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Harsha Bhogle 's Inspirational speech at IIM Ahmedabad

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A contrarian thought

I had a viewpoint to share how everyone is jumping on the e-commerce bandwagon. 

Everyone wants to susbtitute the Indian retailer through online deals ; even ABG is gearing up big time for that.

But then in the long run, will it be good for India? Do we want a few websites to susbstitute the source of livelihood for millions of Indian retailers and convert them into courier boys

why dont we have startups which can help Indian retailers spruce up their operations, be it inventory planning/rationalisation or customer engagement or IT systems or shift from unstructured costly financing to structured bank/microfinance

and this is not just CSR, its hard core consulting business
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An entrepreneur’s skirmishes on the marketing turf!!














“Dear Sir/Madam Greetings of the Day!! Trust you are doing well.

Recruiting the right finance professionals can be one of the most challenging, yet equally rewarding aspects of the company's human capital leaders. This realization was the precursor to the launch of cajobportal.com. Yet, you will appreciate that the entrepreneurial journey is beset with suo-moto approaching people in the remote hope that 5% of them might have an unfulfilled need which your product can offer. Hence please pardon me for my unsolicited mails

I am a student @ IIMA and have a startup – cajobportal.com – India‟s first recruitment website exclusively for Chartered Accountants “

This is how dozen of clichéd emails originate in my mailbox and are whipped off the back of gmail.com horses to the stables of those awe inspiring CFOs and HR Heads.

Hardly 1% of these emails see the light at the end of the tunnel; the rest die a premature death in the spam folders! And yet, we commit the heinous crimes of sending them!

 Similar is the fate of those calls to the Board lines

 “Hi, I am Anurag from cajobportal.com. Can you please connect me to Ms.  Pallavi Amin in HR?” “Purpose?” comes the terse reply from the receptionist. After you explain, either she hangs up or transfers the line to some perpetually ringing number or the HR picks it, listens to you for 2 minutes and then says “Sorry, I am heading into a meeting. Can we talk later? Or “Sorry, we currently are not looking for another finance hiring partner”

The question is WHY? Why this relentless pursuit of chasing people when they are simply NOT interested?

 If you are good, won’ they come automatically?

 Isnt it hara kiri‟? Each denial is literally a slap on the face, an assault on the ego and downgrading of your esteem!! As an IIMA grad, is that why we came here for?

 Jon Buscal‟s quote “Marketing is a commitment and not merely a campaign” fits in so aptly here. 

You remind yourself that the world existed without you and will continue to exist even without you.
 Life existed even without an I-Phone or a bottle of Coke or a naukri.com or a zomato.com! And so would it even without cajobportal.com!

Bitter truth but a realization that gets you going! So it is up to you and ONLY you to convince the world that it would be a better place if its citizens adopted what you had on offer.

You pull up your socks and are now willing to face rejection!

You are ready to market yourself to the world.

Google throws up 1.85 billion results in 0.40 seconds when you search the term “Marketing”. It is the most glamorous word that can excite the human imagination.

You wonder what could be that magic marketing mantra that could make 3000 Indian company sign up for cajobportal.com.

“Non deficere”, the Latin equivalent of “Never Give Up”! This to my mind is the fundamental tenet of marketing. Once this is in place, the 4 Ps and the 5Cs simply land in place.

 Who knows, you might end up selling refrigerators to Eskimos.

As a Chartered Accountant before PGPX, for 10 years, I have spent endless hours on those dull and drab Excel sheets that refused to talk. In Marketing, the best part that I now relish is that rush of dopamine in your brain when I talk about cajobportal. com

From focusing on rejections, you now start focusing on those 1% conversions and the Lifetime Value from the relationship that could run into millions of dollars.

You realise that a marketing pitch is simply an emotionally charges stimulus, a promise to a customer’s amygdala, that the anticipated gains are far in excess of what he/she is paying. It is this perpetual drift between the affect and the cognitive that you need to conquer. 

