Karan and I often end up talking about technology trends as they pertain to Microsoft. Here is a snippet of a conversation we had this morning on Windows Phone 7. They in the context of this conversation is the Windows Phone 7 team. Enjoy!
Manoj (7:45 AM): problem is, they need a wild card
Manoj (7:45 AM): maybe Nokia is that WC
donna (7:45 AM): i think you will also be able to write your own agents that run in the background
Manoj (7:45 AM): but at this point, there is a very high switching barrier (inertia, investment in apps, etc) and no real incentive to switch to WP7
donna (7:45 AM): true true
Manoj (7:46 AM): WWKD?
donna (7:46 AM): the untapped market world wide is still larger than the existing base
donna (7:46 AM): by far, no?
Manoj (7:47 AM): yes by far
Manoj (7:47 AM): But, the untapped world market cannot afford 100$ phones
donna (7:47 AM): how many people buy _a lot_ of apps you think?
donna (7:47 AM): so much so that it would be a barrier
Manoj (7:48 AM): ok ready? if people aren't going to buy apps, then the massive investment in an app store isn't justified. The idea isn't how many apps people buy. The idea is that they have a choice to buy.
Manoj (7:48 AM): remember, people like the idea of choice. whether they exercise said choices is their call.
Manoj (7:49 AM): they must feel like they are in control, even if they aren't.
donna (7:49 AM): agreed completely. but the question is if my i want to switch from apple and i have bought $20 worth of apps or $500?
Manoj (7:49 AM): Circling back to my opening argument. The apps need to be there, all of them, so that every segment's needs are served.
donna (7:50 AM): the apps need to be there. yes. no argument against that.
Manoj (7:50 AM): it's about knowing that if i want to spend my next $ on an app I covet, will I find it in the joe schmo store.
Manoj (7:51 AM): you know it's going to be in the iTunes store. The only set of apps that gets advertising,word of mouth or viral publicity is the App store.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Stress and haste make waste
This post is dedicated to mtenpow.
The last few weeks have been very stressful. Unforeseen issues have cropped up every day. I'll have accomplished something important when all is said and done, but it has extracted a very heavy price. Everything seems to have conspired against my best laid plans, and executing under pressure has made reaching the destination that much harder.
I'm not writing this because I want to complain about the stress. Instead, I want to talk about how dealing with stress is more important than succumbing to it. Stress has gotten the better of all of us at some point or the other; how does one deal with it effectively?
I'm no expert on the matter; I needed a reminder today to slow down, because being harried was messing me up. The stress was making me hurry, clouding my judgment, and not letting me find the cure of the symptoms I was observing. Spinning around in circles incessantly, I couldn't see some obvious problems with the environment I was working in.
How do I plan to counter future stressful situations? Take a deep breath, slow down, write out the causes of the issues, and separate and clarify concerns. Tackle one problem before going on to the next one, and then the next one. The end goal: Avoid getting frazzled, stay focused and find the thorns in my side. If all else fails, take a walk and clear my head.
Let me know what works for you.
The last few weeks have been very stressful. Unforeseen issues have cropped up every day. I'll have accomplished something important when all is said and done, but it has extracted a very heavy price. Everything seems to have conspired against my best laid plans, and executing under pressure has made reaching the destination that much harder.
I'm not writing this because I want to complain about the stress. Instead, I want to talk about how dealing with stress is more important than succumbing to it. Stress has gotten the better of all of us at some point or the other; how does one deal with it effectively?
I'm no expert on the matter; I needed a reminder today to slow down, because being harried was messing me up. The stress was making me hurry, clouding my judgment, and not letting me find the cure of the symptoms I was observing. Spinning around in circles incessantly, I couldn't see some obvious problems with the environment I was working in.
How do I plan to counter future stressful situations? Take a deep breath, slow down, write out the causes of the issues, and separate and clarify concerns. Tackle one problem before going on to the next one, and then the next one. The end goal: Avoid getting frazzled, stay focused and find the thorns in my side. If all else fails, take a walk and clear my head.
