Hop In, Shop Out! - A tale of groceries and jeans

Time and again, my husband and I share entrepreneurial ideas with each other, critique them, argue a little, refine them, and make a resolution to record them (which is obviously flouted every single time). Next, we research about them, because we know we're not that unique (yet). As suspected, sooner, rather than later, we find someone who has done it already. Exactly one year ago while I was in business school, I read an article about Tesco's virtual aisles in Korea (Tesco's virtual grocery aisles at Korean subway stations) and discussed another idea with him. I said, how about a grocery store that has virtual aisles, where you can touch items to flip and read nutritional facts and ingredients. (Having food allergies myself, I'm too obsessed with ingredients labeling to ignore this - which reminds me of our Allergen Flagger idea, but I'll get to that some other time). But then we thought why come to a store if you can't touch and feel the product, why not just make the store online? Then we thought maybe the virtual aisles should be replaced by stocked aisles with physical products. There can be just 1 each for display, which you could scrutinize before ordering. When your cart is ready, you checkout and walk to the payment kiosk. Meanwhile, automated robot-driven supply systems assemble your articles in package(s). All you need to do is pay with your card, and a window opens where your package awaits to be picked up. One could also keep the entire assembly line behind glass walls, so people could watch their order being assembled as they walk to the payment kiosk. Some people would come just for the experience, while others would come to have the zero human-interaction shopping experience, and yet others would come for the mere convenience factor. These could even be 24X7 grocery stores with motion-sensed lighting - save electricity while offering convenience ;P. Now I do realize that I'm getting carried away, and also that this idea is extremely raw and requires a lot of refinement, but the basic model was interesting enough to keep us engaged for the next few days. We also realized people could be comfortable ordering groceries online, so this store would not really be needed 5 years from now. However, it could work for other articles which buyers need to touch and feel the item being purchased - like clothing.

A few months later, I read about Hointer, and excitedly shared the article with my husband over email (he usually calls this spamming, so I put in a disclaimer saying you better not miss reading this one!). We couldn't help but notice the similarities (Hointer for Men). Since then I've been following Hointer and its blog. They are expanding their customer services (including alterations now), and are also planning to open more stores. I'm glad the retail world is being revolutionized so fast. Don't even get me started on the research going on in the body mapping technologies! I can't wait to visit Hointer during my next visit to Seattle.

The teeter of a tattered newspaper

A well-read colleague shared an interesting article about the change in Information, Media and Entertainment (IME as it is popularly called) landscape from the Economist: News Adventures.

It triggered a series of thoughts as the article's highlights got entangled in the strands of other interesting things I had read, of late, in the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as well as, digital content monetization. The result was this blog. I could very well be wrong, but it was worth shaking my gray cells up to articulate it in words, and in a writer's own way, thinking out loud.

Advertising would definitely dwindle as print versions fall in the publishing industry. As advertising turns online, the advertising expenses are also driven more by clicks and conversions rather than just the impressions and bought ad space. Per my understanding, New York Times (NYT) might just have found a balanced solution. If they had hidden all their articles behind the paywall, I believe search engines would not be able to crawl and rank their pages at all. This would definitely have impacted the (digital) footfalls on their website when readers searched for a news piece. If, on other hand, they had asked readers to pay for detailed versions of all articles while showing only a summary for free, it would definitely annoy readers, while still being able to feed search engine crawlers to a major extent. Apparently, NYT made a very conscious decision to allow the reader to access a certain number of articles for free, while necessitating payment for more. This ensures 2 things: One, SEO and Social Media Optimization (SMO), and two, stickiness for readers and the potential for creating loyalists.

It's interesting to observe how the competitors would react to NYT's pricing. My sister is a paper subscriber to NYT, and also gets free access to the digital version (as a part of the bundle). Whereas, I have to pay nothing in Washington DC to read the Washington Post on my phone, despite not being a paper subscriber. I wouldn't mind paying for the digital version, but no body is cashing on my willingness to purchase. And then there's the third kind - the news aggregators, like my favorite Flipboard, which conveniently aggregate news from several credible journals and news publishers, bucket it and bring it to your smartphone at the touch of a finger (all for free, did I mention!). It's definitely fun to be a party to this evolution, and I'm sure it'd be more fun reminiscing it all and telling the next generation how we used to read paper-version of news circulations as they would listen to it as an ancient anecdote with their jaws dropping with disbelief at the apparent degree of backwardness we are witnessing today.