A fulfilled demand brings smiles and a brand relationship. You might need to slog yourself to the hilt to fulfil the craziest of requisitions for a Chartered Accountant is put forth.

If you goof up, your doors to the consumer’s sub conscious are closed forever. Yet if you do succeed, henceforth you have no competition. The episodic memory will bring you an impulse purchase next time. You will become a habit. And that’s the goal

Prof Sahay taught us that marketing, eventually, is all about moving from the functional to the emotional value. The best of marketers don’t exist in the consumer’s mind but in his/her heart.

Warm Regards
Sonia Singal & Anurag Singal

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Re-engineer yourself brick by brick

Anurag HIT_8989

My 1 year journey (PGPX @IIMA) has just come to an end and eyes turn misty as I brace myself to hand over the keys of MSH 901 to the facilities office and just move on with life. So what has been the NPV and IRR of this journey, asks the Chartered Accountant in me who had hirtherto been an EV/EBITDA and Free Cash Flow to Equity cruncher to the house of Tatas and Birlas
These red bricks have implanted dreams in the eyes of thousands, both the ones who made it to this place as well as the ones for whom it remained just an unfulfilled dream. To cut the long story short, I realise that my tryst with these red bricks cannot be valued in terms in money. You can't prepare a DCF model for a magical experience
images (2)
The first  thing IIMA does to you is to make you humble. You enter this place with castles in the air, with this inflated sense of ego about your IQ and then realise that this place gives every outlier a run for his/her money. You feel elated that you've answered 19/20 questions in an Economic Quiz correctly , only to find that 6 guys have aced it 20 on 20. You study till 4 AM in your syndicate rooms and on returning back to your dorm , feel crushed when lights are on everywhere. You eventually find our own place under the bell curve and become comfortable in your own skin. And certainly grades aren't everything and infact nothing

You have a Prof who scored a 10/10 in his IIT days ( a record unparalled since  30+ years) + an IIM gold medalist +TAS+ Harvard Business School and then with all the humility in this world teaches you fab concepts of how to lead professional services firms by coming down to your level. A national level transfer pricing lead of a Big 4 actually teaches you Transfer Pricing , a New York high street trader descends onto campus to discuss concepts of Option Trading and an ex SEBI directorate teachs you securities regulations. You find that this unassuming personality who teaches you about  the surge of dopamine and serotonin in the brain and coaches you how to prime customers in course of his marketing sessions is actually a walking encyclopaedia - IIT Kanpur+IIM A+University of Texas at Austin+London Business School.  You realise that the Professor who is teaching you Economics in such a lucid style actually sits in highly empowered RBI committees and brainstorms on issues that affect millions. Your Infrastucture Sector Professor actually is on the Board of leading infra companies. Your Professor teaching you Corporate Governance actually is on the Board of leading PSUs  This list can go on and on. Its really mesmerising.

Coming to people, who meet so many gems in course of the 1 year that these relationships seem priceless. Peers as well as alums. Peers who have had such quite a rich experience . You suddenly realise at an alum reunion that this person heads Axis Bank, the other Saint Gobain and the other Reliance Infra and on and on. You meet a snooty FMCG territory manager for a vertical and start the conversation, telling him that you know his India head as well as South Asia head and the guy kind of gets now grounded and talks eye to eye. This is the power of these red bricks. 60% of Indian CEOs have passed thru these portals. You accept Linkedin requests when you see those red bricks in the photo background

Those stormy classroom discussions on Harvard, Stanford and IIMA cases which make you think and think and think on diverse problems that emerge in course of these historic ups and downs of mega corporates. The perspectives brought in by peers and professors are simply mind blowing. It sometimes does hit the ego - " abey mujhe kyun nahi chamka ye logic"  says the subconscious only to surrender to the larger intellectual prowess of the people around

You do "yognidra" and meditate on the banks of the Narmada and at 3 AM in the Gir Forest amindst sounds of lions and leopards as part of one creativity course and compete with the best teams in the world through Capstone Business Simulation game in the other. The spread of the menu is simply remarkable.
You realise its not "ram rajya' and hence all shades of black, white and grey. You learn to handle friends and foes with elan. It makes you certainly much stronger.

