The inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar series refracted through Siraj’s prism

The Warrior!

In the last BGT in Australia, Siraj took 20-wickets. No one celebrates this; we think he flopped. He returned from that tour doubting himself. He couldn’t take wickets and his radar seemed broken => batters were feasting on him down the leg-side. His IPL was good not great (16-wickets, 15-games, #13 overall). He couldn’t recognize the man in the mirror. Was Siraj cooked?

Cooked or not, he arrived in England 2-months ago squarely as Bumrah’s sidekick. Things began well in that first test and there was a glimmer of hope. Sidekicks need their main man to succeed, and so it went with Bumrah—Siraj. Bumrah clicked, Siraj mirrored him, and they shared the spoils in the first innings. India set 371 for England to chase to win, an uphill battle for any team let alone against our locked-in bowling attack. Victory was within India’s grasp.

Sadly, that thing with sidekicks mirroring their main man came full circle in the 4th innings. The English astutely saw Bumrah off after which they pummeled Siraj and co. as they scaled the impossibly uphill 371, their second highest chase of all time. Bazball had put Indian fans on notice as our team went down 0–1.

Akashdeep overshadowed Siraj in the second test as we leveled the series at 1–1. Shubman Gill was the hero with the bat, our bowlers showed up sans Bumrah, the English caved on day-5, and Siraj showed signs of his 2021 self. Hope started to build again…

Sadly, this hope was extinguished on day-5 of the third test at Lord’s. At the cathedral of the game we love, the last wicket partnership of Jadeja and Siraj had brought India teasingly close to an epic win. And then, disaster struck off a benign, ordinary off-spinner’s delivery. The lasting image of England winning this hard-fought test featured two men prominently: To the right was a broken man, Siraj, staring at the pitch while another to his left, Bashir, was celebrating with a raised, broken finger. Exultation & anguish, raw emotion memorialized on a cricket pitch.

Would this image of a despondent Siraj after he watched a ball roll back on to the stumps & dislodge a bail be the one fans carried with them into the future? Siraj had to believe he would get a chance at redemption, but time was running out. 2–1 for England.

England batted just once in the fourth test. Our bowling unit was so lost that the English made their second highest score of all time in that one inning! It took India showing true grit to bat out the last 5-sessions to save the series and make the final test meaningful. At 2–1 we were still down but in with a chance to level the series. Next stop, The Oval in London.

Fast forward to the morning of August 3. After three days of bowlers finally dominating batsmen, England were set 374-runs to chase for all the glory. A result was guaranteed. Could India stop England and exorcise demons from the first test. Or would England chase this total down and be worthy winners of the trophy? 23-days of excruciating and spellbinding cricket had brought these 22-men to one final battle to decide who would win the war.

On this eventful day-4 with India just about getting their nose ahead, we arrived at yet another key moment. Harry Brook looked ominous on 19 when he top-edged a fiery ball from Prasidh Krishna. Siraj watched that ball all the way into his safe hands only to take a step back and touch the boundary. Not out and 6-runs to Brook. Siraj was crestfallen. Indian fans gasped in horror!

Was this error in judgment the final straw? Did Siraj just drop the trophy? Flashback to Gibbs dropping Steve Waugh in the 1999 WC semi-finals and Waugh’s subsequent comment, “You’ve dropped the World Cup, mate”. This Siraj drop seemed to suck all the energy out of the 11-Indians on the field, and the game slipped away from us. Before we knew it, England were 301 for 3 and the end was nigh!

And then, like a tease, hope sprung anew. Brook charged Prasidh, lost his bat after contact, and skied an easy chance to Siraj who finally held on without an error. Brook had scored 92-runs since Siraj’s costly error, and his blitzkrieg had flattened the Indian team. England ended the day needing 35-runs with 4-wickets remaining. WnViz gave them an 81% chance of winning. With our chances at a mere 19%, Indian fans, the media, everyone skewered Siraj; he was the cause of our woes; the tank of hope was empty!

Thank God that Siraj didn’t care. On Day-5, he channeled all this heartbreak and intense scrutiny into digging extremely deep to conjure the performance of a lifetime this morning. His 56-minute spell in tandem with Prasidh was a masterclass in seam, swing, line and length bowling with hostility. In a fitting gesture, the stadium erupted when he took the last English wicket by uprooting Atkinson’s off-stump with a swinging Yorker. We had won; Siraj & Prasidh had willed the team to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. Justice had been served for patience, perseverance, and hard practice, finally!

This was an epic series with many exclamation points. But nothing was more powerful than Siraj’s final flourish against all odds. His road to redemption has been long, winding, and painful, but he can stand tall and proud again. Bravo!

iPhone as webcam for macOS for free ($0.00)

Welcome to everyone working from home who wants to reuse their old iPhone (iPhone 6 owners like me) as a webcam vs. buying a USB camera that needs a USB-A port that my MacBook Air/Pro just doesn't have (even with a dongle, these are premium ports).

Here's how I set myself up (all product links are direct, not affiliate):

1. Bought a gooseneck webcam mount from Amazon. Only paid item here: $9.49 (with 5% coupon).
2. Downloaded the Iriun iOS app
3. Download the Iriun installer for MacOS (or Windows).
4. Fire up Zoom and check for updates; install updates if there are any. 

Once you have installed the macOS application, you might have to reboot your computer for Zoom to recognize the newly available video source. With the software downloaded, you are ready to go:

1. Setup your mount
2. Start the Iriun app on your iphone
3. Start the Iriun app on your Mac
4. Start Zoom, select the Irium camera as your source.

If you prefer video instructions, the Think Media team created one just for you: Smartphone as Webcam

Here are pictures of my setup:

I haven't found a simpler and cheaper setup than this for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype. I haven't tried this with Google's videoconferencing solution, so YMMV. Good luck!

Manoj’s Capability Cloud

28-habits of highly likeable people

Likeable people are both charismatic and memorable. They also happen to be highly successful. But, being likeable is difficult. You want to be seen as an agile decision maker, someone with a clear point of view even in contentious situations, someone who is not a "pushover" or too keen to please, and someone who can debate the merits of their proposal. How do you accomplish these objectives while being likeable as well? That's the million dollar question.

As an engineer, I was trained to find the right answer, to be precise. These characteristics made me good at my job; they didn't quite me good in social situations. A good friend of mine once told me that I could be "edgy". She was right; when impatient or upset, my tone of voice would carry a sarcastic edge. When over-worked, I would catch myself getting short with people around me. Left unchecked, these behaviors could have horrendous consequences. At the very least, they could antagonize those around me; in the worst case scenario, people could start to discount my perspective. I had to take stock and change if I were to join the ranks of great communicators who would, like clockwork, choose the perfect moment and appropriate tone to deliver their point of view with maximum impact and minimum friction, regardless of their audience's feelings on the subject.

