Need Ideas? Dress Down
Need Ideas? Dress Down Despite the Mumbai heat, I don't miss an opportunity to wear a suit. Especially to a first-time work meeting. However, things are different if the agenda of a meeting is problem…
Category: Design Thinking
The Non-Financial Side of Business
The Non-Financial Side of Business A call with an industry colleague last week set in motion, thoughts on how we measure individual or business success. As a kid growing up in India in the 80's,…
Why Design Thinking is Here to Stay
Why Design Thinking is Here to Stay A close friend recently shared this article titled 'Why Design Thinking will fail', written in 2013 by Jeffrey Tjendra. Jeffrey is a designer entrepreneur and strategist. Among some…
Venture Capital Elevator Pitches
Venture Capital Elevator Pitches I left my job at a venture capital (VC) firm in 2010. After freelancing for a bit I then worked with a high-technology company in the robotics space. I then started…
The Entrepreneur in a Venture Capital World
The Entrepreneur in a Venture Capital World Imagine a food connoisseur has a vision of opening a restaurant. Selling a carefully crafted list of delicacies, whose preparation has taken years to refine. This aficionado has…
What’s Your Profession? Did You Bring More Soldiers?
What's Your Profession? Did You Bring More Soldiers? In 1970s, according to the TV series Mindhunter at least, the FBI was filled with accountants & lawyers instead of more relevant experts in areas that mattered.…
Sunset Marmalade
Sunset Marmalade Why are some brands killing the obvious in packaging design? If anything is better than the taste of orange marmalade in the morning, it is the sight of it in the jar. Like…
Number Fifty-Four…The Bike with a Bamboo Core
Number Fifty-Four... ...The bike with a bamboo core! What does it take for innovation to be possible? Simply, just the intention. You need to want it badly enough to make it possible. I happened to…
A Session on Innovation, Design Thinking & The Future of Work
A Session on Innovation, Design Thinking & The Future of Work Earlier this week, I was invited to conduct a session around 'Innovation, Design Thinking and the Future of Work' at the Indian School of…
Design Thinking – Shelters for the Homeless
Design Thinking - Shelters for the Homeless [3.5 minute read] Here's the next post, towards sharing stories and incidents around design thinking in daily lives, towards a better collective understanding. My earlier post was about…
Design Thinking – Water Taps at Home
Design Thinking - Water Taps at Home [7 minute read] I've had the habit of applying aspects of Design Thinking to my work and personal life for some time now. In fact, off late it…
Does Your Fire Escape Plan Work?
Does Your Fire Escape Plan Work? Early hours of 29th December saw a horrific fire at a rooftop restaurant in Mumbai. I could hear a continuous stream of distant sirens just before going to sleep.…
Vulnerability of Tech Processes and Human Decisions
Vulnerability of Tech Processes and Human Decisions Here are two interesting incidents I came across online in the last week. One, about a seemingly harmless vulnerability in an online service's process. The other, a possible…
How Well is Tata Motors Connecting Aspirations?
Earlier this year, Tata Motors announced a new brand identity. 'Connecting Aspirations'. Sounds good, but how well is the company truly connecting aspirations? For many years now, I have wondered why Tata Motors isn’t among…
Can We Easily Spot Left-Brain and Right-Brain Thinkers?
Can We Easily Spot Left-Brain and Right-Brain Thinkers? Just a thought. And I could be wrong. How can we easily spot a strong left-brain, or a right-brain thinker? In an argument/ discussion between two people…