A Ride to Remember

 "The Ride of a lifetime" by Robert Iger is one of the best business books I have read in recent times. The book is written in simple English and a good and fast read. Reading through the book I could visualize the career of the individual across the different stages.

Highlighting all the major events the acquisition of   Pixar, Lucasfilm (that is, all the Star Wars stuff), Marvel, and most of 21st Century Fox , Robert Iger takes us through the workings of a media company. The reader is taking through the complete journey of Pixar acquisition , his discussions and negotiations with Steve Jobs. Some of the true characteristics of leadership are highlighted when Steve Jobs reveals minutes before the announcement that his cancer has returned.

By realizing that he wasn’t the guy who was going to rebuild Disney’s animation studio, Iger was able to make a big bet that paid off phenomenally well. It clearly goes on to highlight that a leader needs to have the big picture in mind.

How the person rose from the entry level position of the company navigating his way to the coveted job of the CEO. But it was not always so easy for him too , the ride had its own crest's and trough's , Just when he thought thigs are all well and he will get a role he wanted the investors had other plans for him :).. He comes out as a CEO who is such a firm believer in innovation and technology and how not adapting it in time will only make you irrelevant in due course.

It's fascinating to read how with his vision and focus on technology he was able to rebuild the once iconic Disney brand. The book is not the usual business books you would read its worth your time.

Some of the key points which struck and need a special mention and highlight the key leadership traits which helped him and will help every leader :

1. The key management/leadership style when he writes : "It’s a delicate thing ,finding the balance between demanding that your people perform and not instilling a fear of failure in them" ,. This will instill the performance attitude in the individual where they can give their best shot

2. The importance of acceptance and owning up your mistakes  , which applies not only to work but to every aspect of life "In your work and in your life you will be more respected and trusted by the people around you if you honestly own up your mistakes" , we wll make mistakes and will make them in future , what is important is to acknowledge them

3. Be  decent to people , create an environment where people know you will hear them, that you are emotionally consistent and fair minded and they will be given chances for honest mistakes

4. The effort to be the Got To Man "Do the job you have well ; be patient ; look for opportunities to pitch in and expand and grow; and make yourself one of the -people through your attitude and energy and focus that your bosses feel they need to turn to when the opportunity arises" This is highlighted many times in his own career where his work had instilled trust in his bosses who had larger plan for him. Be someone who creates value for the team

5. Be the doer : "Its not the critic who counts ;not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of the deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood" the world has plenty of critics and fence sitters

The book concludes with a summary of his leadership views , some that stuck me are listed above.

This is a book for every one if you are looking for business insights ; leadership gyaan or just want a good read of a humble man who rose up the corporate ranks to successfully run of the biggest companies , a company which we all love 

Sapiens : How did we get here

There are books which you read and remember them as a good read and then you read Sapiens. It is one of the few books I have read which has intrigued me so much. It had been on my reading shelf for quite a while and I once left it mid way. I decided to get back to reading this book once again and what a read it was.

Yuval Noah Harari takes you thorough a journey, literally a journey in a case study based approach. It seems like reading multiple case studies which in the end amalgamate into a case study of humankind where the case writer has given you crumbs along the way ; intrigue you in multiple ways and set your thoughts in motion. I have always been fascinated by the speech from Steve Jobs about the dots connecting backwards and this book is just that.

The journey highlighted by Harari is a clear testament of the of the power of cognitive revolution. Till thousands of years ago we were like others in the ground and then came cognitive revolution. How it led to the gradual disappearance of so many species from the planet and gradual spread of supremacy. It also highlights the power of myth and stories which lead to the growth of empires. The author poses questions which make you think like you might not have thought about your own human race. It makes you think how much we as humans have evolved; the impact of our actions especially on the flora and fauna. What could the world have been had we been more responsible.

The beauty of the book being in a case based approach is that there are no definite right answers and you can always have your arguments and perspectives of what the other side might be. However, it’s a recommended read for anyone looking for a fun and engaging read on human history.

The book is a bit slow paced in the first half and towards the second half it picks up immense pace especially towards the end where the writer highlights on all the possibilities and what the future might look like. I am now looking forward to pick up Homo Deus and see the view of future which the author has in store.

