Month: October 2010

Once again, the startup scene in India’s digital space has started buzzing. The first time it happened was a decade ago. At that time, the users and usage were missing. The situation is a lot different now. Much has happened in the intervening decade.

The Internet user base in India has grown from practically nothing to about 60 million. They are doing more than just browsing. Transactions are a big driver this time around – the convenience of buying tickets (air, train, bus, movies), books and more, with the multitude of payment options is helping drive eCommerce.

Social Networking didn’t exist a decade ago – Facebook is rapidly emerging as one of the most accessed websites in India. Video consumption on YouTube is also something that didn’t exist a decade ago. And of course, the search for jobs, homes and spouses is another big activity. The Internet has become much more diverse than just mainstream portals.

Advertising on the Internet in India now accounts for about $200 million (Rs 900 cr), but a majority of that is monopolized by two companies, Google and Yahoo.  That leaves a much smaller amount for homegrown portals.

Continued tomorrow.

From a post written two years ago:

• Respect the time limits that have been sent. This is not as easy as it sounds. Given a microphone and the opportunity to make points, we all tend to go somewhat haywire. And it is that rare event that ends up sticking to published schedules. Speakers need to make sure upfront how much time they have – and then stick to it. This requires preparation and practice. If the time is short (5-10 minutes), I now like to prepare my remarks in advance and time myself so I know exactly how long I’ll be talking.
• Prepare your talk in advance! Again, I have seen too many people get up and just start rambling. I used to do that myself – so I cannot blame others. The solution to this is – once again – preparation and practice. It is amazing what 30-60 minutes (at a minimum) of preparation can do to a talk and the story that comes across.
• Don’t start by apologising. Many times, I have heard speakers starting off their talk with “I stand between you and lunch” or “It is hard to speak after lunch and I hope I will manage to keep you awake.” Speakers who do this cut into their own time with these attempts at unnecessary humour. Cut to the chase straightaway — people want to listen to you. Use humour in the context of your speech.
• Answer the Question asked. Many a time, I find panelists answering the question they have an answer for, rather than the question asked. Again, this is just not done. If one doesn’t know, it is okay to ask someone who may know to take a stab at answering it. Give short, pithy and relevant answers.
• A Tip for Moderators. Please lay the groundrules for the panelists clearly well in advance, and make sure they adhere to it (time and content).  Also, try and speak to all the panelists once so you know who they are and what their strengths are. Don’t be afraid to cut off ramblers — that’s what you are there for. Also, keep the panel discussion on-topic — if there are questions that are not pertinent, have them taken offline. In short, be an active presence to make sure everyone gets the most out of the discussion.

This week’s links:

• Social Networking Presentation: by Paul Adams. A great read.Deep insights into how the offline and online works meld together.
• The Social Network Movie Review: byLawrence Lessig. “What’s important here is that Zuckerberg’s genius could be embraced by half-a-billion people within six years of its first being launched, without (and here is the critical bit) asking permission of anyone. The real story is not the invention. It is the platform that makes the invention sing.” (via Atanu)
• Facebook in Five Years can be bigger than Google: by Adam Rifkin on Techcrunch. “Facebook’s second-mover advantage affords the company the luxury of offering both types of Internet money-making product: Advertising and Commerce.”
• The Tea Party Tradition: an excerpt from a new book by Daniel Hannan in the National Review. “Grassroots movements can do things politicians and think tanks can’t.”
• Innovation in India: Technology Review profiles 35 Indian innovators under 35 years. 

Here are some learnings from the Gov 2.0 Summit (and others I have attended) on how to organise a better conference:

• Format: Most conferences I have attended tend to either be presentations or panels, or some mix of both. Presentations by speakers who have not been adequately briefed can get boring, monotonous and disjointed very quickly. Panels with too many people ensures the same disconnectedness and randomness of thought. Instead, what is needed is a judicious mix of multiple types of sessions: a few presentations (where speakers know exactly what they have to talk), many 1:1 conversations (which bring out the real thinking of a person), and a few discussions with a couple people and a knowledgeable moderator. Most sessions should be about 15 minutes.
• Deadlines:  And of course, it is highly critical that every session sticks to the time allocated. There needs to be a countdown timer visible clearly to the speakers and panelists, so they know how much time is left at any point of time. Every speaker needs to be told clearly that there is no excuse for overshooting the time limits.
• Briefings: Speakers need to be adequately briefed, and the organisers/moderators also need to spend time discussing with the speakers and panelists what their session is about. I have been on panels where the first interaction is 10 minutes prior to going live! Every person on stage needs to know their role.
• Social Media Integration and Audience Interaction: A backchannel needs to be created using Twitter and Facebook (and SMS in India) for people in the audience to provide real-time feedback. There needs to be some time allotted for audience interaction.
• Moreover: The other details are equally important: nametags that don’t flip over so one has no idea who the other person is, making available videos and presentations soon after the conference, having a sponsor/exhibitor area, and so on.

There is a Grand Hyatt no more than a mile or two from where the US President stays, right in the heart of Washington. My taxi was not stopped to be scanned by mirrors. The taxi doors were not opened for examination of the glove compartments. I did not have my baggage passed through scanners. I did not have to empty my pockets of all metallic objects and then pass through a metal detector. I did then have to be frisked. I did not have to go through this process each time I entered the hotel. This is probably true of every hotel in the US.

