Random Thoughts

Have you ever chased something and when you got that thing wondered was the chase really worth all the trouble? Or have you felt the longing for the wilds when you hit the plains? And what if you don't have anything in sight, immediately to chase? Are you one of those who get scared when things feel like settling down? Are you of the type who get anxious at the thought of a safe and settled life? Well, suddenly a sense of emptiness has taken over me. As I enter the final month on Planet-I the thought of going back to work and corporate life is making me nervous again. Somehow am unable to imagine that I will have to drag of myself to the 9am-6pm job. So was it meant to end this way? Something within me is rebelling to try out something new, start a new crusade, seek a new goal, start a new chase and run again. But are there somethings worthy of a chase? Imagine that there are somethings, but which one should I choose? Which way to go? Or is it time just to hang my shoes...

Yesterday the New York Times published a news report in which the news reporters Charles Duhigg and David Barboza reported that the conditions in the factories of Foxconn, one of the big suppliers at Apple is inhuman and that there were deaths sometime back. Well, this report does not bring something new, factories in South, SE Asia and China all have rampant inhuman practices. Nike faced boycott and protests in the US which forced the company to act and hold its suppliers accountable. Nike now has much better working conditions in the factories of its suppliers in SE Asia. IKEA is one company that has got a lot of success in collaborating with its supplier to adhere to its supplier code. Perhaps companies such as Apple must take a cue and do something to improve the work conditions in the factories of its suppliers. Although the news report highlights similar inhuman conditions in the factories of companies such as Dell and Samsung, I felt that the report was biased agains...

In 2009, I got hold of a copy of the Satanic Verses  while I was in Zurich. Actually a friend who was travelling from London asked me what should he bring for me, and I requested him to bring the Satanic Verses. For three months the book was just lying on my table. Occasionally some of my friends would borrow it but would return it within a couple of weeks. Most found the book very heavy. It so happened that I was travelling and did not have any other book to read so I took the Satanic Verses to read on the train journey. Once I started reading I could not keep it down. I found the start very captivating. The story starts with two protagonists, Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha,  both actors of Indian Muslim background, falling down  after the plane bomb blast. In a miraculous transformation one person transforms into  In a miraculous transformation, Farishta takes on the personality of the archangel Gibreel, and Chamcha that of a devil. And th...

Facebook is abuzz with new campaign videos of The Times of India (ToI) and The Hindu . While the ToI started the battle, it seems to me that The Hindu had the last laugh. The Hindu's video captures the essence of the spirit of the ToI, write and publish what sells (read Sex and Hollywood). In my opinion, there is no newspaper that has the same journalistic analysis and rigor that the Hindu has, perhaps the Indian Express comes a distant second. 27/01/2012 Well, let me decipher the marketing elements of the campaign. Times of India goes for a 'Frontal attack', wherein the ad/video has a Tamil tune, post its launch in Chennai. The Hindu retaliates and uses 'Attribute' based product attack.  The dumb people and the 1,2,4, 5.. pages ad just pick the key associations that readers have with ToI and the Hindu puts up a brilliant attack. This campaign which was started by the Times of India uses the principles of Integrated Marketing Communication, i.e. controversy f...

What would you do if you went for shopping at Louis Vuitton and got the best merchandise at through away prices? Am sure if you have some additional money and budget then you will buy some more stuff. Recruiters at the various IIMs are experiencing a similar 'boom'. With the lateral placements in progress across many IIMs and other reputed B Schools, recruiters are coming in huge numbers and hiring the best talent at affordable salaries. Unlike previous years when most of the IT and Tech companies did not get the best talent pool from the IIMs, this year has been different. Rank holders and the 'Fin' guys are accepting offers from IT Consulting firms. Chinks in the Armour of the IIMs are becoming visible now. Many of the 'Fin' companies that come to campuses prefer freshers and try to diversify their workforce by recruiting fresh faces, while many people with 3-4 years work experience and certifications such as CFA and FRM watch from the fence. In fact one ...

Something is special about Makar Sankranti. Winter just eases out after this day. This year it was quite cold in Indore with temperature reaching 6-7 degree Celsius. However, after 14th Jan, i.e. after Sankranti, suddenly the chill has come down a lot. Looks like the sun has started its journey down south and is gracing us with brilliant sunshine and retreating cold. Spring is in the air!!

I have been a great fan of Devdutt Pattnaik  ever since I read his first article on Hanuman in the Economic Times . Now the chief beliefs officer of the Future Group, Mr. Pattnaik gives a very easy to understand correlation between mythology and management. I got an opportunity to read his book Myth = Mithya , a book that gives an excellent insight on Hindu mythology and its relevance in the modern world. In fact many of the chapters are eye openers for two main reasons. Firstly, for me and for most Indians, mythology is what was shown in the TV serials such as Mahabharat  on DD1 and DD2. Secondly, most of the Indian scriptures are in Sanskrit and most of the Gen X and beyond are not at all comfortable with it. It is just like any other foreign language!! Thanks to people like Devdutt Pattnaik, who have chosen to write in English, that today we can relish some of fruits of the old wisdom. 

Huh.. finally can heave a sigh of relief. Not sure how happy I should be, but given the state of the economy and fears of double dip recession I am contented to have got through Cognizant Business Consulting. With the Mckinseys and BCGs becoming very choosy and the limited number of strategy consults visiting campus, I think I have a decent catch. Especially, converting the PPI to a PPO after the one and a half month of grueling B plan competition. So now what? Well, have been just chilling out for a week or so, but have to catch up a lot on the reading front. Have started reading Steve Job's biography. Its quite an story. Seems like its time to get back to my guitar and pull the strings. 

So it begins, the final race of the MBA life and the start of the rat race of corporate life. Lateral placement are here. With the economy in jitters, each and every job will be hotly contested, esp. the consulting jobs. All i wish is to get out of this phases as soon as I can and with as many pots of gold as I can. Am sure most of the people at the IIMs would be having the same feeling.  

Blogger's new interface is really cool. It gives a feeling of luxury and grandeur. You feel like writing more and more. In brick and mortar space in a retail outlet is the prerequisite for the feeling of luxury. In the digital world its the UI. Rich UI can become a point of difference, at least it is a hygiene factor.