I want to ...

1) Explore green energy
2) Keep my parents' ashes after they're gone
3) Explore technology in retail
4) Explore social media monitoring
5) Learn to fly a plane
6) Jump from the "Bridge to Nowhere" in LA facing forward and backward on my 30th
7) Jump from a plane again
8) Start a small restaurant which offers healthy home-cooked meals with calorie and allergy information for busy professionals who don't want to eat out every night
9) Work towards getting parents closer so I can be there for them (unless its too selfish of me and they're better off where they are)
10) Raise my offspring to be environment-conscious when I become a parent (for now my nieces and nephews can be my guinea pigs)
11) Expose my offspring to innovation for green energy
12) Let my offspring choose his/her interest
13) Paint on canvas again
14) Continue walks/hikes/treks and photography
15) Hold an exhibition for friends and family of my favorite pictures a few years later when I have a great collection
16) Learn pottery
17) Learn swimming properly
18) Work-out in some fun way and take care of myself
19) Eat healthier (but keep my desserts)
20) Be a good person; be less selfish to the environment and the people in my life
21) Express more to people important to me
22) Get over my anxiety of meeting strangers in personal settings
23) Be more in the moment
24) Move-in with my husband :-) it's been too long
25) Rock-climb
26) Train myself for treks / mountaineering
27) Go to Alaska and see glaciers
28) Travel (to Italy and live in a townhouse. not a hotel)
29) Create a wall of fame in my house for photographs of events, friends and family
30) Throw a party with red wine at my funeral
31) Remember more of what I read
32) Write more
33) Try my hand at wedding planning as a vent for creativity and the love for detail
34) Explore the option of installing a solar panel if and when I turn into a home-owner

.... I'm sure there's more, it's just not coming to me. As always, I have yet another "To Do" list. So much for living life by lists :-) I'm sure this will be the butt of yet another joke in our living room!

Disclaimer: The list is in no particular order!

Stoned

The other day I saw a gentleman wearing four different rings in all four fingers of his right hand as he gestured while addressing the group of people listening intently to him. One of them, me, was obviously not listening! I was intrigued by the different stones in his rings. Luck, peace of mind, anger management, health - they all come in a tiny colored package sitting pretty in the bed of metal. If only life were that simple!

An image of perfection peeps back

Never been more aware of the things I lack

A blank stare into the mirror

I feel the silent siege of stupor

Not ready to give up yet

Just needed to keep abreast

I said I’m an unfinished work

They said in darkness you’ll lurk

Pushing through to handle rage’s tide

Working hard to turn luck on my side

I said I lay the rules, I draw the lines

They said palms reflect all things divine

Bruised under the feet by the sand and gravel

Wisdom’s momentary loss proved fatal

Laze won the battle over labor

The mind turned tables in their favor

Vigor shattered in that moment of inaction

Forever lost sense of traction

I’m stunned I let my might be dethroned

I’m stunned I let my hands be stoned

Words of wisdom from Shikha Arora, CTO, MAZ Digital

1.   What does your current role as CTO entail at MAZ Digital? Which functions do you perform at MAZ Digital?

Everything you can imagine!! I own the entire technology behind our digital magazine product called MagAppZine. So, I look at what goes into the product, plan the future versions of the product, assess the tablet market trends, plan for future products and the technology to be used for them. I also run the India office, which is primarily a technology office. Due to the huge demand for our products in the Asia Pacific region, I might soon be heading a sales office in India.

2.   Which stakeholders do you communicate with in the organization, and outside?

We are a small team of 11 as of now. Everyone communicates with everyone within the organization. In addition, I also communicate with existing clients (for their specific development needs), prospective clients and investors.

3.   Please share your experience of setting up Indian operations from the scratch. What were the challenges you faced? What were the highs and lows of this journey?

I started setting up the office in December 2011. The first hire was the biggest challenge. We are a high-end technology company, so quality of talent is extremely important to us. People in India still look for job that seems stable, and has brand association, none of which we had to offer J. Thus, it was a big challenge to convince bright people, and show them great future prospects with MAZ. Today, we have a great team with people joining in from companies such as Adobe, Lime Labs, Headstrong, Xavient etc.