You work on your startup- www.cajobportal.com so much that you kind of become synomynous with the buzzword - 'entrepreneur' on campus.

You have a 2 year old daughter who gets neck deep in love with this place and refuses to say Adieu.

There is a lot more to this place which cant be expressed in qualitative and quantitative terms. To me, IIMA is just a silent prayer come true.
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Panelist @ National Integrity & Unity: Eloquence Club, IIMA





On the auspicious occasion of our great Iron Man - Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel's 139th birth anniversary, being commemorated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day

As part of a 3 member panel, moderated by Aditya, we touched upon the following w.r.t. National Integrity & Unity

Panelists:                    

Anurag Singal (PGPX)
Prathamesh Chaudhari (PGP2)
Ratnendu Ray (PGP1)

Themes that were explored during the discussion:

  • Given the diversity and heterogeneity of India, is India really united?
  • What can we learn from our past about India’s unity and diversity?
  • Are politicians dividing the country for their political gains?
  • Is reservation one of the root causes for groupism in India?
  • What are the safeguards which keep the country united?
  • What sort of policy measure and action is necessary for protecting the unity and integrity of India?


Outcome of discussion


We had a healthy discussion to try and understand the current social, political and economic scenario prevalent in India, the factors that led to divide in the society on lines of caste, creed, religion and economic status

Multiple ways where India was yet to evolve into a nation from the multiple caste, creed, race, religion etc. after Shri Patel had unified the princely states.

Bollywood, cricket, education acting as national unifiers.

Inequality of wealth distribution leading to a divide between India and Bharat and how Maoists leveraged that to their advantage

Reservation policy failing to reach its desired objective. Need for recalibration?

Need to focus on value education in school rather than just material success

The disconnect of North East from the rest of the country

Trying to enlarge the size of the nation's cake rather than focussing on your share





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Halloween party at IIM A - "Trick or Treat"

Just have a look at the kids. Super  blowing their trumpets if you dare refuse them their gfun. Threating to deafen your ears byoodeis for the evening

Evolving from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, modern Halloween has become less about literal ghosts and ghouls and more about costumes and candy. The Celts used the day to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, and also believed that this transition between the seasons was a bridge to the world of the dead.  Over the millennia the holiday transitioned from a somber pagan ritual to a day of merriment, costumes, parades and sweet treats for children and adults.Evolving from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, modern Halloween has become less about literal ghosts and ghouls and more about costumes and candy. The Celts used the day to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, and also believed that this transition between the seasons was a bridge to the world of the dead.  Over the millennia the holiday transitioned from a somber pagan ritual to a day of merriment, costumes, parades and sweet treats for children and adults.


















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Inspired Leadership through Personal Mastery - DVR Sir










There are some sessions where you simply lose track of time and move to an altogether different pedestal. These are some sessions which leave behind those technical sessions miles behind. It here that you start introspecting into the purpose of your life and deriving meaning in all the chaos around you.

 He has been travelling tirelessly since days. Was on a flight en route to Sharjah even on Diwali. Took 2 days of sessions at Sharjah and then two days at Udaipur and then 261 km by road to Ahmedabad.Its around 10 PM in the night. Look at the energy and vigour in the professor's eyes. He seems to be defying age.

He starts by asking what the sessions so far have done to you. Different people give different replies. For you, its the realisation of the purpose of your life. Its being comfortable in your own skin and accepting the choices you've made in life with equanimity. Its the courage to tell that  24 year old youngster who is super keen on that I-Banking summer placements next week that you've grown beyond those over hyped CTCs. And rather than being defensive, you admitting with a big smile that those crazy M&A deal bonuses have been like the proverbial "sour grapes" for you. But you have no regrets :) Its waking up in the morning and uttering mantras to remember your parents and Guru instead of rushing for those whatsapp messages and emails configured on your cellphones, Its the resolve to consciously waste time during the day and slow down your processes. Its remembering the missionary zeals of the Tata Steel and the L&T workers, the visions of the Aravind Eye Cares etc

DVR Sir takes you through centuries on wisdom through constantly scribbling on the board with his chalk. From Socrates to Buddha to modern day practioners such as the authors of the following books.

