Just read this nice Winnie the Pooh quote in William Flaiz 's blog:
A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
A good pitch
I am pretty tired of hearing environmentalists talk. This does not mean I am insensitive to the environment changes (I am concerned) but I don't like hearing the same stuff.The environment pitch is essentially the same: carbon dioxide levels are going up , ice is melting, ocean levels are up blah blah blah.
Even a class 2 kid knows this now.
We all need to hear something dofferent: this is not motivating large numbers to act.
I came across a refreshing talk on the environment which lingers. I love the presentation idea( a video instead of powerpoint slides), brought to my notice by Garr Reynolds.
Here it is.
Even a class 2 kid knows this now.
We all need to hear something dofferent: this is not motivating large numbers to act.
I came across a refreshing talk on the environment which lingers. I love the presentation idea( a video instead of powerpoint slides), brought to my notice by Garr Reynolds.
Here it is.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Romy's Book review: Pour your heart into it
This is my first book review for my blog. Initially I actually thought I would do a blog of only book reviews but the rate I write is far greater than the rate at which I digest books.
I am on a non fiction phase of reading so you will pretty much find non fiction stuff in all my reviews.
The book I picked up: Pour your heart into it: How Startbucks became a company one coffee cup at a time. by Howard Schulz
Review: This is one of the best business biographies I have read. Howard Schultz the CEO of Starbucks started the coffee chain by working as an employee in Starbucks( not to confuse it with what it is now, it used to originally never sell coffee as in expresso and only coffee beans and such).
The book charts the journey of Howard and Starbuck's( how he transformed it into the giant ubiquitous coffee chain from his humble beginnings).
There are some very interesting facts about the company. Starbucks has pretty much got to where it is by pure word of mouth advertising. Shows how powerful word of mouth can be.
Also Starbucks painstakingly and meticulously serves the best coffee. Schulz says that less than 10% of the customers really understand how good the quality is but the company never compromises on the quality(and the efforts that go into it) no matter what.
After reading the book you realise how value and product oriented the company is. Americans have started to view Starbucks as a corporate entity present around every corner, but the company actually goes out of its way to educate their customers, understand their needs and serve great coffee. Wow.
One of those unputdownable books.
Rating:9/10
I am on a non fiction phase of reading so you will pretty much find non fiction stuff in all my reviews.
The book I picked up: Pour your heart into it: How Startbucks became a company one coffee cup at a time. by Howard Schulz
Review: This is one of the best business biographies I have read. Howard Schultz the CEO of Starbucks started the coffee chain by working as an employee in Starbucks( not to confuse it with what it is now, it used to originally never sell coffee as in expresso and only coffee beans and such).
The book charts the journey of Howard and Starbuck's( how he transformed it into the giant ubiquitous coffee chain from his humble beginnings).
There are some very interesting facts about the company. Starbucks has pretty much got to where it is by pure word of mouth advertising. Shows how powerful word of mouth can be.
Also Starbucks painstakingly and meticulously serves the best coffee. Schulz says that less than 10% of the customers really understand how good the quality is but the company never compromises on the quality(and the efforts that go into it) no matter what.
After reading the book you realise how value and product oriented the company is. Americans have started to view Starbucks as a corporate entity present around every corner, but the company actually goes out of its way to educate their customers, understand their needs and serve great coffee. Wow.
One of those unputdownable books.
Rating:9/10
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Nowhere to run
Graduate students lead crazy lives.
A number of things one will surely learn and face if you plan to go ahead and study more:
1) Multitasking: You juggle work, cooking, studies,meetings, laundry and trying to get in sleep very efficiently
2) Peculiar eating patterns: One generally eats two meals, breakfast and dinner. We have the luxury of eating three on weekends. This doesn't mean we are thin, vending machines do exist.
3) Managing deadlines: You get to know your speed of work well. For instance I have an assignment( a biz memo to write) in two hours, but I know it takes 25minutes to write a decent memo and 1 minute to get it printed. So I will start precisely after 1hour and 34 mins.