The Spotify Podcast Focus

What is a podcast

In simplest of terms a podcast is a a radio program just like a talkshow which we hear on radio. But it is a on demand service much like the video streaming being done on Netflix, amazon etc. podcasts are more than just a radio show these can be either a few minutes , hour or a complete series which ,might comprise of an interview or a show.

About Spotify

Spotify is an app that provides digital music service that you can listen to a variety of artists’ songs if they put their songs on Spotify. You can search for music and add them to your playlist and save the songs. There will be adds playing sometimes after your song but you have to purchase Spotify Premium to be able to listen to music without the adds. It also provides a range of podcasts which you can listen too and is the second ,out popular service for podcast after Apple Music.

Spotify Acquisitions

In addition to these Spotify has also entered into partnerships with Waze , Discord and very recently with Netflix and ESPN for podcast on Michael Jordan documentary podcast.

With all these focus acquisitions especially in the Podcast domain it is evident that Spotify is focusing on Podcast as the next Big Bet. This is inline with the growing acceptance of Podcasts across the US especially in the under 35 category who have disposable income for these too.

The current pandemic has led to the growth of OTT which is evident from the bump in the number of subscriptions for Netflix , Podcasts might be the next Big thing in terms of people adopting it. 

Exciting space to watchout for ..........

The Ultimate guide to Queen of the hills - Ooty

Back after a long break to writing , the past year has been busy with a lot of events happening and the year also gave me the opportunity to undertake a few travels. I am hoping to get back to writing sharing the experiences of food and travel with you all hoping to make your trip and experience more memorable.

To get a short break from the sweltering heat of Bangalore )yes you read it right Bangalore weather has been really hot this time round) we planned a weekend getaway to the Queen of the hills Ooty.

The Queen of hills doesn’t provide many travel options to the travelers , you can drive by yourself , take a bus ride or a train if you find the connectivity. We took a sleeper bus ride. We were happy that the bus got late as we got the opportunity to enjoy 2 hours of scenic bus ride through the hills , enjoying the coolness of the wind and witnessing the sunrise. Also gave a glimpse of the daily life of people walking about the street and seeing the area come to life after a peaceful sleep.

Ooty provides you a host of options to stay at which you can choose depending on the group you are going with , purpose of the trip and the budget you are looking for.

We zeroed down on Zostel , we had received positive feedback from a friend. The place is near to us stand but if you are heavy on luggage take Auto from the bus stand.

The rooms are nice and clean , the dormitory is good too. The staff is courteous and the manager Zain is very warm. The place has a nice vibe as you will find youngsters in the property. However there are a lot of flies which they can try to do something about. Also the breakfast is avoidable unless you eat non-veg. There are no places nearby but you can use Swiggy post 11 am (we did not order from it though).

If you are a Foodie like me you will definitely want to explore much of what Ooty has to offer. I tried my best to cover as many places as possible in the short trip of 2 days .would like to hear from you about your experience at any of these places or any other place which has not been covered as a part of this blog post.

A south Indian lovers paradise , Ooty Coffee house : A good place if you are looking for South Indian breakfast. The place is like any other tiffin house , nothing fancy but food is good. You can choose to have any south Indian tiffin dish and the place wont pinch you in the pocket. You can always try the ever famous A2B.

Having a wife who is always on the lookout for the café's in town there was not a chance to miss Place to Be ,hidden in a residential locality with a nice and pleasant setting. It’s a bungalow converted to a café and you can have a nice experience when sitting in the Balcony. The place is nice and clean. The cold coffee is really good but the small portion size left me wanting for more. The pizza is nice too and good enough for 2 people. The place is reasonably priced with a meal for 2 priced around 800-900.

When you want to do things which every tourist would doo , Nahar Sidewalk Cafe: the ever famous café at Nahar hotel must have played host to majority of guests visiting Ooty. We tried the pizza, grilled sandwiches and coffee. I found the pizzas to be very overpriced for the size and quality , It was like the typical home style pizza which was over-priced. The grilled sandwich was very nice , I have not eaten a mushroom sandwich with such a hearty filling, I would recommend that. The cold coffee was really good , made just like we wanted it to be. Meal for 2 will be around 900-100. At this price I would recommend Place to be

 

Darjeeling Momos : We went to the place riding on so much hype created on  multiple posts. May be it was our bad day but the Momo's were too Doughy , the schezwan fried rice was just okay , nothing to boast off. I would rate it a 2.5-3 out of 5. The place can be given a miss if you are having any alternates to try.

