Behold; here comes the much-awaited, much painted, much hyped up multi-starcast; launched under a much-famed production house. Wish I could say something really good about the film too. To be frank, it was one long-drawn, disemboweling, nettlesome experience to watch the meaning of ‘love’ and ‘relationships’ being fouled over and over again for about three and a half hours. Having said that, the film does take you around some of the actions and reactions, and the brain-and-heart chemistry that occurs through different stages of wanting, sensing, giving, receiving, living and relinquishing love (or sort of love). But the conundrum isn’t worth gracing the silver screen! You could probably while away your time on it at your own pace in the comfort of your living room and that too if you have nothing else to do.
The script constantly loses the audience's mindshare and fails to strike the right chord. The background score, a couple of songs, a couple of dialogues and a few purrs now and then, and the only sane couple, John Abraham and Vidya Balan, help keep the titanic from getting ‘frozen’!
Catch this movie on the big screen at your own risk!
My rating: * *
Friday, January 26, 2007
Satisfising Concept
Most dictionaries will snub you if you search for the word ‘satisfising’. The WordWeb pops out the following meaning for this term:
This precisely has been a big takeaway for me from one of Dr. Lakshmi Mohan’s lectures.
I have always been a person who does a lot of due diligence before making a major decision and tries working out umpteen possibilities in an earnest motive to get to that ‘perfect’ decision. It has benefited me, but I should admit that I have often been left behind or have missed out on some opportunities or have got worked up.
Thinking back, over the last 10 months or so, I have knowingly or unknowingly made decisions that have done me good using the satisfising concept, although I first heard this term and understood its importance in Dr. Lakshmi Mohan’s lectures.
The single most important virtue of someone in the management cadre is the ability to make decisions that have got to be ‘good enough’ to drive the business. Many a time, things may not work out the way you want them to be. You just can’t help it – I believe Life teaches you some important lessons and you just have to move on! Ofcourse, take care not to repeat the same mistakes:).
If you look at Mc Donald’s, its CEO Jack Greenberg, in 1998 took the decision of going in for a major overhaul of all of Mc Donald’s kitchen systems in the ‘Made For You’ project that would help Mc Donald’s custom-prepare sandwiches to order. Unfortunately, the ‘Made For You’ systems crippled the service times. In the fast-paced, low-margin fast-food business; the world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain Mc Donald’s lost out to competition in terms of customer service time, satisfaction and lost a lot of market share.
Next, in 2001, Mr. Greenberg conceived ‘Innovate’, a $1 billion 5-year Information Technology project, as a means to return to the company's roots – the speediest, most consistent service in the fast-food industry. In his zeal to be ‘scud-precise’, he had an esoteric vision for ‘Innovate’ such as:
• To check if potato was being baked to the right temperature
• To check if carbon dioxide in a soda tower in any store had fizzled out
Well, little wonder that the plug was pulled on Innovate – but not before blowing up $170 million. Greenberg was replaced with Jim Cantalupo.
So what did Mr. Cantalupo do? He did a whole lot of things in terms of removing initiatives going on within the company that didn't focus on restaurants or customers. He got the organization back to focus and discipline -- speed at the drive-through, friendly service, marketing leadership, product innovation (improving food, adding more to the menu, introduction of healthy food, etc). And yes, Mc Donald’s came back strong and started peaking again!
Do you think Mr. Cantalupo’s decisions were esoteric? I think they were just more logical, and more importantly ‘satisficing’. To summarize, Mr. Cantalupo stuck to the basic principle of business – ‘Customer is the King; give him what he wants and stick to your DNA’.
Coming to the bottom line, I urge you to try out the ‘satisfising’ concept in your daily life and see if it makes a difference! If it does, then dont forget to write back :).
Decide on and pursue a course of action satisfying the minimum requirements to achieve a goal
This precisely has been a big takeaway for me from one of Dr. Lakshmi Mohan’s lectures.
I have always been a person who does a lot of due diligence before making a major decision and tries working out umpteen possibilities in an earnest motive to get to that ‘perfect’ decision. It has benefited me, but I should admit that I have often been left behind or have missed out on some opportunities or have got worked up.
Thinking back, over the last 10 months or so, I have knowingly or unknowingly made decisions that have done me good using the satisfising concept, although I first heard this term and understood its importance in Dr. Lakshmi Mohan’s lectures.
The single most important virtue of someone in the management cadre is the ability to make decisions that have got to be ‘good enough’ to drive the business. Many a time, things may not work out the way you want them to be. You just can’t help it – I believe Life teaches you some important lessons and you just have to move on! Ofcourse, take care not to repeat the same mistakes:).
If you look at Mc Donald’s, its CEO Jack Greenberg, in 1998 took the decision of going in for a major overhaul of all of Mc Donald’s kitchen systems in the ‘Made For You’ project that would help Mc Donald’s custom-prepare sandwiches to order. Unfortunately, the ‘Made For You’ systems crippled the service times. In the fast-paced, low-margin fast-food business; the world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain Mc Donald’s lost out to competition in terms of customer service time, satisfaction and lost a lot of market share.
Next, in 2001, Mr. Greenberg conceived ‘Innovate’, a $1 billion 5-year Information Technology project, as a means to return to the company's roots – the speediest, most consistent service in the fast-food industry. In his zeal to be ‘scud-precise’, he had an esoteric vision for ‘Innovate’ such as:
• To check if potato was being baked to the right temperature
• To check if carbon dioxide in a soda tower in any store had fizzled out
Well, little wonder that the plug was pulled on Innovate – but not before blowing up $170 million. Greenberg was replaced with Jim Cantalupo.
