Business to the Buddha

Category: Business

  • Content marketing – A hedonic treadmill!






    I while back I wrote a tweet. This tweet was about content marketing. Content marketing is becoming so widespread and a demand for digital marketing that everyone is writing something “important” for getting a gaze of the prospective client. How does it work?

    Content Marketing
    Content Marketing

    Say I write on Social Media Marketing, I keep on bombarding my content on Slideshare, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, post blogs, infographics, case studies and Quora (there seems to be no end to the list) etc etc just to get Google/Yahoo/Bing notice me and my content. Whenever a prospect searches for “Social Media Marketing” my name should figure out in the results in say first page.

    It seems this is becoming a race to remain relevant. To be more precise an exercise to just remain where we actually are! Over time, we would realize that we are not at the driver’s seat in “content marketing” type of exercise. The algorithms of Google/Yahoo/Bing are driving us. Instead of we doing what we want to, we are driven by the “outer factors” to take action!

    Let us take an example of a treadmill, the treadmill moves irrespective of man walking – yet goes no where. Who is driving that treadmill? Not the man walking on it. I have written earlier about this blind race we all are running, but have we ever thought where are we going? Are we actually seeing or just blindly running on a Hedonic treadmill?

    I think – like anything else – content marketing is going to follow laws of diminishing returns – we’re on a treadmill (of content marketing), we don’t know how to stop it. We don’t know when will we get satisfied. But it’s for sure we are on the path of diminishing returns having more of something doesn’t make us happy (content).

    Hedonic treadmill is a concept for our daily life just came across this interesting article on Jumping off the hedonic treadmill here

    Related – 1. Why are you doing what are you doing? 2. What more you need? 3. Entanglement of a langot 4. Race – never ending

    Related – 1. Why are you doing what are you doing? 2. What more you need? 3. Entanglement of a langot 4. Race – never ending – See more at: http://business2buddha.com/#sthash.9eIArC2R.dpuf
    Related – 1. Why are you doing what are you doing? 2. What more you need? 3. Entanglement of a langot 4. Race – never ending – See more at: http://business2buddha.com/#sthash.9eIArC2R.dpuf

  • Moral markets!







    Do markets have morals? When I read Mr Rajeev Mantri’s article “The morality of markets” (Link) in the Livemint, I asked this simple question to myself.

    Various things came to my mind – i. financial meltdown(s) there are numerous examples of past; namesake recent one in 2008 ii. real estate bubble (again namesake – Mumbai, I have read of similar bubble in China) iii. stock market speculations (working on scrips – I think in India markets traders call it scrip चलाना) iv. crony capitalism*. All these thought made me think the title of the article itself is an oxymoron.

    I am not against free market economy, I am neither a leftist or socialist. When it comes to economics (and politics) I prefer to take the middle path. Just to give you a perspective on why I am not completely agreeing to the point of view of Mr Mantri, watch the following video (reference – my Oct 2013 blog – The Price of Inequality) –

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM]

    Capitalism has its own’s problems, and morality is questioned more often in those economies – be it environmental damages, besides few points I raised above. I believe we should not assume development that happened in the US/Europe as the only way to grow and to prosperity. In fact, we have written records of prosperous India even before anyone knew of USA. We have history of Utopia – Ram rajya. How was it achieved? Do not you think we should try to study that as well? There are more ways than the Left and Right approach we take.

    Coming back to the article of Mr Mantri – he concludes with India having billions of dreams. I do not doubt but here my difference with our own culture comes as a stumbling block. I do not appreciate the Caste divide and therefore disagree with Mr Mantri there – there seems not to be many diverse dreams. For ages we stifled dreams by asking kids to follow a craft or business of his family caste system of old days. These things are bringing me to some circular logic – where I suggest to study old Indian economics and refute social Caste system. What is circular logic? Listen to this song you would understand – (apologies those who dont understand Hindi, it is in Hindi) –

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mchDikR-AAw]

    paisa kamane ke liye fir paisa chahiye.

    Paisa kamane ke liye fir paisa chahiye – Golmaal hai bhai sab golmaal hai…

    An English translation of this song in some future blog.

    Note – * Crony Capitalism – “Gas wars” a recent book in controversies is in my reading list.

  • Change – is it welcome?







    I have a garden. Actually, I had a bit of open space.  It was an opportunity not to be ignored and I converted that open space into a garden. After a while, I put in some plants.  I however felt that the order, organization and quality of the garden could be improved. People visiting and sitting there felt good about the open space converted to a garden but were not happy about the quality of plants and some things which they could not articulate.

