Show me the Money!

This is the best mantra in corporate world. I currently working on requirement gathering for a project. Then I suppose to work with Product Line Leader (PLL) for justification of this project. This is going crazy. Actully this project will enhance the value of the product itself beside charging seprately for it. But I guess that is the last thing this world will understand. I guess there should be proper marketing strategy department and there is small but big difference between the Product manager and Product Marketing Manager. I am getting that now. I guess this will prepare me for my new job. Today is last day to submit my account for last yr work. I have been here for 2 months and not much on product table to show. Though I think I will just do fine.

Purpose

This weekend just sucked as I never went out and did any outside activity. This was a big long weekend. But it was very pleasant with movies I watched. Notable are "Purpose" and "Swimming with Sharks". Purpose specially appealed me more. This movie is about a Stanford dude who makes a big start up in dot com boom. Tries to drive his company with a vision but unfortunately or say (as usual) getting more money forces drive him to list this company public. This puts lot of changes on company part against which he fights. Good script narration and getting essence of out of the story. But the fact that it looks much similar to the Google makes it more interesting. Google I guess fought against the idea of going public and owners were against it for a long time. Now everyone there is millionaire but company is doing what it wants. Market considers this as too risky but company is doing what it enjoys. Going through research way still making money. Nice combo, after lot of wiz kids failure to convert their ideas from Stanford into corporate reality. With all these, comes a direct message that a tech company runs on priciples and vision, not for the sole purpose of profit making. Though I consider as bullshit, I still respect the fact. That is why I admire google for being a fine blend of profit and research which is operating currently with lot of success. Swimming with Sharks is another film on a stuggler who is trying to make it in Hollywood. Becomes assistant to great producer played by Kevin Specy. The story has nice shocking end but unnecessary. Film depicts the ass kissing and kicking, Hollywood style so nicely, you get a feeling that you are present there. It also divulges the difference between the two cities as far as carrier goes (NY and LA). Though the only cute face in both film was GF of startup dude.

Effective EMS ( I don't know longform for EMS)

EMS is the a short para which you have to write at the end of year when you are a part or full time GE employee. I guess every mnc has some kind of system for employess to express their achievements and then management to shoot it back. I am even not sure how my EMS is going to cross over outside of my firm, But I thought of writing it nicely. When I went through examples, I found that to write best EMS show numbers. Means show management that you have reduced testing time by 30% using new methods. Even if new methods are not that effiective you EMS for that point becomes attractive. I am not sure if I have the correct alternate way for such huge org. But I am sure that this is not the right way to do this. When reading Jack Welch, you feel that this guy forgot what he was at the grass root level and how he could have done with better productivity. I think not only him but everyone at his level should be doing same as long as you are posting good profits. I guess that is what matters in first and middle and end. Giving to Society, doing for community or powering employees are just sugar coated things tought in business collleges to make bitter things sound sweet.

More from Life!

Basically whatever written in this entry is for me and for my own understanding. If you can make sense out of it, you are welcome to read it. But I am not sure if you will. These days, more from life is my inspiration for doing anything. I am trying to get free from the basic level. I dont remember what Jack Welch call it but its the proper word for it. Currently reading books like these on IBM, Dell or GE. Basically now being in there i can relate my experiences to them. Not exactly though. But somewhat similar to Jack as he started from the basic post of junior engg in GE. Basically I am finding out that Bently people are still not into GE. They have been working with different style. The moto is same. Earn ton of money for COMPANY but the way is certainly different. I am not sure how it changes on the part of management but its great to know some insides in it. That's why I am trying to understand the mentality on both sides (management which acquired company, people who are working for the company). My approach is quite different towards the things. I am asking so many questions like these big guys asked when they joined as CEO. THE BIG differece is that I am just a junior engg. But people are very nice to me, particularly Ken, Scott, Dave and Bob are trying to explain everything they can. They dont have to but they are. That's nice start. The project is gr8 to work. But again, when rethinking of this whole thing, Its not that simple to work with that SHOW ME MONEY eq. I am getting into it but dont how i will apply it over here. Feeling like my growth is blocked and I need to do something about it. But I am not sure of the way. One thing is sure, I should pay more attention to what I am doing right now. They hired my as programmer and not as management consultant. NO,, no ,, i am not going right way here so I will stop this entry.