So what did Mr. Cantalupo do? He did a whole lot of things in terms of removing initiatives going on within the company that didn't focus on restaurants or customers. He got the organization back to focus and discipline -- speed at the drive-through, friendly service, marketing leadership, product innovation (improving food, adding more to the menu, introduction of healthy food, etc). And yes, Mc Donald’s came back strong and started peaking again!
Do you think Mr. Cantalupo’s decisions were esoteric? I think they were just more logical, and more importantly ‘satisficing’. To summarize, Mr. Cantalupo stuck to the basic principle of business – ‘Customer is the King; give him what he wants and stick to your DNA’.
Coming to the bottom line, I urge you to try out the ‘satisfising’ concept in your daily life and see if it makes a difference! If it does, then dont forget to write back :).
Starting Up - Post3 - What Do Venture Capitalists Want?
Seven Tricks To Sweep Mr Moneybags Off His Feet
• Value proposition: Highlight the key differentiators in end-user benefits, not technical superiority. Tell Mr VC why would consumers choose you over others.
• Business model: Talk about how you will make money from this business opportunity. Just showing an excel sheet with 5-year detailed projections is not going to help
• Customer: Study and understand the target customer thoroughly. Address the customer’s problem precisely. This reflects your clarity about the business opportunity
• Team: Articulate why your team is the best suited to implement a particular business opportunity
• Market opportunity: Investors like big ideas with big markets. Be clear about who is going to buy your product/service and how much they would pay for it
• Risk factors: Know the market, financial, business model and execution risks to your plans
•Competitive landscape: Remember that competition is not just those providing a similar solution to yours, but all those addressing the same customer need through variety of approaches
• Value proposition: Highlight the key differentiators in end-user benefits, not technical superiority. Tell Mr VC why would consumers choose you over others.
• Business model: Talk about how you will make money from this business opportunity. Just showing an excel sheet with 5-year detailed projections is not going to help
• Customer: Study and understand the target customer thoroughly. Address the customer’s problem precisely. This reflects your clarity about the business opportunity
• Team: Articulate why your team is the best suited to implement a particular business opportunity
• Market opportunity: Investors like big ideas with big markets. Be clear about who is going to buy your product/service and how much they would pay for it
• Risk factors: Know the market, financial, business model and execution risks to your plans
•Competitive landscape: Remember that competition is not just those providing a similar solution to yours, but all those addressing the same customer need through variety of approaches
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Starting Up - An Economic Times Special (post 2)
Life’s a pitch, and you’ve got to roll
Two minutes. Often that’s all a high-flying VC can afford to spare for an aspiring entrepreneur. A short, snappy sales pitch is, therefore, a key weapon.
What is common between a good venture capitalist (VC) pitch and stand-up comedy? In both the cases, a perfectly timed and delivered spiel can make or break your career. A comedian begins with a killer opening and keeps rolling to peak a couple of minutes later. He makes a graceful exit with a customary greeting, leaving the audience yelling, whistling and clapping. ET tries to get the low-down on what it takes to get a similar response from a VC.
The urban legend regarding start-ups is that you get a two-minute shot to reveal your plan and what it is good for. All this is done in such a way that the venture capitalist, with whom you’ve jumped into a cab or elevator, will write you a cheque one day. You want to win over your audience so that it supports your idea with its heart, soul, mind — and money.
Winning these, in a start-up business, means you have to construct a short and snappy sales pitch of your idea. In Mumbai, like in the Silicon Valley, face-time with a VC is limited. So, be prepared to make your only shot your best shot. The time window is small, hence the idea has to be crisp and clear.
“The entrepreneur has to be very clear about the market situation for his product. Investors , generally, tend to avoid funding those, who lack the knowledge about key differentiators which their company has to offer and project the potential of their business without actually having the details about the execution of their business plan,” says Alok Mittal, managing director, Canaan Partners. In case of angel investors, they tend look for a good quality of management team along with the entrepreneur’s operational background and professional experience in the chosen field of business.
Apart from knowing their own business, knowledge about their respective VCs is also a must. to do. Says Rajesh Jog, co-founder and CEO, vJive, which recently got a Rs 20 crore VC investment, “Before actually approaching a VC, one should be thorough about the focus areas and investment portfolios of the chosen VC fund.” When deciding on a VC it makes sense in not putting all the eggs in one basket, in other words, pitch to as many VCs as possible. In addition, it helps to approach a VC who already has the experience of investing in similar fields.
External factors and cliches aside, it is what’s inside that counts. Says Srikanth Iyer, CEO and co-founder, Edurite Technologies, an educational content producer, “Unless and until you truly believe and have a passion for what you do, no one is going to buy into it (your idea). And even if they do buy in, then it’s not going to be on the scale that you would like it to be.”
Besides knowing the business aspect for a successful pitch, entrepreneurs who have ‘been there, done that’ say that the personality and presentation skills also dictate the outcome. They all agree that while pitching his/her ‘billion dollar idea’, the entrepreneur should exercise control on timing of words and pace of the meeting. This is his opportunity to shine. Spending too much time in introductions, small talk and dropping names detracts from the opportunity to convey the primary message. But entrepreneurs should proactively balance the time spent on less-relevant topics with others that are essential in communicating their full agenda. A VC’s mind is likely to wander, and it is the entrepreneur’s job to try and refocus the conversation when it drifts.