It was Deloitte Consulting that taught me how to being focused and driven yet likeable, all in the service of being a better communicator to my clients and fellow Deloitte practitioners. Through multiple courses on emotional intelligence, I learned about how being likeable could translate into success at work, result in a long-lasting relationship with my significant other, and help me build life-long friendships. My one regret was that over the years of taking classes and learning through observation, I hadn't maintained a running list of the attributes or habits of people who inspired me. Two days ago, I read an INC article about "habits of likeable people", and the list was comprehensive. I aspire to continue to grow so that I can make each of these one of my habits in the future [link] (highlighting mine):

1. They treat others in the same way they want to be treated. 
2. They give as much as they take. 
3. They create meaningful relationships. 
4. They don't insist that they're right, and they're open to hear your viewpoint. (continued area of focus)
5. They ask questions, instead of making statements. 
6. They listen attentively, and don't interrupt. 
7. They are accountable to themselves and others. 
8. They communicate directly and authentically (not passive aggressively). 
9. They smile. 
10. They ask "How are you?" (and genuinely mean it). 
11. They are empathetic. 
12. They give you their full attention. 
13. They ask "How can I help?" 
14. They hold space for you to become the person you strive to be, but don't judge you for being who you are, or where you are. 
15. They avoid arguments. (continued area of focus)
16. They laugh at themselves. 
17. They are confident, yet have a sense of humility. 
18. They uphold a healthy set of boundaries. 
19. They aren't afraid to give genuine praise to others. 
20. They don't take your power, or give their power away. 
21. They don't complain. 
22. They don't preach at you, or give unsolicited advice. 
23. They don't expect you to be perfect. 
24. They apologize (and don't view it as a sign of weakness). 
25. They want you to be successful and happy (in life and in business). 
26. They don't seek (or need) your approval. 
27. They listen to learn (not to speak). 
28. They like to have fun.

This is a long list and it's hard to embody all these qualities at all times. In fact, I have learned that I cannot always be at my best, despite all the training I have received so far. There are going to be times when circumstances are such that I might get irritated or frustrated. When such a situation arises and I notice a change in my outward demeanor, I have found a few techniques to "reset" myself: a few deep breaths, counting to 10, and walking away from the conversation for a brief minute have all worked well for me. Your coping mechanisms may be different; I suggest that you find and practice them.

To summarize, being likeable will mean that we are more likely to receive that important introduction, get that meeting we want, or close that deal we need for success. And most importantly, when we find ourselves in a situation where we sense that we might not be at our best, we need to know how to reset our composure and regain control of the situation.

Fixing AMD PCs Bricked by Windows Update

In response to Spectre and Meltdown, Microsoft released a January Security Update for vulnerable machines. Unfortunately, they didn't get all the details right. Microsoft points a finger at AMD for the screw-up:

“After investigating, Microsoft has determined that some AMD chipsets do not conform to the documentation previously provided to Microsoft to develop the Windows operating system mitigations to protect against the chipset vulnerabilities known as Spectre and Meltdown.”

Regardless of who was at fault, customers have suffered as a result. Many impacted folks, like my dear middle-aged CPA, have resorted to one or *all* of the following:

• Yelled in frustration
• Rued the day they enabled "Automatic Windows Updates"
• Cursed Microsoft profusely
• Hated Microsoft Support for wanting $500 to speak to them (shame on you Microsoft Support)
• Called everyone other than MS Support to fix their computer
• Resigned and bought a new PC or Mac

None of this is good PR for Microsoft! To save my CPA the nuisance of starting afresh with a new PC, especially given all she has to learn about the new IRS regulations, I decided to find a fix for the issue because everything Microsoft suggests failed for her. I found another way to fix the issue; here's what you can do as a last resort before you buy a new PC:

1. Follow the instructions in this article from Microsoft Support. To summarize, Microsoft hopes one of these works for you:

• Try Last Known Good Configuration
• Try Safe Mode
• Restore to a prior restore point
• Try System Recovery
• Try Startup Repair
• Restore using a System Image Backup
• Give up and Reinstall Windows
• Pray that your backup service can restore all your data

2. If you're like my CPA, none of these will work for you. This is when you do the following:

• Get access to another PC so you can create a USB disk. Let's label this PC, "doppel", and the USB, "hail-mary".
• Microsoft has released a new update with the fixed files for impacted AMD systems. Yay.

3. On doppel,

• Download the MSU with the fixed kernel from the Windows Update Catalog
• Use WinZip to open the MSU file
• Copy ntoskrnl.exe (and all the other files for safety) to hail-mary
• Eject hail-mary safely using "Windows Explorer"

4. Back on your computer, bring the solution home:

• Boot into "Recovery Mode"
• Insert hail-mary into a USB port
• Select the "Command Prompt" option
• Copy ntoskrnl.exe from hail-mary to %windowsroot%\system32\. This action requires "Administrator" privileges.
• Optional: Copy any other files on the USB drive to %windowsroot%\system32\
• Reboot

5. Voila

It took a village to find this solution.
- I had a hunch that overwriting existing files with newly patched versions might work.
- My friend Arun Kishan (Director of Windows Development) supported my theory.
- My friend Karan Dhillon drove over to my CPA's house, validated my hunch, and shared the recovery steps he used.

Let me know on twitter (@manojhatax) if this worked for you. Good luck.

A Month with the iPhone X

tl;dr: The X is great hardware, but iOS 11 is a kludgey mess that is holding the platform back. A month in, I am strapped in for the ride. Don’t upgrade if you, a) have a 7-Plus or Samsung Galaxy 8; or b) wear Ray-Ban Aviators because FaceID won’t work.
Score: 9/10.

A month ago, November 3 2017 to be precise, I drove to the Apple Store at One Infinite Loop to get my first ever pre-ordered iPhone. This 10-year anniversary launch of the phone that changed how we use technology and consume information as a species featured many personal firsts:

1. First iPhone I pre-ordered
2. First iPhone I got on launch day
3. First time I bought not one but two iPhones during launch week
4. First time I went to the One Infinite Loop campus

While Apple kicked off the smartphone revolution, the likes of Samsung and Xiaomi have been pushing the design envelope in recent years. Their handsets were the first to launch with edge-to-edge displays and gorgeous OLED screens. Touted by Apple as the future of the phone, née Apple itself, I was genuinely excited to get my hands on the device and discover the new goodies and quirks along with other intrepid early adopters. So, does the X give Apple the lead in the smartphone race again?

The Good

Stunning Looks and Build Quality

The X is perfect execution of a design that’s other-worldly. Let me quote Mike Murphy who posted this initial impression for QZ (emphasis mine):

The iPhone X is like a refined version of the design Apple has been iterating on each year since the release of the iPhone 6 in 2014. It’s not dramatically new, but here the screen, the phone’s biggest asset, is allowed to shine, with the metal and glass structure around it fading into the background. And the cut-out notch at the top, which holds the front-facing cameras, isn’t that annoying after a few minutes’ use.

The notch truly isn’t a distraction after the first day of use. I am not a heavy watcher of mobile video so if you are, YMMV. Back to the form: the phone feels hefty without being too large. It’s the perfect size for me.

Amazing Cameras

The cameras on the X are excellent overall to the point that they make an amateur like me come across as a good photographer. Selfies, portraits, scenes, et al are captured with the right degree of fidelity and detail. I am a fan of the convenient zoom toggle (1x-2x) in most modes, including Panorama, and while the Portrait Lighting modes are still a work in progress, they produce reasonable results. I am excited for the future because the underlying technical prowess is baked into the hardware; it’s just a matter of iOS maturing to unlock the latent potential.

#iOS and the #iPhoneX making my friend Tim Toyoshima look like a cycling God. @Apple #iOS #portraitmode rocks pic.twitter.com/lJORmOZ8Wl

I haven’t taken Mike’s recommendation to download a manual camera application, such as Halide or Manual, because most of the moments I capture don’t involve manually tweaking knobs such as exposure and focus. The results I am getting are spectacular enough...

Where the iPhone X truly shines is in taking selfies. Hate selfies all you want, we all take them; the X takes the best selfies of any camera I have ever used. Period. This is me without trying...