Let me know what works for you.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Fighting to shut out the real India
More often than in years past, I get to read a piece about India in the NYTimes or the Economist. More often than not, these articles talk about the huge economic disparity in the world's most populous country, and how the minorities are exploited for more than just monetary gain. This piece by Manu Joseph for the NYTimes starts out with the premise that affluent Indians find every way possible to isolate themselves from their less privileged kin.
1. The affluent live in the suburbs. The poor live in the inner city projects. This division brings itself to bear all over the country with a few exceptions. There is little to no inter-mingling between the 2 strata of society.
2. The affluent send their children to private schools if they can afford the exorbitant tuition. The public school system is broken in ways that doesn't really educate the poor. The public schools in the suburbs are among the best in the country, but accept pupils only from nearby localities, not from the inner-cities. The city public schools are under-funded and are in municipal regions that don't receive too much help from tax-payers (poor people don't pay high taxes, which means there is less tax money to go around, which means ...)
3. The rich live in gated communities or by the water-front and hire the poor as nannies or butlers or gardeners. I don't think the immigrant or blue-collar population in America can dream of being affluent. They dream of meeting their daily needs and not being caught into the debt trap that has ensnared so many Americans.
4. This leaves the upwardly-mobile middle-class: people like you reading this post and me, its author. There is an entire population of Indians just like you and me - not living on the fringes, yet not living in the lap of luxury; making a little more than we need, using some of it and putting the rest of it away for a rainy day.
Social structures exist everywhere, for reasons that can't be dissected or fully comprehended. It grinds my gears when authors present just one side of a story, especially when they are being critical.
In fact, daily life in India is a fierce contest between the affluent and the educated on the one side, and the brooding impoverished on the other.The article goes on to back this hypothesis up with examples of people seeking refuge in their air-conditioned homes, their cars with windows raised, their exclusive clubs, etc. Having lived in the US for more than 10 years, I don't see how this is different from American society. Let me back my claim up with some data points:
The pursuit of India’s elite is to protect themselves from India — from its crowds, dust, heat, poverty, politics, governance and everything else that is in plain sight. To achieve this, they embed themselves in their private islands that the forces and the odors of the republic cannot easily penetrate.
1. The affluent live in the suburbs. The poor live in the inner city projects. This division brings itself to bear all over the country with a few exceptions. There is little to no inter-mingling between the 2 strata of society.
2. The affluent send their children to private schools if they can afford the exorbitant tuition. The public school system is broken in ways that doesn't really educate the poor. The public schools in the suburbs are among the best in the country, but accept pupils only from nearby localities, not from the inner-cities. The city public schools are under-funded and are in municipal regions that don't receive too much help from tax-payers (poor people don't pay high taxes, which means there is less tax money to go around, which means ...)
3. The rich live in gated communities or by the water-front and hire the poor as nannies or butlers or gardeners. I don't think the immigrant or blue-collar population in America can dream of being affluent. They dream of meeting their daily needs and not being caught into the debt trap that has ensnared so many Americans.
4. This leaves the upwardly-mobile middle-class: people like you reading this post and me, its author. There is an entire population of Indians just like you and me - not living on the fringes, yet not living in the lap of luxury; making a little more than we need, using some of it and putting the rest of it away for a rainy day.
Social structures exist everywhere, for reasons that can't be dissected or fully comprehended. It grinds my gears when authors present just one side of a story, especially when they are being critical.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
New age doctors have short attention spans too
In a separate interview, Dr. Kate Dewar said that treating chronic conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol — a huge part of her father’s daily life — was not that interesting. She likened primary care to the movie “Groundhog Day,” in which the same boring problems recur endlessly. Needing constant stimulus — she e-mails while watching TV — she realized she could not practice the medicine of her forebears.Short attention span disorder is endemic in modern society; yes, I just made that disorder up. Unfortunately, no amount of Ritalin can cure this disorder. I wish there was a way to infuse our humdrum routines with a dose of adrenaline, but then, like what we consider mundane today, the infused humdrum will become the new routine.
