Finally -- google docs goes offline

I have posted earlier about how revolutionary Google Gears would be and how this will be key in google's quest to push microsoft over the edge. Google has finally launched google docs offline. This takes them now into direct competition with Microsoft. Now whats the next big thing ? Gmail offline if you ask me.

cheers,

Do techies get preferential treatment?

Yesterday myself and Hemisha caught up with Sunil Purushe – the big man from Rediff for dinner at Rice boat – a nice keralite food restaurant. The conversation at the end of the day went to an interesting topic – in short, my wife and Sunil felt that today techies get away with lots of things – casual dressing, reporting late and in general eccentric behavior which the rest of the working class are not allowed to do. They felt that organizations should enforce some sort of organizational discipline and there should be some norms for how people should go to work – e.g. people should not have long hair, be disheveled, wear t-shirts to work etc. etc. They felt that by giving preferential treatment to a section of people – companies were being very unfair and that is leading to techies feeling that they can get away with concessions in all areas.

I personally am very confused about this issue. We are in a day and age when organizations need the best people. A good programmer can do in a day what 20 mediocre programmers will not be able to do even after 5 days. These guys have high expectations and certain privileges have become industry norms. How are we as an organization going to attract and retain these people while maintaining a balance with the rest of the staff – sales, biz dev, accounting etc.

It would be interesting to hear the views of other people here. Anyone out there?

Insight from 37000 feet

I've written earlier about what I like in business ideas.

"I feel by virtue of being in senior management positions at another company that was a market leader, the founders firstly have perspective into a problem that comes from being at the center of the vortex and secondly they come in with a rolodex of contacts and an understanding of industry processes that will just help them get their new business off the ground faster."

The link here is a good example of that insight being crystallized by a company and then shared with the rest of the world. I love the fact that it comes from a company I have grown to adore and respect. Everyone will enjoy reading this. I think this is a good example of the insight that people get by being market leaders and being able to watch a large number of transactions or customer behaviors when you are the market leader. I'll probably write another post on this later. Enjoy the weekend!!

My failings

Hi Everyone,

This is going to be a very difficult post to write and its coming after I have had a really long day.


Over the years, multiple of my friends have told me what my bad qualities are and somehow most of them have a common thread - lots of my friends feel I am judgemental, nit-picky and sometimes tend to get focussed on very minor unimportant issues. I also get very argumentative and usually in the arguments come across as having a lack of respect for the other persons point of view - a common thing I get from others is that it is very difficult to convince me to see an alternate point of view when I have set my mind on something. This really worries me.

I feel today I'm at a stage of my life where I have achieved certain things - a fair deal of success in my personal and professional life, some good friends etc. I feel these habits are very dangerous and if I look back on the past ten years of my life they have probably cost me the friendship of many close friends and to have parted ways with business partners and to not be on talking terms with some ex-employees.
I know some of you might feel I am making a mountain out of a molehill but it's actually true - I do. To give you an example there are people who have probably borrowed money from me - 1000 Indian rupees and I for a long time categorized them as thieves and cheats. For such minor issues I have ended up being petty and spoiling my relationship with perfectly nice people who I would love to still hang out with.

I need to let go and relax. To forgive and forget. And to see things in shades of Grey instead of black or white. Why does this have to be so difficult? Why do I expect everyone else to be super passionate about their work and super committed and super hard working? Why do I set these high standards for myself and then keeping missing my own deadlines and keep scrambling for air? These are unfortunately some of my character flaws and I battle with them on a daily basis. These flaws end up hurting me as I end up disturbing my relationships with those near and dear to me and making me feel lonely.

So here's what I will try and do:
* set lower standards for myself and those around me
* as opposed to demanding that people show me the passion and expecting them to keep giving, I'll try and be giving in creating a nurturing environment for them
* I'll try and not think in black and white and slow down and think before I speak so I speak in Grey.
* will go out of my way to help people achieve the goals I have set for them.
* will try and not be strongly opinionated in general.

Sorry people for the long winded post but these character flaws disturb me and I want to work on then before I end up hurting anyone close to me. So next time you see me being judgmental or unnecessarily opinionated, point that out to me. You will be doing me a favor. Cheers,

Finally some good music

Had a very good weekend. Saturday and Sunday was the One Tree Music festival in Mumbai. Watching Robert Cray and Jose Feliciano live and in some very good weather was amazing. For some time I actually felt that Mumbai's gonna be a great place to be over the next few years and the place is slowly but steadily becoming a global cosmopolitan city.