Stunning Display

The new Super AMOLED 5.8 inch display is vivid, large and an iPhone first. That this display is slightly larger than that in the iPhone 8-Plus while being the same form factor as the iPhone 8 is a testament to Apple’s hardware engineering genius!

Wireless Charging

I have gotten used to placing my iPhone on its wireless charging pad every other night instead of fidgeting with a Lightning cable. It might seem like a small thing, but at a $1000 cost of entry, it’s the little things that make a difference. And honestly, I don’t get the complaints about how the phone needs to be perfectly placed on the charging pad for things to work. I haven’t had a single “mis-placement” in a month of ownership.

Battery Life

That wasn’t a typo or misrepresentation: I charge my phone every other day now and am super impressed with the battery life on my X. I am currently between jobs, so my usage of the X is on the heavier side: reading books, Hacker News, Apple News, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.

Honorable Mentions

• Tap to Wake makes it very easy to catch the time and new notifications
• Double Tap plus FaceID for Apple Pay (I never really got the hang of the triple Home Button press to activate Apple Pay)
• Dual speakers sound great

The Rough Edges

FaceID feels Rushed

For a v1 product, FaceID is a very strong release. This said, it’s got as many edge cases where it doesn’t work as TouchID did. On the whole, I still don’t know if FaceID is as much of a usability leap forward as Apple claims. What’s worse is FaceID works when you least expect it to (dark rooms, when I just wake up and only have one eye open) and fails when it really shouldn’t (with sunglasses on, in brightly lit rooms). I understand the technical reasons for why it behaves the way it does in these situations, but it’s still jarring. V2 of FaceID should fix most, if not all, of the reported niggles and usability issues.

R.I.P. Home Button

I miss the Home Button. Yes, it didn’t work when I had wet or oily hands, but I got used to its quirks. More than the access control the button provided, I miss pressing Home to “Go Home”. In lieu of the heretofore ubiquitous button, Apple has given me a slate of gestures that I have to learn. And as hard as I try to master them, they are elusive at best and frustrating at worst.

Gestures Galore

Gestures aren’t user-friendly, ‘nuff said. One can argue that Apple is the King at taking something unusable and sprinkling magic pixie dust on it. The dust isn’t working this time around. Using gestures precisely takes a lot of muscle memory, which I don’t have yet, leaving me annoyed. And really, whose bright idea was it to have an omni-present, random, gray bar at the bottom of the screen? More importantly, who decided to bestow that bar with multiple capabilities (Switch Apps, Activate Reachability, Go Home)? To quote Mike Murphy again:

I now have to swipe up on a random bar that never leaves the bottom of the screen to go home, double-tap on the side button for Apple Pay, and hold it for Siri. To see what apps I have open, I have to slowly swipe up from the bottom of the screen and to the right, which is a very awkward action that I’m still messing up frequently. To close an open app, I now have to do that swiping action, let go, hold down on an open app, and tap a little red minus icon that pops up. Before you could just swipe away the open app. All these new interactions feel awkward and inelegant. Hopefully that’s just because I’m not used to them yet.

How should I swipe: Down or Up?

You will have to learn how to swipe (direction) and where to swipe (location) to get the menu you care about. The Control Center is swipe down the right side; the Notifications Center is swipe down from the left side; swipe up and you go Home. The notch in the middle means the top bar shows me less information at a glance that it used to (battery percentage being one such sacrificed data point).

Death by Paper Cuts

• Off Means Off, Maybe: Turning WiFi and Bluetooth off from the Control Center doesn’t really turn these off; it temporarily disconnects you from the current WiFi network or Bluetooth device.
• Accidentally Siri: The larger power button on the side is easier to “ghost” press when the phone is in my pocket (car keys, for example, set Siri off).
• Cover Up or Pay Up: The gorgeous display and the glass back make this the easiest iPhone to damage in recent memory. Every time you break something, you will pay a pretty penny. Even if you don’t like it, you are going to have to buy a case and a screen protector for this phone. Or an insurance policy. Or both!

The $1K Question

If you need to upgrade, both the iPhone 8-Plus and Galaxy 8/Plus/Note series present viable alternatives to the X. To wit, most of the components inside the 8-Plus and the X are identical, but the 8-Plus costs $200 less. The Galaxy 8-Plus and Note are in the same ballpark as the X, so money shouldn’t be a consideration.

Here’s what this decision comes down to: your willingness to change how you use your phone to accommodate everything that Apple has changed in the X. Some changes will make sense, others will seem arbitrary. You cannot choose the changes you want; Apple has foisted all of them on you, in one sleek package. I have already grown accustomed to the new interaction paradigm, but I still feel like the total package isn’t there yet.

If you aren’t someone who must have the latest technology and already have a capable phone, I’d say save the $200 and wait this iPhone X release out. Despite great hardware, iOS 11, even three months post release, is the most bug-riddled operating system release since Windows Vista. To summarize then, this is a great phone that is hamstrung by the software. Maybe iOS 12 will truly unlock the potential of the hardware platform and usher in the next era of personal computing as Apple envisions it.

Epilogue

While Apple might not have the best track record with v1 of a new product, its the BEST at iterating and improving on a design. Next year’s iPhone X-Prime will feature hardware and software that are synchronized at every step. I guarantee it. Let this serve as a notice to Samsung and its ilk. Catch up or be left behind for good.

Walmart’s new strategy: Better pay

Great piece on QZ on how Walmart is working to reduce the income inequality gap: read more here.

The author starts with the fact that income inequality is the greatest in the USA among developed world countries. While most politicians are speaking about either taxing the rich or the government raising the minimum wage and increasing funding to welfare programs. There is a third way, one I have spoken about with my friends -- having corporations do the right thing.

Then there’s a third way, one that calls for increasing the pay of the poorest workers without government intervention, but through the free market.

It requires corporate executives to forget the lessons of finance classes and set aside their preoccupation with quarterly earnings and short-term results. It means taking the view that happier employees who care more, quit less, and work harder will, in the long term, produce better returns.

What a novel concept, but public corporations are in a hell of their own creation that requires them to view everything from a "quarterly" lens. The metrics for success don't take the long term prospects into consideration; a lot is sacrificed at the altar of YoY growth. Well, Walmart has recognized that its onus on cutting costs by under-paying employees has contributed to the decline in wages across the retail sector. In a Volte face, Walmart in 2015 increased the salaries of many of its employees. And when Walmart does something like this, the competition ought to follow...

Walmart employs one in 10 US retail workers, and one out of every 100 US private-sector employees. Just as the company forced competitors to hold the line on wages, increasing its pay is now pressuring rivals to match it.

In 2015, Walmart committed to spending $2.7 billion over two years on increased pay and better training. In April of that year, it raised starting pay for store workers, some of whom were making the federal minimum wage of $7.25, to at least $9 an hour, and bumped them up to $10 an hour the following year.

An improved customer experience is what Walmart was seeking, and it realized that the key to unlocking this change was happier employees:

Without explicitly acknowledging it, Walmart came to the same conclusion Costco and Starbucks arrived at decades ago. Paying workers more, and providing them with substantial benefits like health care and parental leave, attracts more applicants, and gives employers more choices when hiring. It also reduces turnover, which leads to more experienced employees with a greater investment in the health of the business. All of that pays off in a better customer experience, the critical component in whether shoppers return or seek out competitors.

