Imagine

Currently I am reading 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran and is probably one of the deepest books I have come across for a while. To me its in the league of Ishmael and Way of the Peaceful Warrior

The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran

Along with the tens of millions, I was very fortunate to see Susan Boyle perform on 'Britains Got Talent'. I cant stop myself watching it again and again.

Through Susan, I learnt about Paul Potts - the winner of the same contest in 2007.

Viewers worldwide cant stop taking about their phenomenal singing talent but here is what made me stop:

• Humility - during or after their popularity, does anything tell you that they are going to seek more fame with a million followers anytime? In a world obsessed with celebrities and people who 'know-it-all', this is extremely refreshing. To quote Socrates "True knowledge exists in knowing that u know nothing"
  
• Self-knowledge - they both knew very clearly what they wanted - professional singers from their tweens. As Socrates said "The unexamined life is not worth living"
• Persistence - against all odds of their age, their jobs (or lack thereof, as in the case of Susan) and their own 'confessed' lack of confidence, they never stopped. They never gave up.  
  

I live and breath consumer Internet namely social networks and media but I keep this personal blog independent of that so that I can reflect on some larger intangible characteristics that make us who we are offline and often compare it with our behavior online. Its not about tools and technology, its about people.

So when I got invited to write a guest post on Techcrunch about a basic question on Twitter, MySpace and what really makes us social, I took up the opportunity to muse there

You can read it here - Is Twitter Turning Into MySpace? or here through Techmeme.

And you can follow me on Twitter here.

Techcrunch2

Picture 6

Picture 5

Imagine Again: Make Friends, Not Add Them

I have spoken about The Cat, The Dog and Web 2.0, blogged about the disconnect of social behavior online and offline and very recently, Jennifer Aniston experienced it first-hand recently.

These 4 minutes explain your social graph

Last year, I had a blogged about a belief with an inspirational video - We Are All the Same and We Are all Different.
So you can imagine my excitement to hear from a geneticist that "...despite differences in size, shape and color, all humans are 99.9 percent biologically identical"

I found other parallels since I am originally from India, my wife is "white' and we have a daughter

Here her speak about her experience on NPR's "This I Believe"

Npr_101423588

Imagine: Believing is NOT Seeing [differences] 

I started writing a series called 'I Know What I Did Last When I was Last Unemployed' to share some of my experiences since I was unemployed for a really long time in the last downturn.

I had the good fortune of being interviewed by Jason Hiner, the Editor-in-Chief at Techrepublic, a CBS company now on those experiences. He did really well in structuring the time to bring out of some very relevant intangibles in a short 15 mins that highlights my 3 years.

2009.03.19

1 comment

This month there was an article in The Wall Street Journal called 'From Attitude to Gratitude: This Is No Time for Complaints'

There were some positive outcomes from ":

"Job satisfaction is actually up, according to a December 2008 survey by Yahoo! HotJobs. Almost 38% of respondents said they were "very satisfied" with their jobs, compared with 28% in 2007, a likely sign that people are grateful they're still employed."

"Even if grumbling is only on hiatus, it's clear that in many quarters, we're seeing a return to Depression-era stoicism and an appreciation of simpler things."

Although the article does bring the positive out of this recession, which is always a good thing, maybe there are a few things we can all learn from this recession:

1. Appreciate what we have at all times [Over a billion people live on less than $1 a day]
   
2. Learn to value what we have independent of other's (worse-off) circumstances
   
3. "Its" really not about money
4. As Mommy and Daddy always used to say whenever relevant - "Please stop whining" for your own good. Maybe it time to shake off the "all-American inclination to complain"
5. Remember: There is no 'I' in Happyness
   