“I like it when people get better, but I’d rather it happen right in front of my eyes and not years later,” she said. “I like to fix stuff and then move on.”
In short, don't have boring diseases and expect to get good treatment!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Recommended reading
A must-read piece on Sachin Tendulkar, cricket, India, and everything in between.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Team India, dismantled and analyzed
Update: Dhoni said this in his post-match interview, but I was seething after the game so didn't stick around to watch it. Listening to the water while walking around the shore aimlessly cooled me down and let me reflect on the games to come. India has one thing going for it: its batting. A batting effort can only go so far to hide the inefficacy of the other 2 departments: bowling and fielding. Being unable to defend 338 runs sends a message to both India's batsmen and the opponents. The batsmen psyche themselves into taking undue risks because they know they have to score a lot of runs at better than a run-a-ball - an unsustainable feat even for the likes of Sachin and Viru. The opponents believe that they are always in the game regardless of the enormity of their target; if England could do it, so can they. Both messages are detrimental to India's chances of holding the Cup aloft. The captain, team (bowlers, I am talking to you), coach and selectors best get their heads together and devise a plan. Or, kiss the Cup goodbye.
V Sehwag
- Nothing to add about Viru. He sticks to his game-plan, which is a rarity in this motley crue of cricketers.
SR Tendulkar
- For some reason, his centuries are almost always in vain. India loses because hubris sets in after a huge score has been posted on the board. He walks out with his head held high, gives it his best, and walks off with his head - and ours - held higher.
G Gambhir
- Great foil to the aggression of Sehwag. Only thing he needs to work on is his fielding.
Yuvraj Singh
- Mercurial. Inconsistent. Sublime and ridiculous. The mood of the team derives from his mood, so he needs to be upbeat, always!
MS Dhoni
- Winningest Indian captain, so can't really call him out for his decisions, but his bowling changes today were rubbish.
YK Pathan
- All-rounder and great fielder, so the only thing I'd ask off him is to work on his bowling in the death. He tends to bowl short and stray on the leg-side. As a bowling strategy, this isn't really one to write home about.
V Kohli
- Touted as the best fielder on the Indian team, but hasn't lived up to this billing. Needs to lose the sunglasses, hunker down, and inspire his teammates with his dives and jumps on the field. A treat to watch as a batsman, but in today's game, that isn't enough.
Harbhajan Singh
- The 2nd Indian spearhead. Bhajji bhai, you need to reach out to the junior bowlers in a manner they can digest, and dispel wisdom on how to deal with batsmen that aim to dominate. Piyush Chawla really needs this guidance.
Zaheer Khan
- The spearhead. The thinker's bowler. Enough said.
PP Chawla
- Has turned in a run of mediocre performances but he takes wickets. Tends to be inconsistent, too short, and bowls the wrong line. To let tail-enders hit 2 sixes off your last bowler, the 49th of a massive run chase, is plain unacceptable. You need to aspire to the greatness of Shane Warne, not the mediocrity of the last bowler you replaced on the Indian squad.
MM Patel
- Refer notes for Piyush Chawla. Good in sparks, but there aren't enough sparks to warrant praise.
Suresh Raina
- 12th man, young kid who isn't doing his due diligence to merit inclusion in the playing 11. When you're a substitute, you need to pull back runs, latch on to impossible catches, and make the 11 uncertain of their position on the team. With you waiting in the wings and playing the way you are, there is no fear in any of the 11 that their position is in jeopardy.
To summarize:
- Inconsistent performances need to be penalized.
- Bowling is sub-par, but there are simple things that can address the issues. First thing to do: have a plan. Second: stick to the plan. And don't forget, bowling short and/or bowling on middle and leg is a bad idea regardless of the conditions.