While these are all the must dos for any entrepreneur, there are certain things that all of them should avoid at all costs. According to Tim Guleri, MD, Sierra Ventures, “You should not seem promotional or ‘over pitch’ your business idea. VCs like CEOs that have a heavy dose of realism in their thought process.” It is therefore important to present facts about the company as they stand rather than embellish them. Any attempt to pad up their own individual backgrounds or the current company situation will be either immediately recognised or discovered later during the due diligence process conducted by the VC.
“You should not try to bullshit your way through this (due diligence). You do not want to build an expectation in the other party that you cannot meet. The VC-entrepreneur relationship is built on trust. If you violate that trust at any stage it comes back to haunt you. The reality is that we all are working for one common course and that is to make the organisation a success. You have to be honest to that cause from day one,”points out Gaurav Misra, COO and cofounder, Guruji.com, a search engine for Indian content, that recently raised $7million from Sequoia India and angel investor Suvir Sujan.
Lastly after after pitching the idea to a potential investor, entrepreneurs must never forget to follow-up with the VCs. Adds Mr Iyer,“Set a deadline for the VC to get back to you for no VC will say ‘no’ to you. The catch is that they won’t say ‘yes’ to you either. They usually leave you hanging. What you need to do is set a deadline.” So what if nothing transpires by the deadline? You just have to start all over again. Remember the entrepreneur must try and control the pitching process, regardless of his dependency on the VC.
Two minutes. Often that’s all a high-flying VC can afford to spare for an aspiring entrepreneur. A short, snappy sales pitch is, therefore, a key weapon.
What is common between a good venture capitalist (VC) pitch and stand-up comedy? In both the cases, a perfectly timed and delivered spiel can make or break your career. A comedian begins with a killer opening and keeps rolling to peak a couple of minutes later. He makes a graceful exit with a customary greeting, leaving the audience yelling, whistling and clapping. ET tries to get the low-down on what it takes to get a similar response from a VC.
The urban legend regarding start-ups is that you get a two-minute shot to reveal your plan and what it is good for. All this is done in such a way that the venture capitalist, with whom you’ve jumped into a cab or elevator, will write you a cheque one day. You want to win over your audience so that it supports your idea with its heart, soul, mind — and money.
Winning these, in a start-up business, means you have to construct a short and snappy sales pitch of your idea. In Mumbai, like in the Silicon Valley, face-time with a VC is limited. So, be prepared to make your only shot your best shot. The time window is small, hence the idea has to be crisp and clear.
“The entrepreneur has to be very clear about the market situation for his product. Investors , generally, tend to avoid funding those, who lack the knowledge about key differentiators which their company has to offer and project the potential of their business without actually having the details about the execution of their business plan,” says Alok Mittal, managing director, Canaan Partners. In case of angel investors, they tend look for a good quality of management team along with the entrepreneur’s operational background and professional experience in the chosen field of business.
Apart from knowing their own business, knowledge about their respective VCs is also a must. to do. Says Rajesh Jog, co-founder and CEO, vJive, which recently got a Rs 20 crore VC investment, “Before actually approaching a VC, one should be thorough about the focus areas and investment portfolios of the chosen VC fund.” When deciding on a VC it makes sense in not putting all the eggs in one basket, in other words, pitch to as many VCs as possible. In addition, it helps to approach a VC who already has the experience of investing in similar fields.
External factors and cliches aside, it is what’s inside that counts. Says Srikanth Iyer, CEO and co-founder, Edurite Technologies, an educational content producer, “Unless and until you truly believe and have a passion for what you do, no one is going to buy into it (your idea). And even if they do buy in, then it’s not going to be on the scale that you would like it to be.”
Besides knowing the business aspect for a successful pitch, entrepreneurs who have ‘been there, done that’ say that the personality and presentation skills also dictate the outcome. They all agree that while pitching his/her ‘billion dollar idea’, the entrepreneur should exercise control on timing of words and pace of the meeting. This is his opportunity to shine. Spending too much time in introductions, small talk and dropping names detracts from the opportunity to convey the primary message. But entrepreneurs should proactively balance the time spent on less-relevant topics with others that are essential in communicating their full agenda. A VC’s mind is likely to wander, and it is the entrepreneur’s job to try and refocus the conversation when it drifts.
While these are all the must dos for any entrepreneur, there are certain things that all of them should avoid at all costs. According to Tim Guleri, MD, Sierra Ventures, “You should not seem promotional or ‘over pitch’ your business idea. VCs like CEOs that have a heavy dose of realism in their thought process.” It is therefore important to present facts about the company as they stand rather than embellish them. Any attempt to pad up their own individual backgrounds or the current company situation will be either immediately recognised or discovered later during the due diligence process conducted by the VC.
“You should not try to bullshit your way through this (due diligence). You do not want to build an expectation in the other party that you cannot meet. The VC-entrepreneur relationship is built on trust. If you violate that trust at any stage it comes back to haunt you. The reality is that we all are working for one common course and that is to make the organisation a success. You have to be honest to that cause from day one,”points out Gaurav Misra, COO and cofounder, Guruji.com, a search engine for Indian content, that recently raised $7million from Sequoia India and angel investor Suvir Sujan.
Lastly after after pitching the idea to a potential investor, entrepreneurs must never forget to follow-up with the VCs. Adds Mr Iyer,“Set a deadline for the VC to get back to you for no VC will say ‘no’ to you. The catch is that they won’t say ‘yes’ to you either. They usually leave you hanging. What you need to do is set a deadline.” So what if nothing transpires by the deadline? You just have to start all over again. Remember the entrepreneur must try and control the pitching process, regardless of his dependency on the VC.
