Skill a Robot cannot master

As algorithms start creating news stories ,movie story lines and other seemingly creative pursuits, it is important to look at specific skills that a robot cannot master , at least anytime soon.

Here is a skill/attribute that transcends age, geography and other traditional barriers. It’s a skill that comes to humans at a very very early age and unfortunately we tend to lose it over time.

Since there is no formula to execute this skill, it must be difficult for a robot to master this.

Enough of prelude. We are talking about curiosity. The innate trait to question the current, explore ,try alternates , find new answers and blaze a new path.

Child is never afraid to discover, explore and satiate the curiosity. As a child grows society conditions it to routines, expectations, boundaries,traditions and the set ways of doing things.

Over time the individual loses the energy , ability and interest to be curious. This makes the individual actions routine, predictable and automatable. That’s a downward spiral.

Never stop being curious. It helps you enjoy Disney movies, discover new ideas and things ,helps you find answers and the truth!

When was the last time you got curious???

Frustration Tolerance

What do Innovators , Rocket launchers and Sales people have in common ?

Number of setbacks.

While Politics of sale, market actions, client dynamics give nasty surprises to sales people, complex technologies/ideas, market timing, money challenges frustrate the innovators. Best scientific brains work for years on a rocket launch only to see it fall into the waters /explode for reasons not known/factored in.

Do you need a bigger case for frustration tolerance? Is it a skill or an attribute? How does one develop/acquire it?

While nobody wants a setback, they are a given. They happen more often than people expect and can derail the passion in an instant. While the first one might be tough, one must plan/expect/ be ready for the subsequent set backs. Just look at the numbers.

Whats the ratio of a sales call to a signed deal ?

Ratio of Startups to survival to Unicorns?

Ratio of rocket launches to success?

These are not odds. They are the reality one needs to be prepared for.

Every setback provides you learning opportunities but still is a setback that you need to recover from. And that needs the disposition called Frustration Tolerance. The attribute almost calls for dispassionate analysis and pivoting that is so critical not just for you but for everyone else involved.

When you plan a project or an idea next time, plan for few setbacks at the minimum. Otherwise you are daydreaming!

What do Innovators , Rocket launchers and Sales people have in common ?

Number of setbacks.

While Politics of sale, market actions, client dynamics give nasty surprises to sales people, complex technologies/ideas, market timing, money challenges frustrate the innovators. Best scientific brains work for years on a rocket launch only to see it fall into the waters /explode for reasons not known/factored in.

Do you need a bigger case for frustration tolerance? Is it a skill or an attribute? How does one develop/acquire it?

While nobody wants a setback, they are a given. They happen more often than people expect and can derail the passion in an instant. While the first one might be tough, one must plan/expect/ be ready for the subsequent set backs. Just look at the numbers.

Whats the ratio of a sales call to a signed deal ?

Ratio of Startups to survival to Unicorns?

Ratio of rocket launches to success?

These are not odds. They are the reality one needs to be prepared for.

Every setback provides you learning opportunities but still is a setback that you need to recover from. And that needs the disposition called Frustration Tolerance. The attribute almost calls for dispassionate analysis and pivoting that is so critical not just for you but for everyone else involved.

When you plan a project or an idea next time, plan for few setbacks at the minimum. Otherwise you are daydreaming!

Easy vs Urgent vs Right - Part II

This is a continuation of my earlier article on the same topic. Lets dig deep into the rationale for obsession with the Easy / Urgent answers.

1. All tenures have become short : Thanks to Gig economy, Millennials and the instant gratification trend, tenures have become short from CEO down to the lowest level. Everyone is out to an easy answer quickly.
2. Curiosity : The innate desire of curiosity to explore/experiment the unknown, questioning have become a rare commodity.
3. Abstractism: Abstractism as a skill is not being cultivated . Reusable modules/libraries/models/ideas, pre-cooked youtube videos for every topic, wikipedia and social media generated content means many neurons are not being activated.
4. Business of ‘Busy’ness : The need to be busy/’seen to be busy’ has overtaken what is really important.
5. Lack of imagination : And thats simply in short supply.

Unless one is able to overcome the above, one tends to always settle for the easy or the urgent answer and not necessarily the right one!This is a continuation of my earlier article on the same topic. Lets dig deep into the rationale for obsession with the Easy / Urgent answers.

1. All tenures have become short : Thanks to Gig economy, Millennials and the instant gratification trend, tenures have become short from CEO down to the lowest level. Everyone is out to an easy answer quickly.
2. Curiosity : The innate desire of curiosity to explore/experiment the unknown, questioning have become a rare commodity.
3. Abstractism: Abstractism as a skill is not being cultivated . Reusable modules/libraries/models/ideas, pre-cooked youtube videos for every topic, wikipedia and social media generated content means many neurons are not being activated.
4. Business of ‘Busy’ness : The need to be busy/’seen to be busy’ has overtaken what is really important.
5. Lack of imagination : And thats simply in short supply.

