This article is the sixth in the Startup Series on FirstPost’s Tech2 section and first appeared on Nov the 15th, 2016. “You may be a business man or some high-degree thief, They may call you doctor or they may call you chief, But you're gonna have to serve somebody”. Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan is not … Continue reading Startup on a shoestring: building the MVP
Tag: investment
Brexit and the luxury brands of Britain
(A version of this article appeared in LiveMint on November the 17th, 2016.) British Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to India and trade talks with her Indian counterpart take me back to the midsummer’s day in 2016. We in Britain woke up to find that the Leave campaign, colloquially called Brexit, had won the referendum. The pound plummeted … Continue reading Brexit and the luxury brands of Britain
Slicing up the equity pie
This article is the fifth in the Startup Series on FirstPost’s Tech2 section and first appeared on Nov the 2nd, 2016. Cofounder conflict over equity sharing can often cause a startup to be aborted before launch or otherwise fail quickly, as many of us who work with founders in very early stages know well. Some … Continue reading Slicing up the equity pie
Autonomous cars and luxury marques
Aston Martin, James Bond's car of choice (except when he went through a BMW phase), showcased a powerboat at Monaco Yacht Show this year. Writing in the Financial Times, Philip Delves Broughton laments that Bond's legacy is being junked by this luxury marque and outlines the dangers of brands diversifying into unrelated categories, especially those … Continue reading Autonomous cars and luxury marques
Motivation as a design assumption
Holacracy. MOOCs. Food labels. Holacracy isn't working. MOOCs have low completion rates, and an estimated 90% drop-out rate. Food labels to help consumers make informed choices show mixed effectiveness and decidedly no downward impact on public health concerns re obesity. Other than not working as well as optimistically assumed in their wake, they have one … Continue reading Motivation as a design assumption
Influencer marketing and the luxury marque
Eight years ago, I was pondering the meaning of "authority" on the web. Fast forward to 2016 and the language has moved on. It is no longer about authority but about influence. Brands, including some luxury brands, are engaging in "influencer marketing". The web is awash with "advice" for luxury brands on the criteria for … Continue reading Influencer marketing and the luxury marque
The medium is the message
President Obama wrote a piece on Feminism for Glamour magazine. Curious minds want to know why that specific magazine. Here is whom the magazine is for, according to its owner Conde Nast: "Glamour is for the woman who sets the direction of her own life and lives it to its fullest and chicest. Her point-of-view is unmistakably … Continue reading The medium is the message
Living in “interesting times”
Would you rather be a dog in peaceful times? Or a human in chaotic times? When asked this, most people of course pick "human in chaotic times". But when offered to pick one of two -- risk or uncertainty -- most pick "risk" over "uncertainty". To an extent, risk is definable, quantifiable, often tangible, possible … Continue reading Living in “interesting times”
Four For Friday (37)
Stanford University announced its new President this week. Marc Tessier-Lavigne is a "pioneering neuroscientist, former Stanford faculty member and outspoken advocate for higher education". More importantly, in keeping with Stanford's reputation as a crucible for entrepreneurial creativity, he has been executive vice president for research and chief scientific officer at Genentech, leading work on disease … Continue reading Four For Friday (37)
Luxury watches and tech: who is driving whom?
Luxury products, it seems, are being trampled over by technology-enabled products enticing luxury customers. Apple created its own version of ceramic enforced gold. The real number of the Apple watches in gold casing shipped remains a mystery although an estimated total of 10M pieces are expected to have shipped by the end of 2015. Apple … Continue reading Luxury watches and tech: who is driving whom?