Starting Up - An Economic Times Special (post 1)
The Economic Times has introduced Starting Up, a special page every Friday for those of you who want to strike out on your own. It will bring you up close and personal with the smartest entrepreneurs. Special reports will give you a whiff of the most exciting start-up opportunities. Where’s the killer app? Where’s the money that can support your big idea?
For people who missed the Jan 19th Edition, do read the 'Starting Up' posts.
Q: I am a founder of a mid-sized, recently funded, six-year-old company. We are planning to recruit a CEO. As you know it’s difficult to get good people. The people we like are mostly senior to me and sometimes even better qualified to run the business. Should I hire a person more qualified than me ? Should I pay him higher than what the founders are currently paid?
— Name withheld on request
Subroto Bagchi(COO, MindTree Consulting) replies: For a founder such as yourself , there is a shining example of Azim Premji. He hired people like Ashok Narasimhan, Ashok Soota and, more recently, Vivek Paul. All three were better qualified than him and he let them run his information technology business. Looking at him, you realise that the smart thing is not in being the smarter than others. The smart thing is to be able to hire someone smarter than you. That way, the CEO can manage your business better than you can. It’s OK even if you have to pay them higher than what you pay yourself, provided they can build bigger value for the organisation. That comes back to you many times over as return on your investment. However, you must have the ability to question them and create porous boundaries for them. You must also develop an ability to let go and the mindset to tolerate dissent. I remember one of Premji’s presidents used be often unnecessarily critical of him and used to make uncharitable remarks. He knew it and ignored it as a routine. Once I asked him, how he tolerated the man. He told me that it was simple: the professional had the unmatched quality that enabled him to turn around loss making businesses. To Premji, that and not the man’s idiosyncrasies mattered. Coming to compensation, please do not fix people’s compensation with you as the benchmark. Compensation needs to be decided based on the following criteria: the role, the competence, the market rate and the ability of the business to pay. It has absolutely nothing to do with what you pay yourself. The much bigger issue that you must settle is the post appointment role for the individual. Any professional will have a lot of anxiety about your ability to let go. You would do well to settle that with the incumbent upfront. Openly discuss the issues surrounding the business, outline clear expectations and goals. Have measurable, time bound deliverables, state where and how much help the individual may expect from you and the manner in which you would hold performance reviews. Ask the person to outline his space requirements. Make sure you understand his or her style of working, do reference checks to determine these. Once the person is on board, have a well planned assimilation and then, let her work in an atmosphere of transparency and trust. If the individual makes a few mistakes, do not breathe down the neck. And finally, do not second guess the person. Seek a business plan upfront and spend a lot of time in collaboratively fine tune the same. Thereafter, let the system know that there is a new boss and a new game plan. In short, set her up for success. Remember, your job is to get the best person to run the business and for heaven’s sake, do not compete with the individual. Good luck!
For people who missed the Jan 19th Edition, do read the 'Starting Up' posts.
Q: I am a founder of a mid-sized, recently funded, six-year-old company. We are planning to recruit a CEO. As you know it’s difficult to get good people. The people we like are mostly senior to me and sometimes even better qualified to run the business. Should I hire a person more qualified than me ? Should I pay him higher than what the founders are currently paid?
— Name withheld on request
Subroto Bagchi(COO, MindTree Consulting) replies: For a founder such as yourself , there is a shining example of Azim Premji. He hired people like Ashok Narasimhan, Ashok Soota and, more recently, Vivek Paul. All three were better qualified than him and he let them run his information technology business. Looking at him, you realise that the smart thing is not in being the smarter than others. The smart thing is to be able to hire someone smarter than you. That way, the CEO can manage your business better than you can. It’s OK even if you have to pay them higher than what you pay yourself, provided they can build bigger value for the organisation. That comes back to you many times over as return on your investment. However, you must have the ability to question them and create porous boundaries for them. You must also develop an ability to let go and the mindset to tolerate dissent. I remember one of Premji’s presidents used be often unnecessarily critical of him and used to make uncharitable remarks. He knew it and ignored it as a routine. Once I asked him, how he tolerated the man. He told me that it was simple: the professional had the unmatched quality that enabled him to turn around loss making businesses. To Premji, that and not the man’s idiosyncrasies mattered. Coming to compensation, please do not fix people’s compensation with you as the benchmark. Compensation needs to be decided based on the following criteria: the role, the competence, the market rate and the ability of the business to pay. It has absolutely nothing to do with what you pay yourself. The much bigger issue that you must settle is the post appointment role for the individual. Any professional will have a lot of anxiety about your ability to let go. You would do well to settle that with the incumbent upfront. Openly discuss the issues surrounding the business, outline clear expectations and goals. Have measurable, time bound deliverables, state where and how much help the individual may expect from you and the manner in which you would hold performance reviews. Ask the person to outline his space requirements. Make sure you understand his or her style of working, do reference checks to determine these. Once the person is on board, have a well planned assimilation and then, let her work in an atmosphere of transparency and trust. If the individual makes a few mistakes, do not breathe down the neck. And finally, do not second guess the person. Seek a business plan upfront and spend a lot of time in collaboratively fine tune the same. Thereafter, let the system know that there is a new boss and a new game plan. In short, set her up for success. Remember, your job is to get the best person to run the business and for heaven’s sake, do not compete with the individual. Good luck!
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Wednesday, January 17, 2007
The Matunga Effect
Vinaya, Darshan, Vatsa and I had been to ‘Matunga’, the hub of South-Indians in Mumbai last Sunday. This was our first visit to Matunga, although many of our friends had suggested visiting this place for its popular South-Indian delicacies. To be frank, we were lazy to go all the way till there, hehe.
