10 Learning’s from 2014 – A Chance to do it right in 2015

1. Save & Travel More:

Last year visited - Jaipur, Jodhpur, Delhi, Agra, Bangkok, Vellore, Mangalore, Gokarna…

Each travel brought in a new perception & exposure to different set of culture & people.

My logic says "Travelling actually saves you money". Thus this year I will work hard and save enough money so that I can travel more.

2. Kick-start a project with a clear Vision:

A project which was very close to my heart turned out to be unsuccessful not because we lacked efforts or skills but due to the gap in project vision.

Working towards clarifying the short term & long term vision for a project before it begins.

3. Keep abreast with latest Technology:

When I heard that your Refrigerator can send you email with list of grocery things to buy, I was amazed to know that Internet of Things has not just arrived – people have been working on it since 2010.

Big Data my latest crush, I lose my sleep imagining tones of things how Big Data can change the world in coming years. I hope to get my hands dirty on it soon. 

4. Health is Wealth:

Fast food, late hours of work, lack of sleep and no exercise is causing health issue to all.

If we don’t have a good health you can’t go a long way in life – so I have committed 45 mins each day for workout. Aiming to get that damn abs. 

5. Spend more time with loved once:

We always take our loved ones for granted. When you learn how unpredictable life is, its too late.

Keep the faith, things can change drastically in a year and bring more happiness than ever

6. Faith can do Miracles:

Few incidents that happened to me last year looks like a miracle, but without putting any logic I realized that you got to have faith to make things happen for you the way you want it.

All that I have is faith....so bring it on!

7. Don't think ...Just do it:

We all think & try to put logic around before doing anything. We think, we thing, we thing & eventually give up! At the end we regret or land up being normal.

Normal is not cool, just do! If it works - good for you, if it doesn't you will fall & learn more...that's what is life all about. Start living!

9. Slow down enjoy life more:

I was once asked “What you want from life?” & I realized – all that I want is to be happy.

Will not let time pass, instead I will be busy building memories.  

10. Work on Ideas:

I got so addicted to “Shark Tank” that I finished watching all the series in a month. That not only changed my perception towards the way I look at product but also what it takes to bring ideas into reality.

When I see how we live our lives & the kind of product we work with – I know there is a much better way of how things can be done. Let not the fear of failure stop us any more.

I wish you write and draw something that is important and interesting for you...

And if anything goes wrong I hope you get courage to wipe and start again.

Wish you and yours a happy new year!

Internet of Things - Innovations & Business Models

How many times have you’ll fought with your loved ones for – Leaving the water tap open, forgotten to switch off the lights, not buying the groceries on time,  leaving the plants un-watered etc. Well, to solve such many more problems & to make our lives easier here comes “Internet of Things”.

I happened to attend ThoughtWorks Converge Conference last Saturday, in this post I will share some of my learning on “Internet of Things”(IoT).

-          IoT term was first used in the year 1999

-          7 things a device must have to be IoT (Connectivity, Sensors, Processor, Security, Quality, Cost efficiency, Energy Efficiency)

Some of the disruptive Innovations in the space of Internet of Things:

Builders constructing Smart houses:

A house where your room temperature is auto set depending on the current climate temperature, will timely water your plants, lightings change as per your moods. All this is done without human interference with the help of IoT.

Connected Refrigerator:

Imagine your fridge scanning through your grocery items inside & preparing the grocery order list & sending a purchase order to Big Basket & when you come home all the materials are waiting at your doorsteps. Fridge sending out emails suggesting you based on the items present the Dinner menu to be cooked.

Google Car:

 Well google car needn’t be explained. That’s what I need as I am hopeless in driving. So practically eliminating driver’s cost you have a car which will follow google’s map & take you to your destination without any effort.

Healthcare enabled Smart watches:

 Today your Smartphone’s will warn you before your chances of heart attack, when your glucose level is going high & how much your BP is in control. Makes you feel your doctor is in your hand.