Imagine: Believing is Seeing

• 12:34 The farmer's market is packed today - I have a feeling the warm sunny 60s weather gets the credit #
• 12:44 @unmarketing so true - but many like to 'hear' themselves :) #
• 12:47 @finkd you were 50+ followers on Friday and now at 5k+. That's probably a lot of 'delete' key :) #
• 12:50 @zappos the weekend supplement by @juliaangwin had mentioned you too. Anything special when you hit 200k followers? Inching to @barackobama #
• 12:53 @rawmeet Campbell - every Sunday to be "social" and read #
• 12:54 @ThatCssGuy how did she find you? #
• 12:54 @loudtweeter ah - will check that out and get back to you. Thanks for getting back to me #
• 13:00 RT @stevecase Sad. :( RT @mrinaldesai: @SteveCase ur feelings about ur 'baby' aol 2day-excited, sad,indifferent? (true entrepreneurs care) #
• 13:02 @SteveCase how do you transition from startup to big co. to startup seamlessly? seems to be specific skills #
• 13:08 @robpegoraro if Internet on, I recommend CrossLoop (my co.) for free remote desktop sharing. Grandma friendly. Reviewed by @waltmossberg #
• 13:11 @rawmeet well - ping me when u r here next and we will be social offline :) #
• 13:14 @zaibatsu dude - 47k followers ... Jumping leaps and bounds! #
• 13:18 a tweet for a friend who is hiring for Twitter - if u are a fit, ping me especially if you are 'vocationally challenged" #jumphigher #
• 13:19 @hnshah that definitely is key for our software too - grandma- friendly :) #
• 13:26 #quote "people who fight may lose, people who do not fight have already lost" #
• 13:30 @hnshah I use that as a test everywhere - can I describe my business, the value etc etc :) #
• 13:31 Nietzsche #quote " there are no facts, only interpretations" #
• 13:34 Another deep neitzsche #quote - the higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who can not fly #
• 13:36 @thereisnoplan money,IMHO, is not winning or being successful :) #
• 14:02 @thereisnoplan ah yes - "the wisdom of the crowds" ;) #
• 14:03 @Green4GoodDavid glad you enjoyed it too #
• 14:05 @louisgray missed that - what is the new "following limit" #
• 14:07 @thereisnoplan apologies but don't know nuremburg rally - will need to look that up #
• 14:18 @thereisnoplan thank you - love of when I get to learn! #
• 14:19 @sjcobrien thanks for writing something positive today :) #
• 14:22 I am starting to see MLM spam on LinkedIn - anyone else? #
• 14:29 @answers how long will @johnmccrea take to reach 1500 followers and who will the 1500th be? #
• 14:31 @thereisnoplan I agree:) #
• 14:33 @johnmccrea really curious about the service pans out :) #
• 14:38 @johnmccrea you should buy a coffee to the 1,500th or more :) #
• 14:56 @answes when will Twitter launch an 'app store'? #
• 14:56 @answers when will Twitter launch an 'app store'? #
• 15:23 @adamlashinsky 's piece on Mark Hurd 'everytime v threw him out of the window, he landed on his feet - so v kept moving him up a flr' #
• 15:23 @chrisbrogan profile on Mark Hurd - cover story of latest Fortune #inprint :) #
• 15:34 @zappos assume pst? #
• 15:36 Katzenberg (dreamworks) on 'keeping creatives happy' - ideas are welcome, failure is OK; celebrate often; treat departing employees well. #
• 15:38 @jessiwrites nice column Slumdog suburbia - 203k USD for luxury condo in India blew me away #
• 15:50 @jessiwrites I agree - parents live in Mumbai.also irony that I am reading issue and to now 'end of paper' #inprint at coffee shop :) #
• 15:52 @nichcarlson ask @answers #
• 16:13 @biz E Ink CEO - 'we can't have meaningful discussions or try to solve the world's problems using blogs and 140-character tweets' Agree? #
• 16:23 On Facebook: Mrinal is reading 'End of Paper' on paper. tinyurl.com/d32krh #
• 16:25 @VranicaWSJ I would think so too if one can optimize for economies of scale, imho #advertising #
• 16:26 @iaindodsworth would love to hbe LinkedIn integrated #
• 16:31 Across 20 countries, 62% of respondents say they trust business less than a year ago. Trust in biz is lower than post Enron and dot-com bust #
• 16:46 Some cool market stats - 1b people will be urbanized and join middle-class by 2020 and 58m people eat at mcDonald's every day! #
• 16:48 @karaswisher let me know if it is hard to be a Roman in Rome.... #
• 16:49 @Rafe if not confidential, why not give the work to mechanical Turk? #
• 17:18 @Rafe gotcha - 'mechanical' then sure would me ironic :) #
• 17:20 @tempo fortune latest issue - interview with Mukhtar Kent (CEO Coca Cola) and Jim Skinner (CEO McDonalds) #
• 17:22 @stevecase finished reading about Zipcar in NYT on new Kindle :) - do you see Shai Agassi's Better Place as partner or competition? #
• 17:55 Reading the kindle when 'my car' gets a bath - priceless! twitpic.com/1y3wd #
• 18:21 @indrayam u mean the kindle when the car gets a bath? :) #
• 18:58 When u r batching it, dinner choices for someone 'culinary challenged' is pizza, burger & cereal. Any other manswers? #
• 19:34 @echeyde ah - thank you .... Will have to look it up since I have no clue what that is :) #
• 19:36 @jebritton LOL - thank you. Dove into the comfort zone of some Indian - I mean east Indian :) #
• 19:38 #quote Neitzche - " wit is the eiptaph of an emotion" #
• 20:10 RT @steverubel: Instapaper turns on Kindle support and it's mighty cool. ping.fm/416Ib [now THAT is cool ] #
• 20:11 @steverubel i dont see any instructions on how to use Instapaper on Kindle - any links for that? So no paying for blogs on kindle? #
• 20:16 @steverubel sorry - got it ... the page loaded slow and realized its $0.10 per article. Do you see yourself using it extensively? #
• 20:21 tip @techmeme 'Start-Up Promises More Game Realism' bit.ly/19M2Af #
• 20:24 tip @techmeme 'There Is a Fox in Google's Henhouse' bit.ly/iNOnm #
• 20:48 Reading 'how to search Twitter' by @chris_allison bit.ly/ug5cS #
• 20:54 @zappos_alfred on NBC correct? #
• 21:00 @hnshah OKR seems to be a big google thing - makes sense #
• 21:02 @zappos in front of the tv - when do u come on? #
• 21:06 Twitter Success: Tweet/retweet useful info, help people, engage in conversation, be nice & answer questions. :) (via @mayhemstudios) u bet! #
• 21:10 Watching Celebrity Apprentice to see @Zappos in action... #
• 21:12 Do u think Twitter trends is sorts being gamed for #engineeringjobs ? #
• 21:13 @marshallk I observed the same about @madlid - also a lot on techmeme! #
• 21:18 @Zappos curve ball about blondes and brunettes huh? :) #
• 21:21 @trishussey first 1 1/2 years of CrossLoop, I worked from a coffee shop every day - I love it :) #
• 21:23 @hnshah who is that? #
• 21:24 @dharmesh congrats #
• 21:40 @JesseNewhart interesting that u say 'Twitter posts' and not tweets :) #
• 21:41 @labnol ah - thank u! #
• 23:00 @hnshah thanks #
• 23:01 @zappos Scott's E could be used for Endless huh? :) #
• 23:03 @zappos Zappos #22 under Google hot Trends bit.ly/14n64Y #
• 23:06 Circuit city has the 'closed' sign on its home page :( www.circuitcity.com/closed.html #
• 23:53 Off to continue reading The Black Swan in bed - #inprint - not on the Kindle :) #
• 23:56 If there is one CEO I would like as a mentor for years and years - it's Mark Hurd. CEOs with his humility are an endangered species #

