A letter to Google..

Dear Google,


Hope you are innovating well.


A few days ago, I checked your new launch Google Plus. It looks so much like facebook. The profile pic is at the same location, friend suggestions show up at the same location, wall looks similar, '+1' is just another name for 'like', comments work the same way, and most other things are similar. Okay, they say hangout is cool and may be a couple more features.


The reason I thought to write this is because all along I have respected you for how you have changed our lives and I am baffled if you don't understand some basics here. First of all, its okay if you lose the opportunity in one of the many areas. You don't have to win everywhere. Second, they teach in business school that when you can't win the game, change the game. Especially in games with strong network effects! With all your technology horsepower, what we expected from you is not a cheap imitation but a completely innovative alternative to the facebook style. How long do you think it will take facebook to imitate 'hangout' if it clicks with people!


Look at twitter. Is this kind of game changer too innovative for all your thinktank? And I expect 'no' for an answer here from you. That ability to innovate is certainly not a problem with you, it's something else you need to fix. May be direction but don't ask me, I am an outsider.


Some people tell me you gathered x million users the fastest. I wouldn't be surprised. You are so respected that people want to try when you come up with something new, anything new! But this kind of imitation puts you at the risk of losing this respect specially as a few more exciting facebook and twitter like alternatives come up. By the way, the right metric to measure popularity wouldn't be the number of users for you (for the reason I stated above), it would probably be the number of users who log on specifically to Google plus at least once a day for a period of x days, given the nature of social networking - an average user logs on to facebook multiple times a day.


Long story short, may be you should relate the cliche With great power, comes great responsibility to what you are doing here.


Best wishes

16" it is..

Wow, so today is officially the first time when the measuring tape showed 16" around my biceps! And I wrote only 15.5" on my resume...too bad.

All along the way, there were unspoken targets - 12" in the beginning, then 14", then 15" and finally 16". Na naa! I am not planning to go beyond 16" now. After all, there is something called proportions too. This is perfect.

But, cool, isn't it? I managed this all despite the ISB's grind!

Movie for the evening..

Just watched '21'. The end was fantastic. Just look at the confidence of Ben sitting before the interviewer. Amazing if you can do it in real life!

Term break coming to an end..

Have watched..

No Man's Land

City of God

Life is Beautiful

Wall Street

in the last 24 hours and am going to get another one before the library closes..

brought Rashomon on a friend's suggestion but couldn't stand the black and white reel for more than half hour. Returned.

Watched Disturbia for a thriller to end the term break.

And now the pre reads for tomorrow's class. May be I'd read some Spanish notes too. It's been long.

Manish Sabharwal strikes again..

Three days ago, on 12-Aug, we had Manish Sabharwal of Teamlease Services come to address our group who had taken the course on Planning an Entrepreneurial Venture. They call this guy a serial-entrepreneur whereas he insists that the adjective 'Serial' be used with only mean words like 'Killer', 'Rapist', etc.

The auditorium that is usually very hard to fill for any event here because of the continual pressure of acads and a multitude of parallel activities was full that day. The guy has earned a loyal audience by his spell binding presentations and speeches in various conferences here. And this day was not an exception. For 2 full hours, not a single person left Khemka (the Auditorium), and when he finished, he got a standing ovation for one full minute - quite a big thing here.

Here are a few witty one liners I remember from his presentation. They may look weird out of context here but were apt in the presentation. Nonetheless worth reading -

- Even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat (Damn! How many of us have realized this?!)

- You guys won the ovarian lottery (= you were born to a family who could provide you a respectable education. Respect man! what a logic!)

- Sexually transmitted CEOship (for family heirs becoming the CEOs of family owned businesses - blew me away!)

- One biggest advantage of being a bisexual is that you double your chances of finding a date (of course! Just that I never looked at it this way before!)

- If it went right, it was a skill. If it went wrong, it was bad luck.

- Entrepreneurship is about staying alive till you make money.

My quadi says I am influenced by the oratory skills and witty remarks. But, really, sometimes you go just for the pleasure of listening!

A power packed night..

Just came back from the ISB Arm Wrestling Competition. I and three others jointly organised it under the aegis of the Sports Club and the event was a huge success.

23 people challenged 23 others in the Challenge round. And 32 guys and girls participated in the Open Round. The event was attended by some of the hottest guys and girls of the batch.

Will soon update this post with some pics too.

And yeah, something came up in my discussion with another girl from my section -

If people feel that you are too complicated to understand, you probably are too complicated for even yourself.

A walk through the dark night..

"Dude, look at the last year's shortlists - No one below 3.89/4 shortlisted by McKinsey, BCG, A T Kerney..." said my engineering classmate who has joined me here too. The guy is serious about this claim and has hit 4/4 in Term I. But he is still mourning the 'screwup' in Term II in which he thinks he will have to be content with only 2 A's and the rest 2 A-'s (=3.75/4), a portfolio of grades that would make most sensible people here open Champagne in the beautiful SV grounds under the cloudy night.

"No dude, I saw at least one guy shortlisted at 3.6 something. There may be more. I didn't check all." I said.

