CDOQ

Friends, I never thought that one day would get excited about going to Omaha, Nebraska. However, I was ecstatic to attend the “Woodstock of capitalism"-Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting-last weekend in Omaha. Thanks to my friend, Shriniwas, who owns a few shares of Berkshire Hathaway. There were 27,000 attendees from all over the world. Most of the crowd was very unassuming. I met people with net worth of $100M+, managers of $100B funds, mechanics, farmers, etc. All admirers of Warrant Buffet and Charlie Munger! We started with a cocktail party on Friday evening which was hosted at the jewelry store, Borsheims, owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Very unique party-millionaires standing in line for a long time to get free food Next morning around 6:30AM, we stood in line to get in the stadium where the meeting was being held and it was supposed to begin at 8:30AM. We learned that people had been in line since 4:00AM to get good seats. We did get OK seats and managed to sh...

If you have spent time with me, you must have heard me talk about wireless. How it signifies freedom to me and how we are only at the beginning of a big evolution. By 2025+/-5 years there will not be any stand alone devices. All electronic devices will be connected to each other and maybe to us. Well, I have been saying this since 1997 when I joined the wireless industry and now the Economist is said the same thing this week. If you live in this society, you should get a copy of the magazine. Wireless will change the society in the coming years. However, it will be a gradual evolution and not a revolution as predicted by the Economist.

I recently learned that in Indian mythology it is believed that there are three reasons for a man's downfall: 1. Anger 2. Fear 3. Laziness Don't fall!

I tell everyone to think about the Universe and their place in it whenever they are stressed about their problems. Sometimes, I forget the lesson myself. Friends, always keep in mind what is most important to you in life and how insignificant your problems are compared to the Universe. Somehow, I still have not developed tolerance for people with no integrity and no backbone. Gandhi said something very profound-To forgive and accept injustice is cowardice.

Why do I have the tendency to meet all my commitments even if I have to suffer to meet them?

The more I learn, the more I realize how much i don't know. Why do we grow hair and nails and no other body part after becoming adults? How do we decide what is our favorite color? Why do we love? Why is emotion more powerful than reason? Why does religion still exist? If take away the human desire to be in power, will the countries still exist? A bird had no idea of what a country/boundary is. Why do we fight in the name of freedom? Why is food part of all cultures? Why do we like some people and dislike some without knowing much about them? Why is heart associated with love in all cultures?

Why is ballet not a popular art form? Every time I go to one, I sit in awe for two hours. There is melodic music, beautiful setting, very attractive women (and men) in perfect shape who can move their bodies in perfect harmony like they are made out of rubber. So, why is it not popular? I think the career of a ballerina is of a great sacrifice. It takes years of practice and discipline starting at an early age. What motivates someone to give up simple joys of life and become a ballerina? I have great admiration for the artists. I went to see Carmina yesterday. It was brilliant! That is what prompted me to think about the art form.

Can someone help me understand how will any company compete without leveraging open source i.e. using the brains of a large population which does not reside inside the company? If a company relies only on inside resources which have gone through the corporate brain wash to think alike then it can not compete with an organization that relies on open source and harnesses the power of millions of diverse minds around the world. IBM is probably one of the biggest company that leverages open source, P&G, Sun are not behind. Where is your company?

As I learn more about life, I am beginning to wonder the deep roots of the question-who am I? After all the research and progress it is still unanswered.

can someone be too curious?

OK, it's not a real nude female, it's a painting! David, a good friend of mine, is participating in the Saatchi gallery "Showdown" and everybody that clicks on the link and then clicks on the stars to rate his painting helps him climb the ranking. There's no money involved, just an opportunity for exposure. http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/showdown/index.php?showpic=8842 Thanks! It means a lot!

Structure defines function! We evolved to become humans from single cell organisms because of the ecosystem structure. Companies evolve or die because of their structure. We are the most intelligent life form because of our brain structure. And, form follows function. When the ocean got too crowded, as a survival strategy some fish developed legs to be able to live on earth.

Why do say work-life balance? Is work not part of life or is life not part of work?

I just finished reading a book which was part of my Complex Systems program in January. The book is a good introduction for anyone intersted in Complex System. It provides you with basic concepts of Complex Systems and its application to our Health Care, Education System, International Development, Ethnic Violance, etc. It will give you a new perspective on solving business problems.

Why are people obsessed with food? In my eternal pursuit to try new things, last Thursday, I tried the food homeless eat. It was not bad and much healther than what I get at restaurants. Unfortunately, I could not talk to any homeless who were standing in line because there were only few and they did not speak English. Everytime, I go to the Pike Place market (Seattle, WA) close to my place, I always see everyone is eating something. Have we evolved from searching for food being primary purpose of life to eating as much as we can being the purpose?