..... you are a Business, Man!

This continues to be a part of 'I Know What I did the Last Time I was Unemployed' Series.

This is one of my favorite quotes that I use often whenever I speak since it seems to say it all. I tactically bumped into it when I was looking for jobs in the last downturn.

Here are the basic parallels that I drew then:

• Product - You

• Brand - your reputation

• Price - Your compensation

Note: Free, like on the Internet, is a good business model as a tactic speaking from experience. It enables you to build relationships and get your customer to 'try before they buy'. I worked for free for the Founder and CEO of EarthClass Mail, Ron Wiener, when I was 'vocationally challenged'. I learnt a lot from him and we are family friends now.
[Update: Another great story in LA Times on how powerful the 'free' model can be - "It's Web 101 for this experienced Intern"]

• Place/Channel/Distribution: Your online identity (For example here are mine on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook etc.) Your online identity is very important since customers research online significantly before buying offline - for example, 77% consumers research reviews and ratings to confirm their decisions in ecommerce world. I assure you, potential employers do the same - before or after an interview

• Promotion - Enable discovery that a product is available for purchase. Blog, email people you know, use tools LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc. 

[Update: The Op-Ed piece in New York Times has an article on blogging if you are Out of Work with examples like 'Recession Wire - The Upside of The Downturn' or that of the 23 year old who was laid off and blogs here]

Remember - its to 'learn' and if you do it well, the letter 'l' will become silent to lead to 'earn'

The above are also great examples since they got quoted in The New York Times - one should definitely try to get  quoted in media articles on today's economy and unemployment rates. A good free source to find your customer (in this particular case - the reporter writing a piece on career or unemployment trends) is HARO

• Customer: Your future (or current) employer

As in any business, distribution is one of the hardest things to do but thanks to social media, one's reach and potential to be where your customer is much higher.

Reid Hoffman, the Founder and CEO of LinkedIn, interviewed on Charlie Rose recently says the same a wee bit differently:

Since I love observing social behavior offline and then online to make some personal notes here, one big one that keeps standing out for me is how different and similar we are socially - online and offline. 

Whether it is through our need to belong ("yearn for contact") by adding friends, instead of making them or our ability to have 100s of friends online but the inability to love our neighbors (no pun intended for the neighborhood here on Vox) or that 25% of Americans have no confidant and the average number of confidants for an American has dropped to 2. 
 
Here are a couple of studies that appeared recently that talk to the differences and similarity:

The Economist: Primates on Facebook
"What also struck Dr Marlow, however, was that the number of people on an individual’s friend list with whom he (or she) frequently interacts is remarkably small and stable. The more “active” or intimate the interaction, the smaller and more stable the group."

The Wall Street Journal Blog: Exploring Twitter Ties
"Consistent with behavior on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, Twitter users interact with a small number of friends compared with the total number of friends and followers declared."

The Mercury News: "Finding our own little worlds has never been easier" by Mike Cassidy
"I wanted to find myself in the continuum of experiences," Wood, 41, tells me, "where speaking with people was neither good nor bad, but it was superfluous."

It turns out that that superfluous place is almost anywhere in America, depending on how you choose to experience it. With the help of Silicon Valley, we have grown into a society where it's possible to quite literally live in your own little world. So much of what we do, we do alone, even while surrounded by people."

We ignore people online all the time - whether its email, a friend request or an @reply on Twitter. As Mike continues to write
"One of Wood's most creative tricks was to rely on what social scientists call "anticipatory disengagement," — in his case putting his cell phone to his ear to avoid conversation.".. or maybe avoid eye contact?

Imagine: The Few, The Real