As soon as we reached King’s circle, the aroma of South-Indian Filter Coffee just beckoned us like a mother calling out to her child! Vinaya, tried his best in the beginning not to give in to the temptation of having coffee as he had made a New Year Resolution not to have coffee for 30-days( I don’t see any sense in this one though). While he was walking away, I quickly made an Elevator Pitch to him:
Our next pit stop was Mani’s Lunch Home which is near Shankar Mutt. We had a scrumptious South-Indian meal – the hapla(papad), uppinkaayi(pickle), chapathi, kosu playa (cabbage sabzi),huli(sambar), saaru(rasam), sajjige(a sweet dish), mosaru (curd) majjige(butter milk) and everything that was served was just so yuuuummmmy that it made us go into 'retro' mode – Vinaya and I, recalled our childhood days and described to Vatsa and Darshan the ‘kayyi-thutthu’ times – an activity in which children are made to sit in a circle and the mother/grandmother makes undey(round shape) of the food and gives it to each of the children turn by turn.
Even after such a heavy meal, Vinaya and I were bent upon having Sakkre Pongal(Sweet Pongal) and another round of Filter Coffee. So we went back to Café Mysore and ordered our stuff and relished it. However, the Sakkre Pongal wasn’t all that great. We then bought some thenglu and kodbale (I don’t know how to describe these – these can be served as entremets as well as with tea/coffee or can be just munched away).
Well, we had just had a great evening out and didn’t feel like going back to the hostel. But yeah, we had to go back. Somehow, I am sure, we will hit upon Matunga atleast twice again before we go back home for good!
PS: Proof of Vinaya breaking his resolution will follow:)
As soon as we reached King’s circle, the aroma of South-Indian Filter Coffee just beckoned us like a mother calling out to her child! Vinaya, tried his best in the beginning not to give in to the temptation of having coffee as he had made a New Year Resolution not to have coffee for 30-days( I don’t see any sense in this one though). While he was walking away, I quickly made an Elevator Pitch to him:
‘Dude, you are running away from the all-famous, tasty South-Indian Filter Coffee. This is the first time we have come here and with just 17 days left to leave Mumbai, we may not even get a chance to come here again. The thought of having not tasted an authentic South-Indian Filter Coffee in Mumbai will haunt you forever!!’.That was it – Vinaya just did a U turn and so did all of us; we followed the tantalizing fragrance just like sniffer dogs till we reached ‘Café Mysore’--- the name itself was so inviting, and yes, I had made a successful sales pitch( other than the ones I made in my placement interviews :) ).
Our next pit stop was Mani’s Lunch Home which is near Shankar Mutt. We had a scrumptious South-Indian meal – the hapla(papad), uppinkaayi(pickle), chapathi, kosu playa (cabbage sabzi),huli(sambar), saaru(rasam), sajjige(a sweet dish), mosaru (curd) majjige(butter milk) and everything that was served was just so yuuuummmmy that it made us go into 'retro' mode – Vinaya and I, recalled our childhood days and described to Vatsa and Darshan the ‘kayyi-thutthu’ times – an activity in which children are made to sit in a circle and the mother/grandmother makes undey(round shape) of the food and gives it to each of the children turn by turn.
Even after such a heavy meal, Vinaya and I were bent upon having Sakkre Pongal(Sweet Pongal) and another round of Filter Coffee. So we went back to Café Mysore and ordered our stuff and relished it. However, the Sakkre Pongal wasn’t all that great. We then bought some thenglu and kodbale (I don’t know how to describe these – these can be served as entremets as well as with tea/coffee or can be just munched away).
Well, we had just had a great evening out and didn’t feel like going back to the hostel. But yeah, we had to go back. Somehow, I am sure, we will hit upon Matunga atleast twice again before we go back home for good!
PS: Proof of Vinaya breaking his resolution will follow:)
Sunday, January 14, 2007
How do you remember Names?
Well, not everyone is gifted with a solid memory. Here’s an easy tip to help your cognitive process to remember names in a meeting:
As you are introduced to people, draw a quick and simple map (as in the picture above) with their names and any identifying characteristics you think will help you recall their names later; i.e., Bob/Beard/Good with Numbers, etc.
It seems my friend Vishu who initially had a tough time figuring the who’s who while on an assignment in South Korea, later started writing down some striking features of the person or something that he/she had said in the meeting on their business cards. This helped him not only to recognize the 'resembling' Koreans, but also to relate better with them.
What should you eat before a workout?
For all those who have resolved to tone themselves up in this new BOND year, here’s something you would want to know:
What should you include in a workout session?
Ideally, exercises should be instrumental in building up your stamina and toning your body.
And what should you eat before and after a workout session?
To begin with, always remember this thumb rule -- exercising on an empty stomach is detrimental. However, eating too much just before a workout session isn't good either. Don't eat anything at least 30-40 minutes before you decide to exercise.
Yoga experts believe people should avoid drinking or eating anything at least for an hour before a session. Always have water an hour before an exercise session. And yes, sipping water in small quantities throughout the workout is permissible.
What should you eat before a workout? Ideally, a simple fruit should do the trick. You don't want to feel too heavy but you don't want to feel too hungry either.
However, if you find it difficult to start your day without tea or coffee, don't stop yourself. But wait for at least 40 minutes after your tea/ coffee before you start exercising.
On the other hand, all those corporate executives who prefer to hit the office gym after a hearty breakfast -- say one comprising of bread, eggs and fruit -- need to wait for at least two hours before they can work out. In fact, an ideal pre-workout meal is a combination of carbohydrates, fibre and protein.
