way...
But I realise this is all just rationalisation.
It does not matter how 'successful' you are.
How intelligent you are, how capable.
Or how much money you earn.
If you cannot manage your emotions and connect with people in a deep and meaningful way, nothing really matters.
And so, instead of taking refuge in writing, I am learning to live more fully.
To love and understand myself.
To love and understand others.
To take better care of my body.
Make better use of my mind.
To just be, instead of trying to become.
I feel something inside me changing. And it scares me and thrills me at the same time.
To write about what is happening is a challenge.
I am afraid I will 'reveal' too much of myself.
I will stand exposed.
And I wonder, will you understand?
Or even care??
OKAY.
The good news is, I'm not turning into Paolo Coelho.
I will resume blogging on the subjects I am passionate about - careers, entrepreneurship, 'following your dreams'. And the occassional book review, movie review, thoughts on life, the universe and youth culture.
But from time to time, I will also share that work-in-progress part of myself. Because I think all of us - to lesser or greater degree - need to tend to it.
We nurture mighty trees called 'careers'.
But we let weeds grow in the garden of our soul.
That private space, that special place, where flowers must always be in bloom.
To make life beautiful, and fragrant.
To experience the joy of truly being alive.
First of all, I was writing a book. And now it's finally done. Yes, my second book has gone to print and will be out this month.
It is a 'sequel' to Stay Hungry and yet, different. Better, I think.
Writing it was exhilarating and yet exhausting. Many were the times when I would rather have blogged about Kapil Sibal than struggled with another chapter. Or proofread pages for the nth time.
But, it is over, I have moved on. In fact, I am now completing a third book.
Which brings me to reason # 2, a bigger reason. And that is, many were the times when I could have blogged - despite the book writing - but something inside me said 'stop'.
In a quiet moment I asked myself,"Why?" And I discovered an uncomfortable truth.
Writing has been one of the great joys of my life. A talent, a gift, a skill which has the power to take me out of myself. When I write, I am in flow. Thoughts come, fingers fly, words are strung together and this sequence of events gives me pleasure - as well as peace -at the same time.
And the amazing thing is, what I write - for the most part - touches people.
You appreciate me, you respond, you are moved to share a part of yourself. Although I do not write for appreciation, I appreciate the appreciation, for sure. In fact, apart from love of writing itself, it is one of the reasons that keeps me going as a blogger.
So?
Well, this part of life, the 'writer' part has been doing extremely well. Without any conscious effort. I mean sure, I do have to put my nose to the grindstone and struggle with 'what am I trying to say' at times. But I know it's just part of the process.
I know I can navigate myself out of any tunnel, no matter how dark.
But that's not the case with the 'rest of my life'. The one that involves people, and relationships. I mean, non-intellectual and 'real world'.
For the longest time, this was a part of myself I always thought I could be 'no good at'. Or at best, average.
Pictures of 'happy families' always made me think - "uh huh, lucky people". I've never felt really close in that way to the people I call my loved ones.
Over the years I realised I am a person whose brain always ruled over her heart. In fact, I barely knew how to deal with emotions - at all.
And yet, leading this life seemed okay to me.
Because, 'you can't have everything'.
Because maybe some people are meant to be this way...
But I realise this is all just rationalisation.
It does not matter how 'successful' you are.
How intelligent you are, how capable.
Or how much money you earn.
If you cannot manage your emotions and connect with people in a deep and meaningful way, nothing really matters.
And so, instead of taking refuge in writing, I am learning to live more fully.
To love and understand myself.
To love and understand others.
To take better care of my body.
Make better use of my mind.
To just be, instead of trying to become.
I feel something inside me changing. And it scares me and thrills me at the same time.
To write about what is happening is a challenge.
I am afraid I will 'reveal' too much of myself.
I will stand exposed.
And I wonder, will you understand?
Or even care??
OKAY.
The good news is, I'm not turning into Paolo Coelho.
I will resume blogging on the subjects I am passionate about - careers, entrepreneurship, 'following your dreams'. And the occassional book review, movie review, thoughts on life, the universe and youth culture.
But from time to time, I will also share that work-in-progress part of myself. Because I think all of us - to lesser or greater degree - need to tend to it.
We nurture mighty trees called 'careers'.
But we let weeds grow in the garden of our soul.
That private space, that special place, where flowers must always be in bloom.
To make life beautiful, and fragrant.
To experience the joy of truly being alive.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Vote for GiveIndia
Rarely do I answer appeals to join online groups or petitions for some cause or the other, but this one's different. It's for a dear friend, it's for a great organisation and it seems to be a case where 'clicktivism' will lead to some tangible benefit!
I reproduce the email Venkat Krishnan of GiveIndia sent me and urge you to go cast your 'vote' and spread the word to whoever you can!
Hi Rashmi,
GiveIndia is 1 of 100 NGOs selected (globally) by Chase Foundation to compete for $1 million on the popular social networking site Facebook. NGOs have to get Facebook users to cast a vote for them and the NGO with the highest number of votes will win the prize.
We were among the 100 top winners of a prize of $25,000 last month after polling almost 3,000 votes, but we estimate that we will need >40,000 votes to win the $1m prize.