Unless one is able to overcome the above, one tends to always settle for the easy or the urgent answer and not necessarily the right one!

Easy vs Urgent vs Right

 Which is more important — Question or Answer? Question. Why?

Its the question that starts the quest into the hitherto unexplored. But why is answer not important? Because there are (atleast) three answers to each question. The Easy, The Urgent and The Right Answer.

Undeniably asking the right question is the most impactful. It opens up areas unexplored, breaks the stereotypes, provides the purpose and motivation. Now let us look at the 3 answers.

The Easy answer: This is the most convenient, easiest and the one with least discomfort. It panders to our routines , familiarity and conventions.

The Urgent answer: This is the answer that we can get to with the least effort , time and pain.

The Right answer: This answer is the right answer thats certainly not easy, not necessarily comfortable , not something you are prepared for, not something that can come quickly. But its the truth.

Do You see What You get?

An ancient Sanskrit proverb says “ Yat Bhavam Tat Bhavati” which means ‘ As you think , so you become!’. Lets look at how this applies in everyday life.

Did you know that a sculptor sees the statue BEFORE he even makes the very first strike on the stone?

Lets start with a simple one. If you are playing a ball game say Tennis, you need to first see where the ball is going to land , BEFORE you play/place the ball there. Unless you see the ball there BEFORE it lands there, you cannot plan your stroke to ensure the ball lands at the exact spot.

Now lets say you are building a product. Unless you see what the product will be 5 years hence, you cannot take actions today in that direction. Granted you cannot see what the world will be 5 years hence but you can certainly imagine what your own product would be.

Thanks to Private Equity /Venture capital deals, many enterpreneurs are able to see beyond a quarter ( many in fact) and make moves that may deliver in the long term and not just the current year. Visionaries like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are commanding outsized valuations not because of their current profit numbers but their longer term view and moves. When the Paytm founder says he wants to make it in the United States, he is not just looking for market expansion. He is envisioning something very long.

You can no longer hide behind quarterly results to refuse to see the view beyond. In everything that you do today, imagine what would it be 5 years hence. Do not stop with the dreaming. Take actions ( atleast some ) which help you steer along that vision.

Like the Sanskrit proverb says, it will surely happen!

Your margin is my opportunity

I am sure you heard this famous quote from Jeff Bezos. What is actionable from this insight?

1. Look at segments that have a wide spread mediocre offerings , that have not evolved much.
2. Look at segments that do not have wider choice for customers. Customers need to choose between 2/3 options and even those are not really options. Remember the limited options might have come about from a string of acquisitions or the segment attribute itself.
3. Look at segments whose players’ margins do not come down even when new entrants come in. Why does this happen? Either the new entrants are not radical enough or do not attack the fundamentals
4. Look at segments which have a number of intermediaries and each takes a cut in the value chain . Also look at value each intermediary adds in the value chain.
5. Look at markets that have traditionally been low on innovation.

These segments will inevitably be attacked from unknown quarters,sooner than you think!

Valley and the Main Street

 Since the unicorns have started killing industry categories, every firm wants to emulate Silicon Valley firms or want to look like one. The differences are too many.

1. Business Model : The Valley models are non linear, asset light, digital natives and cloud first. Risk taking and Pivoting come naturally to them. Growth and customer acquisition first and Profit later. Main Street firms have linear business models, legacy resisting change, Profit first and growth next and technology baggage.
2. Skill Base : Domain skills are more critical in the Main street and technology supports domain. Its the reverse in the Valley. Pivoting related re-skilling is easier.
3. Funding : As most are venture funded in the valley, the accountability is to a smaller set of investors and do not have the quarterly results /disclosure/regulatory compliance pressure as the Mainstreet firms do.
4. Hype curve: As both these are at different points of hype curve, the problems both of them solve are quite different. Some of the challenges that Valley firms fight on, the Mainstreet is not seeing anytime soon.
5. Resistance : Resistance to change for Main street firms comes from employees, industry stakeholders, regulators, channels. Valley firms are able to quickly get off the ground since they are not seen as a threat until its too late.

Its not all roses on either side. Valley firms seem to be poor on fiscal prudence, focus and business acumen while the Mainstreet firms seem to be poor at seeing anything beyond a few quarters , ability to attract tech talent and slow.

Why does all this matter?

You need to consider all the above factors depending on which side you are playing.