While Walmart’s stock hasn’t returned to its pre-2015 heyday, things are looking up for the world’s largest retailer. I don't shop at Walmart but acknowledge the impact that they can have on the income gap and laud them for their efforts in this regard.

---

There is a lot more in this piece about Walmart, but the aspect that the author missed was how Walmart can continue down this path while remaining competitive with Amazon. From my vantage point, the last two large retailers standing post the great retail apocalypse are going to be Amazon and Walmart. In the final fight between these super heavy-weights, the victor will be decided based on who has more channels through which consumers can acquire goods. In the red corner, there is Amazon with its store, apps, affiliates, Whole Foods and Alexa. In the blue corner, we have Walmart with its gigantic store footprint, website and Jet.com. The difference-maker in my opinion is Alexa.

If I were in Walmart's Digital leadership team, I would push for a partnership with Google Home (and every non-Alexa enabled Smart Home device maker) to compete with the Alexa-enabled retail channel that Amazon has quietly established into a powerhouse. As of last week, Google announced a partnership with Target, but Walmart (and Jet.com) have the more optimized supply chain and better prices. Maybe Google could negotiate a better deal with Target, which would be why they went with them vs. Walmart. Walmart needs to fix this ASAP.

The reality is that Amazon is practically giving Alexa devices away in a manner reminiscent of how Gillette gave their razors away. Alexa plus Amazon getting into every retail segment plus Amazon branded items plus FBA plus Prime plus ... is a multi-prong approach that will require a number of companies to band together to counter. From my vantage point, no one company can compete against this Goliath / Ser Gregor alone.

Ugly Reality of M&A: Laying People Off

tl; dr: As an M&A Integration Leader, you will have to make the hard decision to lay some acquired employees off. Layoffs hit where it hurts most, people's self esteem. If you must, be deliberate with employee analysis and organizational fit, own the message, relay it with empathy, and push for an exit package that allows impacted employees to land on their feet.

As children, our immediate family and friends are all we care about. How we do at school is a part of our identities, but not the whole enchilada. As adults, a chemical reaction takes place in our heads, one that changes what we prioritize and how we derive our own self-worth. We become attached to how we are perceived at work — be it our own business or that of someone else — by our peers, other co-founders, other businessmen.

The chemical change, the one that ascribes a large chunk of our sense of self to performance at work has many consequences. A wise man told me when I was starting out at Microsoft that, “Many a relationship has been sacrificed at the altar of professional growth”. His advice was to leave work where it belongs, at your desk, and to go home with a slate wiped clean. An impossible undertaking, I know that now.

We adults get so caught up in the race that we let our health — mental, physical, and emotional — suffer as we climb that next rung. With our identities so wrapped up in work, we do not prepare for the worst. Which is why when something as unsettling as a layoff notice comes our way, it upends every notion of being an adult that we hold dear. In my 15-some years of corporate travails, I have observed that folks who are laid off fall into two large categories:

1. The ones that anticipated the change; and,
2. The others that had no clue.

Regardless of where staff fall in this broad characterization, a layoff notice hits everyone the same way: like a sack of bricks! Behavioral analysts differentiate between layoffs so as to express the intensity of the suffering that ensues. According to them, when an entire team or division is laid off, the impacted employees are less likely to question their self worth than when folks are singled out for separation from the company payroll.

They are wrong!

No matter the circumstances, no matter your “crystal ball juju”, a layoff hits every impacted employee hard. Being laid off after the perceived HIGH of being acquired, of a successful start up or company exit, aggravates the pain. Personal situations further exacerbate the underlying feelings of depression and loss of self worth. Friends who have had this happen to them describe it as a “punch to the gut”. As if the morale squelching isn’t enough, being laid off has far reaching implications for kith and kin. Mortgage and car payments, health insurance, care and education for the children; the stress concomitant with the event has been shown to put a real strain on relationships.

The unfortunate truth is that a change in control like an acquisition leads to layoffs. Adding to the variability is corporate policy on layoffs/separation. The good corporations take care of the impacted employees with sufficient notice time for folks to find another opportunity, generous separation packages, and fair terms for COBRA/health insurance coverage continuity. The bad ones get bad reviews on Glassdoor. Here’s the net-net:

1. If you are reading this, I hope you aren’t impacted. 
2. If you are, I pray that you chose to be employed by one of the “good” corporations. 
3. If you answered NO to the first two, God speed success with finding the next opportunity.
4. If you are an HR Integration Leader or people manager who has to deliver the devastating news, my only advice to you would be to own the message. Deliver the news with sincerity, empathy and awareness of the impact. Be prepared for any eventuality — to provide a shoulder for grown people to cry on or for a confrontation. The former outcome will take you by surprise no matter how much you prepare; prepare nonetheless.

In my next post, I will talk about the tools at your disposal to help you find your next great opportunity. Until then, try to find your inner zen, talk to colleagues impacted, share your true feelings with your closest family, and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Not all is lost, yet.

Realizing the full potential of an acquisition

McKinsey Research recently published their findings from a survey on M&A leading practices. If you are either an M&A integration leader, aspire to run an M&A IMO, or lead the commercial function for an acquisition, I highly recommend that you read the article until you have internalized the details. The writing is crisp and the findings align very closely with considerations that I have found are critical to successfully managing M&A integrations, namely:

1. Validate the deal model; 
2. Preserve existing revenue;
3. Retain key talent; and,
4. Manage cultural differences.

From a tactical standpoint, here are some additional tenets that an integration leader (applicable at the functional leadership level too) should maintain front and center:

• Articulate an integration strategy and the deal value drivers prior to kicking off the integration;
• Use the value drivers to continuously prioritize and re-balance integration activities and resources; and, 
• Ensure leadership treats integrations as critical business processes, and prioritizes integration decisions appropriately.

Good luck with your integration activities.

Doomed to repeat our mistakes

Our intrepid leader, Mr. Donald Trump, is as wise as a concrete block. He barely reads, doesn't quite appreciate nuance in an argument, has a strong revisionist take on history, and gets his news from Cable TV. Therefore, I wasn't surprised when I read this piece on Steel tariffs being imposed by our President (emphasis, mine):

As part of his “America First” principles, president Donald Trump and the steel industry figures he has brought into his administration, including commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, are planning to overrule virtually his entire cabinet to impose 20% tariffs on steel imports

This brings to mind an adage that most of us have heard,

Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.

Mr. Trump's Republican predecessor (George W. Bush doesn't seem like such a bad choice for President right now, doesn't he) tried a similar tack in 2002 to appease the steel industry:

In 2002, president George W. Bush imposed tariffs on steel imports for much the same reason as Trump—combatting cheap imports from other countries—but ended them when the World Trade Organization ruled them illegal. Over the 18 months that the tariffs were imposed, a spike in steel prices put 200,000 workers out of their jobs

We live in a connected world in which every action has unforeseen, downstream (or upstream) consequences. This is the issue that protectionist policies fail to take into consideration before drafting new policies and laws. In this particular case, an increase in the cost of raw materials is bound to increase the overall cost of goods sold, which will either be passed on to the consumer (likely) or be absorbed in the organization's balance sheet thereby impacting overall profitability (highly unlikely given the capitalist world in which we live). The only countries that can afford to do this are the likes of China where the government absorbs the impact on behalf of the sectors it supports.

Mr. Trump and his government are fighting legal challenges from multiple quarters already, which has impacted their ability to fill critical government spots (diplomatic ranks are thin) and distracted from the critical task of administering this country. With myopic policies like these steel tariffs to appease their "vote bank", they might be asking for new lawsuits from major industries:

When Bush’s tariffs went into place, Ford and GM challenged him in court. We’re likely to see the same scenario this time around, so expect to see a clash of Donald Trump versus America’s carmakers.