1) The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle 
2) A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
3) Still Me by Christopher Reeve
4) Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
5) Many Masters Many Lives by Brian Weiss


He speaks of spirituality , refers to all religions as different paths of the same phenomenon of the  'i' meeting the 'I' - the Jeevatma meeting the Paramatma, individual consciousness meeting the supreme consciousness.

You ought to quiten the mind by shrugging off the irrelevant past and the non existent future, he says and live in Now. Be part of the expanded consciousness and then probably stop getting angry with people around, just like the tongue not smashing the teeth when it occasionally cuts it

To manage the self, you need an analytical mindset, to manage relationships, you need a collaborative mindset, to manage change, you need an action mindset, to manage  context, you need a worldly mindset and to manage the self, you need a reflective mindset.

He extols the traits of renuniciation, generosity, virtue/restraint, loving kindness, wisdom, effort, forbearance, truthfullness, resolve and equanimity across the Apanaka, Makhadeva and Mahakapi forms of Buddha.

The multiple paths to happiness broadly classified into three buckets - Freedom, Family & Friends and Analysed Life.

Freedom manifests in money (which beyond a point reaches the plateau in terms of margina utility), health and hobbies

 Family & Friends mans being happy with your relations and those 3-4 friends rather than those 5000 FB friends

Analysed life is the feeling that we are not just whiling away our time. That there is a vision and purpose of life leading to passion.

There were multiple reasons why we werent happy.

Seneca 40 BC said that anger comes due to unmet expectations (within and outside our control) while Montague who studied low self esteem says that its always due to
a) physical ( my nose is not so thin, I am not fair complexioned)
b) intellectual ( he is from IIT and me from a local govt college)
c) cultural inadequacy (he is a native Brit)


To bear hardships and the fear of failure, Neitsche said that the only way out was to keep evolving to a higher pedestal of life into a state of self realisation about who you are and why you are the way you are. If you are afraid of water, it could be because in a previous birth, you were a dog who was swamped to death in a river by a group of notorious boys, If you are claustrophobic, it could be because in a previous birth, you father, an Egyptian slave constructing the pyramids for the  pharaohs must have put the little girl in you into a cave for rest and then forced to flee with the doors closed and you being suffocated to death. The more you start accepting yourself, the more fruitful life is. the mantra is to look at the ironical situations where a super gorgeous Jiya Khan commits suicide while you live a life punishing yourself for your poor looks.

Sadness is often due to
a) body identification (over-emphasis on I am having fever rather than the body having fever)
b) relative existence- my wife is not as beautiful is his, my car is not as luxurious as his
c) wanting to become rather than being

Pearls of wisdom


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Sonam Goyal IMS :)


They say the best things in life just happen to you...its all RANDOM !!!

Its even hard to believe that there existed a time when I had just scribbled her number onto a diary with exactly this blog title "Sonam Goyal IMS", never expecting to meet her again in my life. Of course I used to wait the entire week for those 4 hours on Sunday when I could watch the gracious lady listen to my tiring tax lectures patiently . But honestly speaking , these tuition classes are all hale and hearty but students just move on ..

So managing to stay in touch with her till date has been nothing short of a miracle.Just couldn't figure out when and how Sonam Goyal IMS became Sonam Goyal and then Sonam and now Sonam:)

My chat guru, my love guru, my colour guru (be it the color of my furniture or marketing brochures..she is the final authority)........here is an angelic personality who has mesmerized me with her aura ; who handles Bhagwad Gita sessions with equal poise as the dance floor, who can carry 6 pegs with so much confidence that you wonder the secret, who has re-defined the meaning of birthdays (normally I set alarms for even annual dates but in Ms Goyal's case, its a monthly affair), who sports a sari with as much grace as a hot pant , just like my Reet......who has left behind such incredible memories that its now difficult to imagine a life without her smileys. In the midst of a tense conference call in office, I am caught stealing a few happy moments by texting her on Watsapp "kya bakwaas chal raha hai yaar..puk gaya hum" and get a :) in return. The tea trader's daughter is so adept at making people feel invigorated, just like her father's green tea bags !!!

