Are You Certain? Or do You Think?
Are you certain? Or do you think? We live in times that are almost entirely about confidence. The underlying stuff is often of little importance. A bold claim has great impact. The ability to pause…
Category: Improve
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,…
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…
Rate Wisely
Rate Wisely Imagine the simple process of rating a book you've just read. Let's say it is a non-fiction. Perhaps a business or even a self-help kind of book. The normal tendency would be that…
The Illusion of Ratings and Feedback
The Illusion of Ratings and Feedback Life in present times has become an increasingly rapid process of experiences and feedback. Businesses are always asking us to rate the services or experiences they offer. And often,…
A Pad Idea!
A Pad Idea! Once upon a time, there was is a man named Arunachalam Muruganantham from Coimbatore in India, who could not bear to see the discomfort and embarrassment that his wife had to go through,…
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…
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.…
Do Some of the Pillars of Democracy need a Shake-Up?
Democracy has rested on four pillars. The legislature, executive, the judiciary, and arguably the most important, the press. All the pillars need improvement, some far more than others. The world press, for instance, has really…
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…