I have been, for long, a keen student of the startup / venture ecosystem in India and outside. I find startups particularly fascinating, because to me, startups are the most obvious signals we get from the future. For each startup is but a hypothesis about the future manifested physically. I have satiated my interest in this space somewhat partially, through my writings and occasional pro bono advisories to startups. But …
India2, English Tax and Building for the Next Billion Users
Recently, Rehan Yar Khan, who runs Orios Venture Partners, an early stage venture firm tweeted
Rehan Yar Khan wasn’t being sarcastic. He was, in fact, complementing the promoters of …
You live in the future. What about your company?
A framework for understanding role and org-fit.
Let us say you are a smart, sharp ex-strategy consultant from the Big 3, now working in the Strategy Office of a print major. The company, facing digital headwinds, is muddling its way through. Business is on a gentle decline; that said, the job still pays well, the people are interesting and comfortable to work with, and best of all, there is no …
Can Narendra Modi Ban Alcohol Overnight?
TL;DR
No, he can’t! The Indian Constitution doesn’t have a provision for him to ban alcohol overnight, thankfully. Yes, he can try to amend the constitution to acquire the right, but this will be challenged by Indian States, for whom from liquor sales are a big revenue stream. The resulting dispute will reach the Supreme Court, who will likely side with the states. I detail why below. Finally ,my essay …
Say Hello to India’s Newest and Fastest-Growing Caste
Sometime around 2012 or ’13, my daughters stopped speaking in Konkani, our mother tongue. It isn’t entirely clear what provoked it; perhaps it was a teacher at their Mumbai school encouraging students to speak more English at home. Or perhaps it was something else. It doesn’t matter.
What did matter was that our home became an almost exclusively English-speaking household, with the occasional sporadic Konkani conversation. We were not alone. …
In the Shadow of Amazon: Offline, Online and the Rise of Online-going-Offline Retail
It is now just over 20 years since Amazon had its IPO, setting it off on the path to e-commerce dominance and well over $500b in market cap. In these 20 years, Amazon, and its peers expanded across categories, from books and electronics to fashion and even grocery. And in parallel, a ruthless focus on shaving off delivery times and cost ensued, helping reduce buying friction and making online buying …
The Guardian and the Membership Model
Recently, The Guardian, that long-struggling liberal newspaper of record, stated it has ~500,000 members and digital subscribers[i]. Not to mention another 300,000 one-time contributors. This is quite impressive. What is more, the rapid increase in members and subscribers is projected to help The Guardian cut losses to £25m this year (£45m last financial year[ii]), putting it on course to break even by 2019.
What is …
A (Very) Brief History of Drinking at Work
Bira91, an Indian brewing co, recently launched its new light beer.
Most light beers are aimed at women. And I expected the press release to confirm this, which it did, stating that the light beer will “hopefully give non-beer drinkers another reason to consider beers when they are looking for a refreshment” (Non-beer drinkers here is code for women). I was intrigued by the next line in the press release …
The Upstarts is Essential Reading for Product Managers
Why Does An Uber Driver Earn More Than A Starting Engineer In India?
Recently, Mohandas Pai, the Chairman of Manipal Global Education Services expressed his disquiet about the rather low starting salaries for engineering college graduates, accusing IT companies such as Infy, Wipro, TCS of conspiring to keep salaries of graduating engineers artificially low.
Mohandas Pai and Manipal Global have much to gain from higher salaries, for the promoters of Manipal Global also control the trusts that run Manipal University. Like several …