Talented to the core as far as colors are concerned, she has collected quite a few trophies at Arena (I assume it was a fair competition and that she didn't bully people with her 74.750685 featherweight), the Virgo community is so proud of her !!!!

She has a boyfriend Toads who complements her so well that its a typical "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" :)They hang out at CC Hangout....suna hai jab woh log saath hote hain toh waqt guzarne ka pata hi nahi chalta !! I wish them the very best for the future
:)

Not to forget , my heartiest sympathies with Vodafone and Airtel who keep pestering her with poor quality service...inviting Madame's ire was nothing short of a disaster for them. The Government of India raided Vodafone and Airtel's offices on a Sunday evening in retaliation ...and did I hear " jiska pyaar addictive hota hai..uska gussa bhi utna hi dangerous hota hai"

Also wish her son..the I-Phone a long life ...abhi baccha hai..isliye naazuk hai..sardi lag jata hai..isliye caring Mom refused to go to Nepal with Nanu and Naniji in November....so sweet of her :)

and finally apologies for stealing another photograph of her from her FB profile for this blog...even if she had charged me a nominal Rs 1 per photograph visit, I would have been bankrupt till now ...but the Swimming Pool resident doesnt allow money to come into our relationship and so I escape :)

Sonam, if you like this post, please meet me at Hyatt Regency tonight for that long cherished treat that you owe to us. The Nalban grounds are waiting to stand witness to the pious Agni standing witness to your resolve to live life hand in hand with your partner and so you can please can bring Toads along. You'll make an awesome twosome.

Warm Regards
Anurag
Eureka Moment %256980&64klllll#26587)
24.12.2011

Kolkata
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My first GMCS session of the age 30s [ Calcutta Mansion.18.10.2014 ]



A riot of laughter, truckload  of concepts and some management gyaan - Normal Distribution and Bell Curve, Porter's 5 forces, Moral Hazard, BCG Matri, Sustainable Competitive Advantage etc. The batch was awesomely participative and quite tolerant towards my idiosyncrasy . Had a great day !!
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Especially For You ...On Your 24th Birthday BY Abhi


Dt 16.09.2008 ("Especially For You ...On Your 24th Birthday")

Read this with a Smile.. as big as river Nile..It is your birthday card..

Hi..well it was long pending..

i don't know whether i would b able to do justice to wt i feel able 'us'..

finally managed to muster up and gt over the apprehension i have been having which stopped me frm saying i hv felt like saying then.. well without ending up sounding cliched..

let me tel you.. u r one f kind.. u r actualy hw people are to u..fr each one f thm u r different..yet they see themselves in u.. u stoop dwn to their level or u raise ur own bar to reach theirs as the case be.. this cud lead to a misinterpretation.. tht u r nt u.. u r fake and living a dual life.. bt thn tht is d way to live life...

i love ur simplicity.. and ur down to earth nature.. unlike otrs.. u seem more real thn reality.. wd tht everlasting smile.. which cud be so comforting no matter how things are in & around u.. and the unsaid unconditional invisible thread of protection, that you are always there is such a comforting feeling it is only now i hv realised..

it was probably this late revelation that made me sub consicously think what i thought that day.. it was this sense of being there forever.. and getting closer as friends...in the near future.. it was a involuntary and that is what makes it special..

it was like a lightning.. strike once..and left a thoughtful impact forever.. i am realy happy that something like that did happen..