I just finished reading a book, The Starfish and the Spider . It takes one of the fundamental principles of Complex Systems i.e. a networked organization (all system elements are connected to each other) is better than a hierarchical organization (one person is in charge of the entire organization e.g. CEO) and provides excellent applications of the principle. P2P technology(Peer to Peer)-Skype, Napster, Kazza, etc. has changed the world more than we realize. P2P is what is enabling development and evolution of networked organizations. If you work in the corporate world today, most likely you are working in a hierarchical organization and not utilizing your full potential. Get out and use P2P!

I went to a lecture by William Ury today. He is the co-founder of the Harvard Negotiation program which I attended two years ago. The basic idea he was teaching is that it is important to say No. During conflict, we follow Avoidance, Accommodation, Attack or saying No. See the picture for details. One should never lose respect for others irrespective of others position on a conflict. Try to go beyond position and understand the interests behind the position.

I remember a time when going to Starbucks was a pleasant experience. At that time, Starbucks had less than 2,000 stores and now it has more than 12,000 stores. Starbucks has a centralized control structure which makes it very difficult to evolve successfully. Most of you may not be familiar with Complex Systems principles so that's all I will say about evolution. Check out Howard Schultz memo These days, many times in the morning, Starbucks is out of coffee. Isn't that ironic, coffee store is out of coffee? If it happened a few years ago and if it did (rarely) you got a free coffee for the inconvenience. Now, it is every week occurrence and there is no free coffee or apology. Another example, I order a no-room grand drip coffee (medium black coffee) every morning and more than 60% of the times, they get the order wrong. I could not think how someone could get a simple coffee order wrong. So, I tried various tactics to place my order. Mainly, I changed sequence of words and pa...

How do you deal with lazy people? If someone's objective is to do as little as possible and spend two hours giving reasons why they can't do a task that requires one hour, how do you motivate these people or work effectively with them?

My grandmother had a heart attack last week. I am feeling restless since then. It is making me think about big goals in life again. Someday, all of us will die. While you are alive, you develop strong ties with your friends/family/relatives and the end is that we all die someday. So, why isn't everyone making the best out of his/her life? Enjoy every second of life. Be happy, make people around you happy. All have us have the same destiny (end) so why does so much conflict exists in the world?

Well, today is Valentine's day. The day of love! One of the great examples of how over the years marketing can change human behavior. So, we celebrate the festival of love by paying $10/stem for roses, $60 for a $8 bottle of wine, $100 for a $40 meal, etc. And, this is supposed to show love? Why do we love? How is that India with arranged marriages people can develop stronger bonds than in the west with 5 years of dating.

Why are people resistant to change? If I do repetitive work, I get bored. However, I notice most people do not want to try new things. They are happy with how things are. Is it genetic? Is it circumstantial?

I attended a lecture by Dean Kaman yesterday. He is the guy who invented the Segway among many other useful things. I learned that 1.6B people in the world don't have access to clean drinking water and hence 2M people die every year because of it. If you combine the deaths ever year because of all chronicle diseases combined, it is less than 2M. Hundreds of billions of dollars go into research to find cure to these diseases but only a few million to provide clean water where it is needed. Also, 1.1B people in the world don't have electricity at their house and 1+M people die because of it. Unbelievable! Don't you think that we who live in the developed world have the responsibility to change the situation? "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead Your thoughts?

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. - Peter Drucker Leadership is a buzzword in business. I can bet any two people you ask, you will get a different response on what leadership is. To be an effective executive, one must do the right things well. Everyone in any organization should do this. I think true leadership is the ability to inspire over whom one does not have any authority. All business corporations are hierarchical in nature. I find it amusing that "leaders", usually Vice Presidents (VP) or higher, in most corporations don't spend any time with the people they are supposed to manage/lead and are focused on pleasing their bosses. Also, they get rewarded for it:-) How many effective executives have you come across in your life?

Why do kids like repetition? They are very creative at that age and according to Transactional Analysis theory, future behavior is decided by kids development between the ages of 0 and 5. So, howcome when you are most creative in life, you can watch the same movie or hear the same story 50 times?

I recently attended a program on Complex Systems (CX) which made me think about bigger goals in life. My goal for a long time has been to be a successful entrepreneur. However, given the situation of the world today, I found it worth considering bigger goals in life. E.g. eliminate poverty, eradicate AIDS, development in Africa, religious harmony, etc. I am rarely confused but the last few days have been confusing. That is why, I have not been writing in my journal online and offline. I still have not cleared the confusion but it should not stop life or my writings on CDOQ. Looking forward to regular discussions.