Home !

This week is most stressful for me in months. Not because I have been busy at work but due to the home search situation. From last 4 days I dont have my own place to stay. I am staying on couches, small rooms and whatever. The bad thing is that I am missing proper meal (eating out and that too boring stuff). I know I should not be bitching about the minden situation here but inspite of having a good job, you dont get good living conditions, I think that is very sad. 2 days back, I took decision of moving in a place ignoring its massive rent of 900$ but then suddenly, I meet a desi guy and then felt that I should save money too. You know the feeling after meeting a desi that savings is most important thing in your life and not your own enjoyment. Though there is fine line between enjoyment and necessity, most of the times its invisible for me. I realize that line after i spend money. This time I am trying to save on me. Everybody here is advicing me that I should buy home here to save money on Tax and Rent. This makes financial sense, only problem is that you never know when prices are going to go down. Since being a single guy you dont want to commit to any other thing. I almost checked out every single house available for rent. Every apartment agency which rents out apartments. No luck uptil now. Meanwhile everytime I write this blog, I forget to mention about the beauty of this place. Its very beautiful place to be. Green on fields and snow covered mountains everywhere. You look out from conference room or every other window and you can be speechless watching that beauty. This one perfectly matches Ranrang description. I am not sure what kind of weather is there in india right now but its like shravan or mansoon here. Only you will see snow beside rain. Now I am feeling much better, so lets get back to what I have been doing.

Race Around!

I need to write this blog today since what I think today will prove me right or wrong tomorrow. If I don't have any opinion then it does not matter. Presendial elections: Never touched this topic until now expect that poster from Kerry. By this time all the media in the world must be jumping to tell the difference between their system and American system of elections. So must be they explaining who is doing what. Or last min attempts by both candidates. I think everyone now knows that whatever might be output at the first day, its not going to get the clear signal in very near future. They according to constitution, court can not interfear in this system more than some predefined time. This time its going to that last min when lawyers from both the sides will try to strech it as long as they can. All elections are focused on battle ground states which are still undecided. Those are Florida, Wisconsin, Ohio etc. One of them is Nevada. That's why John Kerry and Bush both visited the city near to my place. Gr8 traffic jam but not as it use to be back in india. Whatever the key issues are, Undecided voters will make the difference. Some news channel though try to be accurate and impartial they can perform that role when elections come near. For eg. now almost all channels are favoring Bush over Kerry though they are endorsing Kerry they are giving more positive news about Bush. Something which is quite unusual in india. Voting system is critiqued all over the world still people travel to see these elections. ( I guess that is cheap technique to do a USA tour). Candidates on both sides know this fact but never made an attempt to improve it. One of my colluge told me the reason behind this (from his pt). All these systems are tied to county level matters (in indian context Nagarpalika or corporation level management). Thats why somebody who moved from one place does gets an absenty ballet but sametime can register to local voting office. There is no way in hell that these county's will communicate with each other and will rectify the mistake. USA has this very well defined system of social security no which can solve this problem. Put all the controls on federal hands as these are fedral elections or create something unique to specify identity but no. That is not happening. Other gr8 difference is that you can vote anytime you want. Dont have to be election day. You can vote 3-4 days before election day and people know about their counts. People use absety ballets heavily. Pretty good orgnization this way but due to those missing facts, spoils everything. I read this good article(http://indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=57266) which tells why people of Indian origin should vote for Bush. Though I do not agree on all points, I do like some points there. I think Bush will win this elections utimately and Hillary will be next president. I am not sure if things go wrong in mid way but its what looks like. In between, saw a gr8 movie last night "Flavors" on desi americans. Reminded me some of the other things but that's later.