It may be weird that a mere acquaintance in the college room could crystallise into something so beautiful.. that little conversation would snow ball into so many philosophical and other serious talks.. those puchka sessions..those walk to the temple..it is very reassuring somehow..

but let me confess..i realy wonder why do you do what you do.. as in come on i stand nowhere near you.. you gona make it big.. you have already make it big.. and i am yet to come out to the world.. why such concern for me.. i fear loosing you.. bt also snap the thought the very next minute...and this is the weirdest part.. cz tho i knw things wd be jst the same.. i dnt see why they would be from your side.. please don't read me wrong here.. it is what i have been feeling..

is it weird to be so emotional, esp wn i am a guy. well i really dnt knw..

i jst wnt to convey you what i have been feeling.. you have made me realise loads f thngs.. wd every conversation. thr is smthng tht leaves me pondering .. it feels good tht sm1 like is u around.. it gvs u sm strength..

i am sure we gona come wd a book .. our book.. our passion,... our dream.. it is something really big.. we have been craving for it.. and it gona materialise i am sure..

jst kp in touch.. and remember.. we might be far away in distance.. bt nt in heart.. and we are all under the same roof... the sky!! right? just kp smiling..

get ur way to the top.. gt us all proud.. kick sm asses.. hit sm basses.. fuck up.. cm up smiling.. like tht cmng out f dumpster still pretty for a pose..

kp ur marwari outlook alive.. it is ur lifeline..

above all kp tht simplicity right there.. it is very difficult to be simple fr it is so tempting.. buddy! u wd go places.. they r jst waiting fr u.. jst go grab it.. prove thm..wt mettle u r made up f.. i wnt to see u at the top.. ur simple living high thinking gna tk u places..

a request jst kp in touch ne hw.. it wd b really difficult.. u knw it is nt abt hw frequently we tlk .. it is nt abt hw frequently we meet.. it is abt wnvr v tlk and wnvr v meet the emotions, feelings, understanding remains the same, as f it ws nly d otr day wn we met last.. m sure it wd b so in our case..

Now i want to share something with you.. it is very special indeed!.. Now that you would actualy start living a very different life.. these should be your lightposts.. your pillar of supports.. these would change your perspective some way or other..

it has made my conscience strong at many places.. made me realise how wrong i was at others.. while some of them still need to be understood but for their literal interpretation.. these are insightful and would leave a lasting impact bro..If you will take the time to read these. I promise you'll come awaywith an enlightened perspective. ..

The subjects covered affect us all ona daily basis!

I've learned....That the best classroom in the world is at the feet ofan elderly person. I've learned....

That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned....That just one person saying to me, 'You've made myday!' makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one ofthe most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned....That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....That I can always pray for someone when I don't havethe strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned....That no matter how serious your life requires you tobe, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold andaheart to understand.

I've learned....That simple walks with my father around the block onsummer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned....That we should be glad God doesn't give us everythingwe ask for.

I've learned....That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned...That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned...That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I ve learned....That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... dat the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... dat everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with asmile.I've learned.... dat no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... dat life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned..... dat opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.I've learned.... dat when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dockelsewhere.

I've learned.... dat I wish I cud have told my Mom dat I love herone more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... dat one should keep his words both soft and tender,because tomorrow he may hv to eat them.

I've learned.... dat a smile is an inexpensive way to improve urlooks.

I've learned.... dat when ur newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Wish you all the best in all your future endeavour.. for you really deserve it.. you have got something..some mascot that would drive people towards you.. and yeah girls too..


:) Warm Regards,Abhishek Sureka
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A long winding day finally comes to a pause. Student life rocks


For the past 6 months, on umpteen occasions, I have made my mind to chronicle a day in this PGPX journey at IIMA. But so frenzied gets the pace of events during the day that by the time it ends, you are almost dead :) . Happiness zooms to infinity the moment you get into bed

Even today, I have not yet touched my favorite part of the house i.e. the bed. The reason is that I am baby sitting with Ms. Dhwani Singal as Sonia applies Mehendi for tomorrow (feeling special). It should be turn out to be special.




So the  day (10th Oct'14) started at 6 AM. Slave of the electronics life, you check the whatsapp status and the emails . Even Moodle as the placement season has kicked in and Placecom is working 24*7 to get new jobs.

