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…
Airline Seats and Behaviour
Airline Seats and Behaviour Do you think those extremely uncomfortable airline seats have anything to do with our behaviour when we are flying? Remember the last flight you took. Unless you were traveling business or…
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…
The Stand-off called Life
The Stand-off called Life Random musings. Life, in some ways, is like a standoff with a wild animal. You are puzzled, scared and unsure of its next move. So is the animal. If you panic…
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.…
Bonded Labour vs Freed Slaves
Bonded Labour vs Freed Slaves There is a task to be done. One dependent variable is whether the task is an enjoyable one or not. Then there is the quality of the completed task. Then…
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,…
Pigs Rule
Pigs Rule I recently found myself around a humorous discussion around politics at a relatives' home.A grand aunt asked another relative if they planned on getting into politics. The relative laughingly retorted that for one…
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,…