Savoring a bite of history Willys Coffee Bar : Last but not the least , Willys , the institution which has been there since long and boy we weren't disappointed. The host was so warm and welcoming. The burgers were like your typical homestyle burger in one of the freshest buns ever. The Ginger , honey lemon drink was just perfect and brownies were not like the usual sweet ones but seemed to have more of cocoa. The place is very decently priced. The ambiance is old school but if you are looking for a good meal you cant miss this place.. Meal for 2 will cost you 300-400. I would rate it 4-4.5.

We missed out on Shinkows as the kitchen was closed by the time we planned for a late lunch and Purohit bhjanalay , if you are looking for a homestyle north Indian meal.

You have your usual list of tourist places in Ooty too , we decided to go to pykara district to see the lake (the long queue for the boat ride was a bit of a fight). The drive is nice but there is nothing more to boast off. I would rather suggest to send time chilling with the group and soaking up in the coolness. 

One thing which you must see is the not to famous Toda temple of the Toda Tribe. Located at the outskirts of the city , this place was so peaceful. It was a serene feeling.

If you plan well you should definitely take the heritage train ride between Ooty and connoor. This is something I have done earlier and would recommend a first time traveler to plan for.

You can plan your day trips by booking an auto for 1500 to cover all the places or a car for 1800. We chose Auto to enjoy the wind and the scenes. Me being an avid walker who likes to explore the place on foot we did cover a lot of places on foot 

Autos are available in plenty and seem to be the only mode of local transport unless you are willing to walk or have your own vehicle. The Autos are priced on the higher side by the government and not all the drivers ask for the specified rate. Some will rob you off so negotiate well.

That’s a wrap on this post , would like to hear your thoughts and suggestions on Ooty.

P.S : All photos are clicked by my wife who is passionate for photography. Insta :wayfarerlifegoals

Extracting the most of 1 Year MBA

The one year MBA has recently caught a lot of steam. People are talking about it a lot. The one year MBA provides a window for  working professionals like me to take a break from work and get back into student life. I have been involved in it since last 2 years once I zeroed in on doing my masters after 8 years of  working to take a leap in my professional career.

Of the available programs I had zeroed in on PGPX program from IIM-Ahmedabad, The others being offered amongst the notable  ones are from ISB, IIM-B and IIM-C. On the flight for my convocation I wanted to pen down my views on the key TO DO's to make the most of the program. Some of the WIMIWIAN lingo will be used.

1. Focus on academics: You will have lot of things happening on campus , however for Term 1&2 don't lose focus on the academics. Keep them as your focal point. They are named building blocks for a reason. Term 1 will help you get back into the groove of studying and transition into student life. Term 2 will pump up the ante to another  level. Moreover all the topics covered in these 2 terms are the basics which you need to know and these will cover every aspect of going concern. Hence focus on building your base and understanding the concepts.
2. Focus on grades but don't let them control you: This is something I had mentioned in another post too and would like to re-iterate here. It is always good to have a focus on performing well and getting good grades but don't let grades control you else you will lose the joy of learning. I realized this soon in term 1 and since then learning was such a joy. If you have your concepts learnt well you will undoubtedly end up getting good grades. Trust me when I say this if you re focused on learning grades will fall in place.
3. Don't Procrastinate: This is a serious No-No at PGPX. Be on top of what  is happening , keep up the pace with your readings and assignments. Once you are lag behind you will not be able to play the catch-up game. In such an event leave the readings that has been missed and focus on the next assigned topics. Playing the catch-up game you will always fall behind. If you are lucky to find an off day go back and cover whats missed.. I fondly remember Prof Agarwalla saying this, whats missed now can only be read after March 2018 once you pass out of the institute and that is absolutely true.Ensure you set aside only a reasonable time for every activity and finish within that time. Make the most of the pre-reads they are there for a reason.
4. Leverage your syndicate: Study groups as you might call them are made by the institute. You don't play a  role in making your syndicate but leveraging it to the fullest is upto you and you must make full use of it. The syndicates will be  your lifelifne and leveraging them to the fullest will do wonders. The common ways by which you can underutilize them is by not doing case discussions in syndicate, missing the case discussion or showing up late , going un-prepared or without reading into the discussion or by splitting the assignments thus being aloof of certain group submissions. It will be difficult , you will hear noises from all around that you are wasting time and most importantly all of you will have to make effort. All of you should stick to the grind and work together. Even if it takes 2 hours extra so be it. Keep doing it through the 5 terms.Trust me when I say this one year later you will realize  you made the right choice.
5. Make the most of the opportunities : The program is only one-year and its going to be jam packed. You will be bombarded with readings , case preparations and assignments. But make sure to make use  of  the  other opportunities coming your way. The institute will always have some event happening or some good speaker visiting in to share their knowledge. Try to take out time to listen to them , let their greatness rub off you. Participate and enjoy T-Nite to the fullest, this will be the only respite in term 2. Use the campus facilities , find a hobby and use it as your go to stress buster.
6. Prepare for  your placements: Prepare well or the placements. You can have your friend circle or your coffee group , but in the race for the jobs we are all competitors. Make interview prep groups  with like minded people even if its outside  your syndicate and prepare well with them. You will learn new things and grow as an individual. Turn deaf year to all the noises and keep your focus. Don't give yourself the opportunity to have a thought had I prepared well things could have been different. Getting your perfect CV takes time and don't be afraid of getting reviewed it by peers , they are the ones who will give you the best inputs.
7. Don't get afraid of Data : The program will throw volumes of data at you. Dont get bogged down. This is  one of the key take aways, to take the data head on, analyze and make sense out of it
8. There will be instances when you will have different thoughts and views from others. Be ready to see things from their point of view. Be ready to accept you can be wrong. Learn to unlearn. The sooner you do it the better it will be for you.