4) 1000000 kPA: All the profs load you up with so much work and conspire to stress you out. Honestly after some time you get so used to it it barely makes a difference. Bring the pressure on.. I don't care!
5) Retail therapy/ Chocolate eating/Music works: The moment you have those days when your head is about to burst you learn that the aforementioned things work wonders. ( I just ate half a pound of chocolates yesterday, bought 3 unnecessary shirts I will never wear last week and I am listening to music right now).
A number of things one will surely learn and face if you plan to go ahead and study more:
1) Multitasking: You juggle work, cooking, studies,meetings, laundry and trying to get in sleep very efficiently
2) Peculiar eating patterns: One generally eats two meals, breakfast and dinner. We have the luxury of eating three on weekends. This doesn't mean we are thin, vending machines do exist.
3) Managing deadlines: You get to know your speed of work well. For instance I have an assignment( a biz memo to write) in two hours, but I know it takes 25minutes to write a decent memo and 1 minute to get it printed. So I will start precisely after 1hour and 34 mins.
4) 1000000 kPA: All the profs load you up with so much work and conspire to stress you out. Honestly after some time you get so used to it it barely makes a difference. Bring the pressure on.. I don't care!
5) Retail therapy/ Chocolate eating/Music works: The moment you have those days when your head is about to burst you learn that the aforementioned things work wonders. ( I just ate half a pound of chocolates yesterday, bought 3 unnecessary shirts I will never wear last week and I am listening to music right now).
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Born Newton?
I have heard a lot of people saying they are not creative enough and it is something they don't possess.
Most people aren't born creatively talented.
It is something that grows with application. So if your aren't applying your creativity somewhere, chances are that you won't feel creative.
If you do, you will find your inherent creativity taking you by surprise. Same applies for intelligence.
Both tie down to the same thing: Working hard.
Tried and tested.
Most people aren't born creatively talented.
It is something that grows with application. So if your aren't applying your creativity somewhere, chances are that you won't feel creative.
If you do, you will find your inherent creativity taking you by surprise. Same applies for intelligence.
Both tie down to the same thing: Working hard.
Tried and tested.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Starbucks Coffee experience
The best customer service I have had has come from Starbucks.
I am not a coffee drinker and despise the aroma of coffee beans which hits you the moment you enter a coffee shop.
You get it: I am just not the kind to experiment buying coffee let alone Starbucks overpriced coffee.
Then in one of the Battalion meetings, I win a door prize of a Starbucks gift card(that was probably the first time I got lucky in a luck draw).
That's how my first Starbucks visit came about. And I went purely because they have other options apart from coffee, like milkshakes( I am serious about disliking coffee).
Take away the coffee aroma and the ambiance feels like home. The music(jazz) is soothing and inviting for conversation. The barista who took my order, was surprisingly patient with my ignorance and dislike about coffee, gave me a million other options and helped me choose one.
Understood( not difficult though) that I am a huge chocolate fan, concocted the best double chocolate chip milkshake I have had and a biscotti. All the time he did so in a genuine , unhurried way. And yes even waived the amount which came above the gift card limit.
I would love to go back again.
Wish customer service was more like this: a genuine interest in your customers and unhurried.
I am not a coffee drinker and despise the aroma of coffee beans which hits you the moment you enter a coffee shop.
You get it: I am just not the kind to experiment buying coffee let alone Starbucks overpriced coffee.
Then in one of the Battalion meetings, I win a door prize of a Starbucks gift card(that was probably the first time I got lucky in a luck draw).
That's how my first Starbucks visit came about. And I went purely because they have other options apart from coffee, like milkshakes( I am serious about disliking coffee).
Take away the coffee aroma and the ambiance feels like home. The music(jazz) is soothing and inviting for conversation. The barista who took my order, was surprisingly patient with my ignorance and dislike about coffee, gave me a million other options and helped me choose one.
Understood( not difficult though) that I am a huge chocolate fan, concocted the best double chocolate chip milkshake I have had and a biscotti. All the time he did so in a genuine , unhurried way. And yes even waived the amount which came above the gift card limit.
I would love to go back again.