4.   Please share some latest projects you have worked on.

We’ve been working on building our digital publishing product called MagAppZine (www.magappzine.com). It’s a SaaS-based self service platform for publishers to create the tablet version of their content, primarily magazines. Since we started our India operations, we have launched two major releases of this product. We have scaled very well, and currently have publishers in ~42 countries and end users in ~90 countries using our product on their tablets.

5.      Which project was your favorite, and what did you learn from it?

Working on the mobile platform was my personal favorite.

6.      How was the transition from an institutionalized large organization to a start-up? Did you face any major changes related to work-life balance after the transition?

The transition was huge and positive for me. I love the pace at which we work at MAZ. Decisions are just one call away, which is generally not the case with large organizations. Also, the euphoria, the thrill and the satisfaction of work is what keeps me going at MAZ.

I am married and a mother of a beautiful daughter. My work life balance is not the best at the moment, but thanks to my highly supportive husband, I’ve been able to manage it all. If MAZ wins, it would eventually be a win for all of us, and my family would be a huge contributor to this success story.

7.      As the head of the India center, what kind of culture do you wish to inculcate into the DNA of MAZ Digital, India? How do you think it should be different from your previous experiences?

I wish to inculcate a very open culture, and form a flat organization, where everyone is approachable and involved in the company’s success story.

8.      You’re a highly successful individual today. But when you started your journey to accomplishment, was it hard to make people believe in you and your capabilities?

Thanks, but this is not what I call success. I have only begun and I still have a long way to go. At every step, I have to make people believe in my capabilities and strengths. It is difficult, but my passion for MAZ keeps me going. MAZ has a compelling product, a very strong team and financial backing. I’m confident it will sail smoothly. After all, people believe in you if you believe in yourself!

9.      How do you balance time between professional and personal life?

Every day in a startup is challenging. We have three centers in New York, Hawaii and India, and each center works in a different time zone which we must keep in sync J. My working hours are currently anywhere between 16-18 hours a day and that includes calls during odd hours. I think self-discipline is the key. I keep separate times for my family and work and I don’t mix them together.

10.  How do you think the growth of women entrepreneurship can be increased in India?

India Inc. does not believe in woman entrepreneurs. It believes almost certainly that women will fail because it’s a man’s world. Many believe that once a woman has kids, they are her foremost responsibility and she should dedicate 100% of her time to that responsibility, always!

It is also related to financial independence of the woman. Even today, many women don’t take big financial decisions in their homes. Entrepreneurship, in many cases, requires capital investment, and many women don’t have the decisive power at home to put money into their idea and turn it into a successful business.

This would change as more and more women are successful. Initiatives like this forum are a great way to set examples for other women.

11.  Do you have any closing message for the future women leaders at the Indian School of Business?

Follow your dreams and don’t settle for anything less than what you’re worth.

ISB Women in Business Club meets 85 Broads

It was going to be another fun evening for Suzanna Thekkekara, Indrani and Ember Melcher, the 85 Broads members who had planned to visit ISB to meet the members of the Women in Business Club.

Suzanna specializes in talent management at a social investment advisory firm called Intellecap. She has been a Chapter Officer at 85 Broads Hyderabad since 2010. Suzanna holds a Bachelor's degree from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, and a Master's degree from the London School of Economics, U.K.  Indrani is working on Project MILLEE, which aims to use mobile phone games to help rural kids learn English while having fun. Ember Melcher is an Associate Consultant at Medium Healthcare Consulting, a Hyderabad-based management consulting firm dedicated to serving clients in the healthcare industry of India.  A US native, she moved to India in 2010 to work in education development, transitioning to healthcare a year later. Ember joined 85 Broads in 2011 and graduated from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA in 2009 with a Bachelors in Economics.

They were looking forward to meeting the business leaders-to-be about to graduate from ISB. The members of Women in Business Club were also looking forward to spend time with them. But little did they know that a “networking” event could soon turn into instant “sisterhood”. A great ice-breaking session by the three women set the stage for a frank discussion of sorts about the experiences of WIB members in the world out there, followed by a brief presentation on 85 Broads.

Over the next few minutes, all of us realized how 85 Broads was not just a local network you connect to during your stay in a particular city. In fact, it’s a global nexus of women, which puts you on the international map. As Suzanna puts it, you could be visiting New York for work, and you might already have some new friends there – friends from 85 Broads.