In summary the key takeaways will be : Learn to Unlearn and re-learn, ability to work with a highly diverse group and come to a consensus ,work with lots and lots of data and make sense of it.

Wish you all the best !!!

Key learnings from PGPX@IIMA Term 1 - Decoded

With all the rigor and long hours being put in during the term to complete the readings ,prepare for the cases and meet submission deadline it is not possible to reflect back on what the term taught us , however term breaks do provide the window for this. Like the others I too looked forward for the term break which provided the perfect window of opportunity to sit back, relax and reflect upon how the term went, what all it taught and how it is molding our lives. Creating a Google Map and then Zoom in to highlight the key learning and inculcate them.

A quick rewind to 9th April, the day the journey stared for a dream envisioned 12 years ago. It was the confluence of 115 brightest of minds of the industry who undertook a well-informed decision to take a break and pursue their dream either to shift from public sector to private sector or to move from a Technical to CTO role or a serial entrepreneur wishing to take the business to the next level. The flavor to the rigor was added by the life lessons delivered via Prof RaviC amongst others , catching and waking up friends from their power naps .

However, the most important learnings were some of the key takeaways not only realted

Don’t forget to learn: There is a marked difference between learning for grades and learning the subject matter to carry the concepts through life. At PGPX grades are just used to differentiate on the final day who emerges as the topper and nothing else. The institute expects participants to only focus on learning. It took me 10-15 days to let this sink in but the earlier people got over it the more they enjoyed the journey .It helped to focus more on your interest areas with the intent to learn. Every subject and its learning via case studies provided insights on how its applications and learnings can be applied to your home industry. E.g. Adoption of a specific technology in manufacturing sector and how the basics are relevant even in the technology space. How a telecom giant can use data bundling techniques to gain market share. Most of the stuff did not make much sense in the first month but by the end of it different notes gelled together to create music. You would apply concepts of economics and financial reporting in a marketing case, apply the concepts learnt to newspaper articles and have fruitful discussions over breaks. It helped to look at problems from different perspectives and unearth the issues earlier overlooked by business. Moreover, perspectives of people from 20 different industries with diverse experiences in the most candid way added a new dimension to the learning.

Learn to Un—learn: The single biggest mantra to grow and learn at this place, even highlighted by PGPX Chair during induction and was soon implicitly clarified during the case discussions. The place taught to accept that you can be wrong, only then will you absorb the new ideas and grow, as we have all heard “you need to empty the cup to pour in the new batch of coffee”. Arguing for the sake of it doesn’t help support your argument with facts in a way others can understand

Be Ready to get Star struck: When at IIM Ahmedabad be ready to get star struck at the weirdest of moments and weirdest of places. People in their shorts roaming in the campus bumped into Pullela Gopichand, attended meetings the with CEO’s in the most informal way possible but nothing could beat the delivery of knowledge by stalwarts who shape national policies and play a pivotal role in nation building, this is the best experience you can have and only the chosen few get to experience it.