Kalam Agenda for Republic day 2008

Ex- President A.P.J. Abdul kalam is a person who I really respect. He was a really good president and one who was able to inspire the country to rise above petty issues. Below is his message on Republic Day 2008 - nicely written (p.s. taken from Rediff.com )

Dear friends, let me share with you a seven-point resolve on the occasion of ensuing Republic Day 2008:

1. Wherever I am, a thought will always come to my mind -- *What can I give?*

2. Whatever the mission I will do, my motto will be *to work with integrity and succeed with integrity.*

3. I will always remember that *my winged days, be not spent in vain*.

4. I realise I have to set a great goal that will *lead me to think high*, work and realise the goal.

5. My greatest friends will be *great human beings, great teachers and great books*.

6. I will firmly believe that no problem can defeat me; *I will become the captain of the problem, defeat the problem and succeed.*

7. My National Flag flies in my heart and I will bring glory to my nation.

Interesting quote

"I say to the young, 'Don't go in for instant gratification, Time will never forgive what you take away from it." - Mr. Ezra K. Zilkha - Financier

New Year Resolutions

A remark by a friend led me to revisit my old 2006 New Year Resolutions. More specifically one that had me giving up paper. It's going to be two years from that date soon and I've been forced to go back to paper. The primary reason is just the sheer amount of documentation required for audit purposes (or so I have been told) in India.

anyhow It made interesting reading and I hope to put some thought into my resolutions for 2008.

http://roshandsilva.blogspot.com/2005/12/new-year-new-resolutions.html

Stratify acquired by Iron Mountain

Bill Burnham has got an interesting blog post here --> The Story of Stratify

about the story behind Stratify and their sale to Iron Mountain. Congrats to the entire team there and our very own Amol who I am sure must be one of the key team members who has been with the company through thick and thin. Congrats guys!!

Apologies :: political post:: Mera Bharat Mahaan?

Mera Bharat Mahaan - This is a slogan that would touch the heart of any Indian. Literally translated it means "My India is Great".

Today is a very sad day in India's history. In a 'sting operation' a small Indian newspaper called Tehelka (literally translated Chaos) was able to get a bunch of small time politicians to confess to their roles in the 2002 riots in a State called Gujarat in India and also to the involvement of the Chief Minister of the state (akin to the governor of an American state). In an incident that we indians don't like recalling a large number of muslims were killed by Hindus in communal violence with active encouragement by the State government.

I don't feel its sad because the entire issue has been politicized and the very credibility of the report is being questioned. I feel it's sad because the people who appear on the tapes confessing to rape, murder etc. are still free over 24 hours after appearing on television confessing to these crimes and the government has not deemed it fit to even now arrest them. I can understand that the Chief minister cannot be deemed guilty because of other criminals saying that he supported them but what about catching at least those criminals who openly have admitted to their crimes? Or has this just been forgotten in the circus of politics in India?

A small excerpt from the Tehelka article. *Warning Disturbing* You can read the entire disturbing report on www.tehelka.com
Just under 5’3”, Babu Bajrangi—whose family name is Patel — is a towering figure in Naroda. Twenty-two years of association with the VHP and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, has firmly established him as the most dreaded local thug. Today, Bajrangi lords it over Naroda, and over Chharanagar in particular, where he commands a substantial following. Many Chharas appear to hold him in great reverence; he, in turn, is all praise for the criminal abilities he claims they possess, they are his “weapons”, he says, “just kill, nothing else”.

Bajrangi holds court at his office on the second floor of the Ajanta Ellora Shopping Complex, just off the highway that skirts Naroda. Though he claims to be a big builder with a steady monthly income of over a lakh and a half, his main vocation is beating up Muslims and Christians. “I just hate Muslims and Christians,” he says. And the cause dearest to his heart is to “rescue” Hindu girls who have married or eloped with Muslim boys. A majority of those who visit him each day are the parents of such girls. “When they go to the police, the cops don’t lodge a complaint, they send them to me,” Bajrangi claims. “Nine hundred and fifty-seven — that’s how many Hindu girls I have saved. On average, one girl married to a Muslim produces five children. So, in effect, I have killed 5,000 Muslims before they were born.”
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Kauser Bano, was nine months pregnant that day. Her belly was torn open and her foetus wrenched out, held aloft on the tip of a sword, then dashed to the ground and flung into a fire. Bajrangi recounts how he ripped apart “ek woh pregnant… b*******d sala”; how he showed Muslims the meaning of wrath—“If you harm us, we can respond — we’re no khichdi-kadhi lot”.

Mera Bharat Mahaan? It's been a sad 24 hours.

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

- Preamble to the constitution of India