    I was obsessed with the success of converting the space into an acceptable garden. One day a respected person whose hobby was gardening visited and suggested that I should bring in more fresh plants and improve the look and feel. I followed the advice, brought new plants and planted them in the available space. That did not solve the problem. A few weeks later, these new plants could not survive. Some died/dried and some lost their beauty. I again asked for help from the same person. He asked to see the new plants that I had brought into the garden, I told him about those plants. He said that those were not suitable plants for that particular garden, for the climate this city. [This is our habit, we try to find out wrong with the possible change]

    He further added, “Why don’t you try different plants?” I did it again; this time too the results were no different. Now, I thought that I should go to some expert. Fortunately, I met one, shared my problem with him and gave him the history of the last couple of months. He too shared the same opinion as the hobbyist.  He however added that my plantation and watering process had issues, I should have put in some fertilizers etc.

    I was not convinced – Once bitten twice shy. This time, instead of relying on just advice and suggestions I asked a professional farmer/gardener to visit my garden. He came, I offered him some coffee; we discussed what had been happening and we visited my garden. He said everything was right but, you did not weed out the weeds! I didn’t understand so with all humility I asked him – to explain.  He said – “Pravin, over time, if you miss out on opportunities, if you overlook a few things, some plants become susceptible of weeds and unwanted – not good – plants also grow in the ground. At times this happens because of the soil with which your new plants were planted. That soil might have had those weed seeds.

    “So what is the solution?” I again asked him humbly.

    He said – before investing any further in your garden, you do a few things. Firstly make your garden worthy of new plants. Secondly, take care of the soil and make it a habit to water and fertilize the ground. After a couple of weeks go to the market, bring suitable plants for your garden, capable of flourishing in the local climate.

    Lastly, remember that you cannot leave your garden at god’s mercy. You have to keep an eye on it, keep on investing in fertilizer, watering, weeding etc and keep on maintaining the garden. Perhaps, find a person who can do all this over a period of time, if you are finding it difficult to do so yourself.

    Now replace as following –

    Garden as your organization.

    Plants as your employees – some of whom make the garden grow weeds!

    Water, ground, soil as culture and future (strategy)

    New plants – new hires

    Valuable advisers – You know who are they.

    PS – This is just a story, author does not own any land, not even a wheel of bicycle, forget owning material thing 🙂

    This was just a way to express how Organization change can fail. For knowing more on Change Management please reach the Author

  • Just arrived!







    I was standing at the platform, waiting for train. I was worried because rainy seasons trains are either late or cancelled. Naturally, platform was very crowded. Thankfully, a train arrived. Without any exception, unreserved category was already jam packed. People looming out side the gate as well. So, a few standing on platform jostled to get in, traveler standing on gate said – “there is no place why are you pushing me”. People standing on platform still tried pushing almost quarreling with – kind of – “gatekeepers”. They kept on pushing stating they want to get it and place can be made etc. Some reached from platform to the train compartment no doubt looming on the gate. Once they reached in – they started saying to those who were still trying – “there is no place!”

    Instead of trying to board the train – I was looking at the faces of those who had just “arrived” from the platform to the train boggy!

  • Solutions…







    The security guard welcomed with this question साहब, आज रविवार है! आज दफ्तर मैं? (Sir, its Sunday today! You came to office?)

    With a sigh I looked at the guard, asked him if someone is around ask him to give me a cup of coffee and some water. I’d not tell him – my wife and I fought, nothing new happens in almost all families. We were struggling with our personal relationship and there came another dispute of her relatives and my relatives. I could not stand that problem, came to office thought it would be a change and I can catch up with some of my deliverables.

    Neither coffee came nor water, it made me little annoyed adding fuel to fire. Well, I understand office boy was not in office on weekend. A couple of days went by, same thing happened next weekend. Again no water or coffee came in. Now I was very furious. No solace here too. I decided to join our office’s team which has organized a recreation trekking event the next weekend. My wife wanted a change she had already gone to her parents home.

    For a first timer like me the trek was tough. An accident happened and I sustained fracture and few bruises. I had to spend some days in hospital. My wife rushed to the hospital however there were same issues at the back of the mind. Those few days at hospital gave me time to think.

    I was running away from problems. I avoided one problem, just to meet with another. Running from this other problem, ended up in being hospitalized.

    How often this happens that we run away from one problem instead of solving that problem, just to bump into other. Solutions require patience and a serious thought. Why the problem occurred? What are the possible reasons, can we fix the reasons? In Operations Management these fixes are called – preventive actions and corrective action. According to ASQ corrective action deals with a nonconformity that has occurred. A preventive action addresses the potential for a nonconformity to occur.