- Hubris is entrenched; it needs to be eviscerated. There is no place for hubris in modern sports. You're not the anointed champions; you can earn the right to be called champions, but nothing is ordained.
V Sehwag
- Nothing to add about Viru. He sticks to his game-plan, which is a rarity in this motley crue of cricketers.
SR Tendulkar
- For some reason, his centuries are almost always in vain. India loses because hubris sets in after a huge score has been posted on the board. He walks out with his head held high, gives it his best, and walks off with his head - and ours - held higher.
G Gambhir
- Great foil to the aggression of Sehwag. Only thing he needs to work on is his fielding.
Yuvraj Singh
- Mercurial. Inconsistent. Sublime and ridiculous. The mood of the team derives from his mood, so he needs to be upbeat, always!
MS Dhoni
- Winningest Indian captain, so can't really call him out for his decisions, but his bowling changes today were rubbish.
YK Pathan
- All-rounder and great fielder, so the only thing I'd ask off him is to work on his bowling in the death. He tends to bowl short and stray on the leg-side. As a bowling strategy, this isn't really one to write home about.
V Kohli
- Touted as the best fielder on the Indian team, but hasn't lived up to this billing. Needs to lose the sunglasses, hunker down, and inspire his teammates with his dives and jumps on the field. A treat to watch as a batsman, but in today's game, that isn't enough.
Harbhajan Singh
- The 2nd Indian spearhead. Bhajji bhai, you need to reach out to the junior bowlers in a manner they can digest, and dispel wisdom on how to deal with batsmen that aim to dominate. Piyush Chawla really needs this guidance.
Zaheer Khan
- The spearhead. The thinker's bowler. Enough said.
PP Chawla
- Has turned in a run of mediocre performances but he takes wickets. Tends to be inconsistent, too short, and bowls the wrong line. To let tail-enders hit 2 sixes off your last bowler, the 49th of a massive run chase, is plain unacceptable. You need to aspire to the greatness of Shane Warne, not the mediocrity of the last bowler you replaced on the Indian squad.
MM Patel
- Refer notes for Piyush Chawla. Good in sparks, but there aren't enough sparks to warrant praise.
Suresh Raina
- 12th man, young kid who isn't doing his due diligence to merit inclusion in the playing 11. When you're a substitute, you need to pull back runs, latch on to impossible catches, and make the 11 uncertain of their position on the team. With you waiting in the wings and playing the way you are, there is no fear in any of the 11 that their position is in jeopardy.
To summarize:
- Inconsistent performances need to be penalized.
- Bowling is sub-par, but there are simple things that can address the issues. First thing to do: have a plan. Second: stick to the plan. And don't forget, bowling short and/or bowling on middle and leg is a bad idea regardless of the conditions.
- Hubris is entrenched; it needs to be eviscerated. There is no place for hubris in modern sports. You're not the anointed champions; you can earn the right to be called champions, but nothing is ordained.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
What I shipped in 2010
In the Corporate world, you are what you ship. Here is who I am:
1. The AWS SDK for .NET updates for EC2, CloudFront and S3
2. AWS S3 Console:
a. Large Objects support
b. Usability improvements
c. RRS Bucket notifications
Though small, each item on that list had big implications for AWS developers and customers alike. Nailing the user experience, defining the API, determining which interactions to simplify and which to further flesh-out took a lot of research and hard-work.
Here's to 2011 being another year of features, both small and large, that improve the AWS customer experience.
1. The AWS SDK for .NET updates for EC2, CloudFront and S3
2. AWS S3 Console:
a. Large Objects support
b. Usability improvements
c. RRS Bucket notifications
Though small, each item on that list had big implications for AWS developers and customers alike. Nailing the user experience, defining the API, determining which interactions to simplify and which to further flesh-out took a lot of research and hard-work.
Here's to 2011 being another year of features, both small and large, that improve the AWS customer experience.
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