cave

Most of us are living in our little cave. Our needs, friendship, and longings are limited to ourselves. What we like is part of the cave. What we dislike is irrational, wrong, or moronic. We are hurt with the discomfort even though they be the reality of life. Our limited knowledge is our ignorance.

I was watching Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and, it got me thinking. How uncomfortable we become at surroundings or self at unusual instances: A job interview, Date et all. Our perception and expectation have been set and conditioned since eternity. We are not looking beyond it and, we get a shocker.

What would you reply to a job interview if they ask about your meaning of existence? Will you tell them it a technical interview and you have not prepared to for answering this kind of question?

What would you reply to your Date if he/she asks you about the journey of life instead of materialistic possesions or conversations about your Instagram pics? Will, you put them in the loser category and never meet them?

destroy

I am not writing this as an ambassador for the protection of the global environment. I saw the documentary on Netflix last evening: David Attenborough: A life on our planet. I could see the destruction we have done to our habitat for our greed and want for more.

The documentary covers various aspects of the disappearance of wildlife species because of deforestation for growing soy/palm oil fields to the killing of fishes from the ocean and the death of corals and sea organisms.

Our progress with time has only caused calamity to nature, the rise of carbon emission, industrialization, growing foods on insecticides, and other chemicals. The overconsumption has resulted in breeding animals in the cage instead of nature.

I am part of this problem too. As a kid eating non-vegetarian food was a special occasion. Now it is commoditized and takes a few mins to be delivered to the doorsteps. We would use soap or shampoo a few days a week. There were Holi and Diwali only occasions for buying new clothes. We could get our slippers repaired, so most of our electronic gadgets.

We knew the source of our food: meat, fish, milk, or vegetables. They don’t exist now as the newer generation migrated to cities for more money.

I can donate to some non-profit and live guilt-free life thinking that would account for my carbon emission. Is that the solution? I don’t know.

co-pilot

What will happen to the plane if the co-pilot is not sticking to him checklist? It will result in an accident. A plane requires both pilots to stick to their task. What will happen if the crew will not serve their passengers with love and care? There will be an uproar. What will happen if in a long distant flight inhouse entertainment breaks down? The guests will not be happy.

Now replace co-pilots with founders, the crew with team members, and in-house entertainment with the product. The smooth functioning of a startup requires it all to work as an orchestra. Any single piece not performing as desired can create havoc. It can derail the entire startup.

So running and aircraft and a startup are the same. One mistake and life of the crew, members, and well-wishers all goes to dump. Hence the most important part is picking a co-pilot and then the crew members.

the tyranny of metrics

The industry I am in, we give too much importance to metrics. Our success, failures, and improvements each of it depends on the numbers. The side effect of this is that we end up giving more importance to metrics than execution and results. I picked this book title: the tyranny of metrics by Jerry Muller.

 The book covers many industries and how putting metrics as an incentive for salary or promotion resulted is worsening the service. 

The author sites some flaws, the outcome of measuring metrics. These are the contents of the book. 

We end up measuring the most easily measurable. 

We end up measuring inputs rather than outcomes.

We result in degrading information quality through standardization. 

At instances, we end up lowering standards by improving numbers. 

Many instances, Police did not report a burglary, rape cases for better metric on crime numbers by distorting and omitting data.  

Our 2008 financial crisis is a result of cheating with the metrics.

At instances, hospitals did not admit many sick patients and sent them to other hospitals. It will result in less fatality after operated in those hospitals. 

Does it mean measuring metrics should not happen? The author has presented with a checklist in case we have to do productivity measurement on metrics.

  1. What kind of information are you thinking of measuring?
  2. How useful is the information?
  3. How useful are additional metrics?
  4. What are the costs of not relying on standardized measurement?  
  5. To whom information be made transparent?
  6. What are the costs of acquiring the metrics?
  7. Ask why the people at the top of the organization are demanding performance metrics.
  8. How and by whom are the measures of performance developed?
  9. Remember that even the best measures are subject to corruption and goal diversion.
  10. Remember that sometimes, recognizing the limits of the possible is the beginning of wisdom.