Wish customer service was more like this: a genuine interest in your customers and unhurried.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Its back!
Yay!! I have started reading again voraciously.. the best thing to happen today.
I have a very queer relationship with reading best expressed by a line read in Harper Lee's To kill a mockingbird.
" I don't like reading, you don't like breathing do you?"
It rings so true. Reading is as natural to my existence as breathing is. Something you can't do without but its not super fun doing( unless you are reading Bill Cosby or Calvin and Hobbes). An external entity which is intertwined in me. You just do it naturally and you have to do it.
I had been in this not reading as much as I used to phase for the last 2-3 months but somehow it is back. I am so glad it is.
I am so grateful that I have experienced the joys of reading, not many people have and the people who have know what I mean. It is something that I developed as a kid, growing up in the reading frenzy environment of the PGI campus. My fellow PGI readers will agree. This is a habit you don't develop in a day but it kind of grows on you over years.
Somehow reading gives me mental peace and calm. A spiritual calmness.
Yay again to reading!!
I have a very queer relationship with reading best expressed by a line read in Harper Lee's To kill a mockingbird.
" I don't like reading, you don't like breathing do you?"
It rings so true. Reading is as natural to my existence as breathing is. Something you can't do without but its not super fun doing( unless you are reading Bill Cosby or Calvin and Hobbes). An external entity which is intertwined in me. You just do it naturally and you have to do it.
I had been in this not reading as much as I used to phase for the last 2-3 months but somehow it is back. I am so glad it is.
I am so grateful that I have experienced the joys of reading, not many people have and the people who have know what I mean. It is something that I developed as a kid, growing up in the reading frenzy environment of the PGI campus. My fellow PGI readers will agree. This is a habit you don't develop in a day but it kind of grows on you over years.
Somehow reading gives me mental peace and calm. A spiritual calmness.
Yay again to reading!!
Cluttered
No I am not talking about my room here.
My head, it is too cluttered with thoughts. So many things to work on, so many results uncertain, so many deadlines to meet.
I need some peace in the chaos.
Feel like running to the Himalayas away from the insanity at times, but have to stay and fight it out.
You get it, spring break is over and the Monday has started with a jolt, taking time to get used to the rhythm and the buzz and the pace of work.
Submitted my worst assignment ever today, due to procrastination till the very last second. Thank god he lets us drop two homework scores.
A particularly annoying classmate to handle whose interference level I just can't take, and who shamelessly ignores the fact I am ignoring him.
And cooking turn today as well. And work. And project work. And meetings and readings.
Will stop ranting and start working.
My head, it is too cluttered with thoughts. So many things to work on, so many results uncertain, so many deadlines to meet.
I need some peace in the chaos.
Feel like running to the Himalayas away from the insanity at times, but have to stay and fight it out.
You get it, spring break is over and the Monday has started with a jolt, taking time to get used to the rhythm and the buzz and the pace of work.
Submitted my worst assignment ever today, due to procrastination till the very last second. Thank god he lets us drop two homework scores.
A particularly annoying classmate to handle whose interference level I just can't take, and who shamelessly ignores the fact I am ignoring him.
And cooking turn today as well. And work. And project work. And meetings and readings.
Will stop ranting and start working.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
GRE part1
Vinita has been insisting that I do a GRE post( she says it will be of relatively more use than my other posts and more informative).
Ok so here's what I would advise anyone taking the exam:
1.Enjoy the process of discovering the meanings of words. A very high sore cannot be achieved otherwise. It is very easy to instruct anyone to learn Barron's but to learn and retain 3500 new and tough words is some task.
2. Read read read: Read one newspaper, preferably Hindu cover to cover everyday without exception of exams.You come across newer words and I believe this has a direct impact on your performance in RC's.
3. In the last four months practice extensively: Practise from all sources you can find online. You can do this for free and not have to spend money on tests/ books. If you lay hands on the Bigbook it is a good practice source, but remember the GRE paper is way tougher than the practice tests on the bigbook.
