We live in an information and knowledge based economy and our ability to constantly learn is by far one of the most critical factors for success in this ‘Knowledge Economy’. In an earlier blog post, we already saw how higher education results in higher income. However education / degree is a point-in-time accomplishment mostly obtained…
Acknowledgement and knowledge of ignorance was perhaps the single most influential factor that lead to the advancement of human achievement in the last 1000 years. I got interested in the history of humankind when Bill Gates talked about it on his website about a year ago and I took a course on ‘A Brief History…
It’s a sad day for India. She lost a great soul to her history who dedicated his entire life to making India great. Former President of India Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was one of the greatest Indians of our generation. Many students like me were inspired by Dr. Kalam’s vision of a great nation and values of…
“Charles Darwin wasn’t very smart by the ordinary standards of human acuity, yet there he is buried in Westminster Abbey“. When I heard this on a talk given by Berkshire Hathaway’s, Vice Chairman Charlie Munger at the Harvard Law School, my interest to know more about the life and works of Charles Darwin grew intensely.…
It is the earnings release season for many tech companies and as an audience it is a great opportunity to learn how past decisions impact the current financial results. Hindsight being 20/20, rationality of past executive judgments are on show for shareholders to evaluate. Repeated mistakes resulting in lost shareholder value are common occurrences in…
“The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself” – Benjamin Franklin We all know the below famous line from the US Declaration of Independence – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with…
What’s common between the viral fever of my toddler son, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, working-out at gym and start-up companies? They all are ‘Antifragile’. Nicholas Taleb coined this term in his classical work – Antifragile – Things that Gain from Disorder. Here is the simplest way to understand the concept: Porcelain cup can…
It was the summer of 1998 and my cousin and I were vacationing in Pondicherry, a small quaint town in South India known for this historic French heritage buildings, endless stretches of tranquil beaches and the famous Aurobindo Ashram. Peace and wellness seekers from all around the world flock to this historic town in search…
Apart from death and taxes, the one thing that is certain in life is ‘traffic jams’. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been late to my meetings and appointments mainly due to traffic jams. Yes there is an element of bad time management, but the fact remains that bad traffic is something that…
‘Too much of anything is bad’ – so says the age-old wisdom. Does it apply to education as well? Last week Bill Gates tweeted this chart to encourage students to complete college. I love the simplicity, completeness and elegance of the above chart. The message is pretty clear – ‘More school means more income’. But look…
chakshuRA - as i see it 