85 Broads provides all its members access to a database of women with their professional profiles, contact information, and other details. From time to time, job opportunities, special discounts, and events such as conferences are also posted on the 85 Broads network.

Currently, there are two active 85 Broads Chapters in India, in Mumbai and Hyderabad. Any new members in other cities would be welcome to take initiative and start new Chapters. A lot of ISB alumni are already members of 85 Broads. Over time, both ISB and 85 Broads intend to further strengthen such ties. So, all the women readers! Someday soon, halfway across the globe, I hope to bump into you at an 85 Broads meet!

Aurora

The cold morning climbs out of slumber.

From the numb embrace of night, it enters.

The sun still wrapped in the arms of a cloud,

crouching away from the chilly winds around.

The damp grass awaiting the golden crown.

A bare icy branch complaining with the slightest frown.

A shy rose peeping from dewy lids.

The leaf's talking to it in words full of mist.

The sun, playing coy, winks at the sky.

It rolls out slowly and embraces with a sigh.

Kisses the rose, takes the branch under a charm.

And, once again the grass feels warm.

One more day and the sun would be gone.

Only to come back, as bright as today it had shone.

Little Angel

Wrote this one , when my first nephew was born ....

Those cute little eyes and the hands so petite,

Your creamy soft skin and those tiny feet

Knocking at my heart and ringing my bell,

Is that you, the sweet little angel!

You're cute little face is a reverie.

Whenever I close my eyes, I see

How dear you are, no one can tell.

Is that you, the sweet little angel!

Love, joy, blessings waiting in store

for the cherub, the angel, the elf I adore

Thinking of you, with pride do I swell.

Is that you, the sweet little angel!

Time passes through fingers like sand.

I might not be tomorrow, take my hand.

Deep in my heart and soul you dwell.

Is that you, the sweet little angel!

There's no better than here

A few days ago, I read a quote on the Internet that said -
"There" is no better than "here", when your "there" becomes your "here", you will again find another "there", that will again look better than "here".
So true in today's world .....

Here's something inspired by this phrase .... to live life as it comes ...

I stand here and turn around

to look back at the trodden grounds,

I crossed, while listening to the inner sound;

seeking the peace I finally found.

I breathe in the freshness of air.

I bask in the sun's glare.

How long it took to reach, I'd rather not care.

There's no better than here.

The valley beneath is calling me out.

There's no hurry, no hint of doubt.

I wish to hear me scream aloud,

as the seeds of joy would start to sprout.

Shedding the last few chords of despair,

I'm readying to take the leap of dare.

Wherever I'll land, I'd rather not care.

There's no better than here.

Hissing of the winds down on my way

Feels like music and the sky looks gay.

I'm falling free, following the ray;

the light that shines still, at the end of the day.

I've conquered all sorrows, gone is the fear.

Before I embrace the grounds, green or bare,

how long it'd be, I'd rather not care.

There's no better than here.

Maze

I was once going home from work after a few successive weeks of late nights.
I started reflecting on how work takes a toll on everyone during some phases of career, and one can’t help but live an imbalanced life for a while. This just made me wonder how life (if personified) would react to this lifestyle, after a few decades....

One fine day, years ago

our eyes met across the road.

The moment froze, the gaze dug deeper.

Our eyes lit up, the grass turned greener.

She came close, calling my name.

Never before had it sounded the same.

The velvety voice like Mozart's symphony.

A resonance that filled my heart with glee.

Her soft fingers stroked my hand.

No moment had ever felt so grand.

I was in love, I was on flight

on the wings of joy, the sun shone bright.

Time went by, the sky turned gray.

The clouds set in, the sun hid away.

One rainy day, years later

our eyes met, across the road.

The long lost friends took years to find.

But, the glitter of the world had turned me blind.

She came closer, calling my name.

But the velvety voice was lost in vain.

Me and my companionship was all she had left.

But, the jingling of coins had turned me deaf.

Her soft fingers stroked my hand

in the hope of holding on to my last strand.

I couldn't feel a thing, my heart was just a lump.

The jolts of struggle had turned me numb.

To hold back on to the strings I strive.

Once again, I yearn to fall in love with life.

But would she still love a forlorn zombie?

Would she still look at me, call me and touch me??

