'Expensr' - The Next Disruptor

Recently, CNN's Business 2.0 magazine had come up with a compilation of the Top 10 startups that are most likely to topple existing industries or create entirely new opportunities, named 'Next 10 Disruptors'.

One of them that caught my attention was a startup named 'Expensr', that has been co-founded by an Indian by the name of Shawn Gupta. The idea is unbelievably simple! Its a handy, free on-line tool that helps you manage your personal finances by tracking your budget and daily spending habits, with a very user-friendly GUI. One of the smart features that propels its popularity is social-network feature that helps you compare your spending habits against your peer group around the world. (https://www.expensr.com/)

At firsthand, I really couldn't believe that this concept could make it into the coveted list rubbing shoulders amongst other invention-based startups. But then, as has been rightly quoted in the magazine "Disruption can be hard to see, even when it's right in front of your face"!!

Spamming as a vocation!

Please don't get me wrong.. No, i've never tried my hand at it! However, chain-mailers have always fascinated me. I've come to believe that their's is one of the most creative jobs!! They manage to dupe fairly intelligent people to send out copies of essentially stupid mails with untrue information to everyone on their list.

Now what is the motive of these chain-mailers? Simple: They get a kick in seeing their message go around the world with minimal effort and at no cost. And at times if people are extra stupid, they manage to extract sensitive information as well. They appeal to people at two levels: rational and emotional. Most people succumb to one of these. Its interesting to see how they do it.

At a Rational level, they bring out the inherent greed in people. Sample this: "Bill Gates would pay $1000 for every mail forwarded as it helps him to test some Microsoft mail tracking software". This hoax mail went round the whole world in 1997! Even if Gates had paid a tenth of the money, Microsoft would have gone bankrupt years back!! Another irritating mail is that of Yahoo or Orkut deleting accounts of people who don't forward the mail to everyone on their list.

At an Emotional level, people are suckers to do a LOT of good without spending a penny out of their pocket! How many times have we heard of a baby with 'small cell cancer' or some other unpronouncible disease looking for help and that a poor sponsor will donate $1 for every mail sent. There are ones with emotional blackmails like "If you love your parents forward this or else, shame on you"!

There are other specimens that curse people with definitive things like a break-up or worse, 'bad sex for 5 years'!! God save the victims :)

Taking it too far.. Pizza 'dhabha' Hut

Last week when I walked into a Pizza Hut outlet in Hyderabad Central, I was handed a queer looking menu.. Upon flipping it open, I was shocked for a second as to whether I was in a road-side dhabha on the national highway! An all-pink menu decorated with hindi words and coarse-looking pictures was definitely not palatable.. To add to it, items like seekh-kabhab pizza to what not, made it even worse.. I am certainly not against dhabha kind of food, but I'm against it being served in a place like Pizza Hut..

The multinationals are taking the concept of GLocalization just too far.. Anyone would drop into a McDonalds or a Pizza Hut for the westernized brand and the authentic food (ofcourse with a little Indianization).. However, this kind of far-fetched moves would dilute the brand's perception and worse, might not bring in the additional expected customers..

Homecoming!!

Last week had been extra sweet.. I had been away from campus for about 3 months, but was already getting nostalgic.. I got a chance to visit Delhi on official duty briefly and managed to take a weekend out..

The saturday and sunday was hectic with a visit to all the usual hangouts.. satya niketan, rajinder dhaba, supreme bakery, munirka amongst others!! We managed a mini reunion of people working in and around Delhi, at Ansal's plaza :) It was nice to see all the faces and hear their version of the corporate stories..!

The search for an 'appropriate' subject..

I get a strange feeling when I sit down to write a new post. What do I write about?

Probably it must be the job and the additional baggage. When I used to write from Delhi during my MBA days, I had never minced words when it came to pulling the legs of my friends or voicing my opinion about some sensitive issues that surrounded me!! Well, its a good thing that they had taken it all in right the spirit and spared me extra 'bumps' during my bdays and other's! However, its not practical to extend it on a similar note to my co-workers! Many a time I had glanced through blogs of socially irresponsible employees who had washed dirty linen in public and had turned their blogs into rumour mills. A nasty way to vent ire indeed..

However, a little contemplation gives answers to these questions. It indeed is possible to keep moving.. just spare the pointed references and bring in some anonymity whenever things could get personal to someone or something. However, I'm not sparing my old pals yet! Sorry, you would have to bear with me for some more time!!

Blogger's Block!!

2 months and 10 days... well, thats how long the 'block' has managed to survive, thanks to the frenetic pace of change and activity that surrounds my existence presently.. This gap was something I had dreaded of, from the moment I created my webpage..

In the past, there have been many a weeks wherein I had longingly browsed through my past blog-posts, all the while consoling my 'inner writer' that, his time will come too, yet again!! Now that I'm back here, its feels like a whiff of fresh air is blowing and making me feel lighter.. It just reminds me that writing has been one of my most enjoyable hobbies and I've thoroughly enjoyed every minute I've spent blogging..

After this comeback, my 'inner writer' (and you ofcourse) can rest assured that there would be steady posts coming in here.. The revised frequency would be about once a week, unless ofcourse I manage to have an out-of-the-world-happening like our 'Agra tour' (This still is one of my most favourite posts!!) Keep watching this space..

Ciao

Vacation Diary

The past couple of weeks I have been on a whirlwind tour of Tamil Nadu, zipping across the length of the state. Perhaps, I’ve covered more constituencies than the touring political leaders! After a brief visit to Chennai to meet some old buddies, I went on a short vacation to Hogenakkal with my parents and sister’s family. The main attraction is a canyon of the river Cauvery that is around 200 ft deep. It was vacation of a different kind with bathing in the waterfalls and a fun ride in the river by means of ‘parisal’, the traditional basket boats (called ‘Coracle’ in English)! The famous ayurvedic massage (by a masseur, of course) and freshly fried fishes by the riverside were added attractions.

This is perhaps one of the very few places that still preserves and boasts of this antiquated mode of water transport which is said to be dated to the pre-Roman period. At about 70km from Dharmapuri, Hogenakkal is for sure an exciting and different weekend getaway. It is at the very end of the TN state border as one crossing the river would land up in Karnataka! Those of you who plan a trip there don’t miss out the Crocodile park which houses more than 400 of the reptiles.

After coming back to Madurai, I caught up with my rustic roots by paying a visit to the cluster of villages in the Chettinad heartland. I attended some functions, met up with relatives and went to places of worship. As CECRI alumni would know, a visit to the region is incomplete without a visit to Pillayarpatti, the favorite abode of the Elephant God and also the last resort of the Cecrians at the time of exams and placements! After doing all this traveling when the mercury was at its zenith, I must admit that the packed and overflowing buses in the summer heat would put Hitler’s gas chambers of WW II to shame! I am presently resting in Madurai, for a breather before I begin the next leg of my touring.