Continue to watch this space...

The Next iPhone: Speculating on SKUs and Pricing

It's fast approaching the manic time of the year again; the next iPhone is going to be announced soon! This, the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone's launch, is supposed to be a blockbuster year for the groundbreaking device, and rumor sites and technology blogs, twitter feeds, podcasts, etc. have been abuzz with iPhone chatter.

@gruber started a controversy this past week (he opined that the iPhone "Pro" will start at $1500), which he then retracted with a long post this weekend. His take, complete with his opinions on pricing (the need for differentiation between premium and standard offerings) and potential insider info, is colored by his personal preferences (he has a huge following and a particular slant on issues), but his perspective is very US-centric. Having traveled all over the World, and extensively in Asia, I know that iPhone pricing is the biggest sticking point for prospective buyers in developing markets. @gruber doesn't seem to extend his analysis to other geographies. The reality is that India is Apple's next growth engine, and given its dire situation in China, Apple cannot afford to ignore India and its burgeoning middle class (of equal parts budget and non-budget customers).

Apple needs to prioritize profit margin vs. price competitiveness in all markets, and I believe it has the right slate of products to make a strong play in 2017. Let's use the 4P framework to determine the right product and marketing mix to maximize returns (i.e. one that favors Apple vs. the customer):

1. Product: iPhone (SKUs up for consideration)
2. Price: Up for consideration (by SKU)
3. Place: Apple has cracked the retail nut in India, and is quickly building a sizable footprint in the metros (no further analysis needed here).
4. Promotion: Apple doesn't believe in promotions, and carriers don't discount iPhones. A discount is perceived as dilution of the Apple brand, and this isn't something I recommend.

Before we dive into the SKUs, I want to head off three questions that might arise when you see the prices I am suggesting:

1. Will Apple be able to maintain a high profit margin across all SKUs?

My research on the Bill of Materials (BOM) for SKUs already in circulation indicates that Apple will net > 35% profit per device even at the original component prices (which are at least 12-months old). No additional R&D costs need to be factored into the equation; i.e. the BOM is the COGS ex- packaging, warehousing, shipping and display.

2. Will the lowering of the ASP of the iPhone send ripples through the stock market?

It is my firm belief that increased revenues will calm any jitters in the stock market.

3. Can Apple break into "developing" markets?

Apple needs to decide "who" it wants to be for customers in all markets, not just the USA. It can be the "King of the Hill" in markets like India, it needs a phone in the $399-449 price point (a budget offering) all the way up to the premium category.

Without further ado, here are the Product SKUs and associated Prices:

#	Product SKU (chip)	USD Price	Storage (GB)
1	6S-Plus (A8X)	$399	64
2	7 (A9)	$449	64
3	7 (A9)	$499	128
4	7-Plus (A9)	$549	64
5	7-Plus (A9)	$599	128
6	7S (A9X)	$649	64
7	7S (A9X)	$749	128
8	7S-Plus (A10)	$769	64
9	7S-Plus (A10)	$869	256
10	iPhone Pro (ARidik)	$999	64
11	iPhone Pro (ARidik)	$1099	256

Notes:

1. SKU-1, or what I call "the obliterator", is for developing markets only. This makes Apple *THE* go to option for budget shoppers. My moniker, "the obliterator", is based on how this SKU will decimate the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and every other iPhone pretender peddling its wares in the market today. All these manufacturers, bar none, cuts corners to cater to the budget/entry-level market. Apple makes no such compromises, and I am living proof of that fact: I love my iPhone 6S-Plus. It takes great pictures, is plenty fast, and with the A9 chip upgrade, I know that I am set for iOS upgrades for at least the next 3-years. This last point is key; budget conscious consumers want a device that lasts at a good price. An analyst could argue that the Xiaomi's of the world price their phones around $349 (or equivalent) but let me tell you this from 100s of conversations: the iPhone is the device that all these consumers "aspire" to own. They pick the cheaper knockoffs solely because they cannot, repeat CANNOT, afford an iPhone.
2. SKUs 2-5 are this year's model being sold at $100 less than today's prices. This aligns with Apple's strategy with the N-1 release. These come in only 2-storage configurations (64, 128) to streamline offerings.
3. SKUs 6-11 are based on multiple rumor sites and the report of one very authoritative analyst -- Min-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities.
4. Specifically, SKU 10-11 are the new coming of the Jesus iPhone Pro. It will ostensibly feature an edge-to-edge OLED screen; touch-ID built in to the display; vertically oriented, dual cameras; mind-reading powers (kidding!).

Where I particularly disagree with @gruber is with his speculation on the price for the iPhone Pro, starting at a whopping $1200. The primary reason he cites is component availability (Samsung, etc.) and associated yield issues. He doesn't say this, but in the subtext one might read that were Apple to do this, they would have the option of dropping the price to something like $999 within 6-months, a la the original iPhone pricing strategy.

I think this is a mistake. If the iPhone Pro (or whatever the official moniker) starts at $1200, they will hand the "premium" market to Samsung. The equivalently kitted Samsung Galaxy S8 starts at $799 (or thereabouts based on Place and Promotion), and the Galaxy S8 Note will come in around the same price. It would be foolhardy for Apple to expect folks to fork over $1200 for an iPhone. I don't buy the notion that they will price the phone so high just to quell demand. That Samsung, the key supplier for OLED screens for the forthcoming iPhone, can only make 10-million OLED screens for the device by the end of 2017 isn't reason enough to artificially jack up the price to a sky high amount. Case in point: the AirPods.

The AirPods were released at a reasonable price of $159. Reasonable when you compare what good quality, bluetooth headphones were sold for when the AirPods were announced. The AirPods were revolutionary, and it was obvious to everyone who watched Apple that these would be in very short supply for the first few weeks. Weeks turned into months; my AirPods were delivered 6-months after they were ordered!!

Knowing that there would be yield issues, Apple could have released the AirPods at $199, even $249, to control demand. This move could have bought Apple time to work out logistics and yield issues with new components and overall design. Once fixed, they could have reduced the price to $159 like they did with the original iPhone. They didn't; the AirPods started out at a competitive price and people have waited patiently for supply to catch up with pent up demand.

What's your take?

Strengths in Excess

Building and managing teams is equal parts challenging, rewarding and frustrating. It does get better with time and practice, and if you work at the skill, which it surely is, your maturity and depth will increase. A great book I have found to help me improve is, "FYI: For Your Improvement". The practical advice in this book has helped me navigate new situations as a people manager.

One of the keys to managing and motivating a large team of people is tailoring your approach based on an individual's strengths and weaknesses. As a team, we just completed "The Strengths Finder" assessment, and it was eye-opening for me to see that my strengths had morphed since I last did a self-assessment. It was also instructive to see the spread of strengths across our team; I am reading the accompanying book again to identify strategies to collaborate with my team. Speaking of strengths, one series of questions in the assessment honed in on my perspective on "strengths" and "weaknesses". The questions used words like, "maximize", "capitalize", "leverage" for strengths, and "explore", "improve upon", "fixate on", "overcome" for weaknesses. I figured this out eventually; the questions were trying to ascertain whether I was someone who maximized my strengths or worked on my weaknesses. Given the headspace in which I was residing at the time of the assessment, my responses colored me as a person who, "works on his weaknesses".