IoT Business Models:

Internet Business Models are revolving around Likes, Shares, Eyeballs, Views etc. With IoT there is an evolution of new business model:

-  Build a solution which will solve problems of people & they would be ready to pay for that solution

-    Solve the customer real time problem “now”

-    You may not have consumers directly paying for the solution, but have to identify a third party who would be ready to pay for it

-   Design BM around partnership & alliance for a bigger WIN

Some successful IoT Business Models:

  http://www.patientslikeme.com/

A community where-in people discuss about their health issues & all this discussed business intelligence is shared across clinics & hospitals so that can generate leads.

http://www.getchui.com/

"The world's most intelligent doorbell." Chui's facial recognition technology replaces keys, passwords or codes, allowing you to disarm a security system with facial recognition

Top10 Internet of Things Startup 

Way to approach a problem via IoT:

1.       Identify the problem

2.       Come out with 10 diff IoT solutions

3.       Design feasibility study for each of the solutions & finalize one which is more doable

4.        Develop Business Model

5.       If you know your idea is profitable & scalable go ahead with it

Few Tips for business in IoT:

-          Never startup because you have a great idea, startup because you have a problem to solve

-          Find the most easiest technical solution

-          Don’t design solution just for one market – plan it as a global solution

Today Refrigerators can send Malicious Emails, so my question to you is - Are You Yet there ?

A living dream – Visit to Bangkok

The dreams may well be far away, someplace where I have never been before. 

But there is something that tells me from deep down inside me that they are really somewhere. 

I don't know for sure whether to go there or not, but I was told that if I followed my heart I will be there someday…..

thus my visit to the most happening city of Thailand – Bangkok

Astonishing view from the flight as we were touching Bangkok

Airport had some very good Huawei Device Branding – felt very much at home & a place of belonging. After waiting for almost an hour for the visa – we were out of the airport at 3am. Reached our hotel & we hungry souls got our first shock when they charged us 30 Bahts for one glass of hot drinking water.

The day raised, it was the day to visit temples. Temples: Thailand is a country with a long history of Buddhism.

We decided to take the sky train as it was close by to our hotel. While buying the train tickets the expression that I received for the way I spoke English – made me realize that’s not gonna work. Thai peoples are not very well verse with speaking English, so just use key words & kill your grammar during your stay here.

Many grand temples and shrines were built and if there is only one temple you could visit in Bangkok, it would be no other than the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  Buddha statues are the major highlights in these temples. Each statue brings out a different expression of Lord Buddha majorly “Peace” as that’s what he preached to the whole world.

You can also take a boat ride covering Wat Arun, Wat Pho & Grand Palace.

Bangkok is one of those cities which does not sleep – so our evenings used to be totally fun.

Reached Skybar – one of the very popular Roof top Restaurants:- Standing on the 84^th floor open-air revolving restaurant, you really feel like you’re in heaven. Famous for the scene in The Hangover 2, this rooftop bar was probably outstanding before it became famous. After all, it is the world’s highest open-air bar - If you every want to make any of your life’s memorable moment, this is the venue for you.

As the day passed we learnt – Taxies are more affordable, bargain for everything & wherever possible, lychee are something to die for.

They say shop till you drop in Bangkok as the city is all about Designer stores, Malls & Wholesale markets. We spend ample of our time shopping in MBK, Pratunam wholesale market, Chatuchak Weekend Market & the list goes on…..guys – stay far way from entering the Platinum Mall (all the 5 floor are majorly filled with girls stuff)

Night life at Soi Cowboy, Sukhumvit Soi will make your eyes & heart go red. That’s where most of the Bangkok documentary comes from. A city which has 75% population of girls has its own reasons for making prostitution legal.

Well I can’t talk too much good about the food as being a Vegetarian I really had a tough time. But yes – if you are a meat lover you will love the street food more than the five start restaurant food you might have ever tasted in India. Veggies please carry ReadToEat, fruits, dry fruits for your survival.

One place you can’t miss visiting - Jim Thompson House: A living well architectures house of

An absconding America Man which speak about his life with pride. 

Jim who fell in love with Thai culture and devoted himself to reviving the craft of hand weaving of silk.

The Tuk-Tuk moment of truth is negotiating prices with the driver. Management people can get to test their negotiating skills here, but I totally loved the ride, it’s an experience worth having.

The traffic, the markets, the street hawkers, the grime; the food carts, the temples, the madness, the crime… it’s what makes this iconic South-East Asian capital buzz. That’s how the city “Bangkok” kept amazing me every day.

A city that taught me the value of drinking water, improvised my bargaining & negotiating skills, filled my wardrobe with lovely stuff, made me be conformable in your own skin – ความรัก & lots of love :) 

..but wait ..it does not end here…I have more stories to share in my next Phuket Post.