If we win, we plan to use the money to educate 40,000 children for a year. more details at http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/338730
So 1 vote that takes 5 mins, can literally educate 1 child for a year costing about Rs2500. This must be the highest payoff ever for a person to vote... usually it is Re1 per vote or so...
We're trying to pull out all stops to ensure that the money comes to India :-).
regards,
Venkat
Voting began January 15 and ends on January 22 - which is tomorrow - so hurry!
I reproduce the email Venkat Krishnan of GiveIndia sent me and urge you to go cast your 'vote' and spread the word to whoever you can!
Hi Rashmi,
GiveIndia is 1 of 100 NGOs selected (globally) by Chase Foundation to compete for $1 million on the popular social networking site Facebook. NGOs have to get Facebook users to cast a vote for them and the NGO with the highest number of votes will win the prize.
We were among the 100 top winners of a prize of $25,000 last month after polling almost 3,000 votes, but we estimate that we will need >40,000 votes to win the $1m prize.
If we win, we plan to use the money to educate 40,000 children for a year. more details at http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/338730
So 1 vote that takes 5 mins, can literally educate 1 child for a year costing about Rs2500. This must be the highest payoff ever for a person to vote... usually it is Re1 per vote or so...
We're trying to pull out all stops to ensure that the money comes to India :-).
regards,
Venkat
Voting began January 15 and ends on January 22 - which is tomorrow - so hurry!
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Lucky Idiot
It takes talent and a bit of luck to write a bestselling novel.
It takes a lot of luck to get a filmmaker with talent to buy the rights to your book. And create magic out of it.
I am talking about the celebrated Slumdog Millionaire. Adapted from the novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup.
Was Slumdog 70% like the original? Doesn't look like it. Many of the key characters, events and incidents were changed. To quote just a small example:
In Q & A, the first-person narrator and quiz show contestant is named Ram Mohammad Thomas, whereas the protagonist is named Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire. Ram was abandoned at birth in the clothing bin of a Catholic church in Delhi, and raised for eight years by a benevolent English priest named Father Timothy.
His surname comes from a family that adopted him for three days before giving him back to the church. Local religious leaders suggested his first and middle names, on the theory that his birth parents might be either Hindu or Muslim.[8] Father Timothy and the Catholic Church do not appear in Slumdog Millionaire, nor does Delhi.
You can play compare-compare here. But despite the many changes, Slumdog retained the seed of the idea which sprang in Vikas Swarup's brain. And that was a boy from the slums winning a million bucks in a quiz show. Because every question asked was in *some way* connected to an event or experience in his life.
That seed was nurtured by people who were really gifted in their craft - making a compelling audiovisual drama onscreen.
The writer of Slumdog Millionaire was the hugely talented Simon Beaufoy (of 'The Full Monty' fame). Because of Simon Beaufoy, the hugely talented Danny Boyle took a look at the script and went on to make the film.
Ultimately, Simon Beaufoy won an Oscar for 'best adapted screenplay. And he did not forget to thank Vikas, even in his acceptance speech...
What's my point? Just one simple thing:
It does not matter how close or how far the film is from the book.
I am sure Vikas Swarup had a kickass agent/ lawyer to negotiate his contract. One who would not agree to let his client's name appear in 'rolling credits' (the ones that whiz by at the very end of the film!)
As for that acceptance speech... You can be a Chatur Ramalingam in life or a Phansuk Wangdu. And you know who we'd all rather be!
It takes a lot of luck to get a filmmaker with talent to buy the rights to your book. And create magic out of it.
I am talking about the celebrated Slumdog Millionaire. Adapted from the novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup.
Was Slumdog 70% like the original? Doesn't look like it. Many of the key characters, events and incidents were changed. To quote just a small example:
In Q & A, the first-person narrator and quiz show contestant is named Ram Mohammad Thomas, whereas the protagonist is named Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire. Ram was abandoned at birth in the clothing bin of a Catholic church in Delhi, and raised for eight years by a benevolent English priest named Father Timothy.
His surname comes from a family that adopted him for three days before giving him back to the church. Local religious leaders suggested his first and middle names, on the theory that his birth parents might be either Hindu or Muslim.[8] Father Timothy and the Catholic Church do not appear in Slumdog Millionaire, nor does Delhi.
You can play compare-compare here. But despite the many changes, Slumdog retained the seed of the idea which sprang in Vikas Swarup's brain. And that was a boy from the slums winning a million bucks in a quiz show. Because every question asked was in *some way* connected to an event or experience in his life.
That seed was nurtured by people who were really gifted in their craft - making a compelling audiovisual drama onscreen.
The writer of Slumdog Millionaire was the hugely talented Simon Beaufoy (of 'The Full Monty' fame). Because of Simon Beaufoy, the hugely talented Danny Boyle took a look at the script and went on to make the film.
Ultimately, Simon Beaufoy won an Oscar for 'best adapted screenplay. And he did not forget to thank Vikas, even in his acceptance speech...
What's my point? Just one simple thing:
It does not matter how close or how far the film is from the book.
I am sure Vikas Swarup had a kickass agent/ lawyer to negotiate his contract. One who would not agree to let his client's name appear in 'rolling credits' (the ones that whiz by at the very end of the film!)
As for that acceptance speech... You can be a Chatur Ramalingam in life or a Phansuk Wangdu. And you know who we'd all rather be!
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