The reality is a lot more nuanced. I tend to capitalize on my strengths while being aware of my weaknesses. This balanced approach ensures that I delegate tasks that I know are not best suited for me to someone on my team who can hit them out of the park. I add training courses, reading materials and the like to my "individual development plan" so that I can overcome my weaknesses over time. Career coaches, pointing to a growing body of psychological research, are advising their clients to do the same. The mantra they are proposing, as I understand it is, "Use your strengths; work your weaknesses".

This great piece on QZ starts with the notion of, "Too much of a good thing":

This concept is referred to as strengths in excess. I see this same pattern in people at all levels, no matter their rank, industry, gender, or role. A doctor who excels at staying calm and even-keeled in high-pressure situations may also struggle to express emotion with patients who crave empathy. A landscape architect who’s highly detail-oriented will excel at her job, but may sometimes veer into counterproductive perfectionism. A marketing assistant who’s a loyal team player is admirable—but not if he puts so much value on trying to fit in that he has no boundaries, and lets other people push him around.

Hmm. Sounds like trouble to me...

Strengths in excess can lead to inflexibility. If left unchecked, we become susceptible to overconfidence or arrogance...

This can be remedied by taking the middle path between maximizing strengths and overcoming weaknesses. Self-awareness, is key:

The solution is not to fixate obsessively on our weaknesses—according to research, overly harsh self-criticism undermines motivation and can lead to procrastination. Instead, what we need to do is change our understanding of our strengths. As author and business consultant Marcus Buckingham explains in his book Now, Discover Your Strengths, “Strengths are not activities you’re good at, they’re activities that strengthen you … after you’ve done it, it seems to fulfill a need of yours.”

Put simply, it’s rewarding to do things that we find difficult. In psychology, this is called self-efficacy— and it’s the foundation of confidence.

Read more about overdoing strengths at HBR.

Serenity through stoicism and acceptance

God, give me the serenity to accept things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to understand the difference

Today's US edition of Quartz has been spectacular. I happened upon this article on how to find peace given everything going on around us: Happiness through an understanding of what you can control.

The author, a practitioner of Stoicism, writes this as his mantra (Epictetus's promise):

If you truly understand the difference between what is and what is not under your control, and act accordingly, you will become psychologically invincible, impervious to the ups and downs of fortune.

I lost my mom earlier this year, and the wound is still very fresh in my heart. I speak to my heartbroken dad and brother every week, and some days are harder than others. I hear the anguish and sadness in their voices, as hard as they might try to mask their inner feelings, and it cuts me to the core. A loss of this magnitude, with or without notice, is a hard one to rationalize, and I have struggled to rediscover the locus of my existence. I blame myself sometimes, and sometimes I bemoan the actions of those around her when she first fell sick; but mostly, I am numb and powerless.

This philosophy, dogma, approach to life, call it whatever, provides me with a groundswell of hope. Called, "The Stoic Dichotomy of Control", it shows me the path forward.

... the dichotomy of control has countless applications to everyday life, and all of them have to do with one crucial move: shifting your goals from external outcomes to internal achievements.

I did everything I could have but her disease and subsequent events were entirely out of my control. I need to act accordingly -> honor her memory, live to be the person she raised me to be, control my actions, and be nimble when things out of my control go awry. My mom used to say that I worry too much about things out of my realm; she was so wise.

... it is the mark of a wise person to realize that things don’t always go the way we wish. If they don’t, the best counsel is to pick up the pieces, and move on.

If you succeed in shifting your goals internally, you will never blame or criticize anyone, and you won’t have a single rival, because what other people do is largely beyond your control and therefore not something to get worked up about. The result will be an attitude of equanimity toward life’s ups and downs, leading to a more serene life.

This advice reminds me of a theme in the Bhagavad Gita: Dharma (and Heroism). The Lord Krishna tells his disciple Arjun to focus on his place and mission in life, because that is under his control. The Universe has its own plan, and he is but a piece of a bigger puzzle. My mom taught me this when I was struggling at the start of my career. She was wise, wiser than I gave her credit for.

Thanks, mom. I will always love you. Yes, that's under my control.

Trump uses cowardly management tactics, among other things

In the aftermath of James Comey, ex-FBI Director, a number of things are becoming clear about the management style of Donald Trump. We now have evidence, in sworn testimony, that confirms traits the press has been uncovering since the man became POTUS: manipulative, conniving, cowardly. I need to add another to this list: shrewd. This man uses the power of suggestion and "presuasion" to make his subordinates do his bidding. Read this excerpt from analysis over at QZ.com:

But no matter what happens to Trump, the exchange pulls back the curtains on a tactic much beloved by manipulative managers across industries. “Ambiguous language, like telling someone you hope, or suggest they do something, is the secret weapon of leaders who put covering their ass ahead of uncovering the solution,” says Nick Tasler, an organizational psychologist and author of The Impulse Factor: An Innovative Approach to Decision Making. “It’s a brilliant way to let accountability roll down hill.” Put simply, some managers will use “hope-speak” and other vague language to influence their subordinates while maintaining plausible deniability if things don’t work out the way they hope.

If the man were to have any ethics at all, he would recognize that his actions belie the essence of the office he holds (emphasis, mine):

“As a manager, it’s your job to clearly communicate how your team can accomplish your goals ethically,” says Davey. “If you continue to exert pressure without giving your team an option for how to succeed, you set them up to behave unethically. That is your failing as much as it is theirs.”

Our feudal lord of a President is quickly taking us back to the dark ages. Strap yourselves in for a bumpy ride... 

Apple HomePod: Likely DoA

Update: The Verge did a great comparison of the "Smart" speaker marketplace earlier today. Here's what they found.

Apple announced its Siri-based, smart, home speaker today. Dubbed the HomePod, the speaker is supposedly a marvel of engineering - acoustic prowess, AI chops and home automation - in a sleek package. This was supposed to a shot across the bow of Google Home and Amazon Echo. Alas, it is going to be Dead on Arrival (DoA) for four big reasons:

1. Price: $349 is a ridiculously high price point for a speaker that is yet to prove itself in a market in which speakers of the same size aren’t more than $200 (and have strong pedigree, compatibility with numerous online services) such as the Sonos Play 1.
2. Siri: There are critically acclaimed home assistants that double as speakers (Amazon Echo, Google Home) which defined the market and are arguably better assistants than Siri.
3. From (1) and (2) it should be clear that there is a lack of differentiation from market offerings.
4. Availability: Launch in December gives the competition a chance to catch up on the cool "speaker" features.

I recently invested in a pair of Sonos Play 1 speakers because Apple Stores featured them as best of breed. Apparently, the HomePod is going to be better because it has been designed with music in mind. It has 7-tweeters, can automatically adjust its acoustic response based on the room in which it is placed, and will connect to another HomePod automatically (if you have another $349 burning a hole in your wallet). Great. So can the Sonos Play 1. Siri can get me scores for my favorite teams and the current weather. Great. So can Alexa or Google's assistant. All for a fraction of the price.

Almost all the electronic equipment in my home office and in my bedrooms is Apple branded: MacBook Pro, iMac, AppleTV, Airport Extreme, iPads and iPhones. On balance, even I won’t buy a HomePod.

I wonder why anyone else will…

Apple's India Problem

Based on Apple’s Q1 revenue call and guidance for the rest of 2017, they are looking to India and China as their future growth engines. Unfortunately, the status quo is bleak: iPhone sales are down in China and they never really picked up in India. In my objective estimation, Apple’s forays in these markets needs an infusion of new ideas if they are to turn things around. The problems stem in the product portfolio and overall Go To Market strategy.