Most Importantly Don’t Forget to enjoy: It was easy to be bogged down by the amount of preparation and reading to be done but don’t forget to enjoy, after all this one year at IIM Ahmedabad is a one-time experience. In addition to all the learning keep the child within alive and have fun. Down memory lane you will not remember hours spent for a specific exam but surly remember the fun night you might have had playing poker or the mafia night out till 6 am in the morning and all the major chit chats during the everlasting syndicate discussions. As Bob Marley rightly said “Some People enjoy the rain, others just get wet”

All in All, the time till now can be summarized as a surreal experience which only raises the bar for the forth coming terms. One thing that can be said hands down there are some things words can’t express and you have to be in it to experience it.

PGPX Experience in a Nutshell

The PGPX program had been the focal point of my life the past year. Its Convocation time at IIM Ahmedabad and soon we will be alumni to the institute. Amidst all the celebration and before the convocation activities set I feel its the right time to write a short reflective post of the past year capturing the moments that have a special place for me.

1. Meeting the highly talented bunch of 115 people from different industries , functions , roles and having diverse experiences. This cohort became my world for the past year and I learnt a lot from everyone of them in one-way or the other. Not studying and Interacting with them on a daily basis will surly be missed.
2. In the first 15 days we received a number of emails from our alumnus. Everyone had a different story and advise to share. Today I have the same outlook each of my batch mates had a different journey and has a different experience. So savor the journey
3. Learning from the faculty. This is one that will be dearly missed. Each of  the faculty members  is so much accomplished but their passion towards the classes and discussions is impeccable. They sum up a perfect combination of achievement , passion and humility.
4. The campus. Although I worked in a company which only had sprawling offices but IIMA campus has its own vibe. the air on this side of the wall is different. I will miss  all the late night syndi walks and my runs across the campus. The campus was my home for a year and staying on campus with the batch mates has helped forge bonds which will last a lifetime.
5. Almost all the lectures. Every subject helped me learn something new. The experience of the classroom and the opportunities to  stand and make presentations in the well is an humbling experience.
6. Placement preparation was a period where we had nerves but  the memories  of  all the preparation helped in re-enforcing the learning and case preps added a new diemsion.
7. Last but the most important my syndicate. The Syndi mates and most importantly all the discussions. This is a place where all the learning was applied and who corrected my mistakes.All the late night discussions and coffee's hold a special place. This was my family for a year and I  will miss working with them.

In the induction program the chairperson had mentioned you are embarking on a journey of transformation the tapasya students will be undergoing. After the year there have been changes in individuals and the bigger  ones will bear time to fruit.

1. A strong belief in the power of teamwork and the magic it can create well the end results are there for  you.
2. A broader  outlook to analyze things.
3. The power of learning and unlearning.
4. Some key concepts which are used so frequently  that they become second nature a part of your muscle memory which are always  put to  use when reading anything 
5. The power of annual reports and the wealth of  information you can gather from them to  be well informed for a meaningful discussion 

I would like  to congratulate the graduating class of 2018. All the best to one and all for your scintillating careers which I know for sure will be very bright. I personally look forward to my journey as a tech strategy consultant.

Thank you IIMA you have been very kind and special !!!!!

Making a DFF Segment Read Only

Many times We are faced with a requirement of making one or more segments of a DFF as Read Only.


This can be achieved by configuring a special value set which when attached to a segment of the value set renders it Read Only




Create a Value set as below :










Attached the Value Set to the DFF Segment


Check the DFF in Front End

Add LOV to Custom Web ADI

When creating a custom Web ADI there might be a requirement to Add an LOV to one or more fields rather than making them Free Text , Oracle provides this option and it can be achieved by changing the Integrator


Query the integrator





add a value to the default type


click on Update





LOV type is selected as standard so that value is fetched dynamically. If needed where clause conditions can be added too





You can add the Hint text so that end user is aware of an LOV availability


Save the changes. Once you open the ADI Upload sheet LOV appears as below



Click to see the LOV