Life bit away from Blogging

Firstly I deeply owe apologies to my lovely blog & to my blog subscribers. Yes! I know it’s been really long since I have updated this space. So let me try to justify this 3 months of my life away from blogging.  The following things had kept me engaged:

1.     Travelling to Delhi, Coimbatore, Cochin, Mangalore-

This was the first time I was visiting these cities. I feel in love with the Delhi cold climate, street shopping, Punjabi family culture and not to forget the variety of food that got me to gain 2Kg of weight.  Coimbatore, Cochin, and Mangalore – the tier 2 cities took me by a surprise when I passed through huge malls, Audi showrooms and wide Akers spread universities. These trips made me realize that as a marketer we are totally missing out a huge potential market which lies in the Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities.

2.     Friends destination wedding @ Jodhpur –

That was one of my dear friends wedding and how could one resist when it’s happening in the blue city of India. My trip to Jaipur & Jodhpur was incredible; pics coming soon. The Forts, Palaces, food & not to forget the shopping experience is something that I will remember for the life time.  

3.     Swimming classes –

One of my resolutions for 2014 & to summarize my training, I grade myself C. I felt like I was on moon when I learnt to float – I know it sounds crazy, but that day was the best day of the Feb month J I know how to back float…. I have a long way before I call myself a swimmer – but I don’t know how many feel that this earth is a much calm, peaceful, stress less, beautiful when you are in the water.

4.     Huawei Club expansion –

My work is my passion. “Do what u love & believe in” -That’s what I preach to all the young students I meet during my college visits.  Huawei Club is the project I have been working on for more than 8 months & trust me, never did I felt like I am working (I know my boss is reading this ;))

It’s a project where we are trying to build smart engineers & managers for tomorrow, nurture students ideas & passions, trying to bridge the gap between Academics & Corporate.

It’s a privilege of being a part of such an imitative. I get to meet young super talented students whom I can motivate & in return learn & get inspired from them.

Life @ work is beautiful.

5.     Data Science –

If you have been following my tweets off lately, it’s easier to say that Data Science is not my crush any more; I am in love with it J  Big Data is something that I am learning all by myself & every time I educate myself, my belief gets stronger, that this is the next big impactful technology in the coming years.

6.     Calm person within me-

With time I have encountered quite a bit of calmness in me. It’s so powerful – it lets you handle people & situation smartly. In this new change, I am trying to figure out if expressing yourself is a sign of weakness or strength?

Help me get some conclusion on the above question that’s on mind, till then I say goodnight to the beautiful people out there reading this.

Stay happy & safe till I come up with my new blog update. 

A Student for Lifetime

Called up my mom today afternoon for a general chat, she says “I am painting the wall, can we talk later?”. As the call ended, the only one thing that hit me was how cool stuff my mom is still doing at this age. It’s so inspiring to see my parents always doing something interesting – like going for a jog early morning, trekking, playing badminton, working with NGO etc.

The best thing my parents preached: “Beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take that away from you. It’s the biggest wealth. The world has so many lessons to teach you. Consider the world, this Earth, to be like a school and your life as classrooms. And sometimes here in this Planet Earth school the lessons often come dressed up as detours or roadblocks. And sometimes as full-blown crises. To succeed you got to be open to the lessons, lessons from the grandest university of all, that is, the universe itself.”

The times when I lost badminton matches, banged my car and failed in relationships….all gave me lessons. Failure is never an option; it's being able to walk through life eager and open to self-improvement and that which is going to best help you evolve, 'cause that's really why we're here, to evolve as human beings. To grow into more of ourselves, always moving to the next level of understanding, the next level of compassion and growth.

And I believe that there's a lesson in almost everything that you do and every experience, and getting the lesson is how you move forward and being more of yourself.

From last 2 months, I have been closely working with inters & college’s students - the thing that I have learnt from them:

•      Being who you are (No mask)
•       Not being judgmental
•       Open to experiment & learning’s
•       No fear of failures
•       Being crazy, laughing just because you want to
•       Loving & caring selflessly

I am student for the lifetime. Before going to bed the one thing that I ask myself is, “What I have learnt new?” And I answer – I learnt a new style to bun my hair, I learnt a new vocabulary, I learnt what hurts people, I learnt how to console my friend in a new pattern, I learnt a new song…
I want to learn to swim, skydive, ballet dance, play guitar, bake yummy cookies, skating & many more..

I know that I m getting better from yesterday…I am getting to be more of myself…I am living the way I want to…I m learning something new every day!

