If you want to remove hiring bias, don't turn to AI; take a leaf from the British civil service's book and use first-principles thinking to fix the process.
Tag: technology
#WhenIWas15
When I was 15, I was trying to understand the present. Now when I am not 15, the quest continues.
Early employees and the art of equity distribution
This article is the fifteenth in the Startup Series on FirstPost’s Tech2 section and first appeared on May the 10th, 2017. As a professional and an advisor, I have been on both the founder’s and the early employee’s sides of the question of equity for early employees. In an early stage venture, equity is an … Continue reading Early employees and the art of equity distribution
Luxury’s talent conundrum
A version of this essay appeared on Hudson Walker International's Opinion section published on November the 4th, 2016. The Luxury sector is facing headwinds. Single digit growth seems here to stay. The behaviour and the expectations of the elusive but coveted millennial consumer remain somewhat a mystery with conflicting trends emerging. For instance, millennials seem … Continue reading Luxury’s talent conundrum
On fancy job titles
This article is the fourth in the Startup Series on FirstPost’s Tech2 section and first appeared on Oct the 19th, 2016. In one of my corporate venturing roles with a large Indian conglomerate, I served as the country manager of a European country. That was also the job title on my card and in my … Continue reading On fancy job titles
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
Four For Friday (33)
Nearly everyone has an opinion on "robots". My nerdier friends get excited and talk about the latest advances; my sociologist and anthropologist friends shake their heads and bring up issues of inbuilt prejudices and morality; some of us STEAM types, who operate on cusps of disciplines, see the possibilities and the risks and get alternately … Continue reading Four For Friday (33)
Four For Friday (31)
This week's links on design-thinking and design come right after I shared some observations made on a recent trip to India. Apple is giving design a bad name, writes Don Norman, who established the User Experience Architect's Office later becoming Vice President of Apple's Advanced Technology Group. His co author is Bruce Tognazzini, a usability … Continue reading Four For Friday (31)
Four For Friday (29)
The luxury sector is negotiating the tight rope between its traditional exclusivity and the open-all-hours, democratising nature of the web. It is a fascinating space to watch as new ways of enticing and engaging with the customer emerge. This long Luxury Society piece explores the emerging influencers and how brands are finding their feet in … Continue reading Four For Friday (29)
Designing for ubiquity
When I first heard the term "ubiquitous computing" almost 25 years ago, it sounded magical. Computers then, I admit, didn't make it easy to imagine such a world. I frequently found myself daydreaming of the films ET and Escape To Witch Mountain (I did say it sounded magical, didn't I?) It evoked a vision of … Continue reading Designing for ubiquity