I am special

The subject here is not a single child rather a union of all children with special needs, taking a different role in each stanza. He is an autistic child in the first stanza. Autism is a brain development disorder, which impairs a child's commincation skills. Autistic children usually tend to behave repititiely and obsessively, stack or line things (toys) up, avoid eye contact, become loners. Autism is the # 1 pediatric illness today. According to current statistics, 1 in every 166 children is autistic. Autism is curable with the right kind of awareness, diagnosis and help.

In the second stanza, the subject is a dyslexic child. Dyslexia is a learning disability, that manifests primarily as a difficulty with written language, particularly with reading and spelling. Dyslexic children usually have trouble recognizing patterns, they usually confuse "b" with "d" or "saw" with "was", or cannot recognize phonetics, thus unable to spell correctly. Mostly dyslexic children are very disorganized. Dyslexia can also be treated with appropriate efforts.

In the third stanza, the subject is a chld suffering from selective mutism. This behavioural pattern causes a child to fear social interaction. They only feel secure when they have a few familiar faces (usually from family) around. Seletively mute children usually stand still when talked to in such situations, and donot react or answer at all. At times, they can even show signs of phyical illness, under extreme insecurity and pressure. Selective mutism can also be cured. 

In the fourth stanza, the subject is talking on behalf of all these children.....

Just a little effort can go a long way to help these little ones lead a normal life. We just need to understand what those little eyes are trying to tell us, and stretch out a helping hand....

I am special

I open my eyes; a new old day begins.

Another battle to sustain, to convey mundane things.

Another stack of emotions, another game of routine.

Another fumble to express what I mean.

Make me stand on your feet, take me places.

So one day, I can walk, if not run, in these races.

-----------------------------------------------

I turn the page, I start struggling.

But the key to success is overwhelming.

Everything's topsy-turvy, at times, beyond a mirror.

I need to catch hold, and put all back in gear.

Hold my hand and help me tame

the building blocks that make up this game.

-----------------------------------------------

I'm standing alone in a sea of faces.

My eyes probe you, I end up in empty spaces.

I dare not say, I dare not answer.

Your absence eats up on my nerves like a cancer.

Stay with me, until I'm braced

to face this world alone, and take a taste.

-----------------------------------------------

A hidden wail in the silence.

A silent yearn for resilience.

Lend me a hand, let's paint the town red.

Let's live up all dreams, before I go to bed.

Love is the medicine, that offers all cures.

This world is mine, as much as yours.

Only an angel in guise to lead.

I shall shine too, I shall succeed.

Mirth

This is about a child learning to walk from his mother. The thought that inspired this work was India's recent progress in all spheres. It's journey from being a developing nation to it's current stature is much inspiring......

A curious pair of crystal blue eyes.

An outstretched hand, a reckon in guise.

A sudden foray to make the hands meet.

A long sheet of tresses brushing the soft cheek.

A fastened grasp, an expectant look.

A yearning of a thirsty doe so near the brook.

A pair of shaky legs begin to unfold.

A tiny first step, and then a jolt.

A curious gasp, a rush to caress.

An assurance that failure's no reason for distress.

A brighter blue eye, a curve in the brow.

A tout set of legs, time for another go.

A gush of zeal, a bit of perseverance.

A trail of footsteps born hence.

A jubilant smile from the fairy in six yards.

The first six steps taken, now these feet know no bars

Misty Ocean

Ever noticed how there's always a mist that travels along with the ocean right above its waters, never leaving the ocean .....

An endless ocean you are

Me, the mist born from within

Cradling me with care

you travel with the wind

My eyes are euphoric, everywhere you are

In your watery embrace, my sky's safe

Floating right above, I'm never too far.

Fondling and dallying with every wave

Holding hands, bending and swirling

you take me through the winds so strong.

Every wave that rises from your heart

beckons me to the place I belong.

No rush to return, no count of time

you lay with your arms wide open beneath.

The sun rises, the golden god in you appears.

Being in awe, I gasp to breathe.

Your scruple, your speck I'll always be.

In your whole, I'll moor once again.

I'll never end, there's no abyss.

Within you, shall I always remain.

Last goodbye

A love-struck heart's belief in forever.

But whenever did lovers part never.

A walk on the clouds facing the same sun.

But the mist of time blurs the vision.

A journey once started hand in hand.

Then one day the hour glass falls and lets loose the sand.

Time takes us on different paths.

All the pain unearths from the cynical laughs.