Happy Learning Friends!

We are What We Choose

How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make?

Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?

Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?

Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?

Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?

Will you bluff it out when you're wrong, or will you apologize?

Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?

Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?

When it's tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?

Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?

Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?

In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story

Well said lines by Jeff Bezos as he shares his experience & learning while building Amazon

Death to living….

Today my parents closely escaped themselves from a drastic car accident. These are few of the worlds that my parents shared with me:

“Felt what it is like being so close to death. Today just as we returned back to life, we now value it more. Living a materialistic life & trying to build a so called image in society is not what it is. It’s what goodness you leave back before you go for ever. Live to the fullest, love madly, do all that you want to without fear. Don’t fear death; fear the guilt you would have of not doing all that you dreamt when you take your last breath. Death is a fact which you can never change, but what you can change is the way you look at life & your living. ”

I remembers my professor & later my mentor from my X-Company always saying to me, “You live as if there is no tomorrow”. I lost this kind of me somewhere, but yes, after all that my dad & mom said to me today, sure I will get myself back to living as I used to.

Why let yesterday's faults overshadow tomorrow's dreams

A well - known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, " I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked. "who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well, he replied. "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value.

Our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feed as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special Don't ever forget it!

"Never let yesterday's disappointments/failures/ faults overshadow tomorrow's dreams"

These are the days of my life.

I had been to Jogimatti which was my first treak ever. Completed a month in Huawei, meeting many new people every day, spending more time with loved ones. Hunting for a new property for investment in Bangalore, playing badminton on weekends, about to enrol for swimming classes “seriously” & my journey is going on. Thought of taking sometime out to note down things that I have realized & experienced more about life.

- Never judge, accept people the way they are, because you finally would realize that you were wrong.

- You cannot always make everyone happy all the time.

- People will never remember what you said but will remember you for how you made them feel.

- Once you make a decision, stick to it.

- It's hard saying goodbye.

- It's even harder saying goodbye to someone while they tell you they love you.

- It's scary when people know you so well, they predict what you're going to do and you still do it.

- Don't look for people to tell you that you did the right thing. If you think it's the right thing, then it probably is.

- Relationships can never survive in boundaries as they are meant to grow.

- Fear is ones biggest enemy; can’t forever keep running away from it. Face it & you shall conquer it. After which the happiness & joy you get is priceless.

- Realize who & where you are. Know where you wanna go…it’s always a leap that you need to take. Go for it & get ready to face all the emotions that come on your way. Trust me it’s all gonna be worth it.

- Bitching behind someone’s back does not make you best. Stand up & speak up upfront

- Always ask a question “Why” and you will discover miracles.

- Try to do those small things just for others happiness. People don’t expect anything but they deserve to be treated with respect.

- Smaller things in life give real satisfaction & joy. It’s just smaller things that the best things begin.

- Feelings can never be manipulated. One who is loved can never be hated.

- Don’t get upset if people make fun of you, be glad that you made them laugh.

- Everyone has their own set of problems, fears, sadness & aloneness what differentiate the best is the way they are dealing with them.

- Trust the one who remains & behaves the same even in your absence.

- If you can’t reciprocate the same at least respect the feelings.

- Give your best in everything that you do and make a difference – work, relationship, sports, art etc.

- No one is perfect, accept your mistakes & work on them. Life always gives second chance.

- Enough of running away, learn to face it…that’s what living is all about.

I'm enjoying myself so! I’m free, I'm happy, no regrets!

My weekend hobby "Moon watching... "

Your handwriting is your mirror... know yourself

I was always told that I don’t know how to judge people… I have this hobby of blindly trusting people and believe me it has never harmed. 2 years back my friend pulled me to Graphology learning workshop.

60+ aged cute looking and totally in love couple hosted the workshop.

Graphology was their PhD topic & were in India to spread awareness about this science. First day we were asked to submit our sample full paged handwriting. During the introduction round I said, “I wish to learn as I want to judge & know people I am dealing with”. On this my teacher told “Dear, u first need to know yourself & let that be the focus for your learning”.

He analyzed my handwriting and it was 95% true. After each class I was getting to know myself better & that was so satisfying. This workshop not only certified me as a “Graphologist” but did change my life at a crucial stage & I can say it is doing wonders for me.