According to the most brilliant startegist who ever lived, according to my opinion, Human life is the best gift that exists. Think about it. All life forms get to sleep, have sex, eat, drink etc. but only humans have the ability to do great things. So, do GREAT THINGS!

We make decisions every day. Some big, some small. I noticed that most people do not have a framework that they apply to decision making. Most of the decisions are made on "gut-felling" and without required analysis. I attended an executive program on decision making at Harvard and as optional reading material, I read "Smart Choices" http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780767908863&itm=2 It outlines a very simple approach which can be applied to all decisions-business, personal, financial, etc. The recommended model is called PrOACT-URL . It is: Pr=Problem: Identify the problem correctly. E.g. when you buy a car, usually the problem is commute and not the car. O=Objectives: What are trying to achieve by solving the problem? You can have multiple objectives with one problem. A=Alternatives: What alternatives do you have and what alternatives can you create? C=Consequences: how well the Alternatives meet your Objectives?...

My sister sent me the following story today. A good reminder of what life is: Live a good life A group of alumni of a Management Institute, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups....

One of my very close friends is visiting from Florida this weekend. I took him to the Museum of Flight today. It was very inspiring to see what William Boeing did. In addition to the Wright brothers, we owe the evolution of the global trade to William Boeing. He was a Yale dropout who moved to Seattle to make money when he was 21. He did make money in lumber trade. He was a millionaire at the age of 27. In 1909, he came across seaplanes and was fascinated by them. Furthermore, he thought that they could be made better. See William's biography at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Boeing. What was most amazing at the museum was the speed of technical advances in those days. After the first flight in 1903 by Right brothers, the aviation industry involved very fast. The commercial flights began in 1928, less than 25 years after the 12 second long flight. I am amazed how the technology progressed so fast without the communication channels (Internet, TV, etc.) which are available ...

I was walking back to my place yesterday and at a stop light I overheard two women talking about the fastest way to get to the ferry terminal. My first instinct was to give them the directions but then I thought about how it might be considered invasion of privacy. My next thought was that it is not a life-threatening situation, they would figure it out eventually and if they need help, they can ask me for it. Before I could decide, the light turned green and women walked to in a different direction:-) Everyone has his one definition of privacy. What is yours?

Adoption of innovations is my favorite topic. It integrates business, technology, systems, and human behavior. Everett Rogers developed a model to predict the adoption curve of innovations. I simplified it for our discussion with help of my friend, Tom Carter . There are five attributes of innovations which effect how innovations get adopted or customers change their behavior: 1. Relative Advantage: What advantage does the new innovation (product/service/etc.) offer over what’s available currently? The relative advantage could be price, new features, convenience, etc-anything customers perceive beneficial. Let’s take example of iPod which is one of the fastest adopted new innovations. iPod offers following advantages which were not offered by previous portable music players: a. Better design: light weight, easy navigation, different colors, cool aesthetics. b. Choice: ability to store up to 5,000 songs and no need to carry CDs. c. New features: Ability to org...

Since the approach Verizon is taking is not very appealing, let's see if there is an opportunity for User Generated Videos on mobile phones. First questions is how are User Generated Videos making money on the Internet? Well, they are not! Although ads placed before Internet videos (mainly music and tv shows) have very high click-through rate and are one of the fastest growing ad-revenue categories, the user-generated videos are not making much money. Google bought YouTube for its potential (integration/buldling/advertising) and as defensive move against a competitor buying YouTube. There is definitely demand for user-generated videos since more than 100m are watched everyday on youtube.com. The challenge is how to monetize this demand. I think, in the short term, Apple will do better than the wireless companies by providing user-generated videos on iTunes. It has been very successful at selling Video iPods and selling music videos/tv shows. So why not user-generated videos? It c...

Verizon officially announced a deal with YouTube today. See http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/28/business/youtube.php . As I understand it, the deal will enable Verizon Wireless customers to watch YouTube videos, they have preselected while browsing youtube.com, on their mobile phones. Sounds cool? Well, it is not! I think the news has generated more clicks than the new service will ever generate subscribers. Who do you think will pay $15/month to Verizon Wireless to get access to Vcast so that she/he can watch the videos she/he has already seen on Youtube? I would love to see the financial arangement of this deal. Most likely, this deal is more favorable for YouTube than for Verizon. The strategic issue here is that the wireless companies in the US, most of which have wireline parents, don't want to "loose out" like they did with wireline broadband. In the current broadband world, the ISPs/wireline telecom companies are pipe providers a...