Happy 2017 --- What is this year going to bring?

As I write Happy 2017, I hope that this year brings exciting things to my life (many other people probably have a similar thought). As I do this, I realize that I am leaving some of this to fate and chance and this reminds me that I am not the logical and scientific person that I think I am.

Anyway, I have not blogged or written anything in a while, so I thought I would try and get this going.

Happy 2017 - Make this year a productive one.

The future of strategy consulting

This is posted on my Tech Blog as well.

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For MBA students, one of the most desired careers after graduation is Management Consulting (the others being Investment Banking, Investment Management, and Private Equity/Venture Capital).

While browsing, I came across an interesting article in HBR which talks about the trends in strategy consulting industry.

Essentially the article says that over the year competition has increased. Some of the reasons for this could be that there are more companies out there, there is easier access to resources and less barriers to entry because of the Internet and greater supply of talented people. Thus consulting projects go out to companies that can add more value than just strategy consulting. Typical workstreams now have IT, supply chain, analytics components within the project. Thus pure strategy projects are declining and projects focused on a specific function (e.g. IT) are increasing, and thus the opportunity to do strategy is now embedded within that initiative.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/03/the_state_of_strategy_consulti.html?cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-strategy-_-strategy031511&referral=00210&utm_source=newsletter_strategy&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=strategy031511

Great Concert last night

I really enjoy good music. It was probably in 2nd or 3rd grade when my aunt got me a Michael Jackson "Thriller" audiotape. I was completely blown away by "Beat it". For the next many years, I actively followed the Top of the Pops, bought song books to learn lyrics and even tried to play the guitar.

But I truly discovered the "nasha" of music the first time in 2000 at University of Southern California. My friend and then room-mate N (props to you for this - if you are reading this post) made me really "hear" Pink Floyd's The Wall. Since then, I have been hooked and few things make me as happy as watching a good concert.

Anyway, in the last few years, I have become a little disillusioned by the whole concert experience. Most concerts were overcrowded, most of the performances limp, and quite frankly - instead of being fun, the experience was an ordeal.

So when my friend asked me if I wanted to hear Shri + DJ Badmarsh last night at Blue Frog, I was not too excited but happy all the same to go and hang out with my friends.

Man, am I glad that I went? The show was great.

DJ Badmarsh started with a lukewarm performance on his turntables. The music was minimal and slow. As my friend aptly put it - "Should I shout - Start the f***ing music." At that point, I was ready to call it an early night. But then Shri and his boys came on the stage and put on a solid performance for a good two hours. Every song was great. The male acapella singer and the lady vocalist were both phenomenal. Fantastic breakbeats, bass, and creative melodies.

While they were no Chemical Brothers, it was amazing to see their positive energy on the stage. It seemed like they were truly enjoying every minute of their own performance. They were interactive with the crowd and different people come up and performed with them. It was a small crowd in a fantastic venue. This is what music is about!

Two things before I end the post - I have to say that Blue Frog is a really nice place and is probably the best place that I have ever watched a concert at. Great ambience, excellent food.

And S, sucks that you crashed your new-ish car. Cant think of a consolatory comment other than "congratulations on losing your car-virginity. it is just a small dent" and "this experience will make you tougher".

100 word story - It's cold in here

(Story topic from 100wordstories.com)

The irony of the situation made him smile while he sat shivering.

Not too long ago, he was gloating to his friends in Vermont how he was going to enjoy the warm weather of South-East Asia while they suffered a miserable winter.

Out of an uncharacteristic impulse, he decided to score cocaine from some locals at a Singaporean bar only to find out that it was a setup. Somehow he managed to escape and his friend, Ahn, had hidden him in the cold storage unit of Boon Meatpacking Co while the police looked for him.

It had already been 72 hours …

100 word story - History does not repeat itself

(Story topic from 100wordstories.com)


“Would you like to play a game?”

“Son, not now, I am really tired.”

The little boy says nothing. His head droops and he trudges back to his room.

Rohit watches his son as he closes the door. He sits down. The incident had triggered some old memories and images of his father flash through his head. He vividly remembers how his father had neglected and abandoned them. Even today, these thoughts fill him with disappointment and anger.

For a while, he is motionless. Suddenly he gets up and walks into his son’s room. History would not repeat itself.