Rejection

Why are we so scared of rejection? Don’t we know we have this one little life? How will we be rejected without trying?

I keep getting told reasons about not proposing the girl or starting a startup or switching the next big job as 1st employee. In most instances, we gave up without even trying.

Our life does not depend on what others say or their actions. Acceptance or rejection is part of life. But giving up even before trying is cowardice. Why do we have to blame our situations for our rejection? Why are we living our life like a zombie, wanting something else from it, and losing to rejections?

How many rejections our freedom fighters would have gone before getting the country out of Britishers? What happened to Sylvester Stallone while he went to make Rocky?

battle

We are mere mortals, just breathing. We are fighting to stay alive and relevant. What I mean by fighting is the dogma of society, insecurity of ours, and pessimism of our subordinates. We cannot excel at everything and, that is why we have to work our circle of competence.

Social media is full of opinions, anger, and suggestions. Some people are blaming the government while others our media(including me). The more and more I think it appears we have few things in our control: we can vote to pick the right candidate, we can stop watching that news channel and, their TRP will fail.

We can not suggest or garner our opinion on everything where we have no role to play. We have to pick our battle and make the world a better place.

We blame the atrocities towards our farmers but are we taking care of our employees well. We shout on the ill-treatment of women, are we treating our daughter well, and are we giving her equal opportunity compared to the son?

I keep reminded what Karthik said: Apna Kaam Karo. Let us give the best to what is in our control, give our best at it.

transactional

We are living in a transactional world. Be it your lover, your kid, or colleagues. Everyone likes to be helped and align with those who are out there for the rescue.

The measure of our success is the wealth we have accumulated or the worldly possessions we own. Our pedigree or job role gets followers for their benefits.

Knowing that all these are temporary and all we have to do is to help without expecting in return to keep mental peace. It resembles with the old Urdu saying: “Neki Kar Dariya Me Daal”

Our vices have made us opportunists, helpless, and slaves to our desire. We have to live with it and keep moving.

Insult

Have we become more feedback averse? We feel insulted when a subordinate, mentor gives us critical feedback. We end up engaging in passionate conversation, proving our position. Do we feel threatened? Do we get scared? Or it has more to do with our pride?

I feel our level of tolerance, seeing, and taking feedback in real aspect has deteriorated. We cannot take things at face value. Our ego and emotion take over. We start hating our advisor or someone who says things against what we would like to hear.

How much a roadside guy or a social media faceless person means to us? How and why their response makes us angry? We feel insulted over one’s remark that has no importance to our life.

Technology

Has technology made a better life for us all? We will get a mixed answer for the same.

Ask a son living in the metro who speaks to his parents every morning and shares his day via video conference. It seems magic, a family connected via technology and sharing lives.

Now there are other incidents where propaganda and bigotry with fake news causing riots and killing others.

Is it not the same technology but at two instances resulting differently. How much should we blame the carrier, technology? Is it not about our consciousness instead of blaming technology?

Why should the actions of a few make life miserable for most others? I keep hearing mobile networks bought down. The internet halted because of religious tensions. I feel sad for those old parents or growing up kids.

stories

Have you ever asked your maid about her story, what made her come to Bangalore and help you with the daily chores for earning? The vegetable vendor on the street who exchanges greetings and offers fresh items? The hotel waiter who smiles seeing you because he knows he will get some tips. These are a small set of people I interact with almost every week. In your case, there might be a different set.

I know capitalism has made us a racehorse and social media its slave. But if you listen to their story, you will not have to waste money on buying inspirational books from Amazon or listen to Dale Carnegie. You will relate to them more than everything else. Their hardship is an everyday thing, and willingness to go against all the odds is an eye-opener.

Why have we made them invisible, why can’t we listen to their stories?