Apple’s current Go To Market strategy isn’t going to work in these markets because of three critical differences between them and the West (USA and Europe):

1. The degree of price consciousness in these markets is very high.
2. The person(s) defining the strategy for these markets do not understand market dynamics intimately.
3. Median income levels are a fraction of what they are in the West, while pride of ownership / status symbol importance might be 2x or 3x of that in the West.

I don’t truly understand the Chinese market, so I will focus my attention on India. There is a subtle fourth consideration that every successful company in India has embraced: The Indian consumer is not loyal to a brand; they are loyal to price and status appeal. This fourth consideration is a key to understanding why stickiness through Cloud-based services is hard to establish in India (WhatsApp is the sole exception to this rule). These numbers haven’t been tabulated but I can say with some certainty that revenue from Apple’s “Other” services in India is minuscule.

Translation: Apple cannot count on current owners of Apple device(s) being repeat customers (this stat has been calculated for China [1], it is low, but I couldn’t find an equivalent one for India).

On my recent long travels to India, I often fielded questions on why I chose the iPhone. The question invariably leads to a longer conversation on aesthetics, applications, services, design and personal preferences. When I turned the question back on my contemporaries, cousins and their Millennial friends, their answers to why they choose Samsung or OnePlus (or any other Chinese phone maker’s latest device) were eye-opening. While affordability was the number #1 reason, I heard one refrain over and over:

    This phone is just good enough…

Apple doesn’t necessarily believe in “just good enough”. It wants to be “the best”, not just in perception but in reality. Every benchmark that compares phones has the current stable of iPhones in the top-5. But Indians want good enough at a great price! So what’s Apple to do? How can a company that is renowned for being the “best there can be” cross this chasm? How does Apple balance the competing needs of affordability, style/status and performance to win over the fickle Indian market?

Let’s start with what it shouldn’t do: It should not release older models in India and expect success. Folks are extremely Internet savvy these days (thanks to > 50% smartphone adoption), and Apple’s PR and Marketing departments, along with the technology press, do a fanciful job of extolling the design characteristics of the latest devices. If there is a way to visually distinguish the iPhone model I have from the ones that others have, it will reinforce the class system and associated discrimination. This is against Apple’s ethos and really isn’t the way to profits in India.

So, don’t release older models even at more palatable price points - got it. But, the newer models aren’t selling because they are too expensive. We are at an impasse!

From my vantage point, the answer lies somewhere between these opposite ends of the spectrum. Pundits have commented, post Apple’s declining sales in China, that the fact that iPhone 6, 6S and 7 look almost the same is a reason for why folks are foregoing Apple devices altogether. This is where I think that Chinese and Indian consumers diverge: in India, iPhones that look similar but have different features is exactly the way to go. This means phones cannot be visually distinguished from one another, but enable the creation of pricing tiers that Apple can leverage to accelerate sales. In essence, the tagline for the strategy I am proposing is:

    Similar in Looks; Different in Function.

To the keen eye following Apple’s moves in India, it would appear that this is indeed the overarching plan. Unfortunately, it just needs to pick a play and execute better. Yes, in Tim Cook’s Apple, this is one of the rare instances in which I can say that better execution is needed. The knobs that the team can turn (with low end -> high end in parentheses) are:

• CPU (previous generation -> latest)
• Camera (single -> dual)
• Display (720p -> OLED)
• External materials (plastic -> aluminum (ALU) -> glass)
• Storage (16GB -> 128GB)
• Size (Regular -> Phablet)

Tim’s team can use this as a starting point for their thinking on SKUs:

Four for India

Specifically, for the entry level, “India only iPhone”®, the newest iteration of this device should be released in line with the flagship device every year (guaranteeing Freshness). What I am proposing is similar to the worldwide Apple Watch strategy (similar innards; different shells — Aluminum, Steel and Ceramic). Additionally, this iPhone can remove components and features that aren’t accretive to the Indian market (“Hey Siri” comes to mind) so as to reduce the overall BOM.

It remains to be seen what Apple will do to win in this space. One thing is for sure, the current strategy is doomed to fail.

1. http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-users-abandon-loyalty-to-apple-2016-11

Developers: Windows Linux Subsystem is a Viable Alternative

Update: Thanks to readers from HN and Microsoft; please continue the discussion on HN. To summarize this post,

I challenge an intrepid, influential developer from Facebook, Google or Amazon to attempt to replicate their development workflow -- code, build, debug -- on Windows using native Linux tools, and post their findings. If Gabe's (from Penny Arcade) experience is anything to go by, the Windows support team is hungry and will do whatever they can to fix any issues that prevent this captive audience from executing their workflow efficiently.

The first MacBook Pros are arriving at the doorsteps of their eager owners. And the reviews are markedly tepid, nay "meh". This piece on qz.com does a good job with capturing what reviewers are saying about Apple's marquee portable computer.

To Quartz's credit, the next link they present to the reader covers Windows laptops that might tickle your fancy if you feel disenfranchised by Apple. Apple has, like is its wont, left the door ajar for Microsoft, but they know they are untouchable. Despite the design and manufacturing strides that Windows laptop makers -- Microsoft included -- have made in the last few years, they cannot replicate Apple's status as the coveted laptop for "makers"; creative professionals and software developers.

A crease is beginning to appear post the last MacBook Pro announcement. The first contingent -- the creatives -- are already disgruntled, and have gone public with their sometimes extreme disappointment with Apple. It's the second contingent that's been relatively quiet so far, and this cadre of MacBook portable users fills Apple's coffers a great deal, without getting much love from analysts and bean counters. Developers who use MacBook Pros today rely on the Unix underpinnings of macOS and the Linux-inspired toolchain that translates almost 1:1 from Linux to macOS. Yes, there are differences and annoyances due to vagaries of macOS attributable to either the fact that it isn't a true BSD or an obscure broken API (e.g., the "poll" implementation). Developers overcome these shortcomings by modifying their workflow slightly, but for the most part, they *strongly prefer* MacBook XXX machines over Windows because of built-in support for their daily workflow.

Enter the Linux Subsystem on Windows 10! Now, there is a legitimate competitor to Apple for native  Linux toolchain support on a "usable", "laptop ready", consumer-oriented operating system.

To give you a sense of how user-friendly the Linux subsystem on Windows 10 is, here is what my friend did to get ViM on his Windows 10 laptop:

user@windows-x1:~$ sudo apt-get install vim
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
...
Preparing to unpack .../vim_2%3a7.4.052-1ubuntu3_amd64.deb ...
...
Setting up vim (2:7.4.052-1ubuntu3) ...
...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/vim.basic to provide /usr/bin/ex (ex) in auto mode

After which he typed this:

user@windows-x1:~$ vim

BOOM! Yes, he installed ViM on his Windows machine using `apt` without installing anything else. The native `bash` support in the Linux subsystem for Windows makes this possible, including unraveling dependencies.

If all Unix utilities work as is on Windows -- cat, awk, grep, sed, etc. -- without recompilation, then this is the last straw that can break the Apple Camel's back. To translate this; all your bash scripts, and associated automation, will work out of the box in Windows. To make this more interesting, this is not a price sensitive market -- employers pay top dollar for developer laptops. Therefore, the ASP of Windows laptops increases, thereby enabling Microsoft to sell their own line of laptops and convertibles at higher price-points (ergo, higher profits). In other words, Windows is *finally ready* to capitalize on the opportunity afforded by the negative reaction to Apple's new MacBook Pro lineup.