An ideal pre-workout Indian breakfast can comprise of a bowl of poha or upma, fresh fruit and a glass of milk topped with almonds. Those of you who are allergic to milk can consume a cup of tea or coffee.
Alternatively, you can opt for a bowl of milk and cornflakes, eggs on lightly buttered toast too.
A post-workout meal should be light. Ideally, this meal should be consumed within two hours of the exercise. Don't remain hungry for too long after an exercise session.
This meal should contain protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats too. A vegetable sandwich or a fish sandwich (use wholegrain bread) with fruit or fresh fruit juice should do you just fine.
And yes, before you start your exercise schedule, don't forget to consult your doctor.
Source: Article by Abhilasha Ojha, www.rediff.com
What should you include in a workout session?
Ideally, exercises should be instrumental in building up your stamina and toning your body.
And what should you eat before and after a workout session?
To begin with, always remember this thumb rule -- exercising on an empty stomach is detrimental. However, eating too much just before a workout session isn't good either. Don't eat anything at least 30-40 minutes before you decide to exercise.
Yoga experts believe people should avoid drinking or eating anything at least for an hour before a session. Always have water an hour before an exercise session. And yes, sipping water in small quantities throughout the workout is permissible.
What should you eat before a workout? Ideally, a simple fruit should do the trick. You don't want to feel too heavy but you don't want to feel too hungry either.
However, if you find it difficult to start your day without tea or coffee, don't stop yourself. But wait for at least 40 minutes after your tea/ coffee before you start exercising.
On the other hand, all those corporate executives who prefer to hit the office gym after a hearty breakfast -- say one comprising of bread, eggs and fruit -- need to wait for at least two hours before they can work out. In fact, an ideal pre-workout meal is a combination of carbohydrates, fibre and protein.
An ideal pre-workout Indian breakfast can comprise of a bowl of poha or upma, fresh fruit and a glass of milk topped with almonds. Those of you who are allergic to milk can consume a cup of tea or coffee.
Alternatively, you can opt for a bowl of milk and cornflakes, eggs on lightly buttered toast too.
A post-workout meal should be light. Ideally, this meal should be consumed within two hours of the exercise. Don't remain hungry for too long after an exercise session.
This meal should contain protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats too. A vegetable sandwich or a fish sandwich (use wholegrain bread) with fruit or fresh fruit juice should do you just fine.
And yes, before you start your exercise schedule, don't forget to consult your doctor.
Source: Article by Abhilasha Ojha, www.rediff.com
Friday, January 12, 2007
Guru – Review
Been there, done that – Just back from the First Day First Show of Guru @ PVR, Juhu, Mumbai. (For those of you who live around Andheri, Juhu and Versova; here’s a tidbit – The day shows on weekdays cost you just Rs 50/- :) )
If there has been any proof needed to show that the Indian Film Industry has come of age and has portrayed a variety of themes over the last two years, then GURU is another arrow in the armour! The film is excellent in all aspects – the ‘theme’, the picturesque cinematography, the sequencing, the character mix, the engaging dialogues, the snuggest background score, the soothing songs and just about everything!
Coming to the performances, I would give a standing applaud to Abhishek Bachchan – I just haven’t seen such an impeccable performance from him before! Aishwarya Rai has another feather in the cap to be proud of; while Mithunda, Madhavan and Vidya Balan have proved their merit once more.
Just to give a feel of the movie- if you have liked reading Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’, you will definitely appreciate this movie. To conclude, hats off to Mani Ratnam, the director, who always seems to do something different and step up the curve. I noticed that the credits were doled out in a way out of the ordinary. Well, this was no doubt just an appetizer:)
My rating: * * * *
If there has been any proof needed to show that the Indian Film Industry has come of age and has portrayed a variety of themes over the last two years, then GURU is another arrow in the armour! The film is excellent in all aspects – the ‘theme’, the picturesque cinematography, the sequencing, the character mix, the engaging dialogues, the snuggest background score, the soothing songs and just about everything!
Coming to the performances, I would give a standing applaud to Abhishek Bachchan – I just haven’t seen such an impeccable performance from him before! Aishwarya Rai has another feather in the cap to be proud of; while Mithunda, Madhavan and Vidya Balan have proved their merit once more.
Just to give a feel of the movie- if you have liked reading Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’, you will definitely appreciate this movie. To conclude, hats off to Mani Ratnam, the director, who always seems to do something different and step up the curve. I noticed that the credits were doled out in a way out of the ordinary. Well, this was no doubt just an appetizer:)
My rating: * * * *
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Business-Smart IT Applications - will cherish this course for years to come!!
I could not resist writing this post at this odd hour. Today(rather y'day), the 18-hour ‘classroom’ course of the ‘Business-Smart IT Applications’ subject came to a close. I have to admit that Dr. Lakshmi Mohan has left a lasting impression on me. Although by chance I happened to sit in the first seat in her classes, I loved every bit of it! – have gained an amazing sense of business over the last week. The best aspects of Dr. Mohan’s classes were:
the short and sweet contemporary cases (not the age-old dusty ones)
the modulation and constant ‘stress and pause’ on the most crucial bits and pieces(hammering the nail into our heads)
the usage of words (will stay etched in memory)
the presentation style ( real quotes, no jazzy slides, color codes)
the emphasis on ‘precision’ and ‘detail’
the connection of all the dots to give the big picture
and last but not the least
the sense of humor
I would like to remember the last one week as the ‘best of classroom learning’ @ SPJIMR; and to quote in Vinaya’s words –
and last but not the least
I would like to remember the last one week as the ‘best of classroom learning’ @ SPJIMR; and to quote in Vinaya’s words –
“Dr.Lakshmi Mohan’s words are like the sayings in the Bible!”
