May 25, 2022
Money Wise is a book aimed at the people who don’t know how to invest and don’t know how to start.
January 26, 2022
Book Review: What the Heck Do I Do with My Life
A number of you have asked me to add book reviews in the newsletter. Here is a review of Ravi Venkatesan's new book. Check out the hashtag#sketchnote on the entrepreneur's mindset.
Ravi is the first guest on Season 4 of my weekly LinkedIn Live called Dreamers and Unicorns. Do let me know the questions you have about tech and talent.
December 14, 2021
This allegorical tale features the letters of the alphabet as ‘characters’ living on the planet ‘Typewriter’ and in a country called ‘Alphabetica’. With the consonants being the majority and vowels the minority, the book takes a deep dive into the majoritarianism of the world.
May 4, 2021
Book Review - Dreamers and Unicorns: How Leadership, Talent and Culture are the New Growth Drivers - Pavan Lall
April 24, 2021
In this book Rory Sutherland builds a case for magic and alchemy. In science, everything has one correct answer. Human behavior and choices are guided by context. Pain killers are more effective when they are effective. Savlon launched an antiseptic liquid that did not “burn” like their competitor Dettol. The consumer complained that Savlon was ineffective because there was no burning sensation. Read my review about Alchemy - a book I really enjoyed.
October 22, 2020
Most people underestimate the value of likability in their career. When you make a mistake, people are likely to give you a second chance if they like you. Else they will pull out a rule book and tell you why you have not done what you must.
September 19, 2020
Can you find a virtual mentor even as you are locked up at home? That is what elite universities provide - great teachers and great mentors. Does that justify the premium they are paid? If you are NOT from an elite institute, is there any way you can compete? Yes, and it is something you can do today.
May 22, 2020
People Analytics will undergo a big shift. How do we build a people function that is relevant for the post-Covid world? HR will need to offer measures of productivity, engagement and skills. Analytics can be a great conversation starter, because it is hard to argue with insights that are data-driven. This book can be a good read for everyone in HR. The line that stayed with me was, “HR will not be replaced by data analytics. But HR people who do not use data and analytics will be replaced by people who do.”
October 17, 2019
“Saying No to Jugaad” is the story of Bigbasket’s business strategy, culture and its desire to build a culture that puts the customer at the center. There are some interesting questions posed. Is is better to be tech-driven or tech-enabled. Most start-ups fall into one of two categories: a) those that are tech-first, where one of the co-founders is also the CTO. The perspective in these start-ups is often, ‘How can we leverage technology to build new businesses?’; and b) those that are tech-enabled, where the CTO is almost always not a founder. The perspective here is, ‘How can technology enhance the effectiveness of our business?’