Graphology is something that I have been interested in since then. Graphology simply means study of handwriting to reveal an individual’s personality.
> You can tell about a person’s nature, whether he or she is an extrovert or introvert,
> Whether the person is impulsive, artistic, materialistic,
> Is the person what he really appears to be or are there layers to his/her personality,
> Their strengths, weaknesses what they really are like
> Signature itself talks about you, parents, relationships, career, passion
> Yes, it can also predict future

Handwritings reveals SO much….I am so obsessed with it that I start off as soon as I look at hand written envelopes, receipts, medical prescriptions and even notes scribbled during a meeting –basically anything hand written and I can tell certain things about that person. Certain strokes correspond to different characteristics. A person’s handwriting is more or less consistent with the way he/she is as a person. If you are angry it will reflect in your handwriting. If you are sad, that too shows.

From my graphology experience I have seen people’s life getting more meaningful as soon as they work on their handwriting. Graphology is a science. Hand writing is a neuro-muscular function of your brain. Therefore every thought, and every emotion you feel reflects in your writing. Your brain is used to certain patterns which are pre programmed and it reflects in your writing. We are socially conditioned to be behave in an accepted way, which very often conceal our true nature. But our writing never lies. It is fascinating how much our writing reveals and Graphology continues to enthrall me.

so much so that a love letter becomes a sample in my term of Graphology

Only if I would knew when my last day on this planet…is

“No, I don’t want to go by this way… can’t see the cancer patients battling with life”. See choose the other path & reached the ICU where her father was hospitalized, early suspect for Malaria. Ohhh Its “Sie” that’s what I called her. One, who married whom she loved, gave birth to a beautiful son, over trusted a friend, became a suspect in the eyes of her husband, got divorced, chose to study again, started staying with her parents and had the guts to fall in love again and fail.

That day Sie wasn’t sure that her life is going to take a major twist. All reports were placed in front of her & the doc says “Your father is in the 3^rd stage of cancer, you just have 6 months more”. Didn’t know how to react, asked no questions & went up to her god to ask “Why? Punish me, not my father”.

For a month Sie had almost visited all the top cancer specialist of her city, showed the reports & all had different recommendation & stories to say. She was confused & had lost the meaning of the word “Trust”. She just kept running away from home as facing her father was no easier. I accompanied her one such day to meet one such specialist & that day was the day of conclusion. He saw the reports and said, “Your father is at the last stage, take him anywhere on this earth you can’t save him for cancer forever. Stop torcuring him by getting those all medical test done on him, his body no more can resist. You have 5 months in hand. Make it the best for him. Let him live his life… he is a lucky man unlike us. Imagine what would you do if you knew your last day on this planet…”.

That’s the only day I had seen Sie crying out loud, yes because she had accepted the truth & was all set to batter for her father’s life. After this her only moto was to fulfill all her father’s wishes, major being a MBA. 2 months passed her family or closest people kept this secret from her father. They did all that he ever wished and desired for. Taught days were not very far. His body started giving up, tremendous pain in stomach, blood vomits, cuts in fingers which kept bleeding, hair & body weight loss…

4^th month in the mid night when her father was awake she went up to him and said, “Please forgive me for all the pains & hurt that I gave you. We just have 2 more months and I want to live every moment with you papa”. Cancer started playing its game badly and Sie was fighting it well. I salute this woman for never giving it up. Those 2 months, were the worst days of her life. Her father was on the bed 24/7, on saline, could only intake liquid, lost all hair & weight was not more than 36 Kg. He used to cry out loud with the pain & pluck bucket full of blood. Every night she was awake sitting next to her father with her books in hand preparing for 2 exams – MBA & father’s life. Cancer is one should disease which can make a father say to his daughter “Please kill me, I no more can live with this pain…”. Sie’s did all that a daughter could do for her father in those last days. It was his birthday & knowing that it’s her father’s last birthday made all the attempts to make it special. Till date she relives those memories & finds herself in the arms of her father.

The day stroked & he finally got peace when he took his last breath.

I wonder in today’s world where we speak of advanced technology, why we don’t have a treatment for Cancer. Why are the patients forced to die a painful death? Why could we hold on uncle for few more days so that he could see Sie’s MBA certificate?

I would like to leave you with these questions:

What would you do if you knew it was the last day with your parents?

What would you do if you knew your love is embracing death tomorrow?

What would you do for all those cancer patients who are left by their dear ones as they were cowards?

What would you do to not be in the place of Sie?

Life is short…make every moment special for the people you care, who knows if you would get another chance or not.