Monday, January 08, 2007
VIE LOUNGE & DECK
Shacha (my good friend Sharath Chandra) and I had been to Vie – a pub in Juhu last night. We had good fun, drank a lot and made merry; we talked of our lives in engineering, work, and B-school. The reason why I like pubbing is not because I am a toper, but because a pub is one roof under which people shed their inhibitions, talk of anything and everything under the Sun and just get ‘high’ and ‘over’ their cark. You get to realize the lighter side of people and know them better. For instance, I never knew that a geek like Shacha who holds a patent and has now taken a career shift to Corporate Finance could let his hair down too! You might even bump into and make friends with the ‘rich and famous’ and influential class too. For a matter of fact, it seems that the Citibank World-Wide Head won his job in a pub! (Thank You Shacha for that bit).
Vie is quite an impressive pub with a decently spaced bar (deck) and an open-air lounge that overlooks the sea! There’s even an attached restaurant, but I didn’t have a look at the menu there. The crowd is hep and sophisticated. The ambience is chik and the menu gives you a good choice for all kinds of drinks and light food. The music is funky, tic-tac and hip-hop, the lady-DJ does mix the music well; but in general, I feel Bangalore outscores Mumbai in this area (It’s probably because I like hard rock than hip-hop). The deck does get morphed into a mini dance floor once the crowd is ready to shake a leg. A word of caution though – go to Vie with a deep pocket! Yes, the place is expensive, but you will have fun for sure!
The Vie Coordinates:
102, Juhu Tara Road, Santacruz (W),
Mumbai – 400049
Ph: 26603003
Vie is quite an impressive pub with a decently spaced bar (deck) and an open-air lounge that overlooks the sea! There’s even an attached restaurant, but I didn’t have a look at the menu there. The crowd is hep and sophisticated. The ambience is chik and the menu gives you a good choice for all kinds of drinks and light food. The music is funky, tic-tac and hip-hop, the lady-DJ does mix the music well; but in general, I feel Bangalore outscores Mumbai in this area (It’s probably because I like hard rock than hip-hop). The deck does get morphed into a mini dance floor once the crowd is ready to shake a leg. A word of caution though – go to Vie with a deep pocket! Yes, the place is expensive, but you will have fun for sure!
The Vie Coordinates:
102, Juhu Tara Road, Santacruz (W),
Mumbai – 400049
Ph: 26603003
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Cornell-SPJIMR Handshake
A delegation led by Cornell University president David J Skorton, is in India for a two-week long visit to gain a better understanding of the increasingly important role it plays in the world, and to explore opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration.
SPJIMR had the privilege of hosting this delegation for half-a-day and some of us from the 1 year fulltime PGDM programme were assigned as 'buddies' to the Cornell students. I was a buddy for Justin Charise, who has been a Captain in the U.S. Army in the Field Artillery division for 5 years and is set to join one of the top-notch Investment Banks as early as July2007.
Before coming to our campus, the delegation had visited the Infosys and MindTree campuses in Bangalore. The conversation started off on a high note as soon as I said I have worked with MindTree before:) We discussed a lot about the Indian IT sector boom, the urban-rural divide, the infrastructure, the education system here and and in the U.S., the culture, the food, Bangalore, Mumbai, Goa, our previous work experience, our families, etc. Most of the delegation liked the 'spicy' Indian food! Justin especially liked the 'Dal Khichdi'.
The Cornell University president Mr Skorton said that their main purpose of the visit was to foster more exchanges with the Indian universities, to further expand research and education services in India, and to work out new areas of mutual benefit for greater partnership.
Well, am sure our interaction went off well and hope that this results in a fruitful partnership between Cornell and SPJIMR. Amen!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
MBA in 18 sessions? well, quite possible...
We perhaps had one of the ‘best’ lectures today on a course called ‘Business-Smart IT Applications’ by Dr. Lakshmi Mohan, who is a member of the Information Technology Management faculty of the School of Business, State University of New York. Before SUNY, Dr Lakshmi has taught at the Sloan School of Management, M.I.T. and the IIMC.
The central theme of this course is to understand the underlying principles and methodologies for getting value from IT investments through business-smart IT applications; and the data and organizational issues that have to be addressed for successful implementation. There would be real-world contemporary cases illustrating best practices of what works, and failures to highlight what does not work, and why, that would provide a balance of theory and practice.
In today’s class, we had a case discussion in which Dr Lakshmi touched upon a host of management principles. I am so impressed about today’s sessions, that if all the sessions of this course were to happen the way they happened today, I think this course could be renamed as ‘MBA in 18 sessions’.
The central theme of this course is to understand the underlying principles and methodologies for getting value from IT investments through business-smart IT applications; and the data and organizational issues that have to be addressed for successful implementation. There would be real-world contemporary cases illustrating best practices of what works, and failures to highlight what does not work, and why, that would provide a balance of theory and practice.
In today’s class, we had a case discussion in which Dr Lakshmi touched upon a host of management principles. I am so impressed about today’s sessions, that if all the sessions of this course were to happen the way they happened today, I think this course could be renamed as ‘MBA in 18 sessions’.