    I observe short term quick fixes – patchwork (in Hindi – थूक पट्टी) everywhere. Look at the reaction to 2008 financial crisis. We should have strictly handled the responsible however some of the culprits made millions and left the world tattered. No action taken against them. We’re fixing the economies by pumping money, those who could not game the system earlier, came and made their millions. Now once things seem hunky dory, QE may going to put us back in trouble.

    The solutions we device in our desire for quick fixes are – avoid the problem. The same happened in above example at micro level, same is happening at macro level in national and international levels.

    Post Script – Author is unmarried. Story narrated is a work of fiction, any resemblance to living/dead is merely a coincidence.

  • Special situation needs special solution







    Crisis unites, for how long? I was thinking about Quantitative Easing of Fed in the US. While thinking undoubtedly read G20 communique of 2009 e.g. London Summit here. A prologue about this communique. In 2008, US financial market collapsed. This resulted in domino effect across geographies. Every country, its financial system and thus citizen of the country were adversely affected. Do not ask me – what happened to those who were responsible for this collapse? Many of them made huge money and (almost) vanished! as – according to the books – they earned legitimately. Coming back to the point – otherwise a competitive world became a co-operative world. The mindset changed like this –

    “…We will conduct all our economic policies cooperatively and responsibly with regard to the impact on other countries and will refrain from competitive…” (source – London Summit communique para 12).

    I am forced to think – do we need crisis to unite the world and people?

    The thought is in the mind because now, when things seem to be fine with the US economy or may be just because US Fed wants to reduce burden on its balance sheet they came up with a solution of QE and rest of the world feels US is renaging the agreement/communique.

    I assume, we may go in another set of moderate crisis in coming time, we have not come out of the crisis completely. However, perhaps, this time world would have lesser belief on Govts, financial system and the cooperation as agreed by the leaders, economists and Financial Organizations.

    The trust deficit we live in – or we will live in – requires special measure. A special situation demand a special solution. Since, I am more of an spiritual person I feel the solution is moving towards spirituality. This can be done two ways – bringing spiritual lessons in corporate life or making corporate values resonate, implemented and executed spiritual life. Signing a document does not solve problem in long term – we are seeing that happen through tapering of quantitative easing by USA.

    Disclaimer – Author doesn’t intent to criticize QE, author is of the opinion of looking at the basics of the problem – Greed. Author has written few blogs on Greed earlier here.

  • ‘Sahara’ – for whom?







    It was in early 2000 or 2001. I was standing at a small shop in Indore. A person came at this shop and the shopkeeper – Naresh – gave him 5/- (INR 5). They talked for some time about next day – Sunday shop being closed, how are the kids doing, what is happening in general. Naresh gave him a small diary; visitor wrote something in that and went. That diary looked like old time bank passbook.

    I asked Naresh what was that? Was that Hafta – That is “security money”? That money is paid unaccounted for to the local goons (as I knew it that time). Naresh smiled at my naivety. He said “no, its a bank for very small businessmen.” I had a question mark on face? “Does a bank come to you that too at 6PM or late?” I was not convinced. He said – “we cant leave our business and go to Bank, we are small people – lowest middle class if not lower class, many big banks wont take deposit from us as low as INR 5, that too daily. We surviving on small businesses dont have savings such that one day we will deposit huge sum. If money is with me, I will spend & sure on something worth its while. That way savings does not happen with us/me.” So, I said what is this guy doing, what is his business? Naresh told me – he is my school friend, he works with the banks, he comes and collects money. Generally, when we need money we tell him in advance he comes with some, gives it to us and makes entry in the passbook too.

    Banking at that time was not something interesting to me – MBA & financial crisis made it interesting. I forgot to ask him the name of the bank also I was more interested in knowing that things were lawful e.g. No Hafta. I had almost forgotten this incident, but during my MBA and post MBA remembered these things specially in case of micro-finance. When I read about Sahara group – I felt that incident was related to Sahara group. In fact I wrote a blog on the same- Collective Materialism keeping that experience in mind and after reading something more about Sahara group.

    Now, we hear negatively about Sahara group, sure there must be something wrong therefore Supreme Court of India and SEBI is behind Sahara group. Than recently I read Live Mint article – Is Sahara India’s Swiss bank? I was surprised and felt that yes, micro-finance is basically for people like Naresh; but who is stopping black money to be saved in this kind of banking system ? I am not sure, though. I support such initiatives in which marginalized people are empowered, and hope these initiatives will be lawful.

    “Sahara” is a Hindi/Urdu word that means support. I am not giving the verdict, I am questioning myself – this ‘Sahara’ is for whom? Naresh – a small businessman – or for black money of the corrupts?