The hands that held, when the heart would cry

are meeting today to bid their last goodbye.

The heart that once went out to the lover

cannot but help in putting the pieces together.

Standing on different shores of the sea of life

you wonder, when you stopped to strive?

No pearls of wisdom can bring back the memories burnt.

But you emerge stronger after all you've learnt

Women@Google and ISB - a new beginning

The evening of September 17th, 2011 marked the creation of a nexus. Women@Google and Women in Business Club at ISB joined hands, and found a compatible partner for a cause. The team comprised of Mr. Sameer Bora - Digital Content and Commerce Lead (ISB alumnus – Class Of 2007), Ms. Pooja Srinivas - Manager, Sales Technical Operations, Meenakshi Dhingra - Manager, Adwords, Ashok Ranadive – Manager, Global Media and Platform Solutions, Sunita Mohanty – Online Sales and Operations Manager, and Ms. Shradha Negi, People Operations. 

WIB Club’s revised mission statement in year 2011-12 states sensitization of all members of the club towards gender-specific issues at the workplace as one of its goals. When the Women@Google team visited ISB on September 19th, 2011 to liaise with the WIB club at ISB, it comprised of 4 women and 2 men. It was great to see the men involved in this initiative. And, that is exactly what WIB aims at by sensitization of all members. Initially the discussion circled around how Google makes every effort to make life choices easier for its women employees. Such efforts span from nursing rooms for new mothers, and play areas and daycares for employees’ children to friendly maternity and paternity leave policy and the upcoming “Returning Mothers’ Program” to help women employees resume work smoothly after returning from their maternity leave. Google efforts to acknowledge women’s efforts and progress like “Women in Engineering Awards” and Google Women of Color Scholarship to help students attend the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference (2011) were also discussed. 

Next, the discussion graduated to Google’s efforts to contribute to the society it belongs to, viz. Google’s association with Prajwala (an NGO that rehabilitates and rescues women, who are sex-workers and children), and Gayglers (the LGBT community in Google workforce). The team also charted out examples from personal experiences to emphasize how Google allows both men and women the freedom and flexibility to help them lead healthy personal and professional lives. 

In the end, while candidly highlighting the gender-ratio of 60:40 with 60% women at Google, Hyderabad, the Google team left with the following message for the WIB club members - Women shouldn’t be afraid of pursuing their aspirations, given a supportive environment; and a supportive environment is exactly what Google aims to provide to all its employees. 

Shruti Thakral

Knowledge Initiatives Coordinator

Women in Business Club, ISB

ISB Leadership Summit - Women in Business

WIB Club ILS Panel – Higher education & the India growth story

They came. They spoke. They conquered. Dr. Pronab Sen, the Principal Adviser to the Planning Commission of India, Dr. Indu Shahani, honorary Sherriff of Mumbai, recipient of “Women’s achievers award” and “Excellence in Education Award”, member of University Grants’ Commission, Dr. Shalini Sarin, Director of HR at Schneider Electric, India, Divya Ramachandran, CEO, Helios & Matheson Information Technology NA ., also an alumna from ISB’s founding batch. Four speakers. Four forces that came together and created a storm of ideas.

Organized by Women in Business (WIB) Club: Nandini Govindarajan, Saumya Joshi, Sneha Rajan, Sharon Ann Varghese, Shweta Sahjwani, Khushboo Pandey, Gunjan Paliwal, Sonali Saxena, Shruti Thakral. Moderated by Olivia Mukhopadhyay.

India is an emerging economy, at an inflection point, in need of talent. The WIB ILS discussion, thus, centred on the role and significance of higher education in India’s growth story. The issues addressed included the need for an innovation-based economy, brain drain, reverse brain drain, demand and supply in education sector, quality of education.

One of the highlights was the gap between the supply and demand of talent in the nation. Mr. Pronab Sen commented on how the economic system is churning out jobs our nations’ graduates don’t want to take up. Mr. Pronab Sen mentioned “According to statistics, the highest rate of unemployment in India is in graduate class”. Ms. Shalini Sarin emphasized that education is not being contextualized. She also added “Learning should not be offered in a tubular fashion in silos”.

Next, Dr. Indu Shahani threw some light on the issue of quality of education. She stressed upon the need for creative and independent thinkers, as well as, high-quality faculty. She emphasized the need of the hour to move from teaching institutions to research-oriented universities. She also commented “We need to be able to move from delivering knowledge to creating knowledge”. She insisted that the teachers be driven by the motto “teach from the head and inspire from the heart”.

