What manner of man

I was reading: What manner of man. The book is a memorial biography of Martin Luther King Jr.

While reading the book, I got to know many new things. How Mahatma Gandhi and non-violence played a role in King’s life, his utmost belief in Christ, and his attitude of not giving up.

His famous speech: I have a dream and the acceptance statement for receiving the Nobel peace prize says a lot about him and his care and love for the minorities.

important

With a small team and limited resources, one has to be very cautious in what they are building. In the era of COVID19 sales have slowed down, license renewal has gone on hold.

When you are a small team and get a constant influx of ideas, getting carried away and building some new feature or product is normal. We should note that most software companies died not because unable to raise but because they failed to win customers. Building software is easy but building a salable product is difficult.

The era of build, raise, market, and sell cheaper has gone. Now for survival, you need people who will buy your product.

It is very important to build a salable product. Everything else should be considered noise.

Coffee: yes/no

There are a few nights I feel helpless, the reason being consuming excessive coffee in the day. The reason could be multi fold: multiple meetings, demos or need too much attention. These nights serve a reminder of why I should give up drinking black coffee.

For almost the past 5 years I have made morning rituals around coffee. Wake up, grind some beans, listen to some instrumental, and spend some time writing my daily blog and spend an hour reading. By 9 am get out, run 2-3 km. Once back home, get back to daily chores.

I tried replacing coffee with green/hibiscus/chamomile/saffron Tea. It did not work out. I know moderation is the cure, probably I should call it a day after my 1st and only glass in a day.

I was reading this HN post and it reminded me about my love-hate relationship with Coffee. One thing I have realized, quitting is not an option. 🙂

character

Reading What manner of Man, the biography of Martin Luther King Jr one section got my attention. It was about character.

In hiring, we are so desperate to onboard someone super-efficient that we forget about his/her character. Their past work makes us hire them. We forget about their character, how they treat their peers, are they dependable, are they married to the grand vision of the organization.

I am not generalizing that all those 10X engineers have flaws. All I am saying is in hiring we should give equal importance to Intelligence and Character.

Bangalore

Peter Colaco’s Bangalore is a great depiction of Bangalore. He wrote it in 2003 with all his childhood memories about the sprawling city. The book has lovely illustrations by Paul Fernandes. The book is an absolute delight for anyone and everyone who wants to know about this city. Peter has shared Bangalore’s story in one of the finest ways covering its glorious past to the modern now.

If I ever write a book, I am going to follow this same template. 🙂

slow

Have we gotten to fast in the hyper-connected internet world? A single tap on the keyboard and our feeling get transferred in the flick of a second? Sometimes it’s good while others bad.

Instant communication has taken away our peace. The counterpart has to be responded to on the go. We are in the era of context switching. Each app for a different circle: family, friends, office peers.

I kind of miss the old days where we would call once in a month and write letters.

East India Company

I was watching this Video of Shashi Tharoor about British atrocities during 200 years of rule. After the video finished, Youtube suggested an hour-long video of his.

After watching the video, I learned many more things about their LOOT, robbery. I ended up buying his book title: the era of darkness

India was not only robbed, made poor but made vulnerable on all the accounts. Britishers used us as slaves, soldiers, and sometimes proxies to fight among ourselves.

I could not finish the book because of the melancholy it gave me. I know it is past, but it’s inglorious.

others

How much of our life do we have to spend in pleasing others? Be it the aspiration of parents, lover, or a customer. Why do we have to bend down for winning over?

There has to be a trade-off. It should not be a compromise. We have to understand we can not please everyone and remember the opportunity cost.

answers

Can I tell them as things are?
How will they react?
Will it is rude, will I lose my friends?
Do I always have to be likable, not say things as they are?
Is friendship more important than truth?
How painful will it be losing someone, disliked by someone?

Some question in our life has no straight answers.