Resolutions for the BOND year – ‘007
I had never before thought of following a new year resolution with the fear of not keeping up to it. But this time round, I have made a conscious decision to religiously follow my resolutions for my own good and thats the very reason am sharing them here. So here goes my list for 2007:
Personal
1) Follow a strict fitness regime
2) Help my wife in cooking atleast twice a week (I am only saying ‘help’ – my wife caught this caveat, anyways let me make a start first)
3) Track expenses and reorganize my finances
4) Become more patient and diplomatic (I have never been good at diplomacy, but to succeed in a ‘prehensile’ world, I guess I’ve to change)
Professional
1) Read atleast 4 magazines a month – Business, Finance, Tech, Travel
2) Develop in-depth knowledge of atleast 1 domain and 1 technology (will decide on the domain and tech when am back into the corporate world)
Thought of on 31st Dec 2006 at 3PM IST @ my hostel room, SPJIMR.
So have you made your resolutions yet?
Personal
1) Follow a strict fitness regime
2) Help my wife in cooking atleast twice a week (I am only saying ‘help’ – my wife caught this caveat, anyways let me make a start first)
3) Track expenses and reorganize my finances
4) Become more patient and diplomatic (I have never been good at diplomacy, but to succeed in a ‘prehensile’ world, I guess I’ve to change)
Professional
1) Read atleast 4 magazines a month – Business, Finance, Tech, Travel
2) Develop in-depth knowledge of atleast 1 domain and 1 technology (will decide on the domain and tech when am back into the corporate world)
Thought of on 31st Dec 2006 at 3PM IST @ my hostel room, SPJIMR.
So have you made your resolutions yet?
Monday, January 01, 2007
Welcome 2007!!
I bid adieu to 2006 for all the good things and lessons that it has taught me and also welcomed the New Year 2007 in my own style.
Gautam, Vatsa and I had some good food+drinks and spent some time together discussing our life at SPJIMR, our resolutions and our future plans. We later went to the college bash around 11pm and danced to our heart’s content. It was just too good! Just before the stroke of midnight, my wife Shilpa called up to wish me from the US. It was perfect timing as the phone lines were jammed within a few minutes after entering 2007.
Later around 1am, Vatsa and I went on a long drive to Marine Drive, while Gautam preferred to go back to the hostel. The streets of Mumbai were packed with taxis, autos, bikes and people moving around as though its 7pm. It was a truly refreshing drive as the weather was pleasant too. Ofcourse the sight of pretty women spiced up our conversations now and then, hehe.
It was a bright night with the moon being big enough to cast its reflections on the quiet waters. We had a nice time gazing at the sea which looked very inviting and scary at the same time. We could see some water boats doing rounds, perhaps taking people enjoying the cruise party on a joy ride or something. We walked nearly 2 km all the way back to a Coffee Day in the Charni Road area. It was around 3am then. There was a special New Year’s eve menu at Coffee Day. We enjoyed our hot cuppa with a couple of chocolate cookies and left for the Churchgate station around 3.45am.
The Churchgate station was packed as we had expected - all the party-goers were returning home. We took the first train back to Andheri at 4.15am and reached our hostel around 5.15am! Will truly remember this celebration for a lifetime I guess. If not anything, I will definitely miss the sea and night-life of Mumbai back home in Bangalore.
Throughout the celebrations, I missed my wife-Shilpa and one of my best friends here-Vinaya. Vinaya could not join us as his friend had come down for an H1B appointment and so had to give him company.
Gautam, Vatsa and I had some good food+drinks and spent some time together discussing our life at SPJIMR, our resolutions and our future plans. We later went to the college bash around 11pm and danced to our heart’s content. It was just too good! Just before the stroke of midnight, my wife Shilpa called up to wish me from the US. It was perfect timing as the phone lines were jammed within a few minutes after entering 2007.
Later around 1am, Vatsa and I went on a long drive to Marine Drive, while Gautam preferred to go back to the hostel. The streets of Mumbai were packed with taxis, autos, bikes and people moving around as though its 7pm. It was a truly refreshing drive as the weather was pleasant too. Ofcourse the sight of pretty women spiced up our conversations now and then, hehe.
It was a bright night with the moon being big enough to cast its reflections on the quiet waters. We had a nice time gazing at the sea which looked very inviting and scary at the same time. We could see some water boats doing rounds, perhaps taking people enjoying the cruise party on a joy ride or something. We walked nearly 2 km all the way back to a Coffee Day in the Charni Road area. It was around 3am then. There was a special New Year’s eve menu at Coffee Day. We enjoyed our hot cuppa with a couple of chocolate cookies and left for the Churchgate station around 3.45am.
The Churchgate station was packed as we had expected - all the party-goers were returning home. We took the first train back to Andheri at 4.15am and reached our hostel around 5.15am! Will truly remember this celebration for a lifetime I guess. If not anything, I will definitely miss the sea and night-life of Mumbai back home in Bangalore.
Throughout the celebrations, I missed my wife-Shilpa and one of my best friends here-Vinaya. Vinaya could not join us as his friend had come down for an H1B appointment and so had to give him company.
Happy New Year 2007 :)
Hey folks,
Just returned after a great night out. Thought of wishing u all before I hit the sack. Will detail out whatever I did after I wake up.
Wish you all a very Happy, Healthy, Prosperous and Scintillating 2007!!
BTW with this post, I have scored half-a-century on this blog :)
Cheerio!!
Just returned after a great night out. Thought of wishing u all before I hit the sack. Will detail out whatever I did after I wake up.
Wish you all a very Happy, Healthy, Prosperous and Scintillating 2007!!
BTW with this post, I have scored half-a-century on this blog :)
Cheerio!!
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