Next, Divya Ramachandran indicated the mutual benefits corporates and academia could extract from a partnership to develop and nurture talent in the nation. Dr. Shalini Sarin added that more institutes should revise their curriculum regularly to keep up with the times, like ISB does. Divya also mentioned the recent trends in reverse brain drain, and mentioned this could be the perfect time to engage great talent.

All speakers agreed that India is at a tipping point. India has a lot of opportunities, but at the same time, there are issues staring it in the face. These issues must be addressed immediately, if the nation wishes to ride the approaching wave of success. Dr. Indu Shahani shared the following fortune cookie quote with the audience to signify the message to be left behind: “the world will accept best talent with open arms, no matter what”.

Shruti Thakral
Knowledge Initiatives Coordinator, Women In Business Club, ISB, Class of 2012

Green shoes

A lady dressed in formals steps into the room filled with bare minimum furniture - a chair and a desk. The lady behind the desk hands her 2 papers - one empty, and the other one saying "Green shoes". She is directed towards another room, this one filled with furniture - lots of chairs and tables scattered around, and lots of people. She was never too comfortable around too many people. She found a lonely little corner on a sofa at the far end. Some people are murmuring to each other, while some are perusing, and others writing frantically on their piece of paper. She settles into the couch, and takes a look around. Maybe, it wasn't a good idea. she feels old all of a sudden. She is clueless. She goes blank. She struggles. She fumbles. And then, she stumbles across an idea. As usual, she would have trouble expressing it. She was never good with prose. So she goes ahead and writes ....

I wake up each morning, take a shot of gourd juice.
Suit up my ego and vanity, and put on my green shoes.

I ride up the elevator, I've got nothing to lose.

But till I reach the top, I'd have a lot to choose.

My spirit's drunk on power, I'm running the rat-race.

Making a stack of green bills, never sure how long it stays.

Half the day passed by, the top of the roof slid by.

Yet I'm running, but who knows why.

It's time to go home, it's time to let the soul loose.

I'm finally at peace, it's time to take off my green shoes.

Disclaimer: Based on a true story

30-Oct-2010, 11:45 am, Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi, ISB Applications Round 1 Interview location

iSad - In the memory of Steve Jobs

The world lost a great innovator and visionary today - Steve Jobs, who once said:
"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do".

One of the greatest, most inspiring speeches of our times, from the great innovator himself:
Steve Jobs' Stanford speech in 2005

And, a bit about his life:
About Steve Jobs

Tete-a-tete with fellow entrepreneur- Ms. Shweta Sahjwani (CO2012) @ ISB

Friend’s wedding this weekend? Decided on the wedding gift yet? Not even after two trips to the mall? And let me guess, you are still as clueless as you were when you started to think about it! Enter wishberry.in, co-founded by ISB CO2012 student Shweta Sahjwani, in July 2010, with two friends, Priyanka Agarwal and Aditya Agarwal, she went to middle school with.

I can (almost) read your mind! “What is wishberry.in?” you’re pondering. To quote Shweta, “It’s an online gift registry service”. And she goes on to add candidly “it eliminates wasteful gifting and gift recycling. We offer registries for weddings, baby showers, anniversaries and all such special occasions”. In other words, gone are the days when your friend would receive 20 toasters, 15 dinner sets and 5 tea sets as a wedding gift; or as in my case, vouchers worth Rs. 19,000 for Lifestyle :)

Anyhow, let’s not steal Shweta’s thunder! Shweta and her friends started wishberry.in using their personal savings. Shweta was heading the Business Development at wishberry.in at inception. She was responsible for getting retailers to sign up with their portal, which proved to be a daunting task. She had to contact retailers, convince them to listen to their proposition, surpass gatekeepers to get to the decision-makers. Today, wishberry.in lists retailers including Croma, Guess, Esprit, Mango, Charles & Keith, Nine West, Vera Moda, Jean Claude Biguine, etc. After the launch of the portal, she led Operations Management while managing web-development outsourced to a team based in Kolkata. The co-founders started the business by convincing family and friends to try their service. Today, their promotion channels include facebook, google and viral marketing amongst others. It made staggering revenues through the first year of operations from July, 2010 to July, 2011.