The missing piece for Windows 10 is street cred. Which is where this post comes in: I challenge an intrepid, influential developer from Facebook, Google or Amazon to attempt to replicate their development workflow -- code, build, debug -- on Windows using native Linux tools, and post their findings. If Gabe's (from Penny Arcade) experience is anything to go by, the Windows support team is hungry and will do whatever they can to fix any issues that prevent this captive audience from executing their workflow efficiently. Maybe Windows 10 is not there yet, but it's only a matter of time. More choices are better for developers, everywhere.

You want to get Apple's attention. I cannot think of a better way to do it than voting with your wallets...

Finding a Footing

The last 10-days, bookended by Apple's "Hello Again" event and a truly successful Digital acquisition kickoff meeting, have flown by.

Immediately post Apple's event, the Internet caught fire. The iPhone launch, specifically the removal of the headphone jack, had already incensed the Apple faithful. The MacBook Pro's launch fanned these flames and whipped everyone into a frenzy. The most vocal of the critical bunch were the professionals and creatives. They feel most disenfranchised by Apple, and I don't really blame them. Their use case is extremely niche: 32-GB of RAM, very high-end graphics, UNIX-like OS. Their loyalty to Apple thus far has been unflinching. This might change with the launch of the Microsoft Surface Studio.

Yes, I referred to a Microsoft product. Many a story has been published that describes Microsoft as "cool", and that products like the surface have forced a volte face in people's perspectives on Microsoft. A role reversal has occurred, and Apple needs to stanch the bleeding before it's too late.

The announcements and my experience with the new products has shaken my belief in Apple. The haptic engine driven Home button the iPhone has lower usability than the old Home button. The UX changes in iOS have forced users to change their workflow. Force touch still doesn't work well. The MacBook Pro's TouchBar is going to take some getting used to. These annoyances, not issue enough on their own, are tantamount to "death by a thousand cuts". This is very un-Apple-esque; usability of their products is the stuff of legend, and enables Apple to command a price premium.  With this edge dulled, not only will Apple have to reduce the ASP of their products, it opens the door for competitors to fill the void.

How did customers respond? They ordered the new MacBook Pro so much that the pre-orders broke all previous records. Weren't customers reading all the negative press and reviews? Don't customers care about all the things that the technology press cares about? No and No. I wrote about this widening chasm :here:

Like Apple, I had my own potential moment of reckoning this past week. Since starting at GE this January, I have completed a number of assignments, but this week was the first opportunity to cement my role in GE's vaunted M&A group. GE has grown through acquisitions for the last 100-odd years, and the Digital division has been busy with identifying companies to acquire to shore up its capabilities. I have been selected to own delivering outcomes and manage all integration related activities for one such Digital acquisition.

McKinsey and BCG posit that success of a complex undertaking such as an acquisition is predicated on a strong kickoff and planning session prior to implementation. This week marked the first planning session for the acquisition I am to manage, and the stakes were high. I spent three weeks coordinating, planning and building content for the 2-day kickoff. Despite the preparation and prior experience, I was nervous on Wednesday night. A lot was riding on how I ran this workshop...

To say I hit a home-run (the Cubs just won the World Series; baseball is fresh in my mind) would be an under-statement. I hit it out of the park! Every attendee complimented me on how I orchestrated the session, facilitated decision making, and kept discussions moving along when they were at risk of falling off the rails. One attendee said that this came naturally to me; I want to take a moment to thank my leadership team at Deloitte Consulting for honing this innate capability of mine. Peter Vanderslice and Rajeev Ronanki gave me the opportunities and coaching that have taken my skills to the next level. Thank you!

No trip to Seattle is complete without tennis with Tim. Over the years, our friendship has blossomed, with each interaction making the next easier and more relaxed. Tim is both zen and pessimistic, and his advice has made me a more strategic player at the "Game of Life". We played indoors today, and hitting tennis balls again was electrifying. I have worked hard on my mobility, breathing control and patience, and the results are starting to show on the court. Tater tots and burgers after a hard 75-minutes on the courts was the perfect denouement of a long 10-day story.

The Huskies and Seahawks play critical games this weekend. I am going to kick back, read and take a much needed break this weekend. To more phases like these in the future...

Great career advice, courtesy HN

Often times, there are real nuggets in the comments section of a story posted on HN. I have, like my cohort who read HN, started reading comments first to determine whether the article is worth reading. While this doesn't give the requisite traffic to the source website and ends up taking up a lot more time than if I read the article, folks chiming in on the discussion have amazed me with their insights.

Here is the comment, pasted verbatim (thanks to braythwayt):

If you are sincerely interested in quashing abuse, and if the risk of being laid off does not frighten you, forget about the numbers and let’s talk about quashing abuse.

Twitter gets extremely mixed reviews from people who are the targets of abuse, and I believe I am putting that conservatively. So, what I would ask is not whether they are going to lay me off because they run out of money, but whether I am going to quit because when I get inside, I discover that they are not going to actually do much about it.

If Twitter has had a come-to-jesus moment about abuse, and there are no structural obstacles to doing something about abuse, this could be a job where you will one day look back and say, “I was part of the team that turned the corner on Twitter’s biggest problem. I made a difference.”

On the other hand, if Twitter doesn’t have quashing abuse in its cultural DNA, or if there are deep structural obstacles to quashing abuse, then you may discover that you cannot actually make a difference. That can be soul-crushing if you are passionate about the work.

I am not making a claim one way or the other about where Twitter is with this, I’m just suggesting that if you are motivated by making a difference, the biggest thing to figure out is whether you will actually be able to make a difference.
IMO, this matters more than the financial risk.

Note, not all commenters are this articulate. There is no dearth of trolls on HN. That's just the nature of online discourse.

Apple & Aluminium

Greg Koenig, the creator of Atomic Delights gave me goose bumps in his piece on Apple, Aluminium and whether the next iPhone will be all ceramic:

At peak production, Apple is manufacturing roughly 1 million iPhones per day. More importantly, every single one of those phones is sculpted to 10 micron tolerances, from a single block of aluminum, as is every Mac, iPad, Watch and many of the accessories. It is difficult to convey to folks without a manufacturing background how insane this is, but let me try.

He goes on to say (emphasis mine)...

A central pillar of Jony Ive's design philosophy is honesty of materials. It is one of those flowery phrases that I think gets glossed over most of the time, but we've seen Apple really evolve the entire aesthetic of the hardware lineup around it. 

...

What makes this product honest is that it isn't bullshit when Apple says the iPhone is "made from 7000 series aluminum." For almost every other big brand consumer products company, your "aluminum" phone would rally just be an applique, a veneer, a pretty cover on bog standard plastic guts. Yes, that phone would work just fine (again, Glock), but it wouldn't be honest.

With an iPhone, the very heart of the device's design and function is this single component. Like a Formula 1 car, this is a monocoque that serves as both the external shell and the internal structure. It isn't a case, or an enclosure - it is a chassis.

This last paragraph, the comparison to the monocoque of a Formula-1 car, drove the point home in the most articulate and emphatic way possible. The greatest Formula-1 drivers, Aryton Senna being one, trust this monocoque implicitly. They would be lost without the stability and flexibility it affords them on the race track.

I never gave much thought to the chassis that houses my precious iPhone; I will now.