I have scored 3.75 in Term I and as usual, am very optimistic about the top tier consulting firms offering me a position, not just because I have good grades but because of my entire resume.

"No man! Then look at that guy's other activities too. He had done quite a lot." He suggested me.

This was a typical Sunday afternoon in the dining hall.

This is one year at a place that offers many opportunities to grow across several dimensions. Nobody is clear what is right. Everybody has come in with his own set of priorities and his own perception of success. In any conversation on what is right for the future and what is not, there is tremendous opinion clash. Some are going all out for grades because that's seriously all they have ever known. Some are fighting for grades under peer pressure to make it to top tier consulting firms. Surprisingly a few guys who were happily 6 point someones at IIT are slogging for 4/4 here. This is the last platform to a great career, they would tell you - right or wrong, nobody knows, not even the alumns. Some would tell you not to focus too much on grades and do other things too but the hesitation in the voice gives out way too much - They are really not sure what would work in this market.

A substantial chunk of student population - those still trying to make sense out of the chaos and determined not to be the part of a meaningless rat race - meets in fragments on cloudy night walks around the academic center and asks others of the group whether it's really right to succumb to the peer pressure and register for all those industry projects or business plan competitions just because everybody else is working hard to add that extra line to their resume that might signal their superior level of willingness to join the AAA rated recruiters and to prepare some material for those 5 minutes of interview that would make the entire difference between the upper casts and the untouchables of Corporate India.

You should listen to those fighting souls on those dark night walks. The confident adults in business are nervous students for sometime. One puts hands around the other's shoulders and tries to comfort them on the same dilemma that is eating himself within. Nobody is just ignoring academics here. We are infact getting above average grades. After that level of hard work, should we really not do what we want to do - play football everyday, do gym, go swimming, dance, perhaps look for a special someone...or..is it really a sin here to think of relaxation - mental or physical. And they listen to each other. In half an hour of each other's company, they feel better and go back to their rooms, read the latest issue of The Economist, something they so wanted to do from the last four days, do some course reading and get lulled into a peaceful sleep.

The day breaks with sun shining through the flimsy curtains, there is a lot to do today. Morning classes, some afternoon assignments, an alum session from some AAA rated company in the evening, discussions with numerous classmates throughout and the day ending in hesitation at 7.30 in the evening whether to go to the recreation center or to pitch for the new industry projects posted this afternoon or may be go to the professional club's meeting to be a part of the focus group trying to organise some high profile conference on some esoteric management topic, not because that's what they want to do, but because who knows networking might come in handy for a good job tomorrow and of course 'Key member of the organising committee of So&So summit' might give them a spike on the resume. 'Might' because nobody is sure..

At 11.30 in the night, I look out of my window into the cloudy sky and pick up the phone "Aloke, want to come for a walk for sometime?"

Mental Attyachaar...

Last year when I read the blogs of top MBA school students sometimes, I also came across a few from those from the Indian School of Business. Some of them wrote their posts at 2 am or 3 am and said they were about to go to read a case for the next morning class after the post. And I wondered how difficult that should be at that hour knowing that you have had a packed day, have morning 8 am class the next day, and still haven't yet started reading the case at 2-3 am!

Fast forward almost an year...

In the morning, I had 2 hours each of Managerial Accounting and Corporate Finance class from two of the world's most revered Profs in the areas - one from Kellogs and the other from UCLA. In the afternoon, I went for the last term's end term paper viewing session that took me another 2 hours. Caught a short nap in the evening. Went for the consulting club session from the BCG people who had flown down from Mumbai for a day and because the BCG partner there was an economist with a passion and authority in his subject, it turned out to be almost another class in economics and finance resulting in a severe information overload in a single day. The stress buster was a sweet 10 min chat, after BCG session, with one of the prettiest girls of my batch - yeah, you are free to assume anything about my intentions; when the girl has that mix of qualities and beauty, anybody can slip. But I hear that she already has an equally eligible boyfriend, though I have no source to varify that information yet.

Ah, I have this tendency to digress from the subject!

Alright, so after such a pecked day, it's 2 am now, I have a class at 8.15 in the morning, and still have to start reading the case for tomorrow's class...

PAN IIT booze @ ISB

Last night saw the PAN IIT booze flowing at the co2008 lounge at ISB.

We were not planning to have any formal thing of this sort among ourselves because we wanted to avoid forming a closed cohort but the head of admissions here himself invited all IIT grads for a high tea this evening to discuss on the future strategy to continue attracting people from the top technical institutes of India. Once that happened, people hesitantly poured in mails on whether we should all meet sometime. Sensing the underlying community mood, yours truly sealed the sentiment inviting everybody to put together a booze party for the Thu night when the classes for the week finish. Responses were immediate and elated. A number of people volunteered for booze, music, and system. Abhishek from section H, whose classes are in the afternoon, reserved the co2008 lounge in the morning when some of us were being tortured by the z- and the t- curves of statistics to predict the chances of us having a swine flu even though we had tested negative and others were being cold called by the marketing prof on the FedEx case. And while we cursed ourselves why we quit our six figured salaries for this BS, a pleasant surprise was the arrangement of lights and speakers too from the school side.