Now, it was time to apply lessons from the “Management of Organizations” course. So my gray cells prompted me to ask Shweta about the wishberry.in team. Currently, their team has 8 people. They usually hire fresh college graduates. Now, reminiscing lessons from the “Competitive Strategy” course, I wondered, what was the competitive advantage wishberry.in offered to customers? Shweta’s eyes almost lit up when I asked her, and she went on to explain “Ever since we launched wishberry.in, multiple competitors have cropped up. This only validated our business model further, and encouraged us even more. The internet usage in India is surging higher than ever; e-commerce is climbing new heights. But we are confident, we offer a customized experience. We strove to get the best and most recognizable brands onto wishberry.in, and to avoid the clutter that normally comes with other big e-commerce websites. We also continue to make functional and operational improvements regularly to keep up with changing trends and preferences. When you register for a wedding with us, you can put up the venue details and pictures. People can enlist as contributors to your gifts. They can even create a gift fund for your enlisted honeymoon to Paris. In fact, one can even send gifts to your friends and family from overseas”.

Excited by her enthusiasm, I, then, tip-toed and tried to peek into the portal’s future. “What next? Do you see wishberry.in being bought by another retail giant or the like sometime later?” I blurted out. “Not in the near future, but obviously we will consider it if a good opportunity comes our way. Valuations of other e-startups are very encouraging. However, I believe that’s still 4 or 5 years down the line. It would take that much time for this market to truly blossom”, responded Shweta.

Finally, a message for our WIB members from Shweta: “If you have a dream. Go for it. There’s no better time than now! “What to do” is the most important element to achievement. Once you have that figured out, find out the “how to”. People love talking and advising; just find the right people to talk to! You’d be surprised how much people are willing to share with someone who is keen to learn”.

Facebook Directors’ Panel Discussion at the Indian School of Business – August 29th, 2011

The hustle-bustle died down; there was a sudden silence; their presence was being felt already. They exchanged a few modest looks amongst themselves, and seated themselves smiling all along! A quick round of introduction by the Vice President of the Women In Business Club at ISB, Ms. Saumya Joshi! And the discussion began! The moderator – Mr Salman Siddiqui, President of the Business Technology Club at ISB, started on a light note asking whether any of the three guests had a Google Plus account! The lecture theatre resonated with laughs for the next few moments! With three continents at the table, the guest panel included Ms. Kelly Graziadei, who looks after Brand Agency Strategy and Account Management at Facebook in Bay Area, California, Ms. Kirthiga Reddy, Director of Inline Operations and Head of Office at Facebook in India, and Ms. Gail Power, Director of Online Sales and Operations at Facebook in Europe.

The discussion warmed up with the Directors emphasizing that facebook is not just a social network, but a social graph of people’s online lives, resonating with Mark Zuckerberg’s description of facebook as a social utility. They also went on to stress how facebook is altering life, as we know it today, every single day. “Did you remember the Like button was introduced about a year ago?” noted Kirthiga. The audience was definitely surprised. After all, it feels like it’s the way of life now. I’ve even heard students on campus comment laughingly that Microsoft Outlook should also have a “Like” button.

Next, Kelly talked about how facebook is continually thriving to enhance users’ social experience, with efforts like Pandora that allow you to share your choice of music with friends, and how the use of sponsored stories is improving shopping experience for both, facebook users and advertisers.

Kirthiga, then, went on to stress facebook’s matra of user engagement, and pointed out the impact of applications built around this mantra, quoting Zynga (the online game developer with games on facebook) as an example. Next, she commented on the importance of mobile applications, especially for emerging markets like India, and the shift of advertising from traditional media like TV to social networking media. She stressed Kelly’s example of sponsored stories, where recommendations come from known contacts, as powerful tools of brand-building.

Next, Gail discussed the difference between facebook’s approach to advertising, in comparison to Google. She took the example of sponsored story forward, and mentioned Neilson’s survey that indicates four-fold purchase intent when recommendations come from friends.

In the end, all the three speakers addressed the Women in Business club members, and took turns to highlight the importance of cultural fit in organizations, pursuing career aspirations fearlessly and belief in own capabilities. The guests were then applauded by an audience that left the venue intellectually satiated and stimulated. With the same humble smiles over their faces, the guests then proceeded for a cup of coffee with the club members.