The art of fast-failing

Hi,

Met with an acquaintance I used to be associated with on the professional front. The unique thing about him is, he has mastered the art of failing fast.

I believe that he should be one of the few people who have mastered the art of failing. All he does is, running a "biz lab" in Chennai. He gets fascinated by unique ideas and pursues them with zeal, lining-up the best known resources in the market. His idea is to "see-through" if something works or not. The last time I saw him, he was busy making board games for kids. This time, he is seriously into making money out of puzzles.

What I admire in him is his resilience. With each fall, I see this man coming back with more strength. When I had time to discuss this trait, he said that he disowns his failures (and successes) and but does things for the experience he derives from each initative. He works close to 16 hours every day (which he had been doing for the last 10 years).

He has several other traits - creative writing (he is one of the demc-approved writers), voracious reader (has a well-stocked library and continues to add more) and a great dad (his kids think their dad has all the time for them).

It is these guys who run our economic engine. Though they start in a small manner, they inspire people around them and think truly big (once I caught him thinking about forming a financial institution for the poor of India). He has promoted many office boys to become analysts - who now occupy coveted posts in reputed companies.

I would rate the period I was associated with him as a phase where I could learn intensively.

Vijay

The myth of manifestations

Hi,

A young friend approached me for career guidance. His concern was, what he does now is a far cry from what he aspires to do.

Young minds often take manifestations as actual experience. As part of jobs, we all interact, seek, write, communicate, think and do many other stuff. The "actual experience" lies in doing these things. These basics collectively manifest in the form of various functions. We name such functions as research, banking, consultancy, et al. I told the young friend to get these basics right and the rest is going to follow.

I think it is these basic activities that differentiate us from the rest. Strengthen these basic skills (think, talk, write and interact) with apt tools (technical / management), you get the right mix to go places.

I could remember the parallel one of the management thinkers (was it Jim Collins?) drew with the self-guiding missile, to explain career goal. With the distance intended to be covered being set, the missile sets its own trajectory and is programmed to evade obstacles enroute. Each young mind need to have a goal (derived out of introspection of strengths) and get going on a self-guiding mode to attain the goal.

I also added that Ibuka and Akio Morita (of Sony) recruited musicians when they could not pay engineers to track wave patterns. They understood the actual experience needed and did not get carried away with the manifestations. It was a class act, to penetrate who can do a job better, if engineers are not available. It was a sound (no pun intended) thought to zero-in on musicians as they are sensitive to beats and their timings. (Ibuka and Akio's goal must have been to get people to handle the assignment, than have a fixed idea of having engineers to handle the same).

My young friend's face appeared brighter than what it was when we started the conversation. But, I left the meeting with a vague feeling - not sure if I had over-simpilified things.


Vijay