A few people told me (sadly) that they have already broken their new year resolutions. My response is usually the same So, what? There is a reason you made the resolution in the first place. The “reason” would not have gone away. What has happened is that a “reason” has come up that forced you… Continue reading
Date Archives → January 2009
A song and a few questions
“Athadu” means “The Target.” Please watch this short clip from a Telugu movie Athadu. I know most of you who are reading this are not Telugu speaking so this will be an opportunity to see something different. Remember, this is the NEW year and you got to try something new 🙂 Jokes apart, you don’t… Continue reading
Simple AND effective.
A simple notice in a restaurant: Not many words but very effective. “Please take as much as you want. But please eat as much as you take.” My ten year-old son Sumukh read this and said, “Dad, make sure that you take only as much as you can eat.” Point noted. Please sign up for… Continue reading
Staging the sale
Two weeks ago I was at the Farmers Market in Mountain View. There was one stall where a person was selling balloon arts. It was interesting to watch him create characters out of balloons. He was quite successful at what he was doing (in terms of business) as there was a big queue of kids… Continue reading
Status Check for 2009: Is Your Job Safe?
As we approach the new year, there is a big uncertainty looming everywhere. For a large majority of people, the uncertainty is about their job. Is it safe? In other words, will they have a job or not? I think the real question should be “Is someone really employable in the new economy or not?”… Continue reading
A VERRRRY late entry to Twitter
I have to blame this on my friend Navin Nagiah (CEO fo DotNetNuke Corporation) We were on a long walk where I was explaining Navin “Why Twitter won’t work for me.” Navin ( in his usual style ) asked back, “Why don’t you find a way to make it work?” I was not expecting that… Continue reading
Barnes and Noble: Carpet bombing won't help!!
I am a big fan of Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and 800-CEO-READ and any place where they sell great books. Today I received an email from Barnes and Noble about a weight loss book. People who have seen me in person know that if I lose any more weight I might disappear 🙁 This… Continue reading
Inspiration for 2009: Lessons from elBulli
Reading in 2009 started off wonderfully for me with a surprise book “A Day at elBulli: An insight into the ideas, methods and creativity of Ferran Adria” It’s a magnificent book (527 pages, full of beautiful pictures) about what happens inside elBulli in one day. elBulli is supposed to be the world’s most famous restaurant…. Continue reading
Reasons Facebook Ads don't work…
At the outset, Ads are ads – whether they are on Google or they are on Facebook. But there is a BIG difference. When people come to Google, they are “searching” for something and an “Ad” appears that matches to what people are “searching for.” In Facebook, people don’t come to search for information. They… Continue reading
Fighting on textbooks now…
I read recently that Chegg.com raised $25M from KPCB and Foundation Capital for expanding their textbook rental service. Chegg.com is another proof point that whenever there is inefficiency in the marketplace there is an opportunity. Students NEED textbooks AND they are EXPENSIVE. Chegg.com’s model is not to lower the prices on text books but to… Continue reading