    Check – Sahara Philosophy

  • Why wait?







    Last week I wrote on being at a crossroad. Generally, we are all making some or the other decision. I specially like entrepreneurs who need to be constantly analyzing situations their business and survival + growth. Life becomes very interesting, challenging and driven by passion. One has to balance between Guts, Analysis and if possible one can work on instinct with the help of awareness. Follow my one tweet recently.

    I am no expert, yet feel there has to be a balance in life. Balance between extremes. Whether its about love or hate, passion or dispassion, emotions and logic or Socialism and Capitalism. The balance (which we professionals) generally is restricted to something such as Work-Life balance. Balance goes beyond that limited definition. Yet for the time being assume balance as work-life balance. I want share a news few months back.

    Founder of Hexaware, Mr Atul Nishar sold off his stakes in the company and the news was that he wanted to go for a 10 day Vipassana meditation. Read the news here – After selling Hexaware, Atul Nishar longs for ‘nothingness’. I am no one to comment on a very successful businessmen yet in the news one point made me think.

    QUOTE – “I have been constantly working for more than last 30 years and never took a break. This is a great opportunity for me to take a pause and feel nothingness,” says Nishar… UNQUOTE

    I was thinking that there are two options – 1. learn from this statement and start bringing balance in life now or 2. struggle tirelessly and – may be and may be – one day we’d be next Mr Nishar to experience “Nothingness”. Question is, why wait? concurrently why go on any extreme? Grow as businessman/professional and spiritually together?

    Related blogs – “Balance”

    The Middle path, Balancing Act, Irony, Dichotomy on happiness…

  • At a crossroad







    Kala Ghoda festival just concluded, in Mumbai. My sister and her four year old daughter – my niece, Chinu – religiously followed the festival. Yesterday was the last day of the festival. I was there for few hours.

    Instead of events, I spent time wandering around. At about 10:30 or so we were about to get back to our car, parked near Westside at Kala Ghoda. My sister looked at a temporary shop of Rajasthani necklace. A flute seller hawker came to us. My niece has already bought a flute, I started seeing flutes. This flute seller was very good with playing flute. He taught us a few thing, in fact he played a raaga and told us its composition Aroh Avroh. Than he told us how to play with different notes and how a Sa, can be played differently.

    My sister came after a while and she made a very strange yet meaningful observation. She said – “Look at the irony of life. Look at the display of Westside – Gourmet. They have displayed exotic foreign brands, especially of hard drinks. Just on the footpath of this display this woman is selling traditional necklace, this fellow playing so wonderful flute and the overall cultural festival of Kala Ghoda. We are literally at the crossroad.”

    We observe rarely, every moment we are at a crossroad. The decisions we make or the market places we obliviously cross in our routine. I have crossed Kala Ghoda numerous times, yet never observed what my sister told me. Few of my friends started their business, they make tough decisions all the time, they cannot be unmindful about their decisions. I know what tough time an entrepreneur goes through in the initial years.

    We are at crossroad; how often we realize it?

  • Eating for the sake of eating?







    I was reading blog of Thich Nhat Hanh – a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk. It is an irony that I’m an Indian, however this Vietnamese monk introduced me to the Buddha in true sense. I read his book Old Path White Clouds and I came to know the Buddha I know now.

    In his blog – The Value of Being Together when I read the point of Happiness, I remembered an incident of my life, sharing here.

    Once, I went to a restaurant – Annapoorna Bhojanalya – in Indore with one of my friends Vijay Sharma. It is a rajasthani/Gujrati thali style joint at Jail road in Indore. Its quality of food is very good.

    We sat and ordered our thali. I was eating very slowly, not noticing anything. I was enjoying the food. I was completely into the process of eating. Well, may be that is called meditation. After some time (usually time in which a sane person should complete eating his meal) almost every second person was looking at me. I was still eating, slowly and in all likelihood mindfully. On a lighter note, I did not over eat! 🙂

    I remember, while going out after the dinner Vijay told me “…what was happening?” I didn’t understand the question. He said everyone was looking at you the way you were eating. I had no idea what that meant. Well, he completed the sentence by saying – “…that was not in any derogatory terms. Something was different than usual while you were there.” This was what was happening there “…we eat as slow as we can so we can enjoy our freedom. . We can listen to the taste in our mouth.” (from Thay’s blog)

    Do we eating for the sake of it or we’d do this also completely, in meditation?

    Disclaimer– Author is neither Buddhist, nor a seasoned practitioner, just an explorer of the path; not authority on meditation either.