By 11.30 pm, almost 75 of the 112 IIT alums gathered in the lounge. Of course girls were hard to find but wasn't that expected! Towards the later part of the night, the consensus was to invite all the IIT alums and all the girls of ISB in any such future parties. Though the move is more likely to label us losers but what the heck!

In the end, some cheekily chosen songs and ghazals from the singers of the batch reminded everybody of their one sided, first love at college. We sealed the night with a 'Purani Jeans' from everybody together. The party was highly successful and left all of us wanting for more while we left the lounge with the memories of how farzi our journey to here had been - copying tutorials, bunking classes, sending proxies, abondaning studies with the full conviction that corporate would kiss our asses begging us to join them once we graduate (The enlightment was not to come till it was late), and all the while unconsciously evolving a personality that would instantly connect us with the other members of the community throughout our lives, anywhere in the world.

Isn't it all worth it.

the fascination of being in america

Sometimes, on my way to office or back, I look around and say to myself - "This is America." The dream of more than half of India. The land of the rich, the educated, and the leaders. I say to myself - "This is America. I am standing on the American soil. I am touching the American trees." I try to see if I can fascinate myself the same way as are a large number of people back home.

But all I can feel fascinated about is me standing on the globe at a position almost diameterically opposite to my home. Either I am upside down or they are. Or we both are at different times of the day.

Early days have been difficult here, without a car, with not enough disposable money (saving for my MBA fees), and everything in a flux. But I don't ask myself questions whether I like America or not. Whether I would want to stay here for long or settle here sometime or not. I want to do well in whatever I choose to do in my career and if that means going around the world, thoughts about liking or disliking where I go would do no good to my career. In all probability, my job would take me around the world a lot. The question of where I base myself wouldn't be all that relevent.

Bin, Pallet, Small Hang Tag, Large Hang Tag, Business card...phew

Small harmless labels on the retail shelves...

...no easy game, I tell ya.

Munna Bhai chale lok sabha..

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sanjay-dutt-to-fight-lok-sabha-polls-from-lucknow/82254-3.html

Damn it! Does this guy even know what Lucknow looks like!

And it's a total joke on the law. His conviction is associated with one of the deadliest serial bomb blasts in the country! The motive of contesting the elections is pretty much out in the open.

How nine cans of beer screwed me..

I didn't realize I had been asking so many questions. The friend whose home we (Rajesh and I) are staying at till we get our own lease done had nine cans of beer today and started talking after it got to his head.

- You are a new kid to the US. (Rajesh has been in the US for the last eight months, so I am the only kid in the house)
- It's not good to try to learn a lot too soon. You are asking many questions.
- Why should we bother about you. No, we wouldn't. You should be on your own.
- Things are very complicated man. You will find out. It's not easy buddy.
- Don't think too much at the same time.

And let me put a disclaimer that before, after, and between all those lines, I didn't speak a word. This was his idea of me in the two days of stay together that started pouring out automatically after all those beers. Man ! I guess I'll have to shut up a bit more.

Sodium in the US..

After months of hanging between whether I should or should not, I finally forced myself to take this step..moving to the US. Till the last moment, I didn't really want to work abroad just for money or for the name of this country. But, I was thinking that before joining my MBA, it would be better to go out and see what the world is doing and how they are doing it. That would also help me in making a first hand practical decision whether to try for a job in India, Asia, or the west.

My first days in the US:

The intial phase seems to be over in two days. The phase of uncertainty and apprehensions about whether I really made a right decision. It's time now to experience. The work culture in the US differs somewhat from India, as everybody knows. The residential complexes are very comfortable. And I have never done serious cooking in my life so far, so that's something trying for me. But I have to thank my room-mate here for his culinary skills. He can cook most of the things and charging a premium for this speciality, he always asks me to cut the onion and cry with it for my ignorance. Realizing that otherwise I may not have anything to eat at all, I am also content with cutting all the vegetables in the first few days of my cooking practicals. Perhaps by the end of first month, I would be able to cook all these things myself, end-to-end, as we call it in our IT world. But I won't mind cutting onion for our dinner even then Rajesh. You have been of help.

The apartment complex is posh - A gym, a swimming pool, squash and badminton courts, and not just Indian residents. I value the last thing because when I have come this far, I want to experience the American life somewhat.

Phew ! Life has come a long way man. And everybody has been there. Rajesh said for himself today that he had never thought he would be in the US ever.

Title awaited..

Yesterday I went to attend the information session by the Indian School of Business at the Radisson, Noida. I guess the Radisson was chosen for icing the image cake of the school in our minds.

It rained at the last hour and drenched me completely. I even stopped under a shade for about 15 minutes but it refused to concede. Finally I had to take off in that downpour. The air conditioned hall of the Radisson didn't help of course and water kept dribbling from my clothes for the next 2 hours. Wet and shivering, I felt all the time as if I was sitting in a bathtub and frankly the feeling was discomforting with all those girls around.

Anyways, I attended the entire ISB information session from my bath seat, hoping that someone would notice my sincerity and would ask my name and application number. But sadly that didn't happen.