Four tests you should give during the last month(for free) to evaluate yourself and your performance:
1. Princeton Review: Difficulty level medium. A score of 1450 in this test translates to 1500+ on the final exam.
2. Kaplan test: difficulty level high. A score of 1400 should translate into 1500+ in the final exam.
3. Barron 's tests: Difficulty level easy.A near 1600 score( that's right full!) will translate into a 1500+ in the final.
4. ETS test which comes with the CD after you register for GRE: Difficulty level: exactly GRE level. The average of your scores on the two tests is what you should get in GRE approximately. It is the best indicator. Should be given last.
In the last two months itself you should give as many practice tests online as you can.Any and as much practise is beneficial. Also makes you more confident. I have seen people whose scores have crashed due to nervousness.
Ok so here's what I would advise anyone taking the exam:
1.Enjoy the process of discovering the meanings of words. A very high sore cannot be achieved otherwise. It is very easy to instruct anyone to learn Barron's but to learn and retain 3500 new and tough words is some task.
2. Read read read: Read one newspaper, preferably Hindu cover to cover everyday without exception of exams.You come across newer words and I believe this has a direct impact on your performance in RC's.
3. In the last four months practice extensively: Practise from all sources you can find online. You can do this for free and not have to spend money on tests/ books. If you lay hands on the Bigbook it is a good practice source, but remember the GRE paper is way tougher than the practice tests on the bigbook.
Four tests you should give during the last month(for free) to evaluate yourself and your performance:
1. Princeton Review: Difficulty level medium. A score of 1450 in this test translates to 1500+ on the final exam.
2. Kaplan test: difficulty level high. A score of 1400 should translate into 1500+ in the final exam.
3. Barron 's tests: Difficulty level easy.A near 1600 score( that's right full!) will translate into a 1500+ in the final.
4. ETS test which comes with the CD after you register for GRE: Difficulty level: exactly GRE level. The average of your scores on the two tests is what you should get in GRE approximately. It is the best indicator. Should be given last.
In the last two months itself you should give as many practice tests online as you can.Any and as much practise is beneficial. Also makes you more confident. I have seen people whose scores have crashed due to nervousness.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Favorite orator
One of my favorite orators of all time is Randy Pausch.
A little background: He was a genius,a Carnegie Mellon professor in virtual reality who found out one day( in September 2007) that he has pancreatic cancer and has a few months to live. He was married and had two small children.
There is a tradition in Carnegie Mellon that when a professor retires , he is supposed to give a last lecture. So Pausch did,well before his time and its one of the best lectures I have heard.
Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
It will take some time.
A little background: He was a genius,a Carnegie Mellon professor in virtual reality who found out one day( in September 2007) that he has pancreatic cancer and has a few months to live. He was married and had two small children.
There is a tradition in Carnegie Mellon that when a professor retires , he is supposed to give a last lecture. So Pausch did,well before his time and its one of the best lectures I have heard.
Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
It will take some time.
Getting in the flow
How many blog posts does it take to get into the flow of blogging?
Seth says 2000.
I don't know I am not near the 2000 mark by a far shot. But I do know that there are days when you don't feel like writing and don't blog.
All in all it does take considerable time to be consistent. But the more I blog the more it grows on me, the more the day feels complete when I do.
Pretty interesting when you start blogging enthusiastically then a time period comes when you are plain bored of it and you abandon this crazy activity. It all depends if and when you feel like coming back to blogging. If you do, your blog flourishes.
Most bloggers I have seen have abandoned their blog within the first ten posts.
If you make it beyond the ten, you are here to stay!!
Seth says 2000.
I don't know I am not near the 2000 mark by a far shot. But I do know that there are days when you don't feel like writing and don't blog.
All in all it does take considerable time to be consistent. But the more I blog the more it grows on me, the more the day feels complete when I do.
Pretty interesting when you start blogging enthusiastically then a time period comes when you are plain bored of it and you abandon this crazy activity. It all depends if and when you feel like coming back to blogging. If you do, your blog flourishes.
Most bloggers I have seen have abandoned their blog within the first ten posts.
If you make it beyond the ten, you are here to stay!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
A Google fan
I am a huge Google fan.