Then, there is a Grand Hyatt in Mumbai at Kalina. What I describe here is probably true of every 5-star hotel in India. The car is stopped at the entrance, and scanned (and in the process, creates a jam on the road at busy hours). The bags are passed through baggage scanners. I have to remove my mobile and pass it through the same scanner. I am then frisked. I have to go through this process each time I enter the hotel.

Why?

Even malls in India now make one go through metal detectors, frisking, checking of one’s carry-on bags and purses. Why? I have not seen security checkpoints at any US malls.

Why?

When I talk to friends and read all the op-eds in the NYT and WSJ about the US, one could get the feeling that the US is on the decline, and its best days are behind it. I don’t think so. The US may face more challenges at this point of time than they have had in a generation. But the people there have a couple of qualities that will help them not just pull through but also create something more and better. Resilience and Reinvention.

There may be anger at government being manifested through the Tea Party. There may be disappointment at Obama. But under the hood, there are hubs that are full of life. The entrepreneurial energy in the US is still alive and kicking. That is what creates companies like Google, Apple, Cisco and Facebook. With each big success, there are dozens of companies that fail. And that is where the same resilience and reinvention kicks in. There is that inherent belief that the world needs a better mousetrap – and they are the ones to do it.

That is the type of attitude that we need to bring in our thinking in India. Put aside the fear of failure, think big, and aim to change the world. Only a few of us will succeed. But that’s a few more than what’s happening today. And those few will inspire those to come.

During my US trip, as I walked through the train and looked at people around in the conference, I could not but help notice that so many of them were just looking at their Screens. Laptops, mobiles, iPads, Kindles, and so on. Screens have become the centre of our lives – and we are giving up a lot as we move attention away from our surroundings.

I know we can all multi-process and all that. But, it is not the same thing. Focused attention on a speaker at a conference requires putting the Screen away. Losing oneself in the world of natural beauty that passes outside the train window requires putting the Screen away. At least for some moments, we should immerse ourselves in the Moment that matters rather then that email that needs to be answered or the website that needs to be surfed.

In some ways, I am still of the old school of thought wherein I like chunky time to think – that is becoming harder with interruptions aplenty from emails, SMSes, status updates, tweets, etc. Maybe our brains will rewire to make us productive with all these parallel tasks. But until that happens, I want to minimse the micro-moments in my life!

I took Amtrak to Washington from Newark, after a brief visit to meet my cousin. A train ride is something I always like. It took just under three hours to arrive at Union Station. Speeding through the US countryside and looking out of the window was very relaxing. For some reason, trains need to soothe, while short airline rides tend to make one more anxious

The train network is what the US built decades ago, and could definitely do with an upgrade in terms of speed – like China’s High Speed Rail.

Trains are the lifeline of a country. And upgradation of the train network is what India needs to invest in – we are still stuck in the 60-70 km/per hour average speed for the most part for our so-called “express/superfast” trains. That needs to at least double if not treble in the years to come. Mamata Banerjee could have inspired the nation bold and big initiatives during her short stint (since she is all set to take over as West Bengal CM next year after the elections), but I guess that is too much to expect from our political leadership.

From a post I wrote a couple years ago:

As part of the investments I have in about a dozen (mostly early-stage) companies, I have to attend some of their Board meetings. They give me a good opportunity to catch up with what’s happening (though I do talk to or email many of the CEOs every so often). And as much, I think the way some of the Board meetings get done leaves a lot to be desired. Here is my wishlist:

• The info pack for the Bpard meeting should be sent to the Members at least 3-4 days in advance, so there is an opportunity to review it in advance
• Up front, the “Key Decisions to be Made” should be clearly stated. The Board can help provide clarity and guidance, and it is up to the management to come out and ask the right questions of the Board. Many times, these end up coming right at the end when there is very little time for discussion.
• It is very important for the Board meeting to be properly paced so that all key issues are covered. Someone has to play timekeeper so that all issues are covered.
• The ideal time for a Board meeting is at the end of a quarter, so all the numbers are there for discussion.
• A historical perspective should be provided: enclose the presentation of the previous Board meeting along with the key decisions made, and what actions were taken on these points.
• After the Board meeting, a summary of the points discussed and decisions made should be sent across to all.Again, this seems obvious but is not done often enough.
• There should be discussion on competitive activity in the marketplace. This provides the wider context. It is hard to absorb the information about a company in isolation.

This week’s links:

• Wall Street Journal Tech Innovation Awards: The winners.
• Scaling your management style: by Ed Sim. “Many founders will find that once they raise capital and hire more people, that their one room, one whiteboard open management style is hard to scale.”
• Why the revolution will not be tweeted: by Malcolm Gladwell. “Weak ties seldom lead to high-risk activism.”
• India’s surprising economic miracle: from The Economist. “There are two reasons why India will soon start to outpace China. One is demography…The second reason for optimism is India’s much-derided democracy.”
• A Few Home Truths for Indians: by Atanu Dey. “The Indian masses go about as placidly as cows (a large number of whom actually worship cows) being led to the slaughter house. And that’s as important a home truth as any that Indians need to learn.”