Visualising the  face of Prof and his RA waiting for your written assignments on Siebel case unsettle you. They are already due past 5 days.

Then take a a bit of calculation and realise that if you start reading the pre-class material stipulated by each professor for the day ahead, you might collapse in MSH 901 itself


So you decide to take yet another round of skim reads and prepare for the worst. (Kind of play on probability of being caught on the wrong foot in the class)


Classes start at 845. Its time for Bank of Bihar vs. State of Bihar, Supreme Court of India, 1971 (Bailment Case) and  Vimal Chand Grover v. Bank of India, Supreme Court of India, 2000 (Pledge Case). Legalities of any issue are always interesting. The open book format shifts focus from memory to understanding. There's animated discussion, something that I really used to miss during my PE-2 days ten yrs ago ( P.S. Oct'04 was when I was trying to mug up provisions of Indian Contracts Act 1872,and Sale of Goods Act 1930 sitting all alone. The classroom experience was a complete different ball game)





Next we had a guest lecture by Mr Smaeer Walia; CEO, Smart Cube. To your utter happiness, you find that he is CA a who cleared in the early 90s and spent a decade or so with Accenture before deciding to plunge into the proverbial entrepreneurial waters and today runs a successful KPO by the name SmartCube. (Deal). We also dream to be like that at some point of our lives. But he told unequivocally that its not an esay journey, best with anxiety, frustation and loneliness. But by contuining to focus on domain knowledge and the quality dimensions of business, the sustainability would start trickling in slowly.

"No Battle Plan survives the first contact with the Enemy" - Russian

"Perfection is the ENEMY of Good" 

"There has to be BALANCE between Listening, Knowing and Doing"

"Failure is a FEEDBACK mechanism" 

"Be wary of CLIENT concentration RISK" 

"its NEVER 2 companies working together, its ALWAYS is 2 INDIVIDUALS working together"

"Horizontal Growth is very important than Vertical growth"

Scroll Google Search for large 500 companies and look for word "Xformational" 

"You Cannot Learn to Command if You Cannot Learn to Obey"

"Agree to Disagree" 

"Company is a LIVING organism with 10,100,10000, or few 100,000 hearts beating together" towards a mission or vision

" Luck CAN be Turned to your side"

"Success and Adversity are friends that walk together - learn from both"

"No matter how great the talent or effort, some things just take time"

"We don't need to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.  100 small things, 100 small improvements - collectively creates a Huge Impact"

Invaluable snippets

You get an opprtunity to discuss your journey of cajobportal.com. he gives some really insightful tips on market commodization, angel investing, client acquistion, long term perspectives.

Good

Time to move on as the Google Calendar takes you to SR-8 where you started the intellectual discussion on auction mechanisms



You learn about amazing platforms of auctions , of how the Vickrey Groove model failed in New Zealand but works fantastic in Google Adwords. (Public Policy Vs Pvt Sector).(Read more)

Break for 60 minutes where you inadvertently compose your first ever JD for a freelance position of VP-Content and Creativity. (Link). One good thing about working on your own is that you can have a fancy designation for yourself.  CEO, COO, CFO, VPs :)

Strategy and Innovation start at 230 PM





The agility he brought with a Complexity Index of 11.3 (as defined by the Nelson Complexity Index) RIL's refinery at Jamnagar is able to process 80 types of heavy and sour crude oils to produce high value products. Thats flexibility. Thats scale. 




I got partcularly intrigued by the ethical issues surrounding their campaign. further research on the Internet led me to this (Article)


"The new girl has finally arrived. She's twice the fun and half the price"

The price war with Singapore Airlines

The Reliance and Air Asia related help you brainstorm the strategy layers which have been dormant since years. Fascinating insights. 




  

Narayan Bhaiya, an inspiration, was on campus for an MDP and we had the privilege of having dinner with him




So how would the goverment go for course correction after the telecom sector fiasco was discussed from 915 to 1045 PM



All tiredness goes away as your little one says this