Here are a few reasons why:
1. They have the best search engine ever
2. I love their design of their pages: clean white and no ads on the front page
3. Their applications are always the easiest to sign up for. Gtalk take 2 seconds to download and has the smallest size in comparison to Yahoo, Skype, Aim
4.Google ads is awesome. I know for a fact how it makes advertising online so more effective and affordable.
5. Their products have empowered so many people. Geting us information we want and essentially connecting the right people together.
Here are a few reasons why:
1. They have the best search engine ever
2. I love their design of their pages: clean white and no ads on the front page
3. Their applications are always the easiest to sign up for. Gtalk take 2 seconds to download and has the smallest size in comparison to Yahoo, Skype, Aim
4.Google ads is awesome. I know for a fact how it makes advertising online so more effective and affordable.
5. Their products have empowered so many people. Geting us information we want and essentially connecting the right people together.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Customer driven newspapers?
I agree businesses should be built around customer driven models, but not all businesses. This works for great Southwest airlines and most stuff but not newspapers.
Make food products what people want to eat, give them the exemplary customer service which makes them happy and give them want to read in celebrity magazines.
But not in newspapers.
You can't put everything in the newspaper according to what the readers want to hear. Newspapers come with the duty of educating and education( through information) is not always a pleasure to read about.
Isn't that what local newspapers cater to? They inform the community about the events which happen in the local area.
The idea of having a newspaper to inform more about the events in a community is great, but it kind of leaves the people being informed slightly disconnected from the overall picture of things.
In fact, as much as I love the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times I yearn to read and learn more about what's happening outside US, even though they do have some(meagre) international coverage.
It is possible to build a newspaper telling stories( and not US or local centric stories only) and then marketing it to sell. Not involving marketing so that you alter the product altogether.
Customer driven newspapers don't work for me.
Make food products what people want to eat, give them the exemplary customer service which makes them happy and give them want to read in celebrity magazines.
But not in newspapers.
You can't put everything in the newspaper according to what the readers want to hear. Newspapers come with the duty of educating and education( through information) is not always a pleasure to read about.
Isn't that what local newspapers cater to? They inform the community about the events which happen in the local area.
The idea of having a newspaper to inform more about the events in a community is great, but it kind of leaves the people being informed slightly disconnected from the overall picture of things.
In fact, as much as I love the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times I yearn to read and learn more about what's happening outside US, even though they do have some(meagre) international coverage.
It is possible to build a newspaper telling stories( and not US or local centric stories only) and then marketing it to sell. Not involving marketing so that you alter the product altogether.
Customer driven newspapers don't work for me.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
"Strategically" business like
The business school has a totally different sent of communication rules and it's own lingo.
Firstly they never express things simply and have these total business like words of expression. If you are new to the business culture it will take a lot of effort to understand a business lecture. A business person will always add strategic before a word, and in most cases its never required. Like strategic thinking, strategic positioning, strategic business models and strategic advantages. Its honestly crazy, and all the time you are wondering why on earth is the person in front of you speaking like this. In fact whenever I hear a prof/ consultant speaking I am continuously interpreting all the words in my head. Trying to get down to the essence behind all the embellishment. They have models, frameworks and terms for even the most logical and intuitive things.
I am actually pretty glad not to do a full blown business degree sometimes it can difficult to take. But remove the business terms and all the fluff and it is extremely interesting.
Firstly they never express things simply and have these total business like words of expression. If you are new to the business culture it will take a lot of effort to understand a business lecture. A business person will always add strategic before a word, and in most cases its never required. Like strategic thinking, strategic positioning, strategic business models and strategic advantages. Its honestly crazy, and all the time you are wondering why on earth is the person in front of you speaking like this. In fact whenever I hear a prof/ consultant speaking I am continuously interpreting all the words in my head. Trying to get down to the essence behind all the embellishment. They have models, frameworks and terms for even the most logical and intuitive things.
I am actually pretty glad not to do a full blown business degree sometimes it can difficult to take. But remove the business terms and all the fluff and it is extremely interesting.
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