Women shopping

Is an endless treasure hunt where the more you hunt the less rich you get

Tu Kya Jaane

One of the best songs in recent times byKailash Kher. Listening to this song makes me want to become a radio jockey again, tired of the crap being played on both KLOK1170AM and 1550AM. Bay Area deserves better. All of you few who stumble on this blog, enjoy....

How to run a business?

US Postal Service loses $15.9B every year, wow had no clue. Imagine the need to run this business more efficiently? Pension plans that are bloated. Man this is just not what I had thought of US when I landed here 12 years ago :)

words of wisdom

What's the point to remain dry when we can always get wet? Wet in joy, wet in sorrow, wet in happiness.

 

Bifurcations

I grew from a branch and over the years forked my own path. I was encouraged to do that by my branch and to explore the world. But now when I look back I feel detached from the branch that was once my originator. Deep within I am still part of it but I am unable to trace my path back home.

Kai Po Che

One of the better hindi movies. Great performances, narration and presentation of a complicated subject. Recommended for viewing. 

Strategy lessons

Work to commoditize your complements, this would in turn increase the demand for your products.

In the past, Microsoft flourished as the PC market got commoditized with lower PC prices meaning increased demand and more revenue from OS and software sales for Microsoft. Google is now challenging Microsoft. Google offering word, excel and powerpoint for free is to weaken Microsoft control in OS as these 3 are great application complements to the windows OS.

Challa connection

At 2:55am on a Thursday morning, I feel happy to find out that the original Challa sung by Gurdas Mann was composed by Late Jagjit Singh. No wonder the song is legendary. Here is a classic recording of Jagjit Singh available for a limited time courtesy BBC: Link

The right Pricing strategy

What is it? Here is a quick snapshot of my nascent understanding. From my readings it is a combination of the following aspects:

0) pricing strategy should be in sync with your marketing strategy and not convey a message which undermines the entire marketing strategy

1) price products based on EVC (economic value to the consumer), never do cost-plus pricing and never indulge in price war

2) always have multiple price point offerings, different price for different segments

3) have the right price metric in place, sometimes bundle products (Mac value meals) or unbundle (airlines)

4) never do anything that gives consumers a hint of unfair pricing, behavioral responses hurt more than you imagine

5) always think about competitive actions never ignore competitive forces from the equation

Pricing

Something about pricing has always interested me, to squeeze the maximum out of your end customer is a fascinating topic if you ask me. A marketeers ability to increase the perceived value of the product in the eye of the customer is critical to charge premium dollars. A good marketeer is one who can successfully shift the perceived value of the product in the eyes of customer to be equal to the objective value of the product.

Love pricing! Would love to help start-ups or SMBs come up with best pricing strategies

Longing to belong

To USA as my heart is still lost somewhere on the dusty streets of India.

Good music comes in waves

Just when I had given up on the quality of music in the last couple of months, I heard Kai Po Che tracks. Just 3 of them and loved them to the core. This one is my current favorite "Meethi Boliyan". I love the word "Sobte"that comes in this song. "Sobte" in hindi means association and in this song means association with buddies for life. Time comes when you want to be with your real sobte of life.

Check this song here:  Meethi Boliyan
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire

Song in my head

Benny Dayal and Shalmali Kholgade nailed it on this one from Race-2. My favorite track these days. The best part is when Shalmali says the word "sharat".

Power of advice

I wish we could all be mature to not offer advice to people in misery or whom we judge are not doing so well. Sometimes a pat on the shoulder, a hug is all they need.

Songs that are more like worm-holes?

There are some songs that just take you to a different time.

4th year, 2001 2am or so, I walk into chinkos and play my favorite song of that era "sona nahin na sahin" from one 2 KA four on the jukebox for Rs 1/-. Yes, in full disclosure I loved Alka Yagnik's rendition and combine that with Udit Narayan's voice with Dholak prominently used in this song.

Not to forget the turmeric egg bhurji and 2 slices of toast for Rs 5/-, sometimes Sari would just walk in at 2:15am with Topi or Bharat or Bongi.

Baaj

Who can stop an eagle, daring to fly

Aate de chiri

My grandmother (Late Sardarni Gyan Kaur Chadha) did something very unique everyday. She would knead atta (wheat) and then make very small bite sized food drops for sparrows. I grew up watching her do this everyday with extreme love and remember learning how to make those the food drops from her. She usually made a little bird (chiri) out of the dough for me and that was the first time I heard these words - "atte de chiri". Her birds knew her timing and this was perhaps the only time my grandmother spent doing something sitting all by herself.

Now my grandmother and I shared a special relationship. Probably a little more deeper compared to her other grandsons. So deep that she even tied me rakhi for two years because her dead brother came in her dream once to let her know that I was his reincarnation. She stopped tying me the rakhi after two years as she realized that does not made any sense but as a 10-12year old this left an indelible mark on my memory.

Another fun facet of my grandmother was that she took the credit of planting the guava tree in our front yard. Therefore, she always wanted me to give her the softest and guavas bitten by parrots to her. I used to own that tree as a kid and spend hours on it, so her demands were always sort of funny for me. Still, when I look back I wish I had given more of those soft guavas.

As I grew up, the pressures of life took a toll on me. I know it sounds crazy but life takes you away from the gentle touches of your grandparents. My grandmother always wanted to put oil in my hair and joyfully claimed that my mother does not know how to put oil. I probably got it done four or five from her but I remember one instance very clearly. Lying in our front yard on a manji (cot) with sun shining on a winter Sunday, her hands moving slowly in my hair and telling me stories from our Gurus. At that time, I felt she is so slow and I wanted my Mom's style of fast swift action. But now, my heart knows how much I yearn for that gentle selfless touch.

Biquees Kaur

Recently stumbled upon this series Bilquees Kaur from HumTV. What an amazing series, great play-writing and acting. Highly recommended better than anything I have seen in recent times.

Khwaab

Apne hi khwaabon se jal na jao kahin,
Darr raha hain sajan mera mann

Bonus

Should one be happy to see their bonus or should one think how is their business relative to others. As much as I try to think about the latter, I think I belong to the former category. Happy and content this Diwali :)