madhouse musings!

Moved to nandini.madhouse.in

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:41:00 +0000

All,

I've been wanting to do this for a while now. Ankit of Instablogs had influenced Sameer and I to moving our personal blogs onto the Instablogs network. Then, i for some reason (read as: Technophobia) thought this whole migration process very geeky, beyond me.... what if i loose all my data... and another the million reasons - i kept pushing the move. I had also shifted the "monkey" of getting the blog installed and readied onto Sameer :) - so i could blame my delay onto him..LOL

Anyways... bygones are bygones... and finally i have moved in, arranged my stuff, decorated the blog and prepared it for visitors.

Inviting you to visit my new hangout: http://nandini.madhouse.in/

madhouse.in is dear to me - this is the url of my first venture. Sameer and i will maintain it jointly. We are starting by migrating our respective blogs and eventually will add more things to madhouse.in that will reflect our thoughts, way of life and us :)

I will now be blogging there.

Thanks to blogger, for this was my first blog... i wont delete it, but will be tough to maintain it.

Happy 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:49:00 +0000

My ode to the new year... will some of these questions get answered? (hopeful)

Blowin' In The Wind

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Startup Madness

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:47:00 +0000

(This article is jointly written by Sameer Guglani and Nandini Hirianniah)

In recent days, while working with the MVP portfolio companies and reflecting back on the days of madhouse, we have identified this phenomenon we are calling ’startup madness’.

It’s visible and present from the time when you start thinking of your million dollar/world changing idea to the steady state point (personal satisfaction, acquisition, IPO or maybe shutdown). Things that you do, don’t make any sense to outsiders and they are like ‘This guy is crazy’ and even when you look back at that period you think “what was I thinking when I did this?”

Looking back at the time when we got the idea to start madhouse, we did not know anything about business, we were just two 27 year old kids (later three of us, with Ankur joining us). We had tried a variety of things in our lives and had managed to do reasonably well in whatever we put our hands into, may be that’s what gave us the stupid confidence. Very importantly we were quite ignorant about ‘real business’ and hence came up with our own take on every business problem we faced.

This streak of startup madness showed at various places:

We did not hear NO: not from vendors, not from people we were trying to hire, not from investors, customers, no one. A NO just meant we had to come back with new ideas and try again.
We would never get tired of talking about madhouse and we could talk to any one about it. Most times the other guy did not give a damn :-(, for him/her it was just a blabber
We just worked non-stop for three years , not even a day off (except when forced by illness)
Other than work everything else was just plain unimportant : sleeping, eating, meeting friends, attending social functions, family, watching TV, movies, newspaper - all of this had very little place in our lives. We just filled all our day with work with average working day of 16-18 hrs all thru.
We worked out of anywhere and everywhere. Our tools were a Fujitsu laptop and a CDMA phone which could be used like a modem. Restaurants, inside a car / train / auto rickshaw / bus, out on the road, in the park, bedroom, living room and the loo, locations stopped to matter, where place was work place.
We did not need a lot of money to live and we were happier than ever (no purchases of over 1000 for 3 years, eating at economical places, shamelessly staying with friends / relatives / acquaintances in cities we visited on work )
‘The world impossible was missing” - we just did not believe that there was any problem that we could not solve or anything we could not do. Our minds were one track - focus hard, think hard, work hard and just do whatever it takes.
We had access to this inhuman energy that allowed us to just keep going - “never get tired” or “never run out of steam”.
Each time we met a new person, we were constantly thinking of how this person can help our venture, . Everywhere we went, we explored if there was something there that could benefit our startup. Frankly we were classical ‘opportunity hounds” and quite shamelessly so
We were basically “stuck” in our own world in which we could not fail. While we adapted like crazy, we sort of forced business to work the way we thought it should work, without caring a lot about the outside world.

This madness is the essence of start-ups; it signifies the purity of a startup. It makes the startup tick and makes it successful and enjoyable. The same madness makes you innovate, over perform, challenge your skill set, think out of the box or even out of the world, take 28 hrs out of a 24 hrs a day, it gets you to focus but does not let you blindly focus!

Its also important to figure out how can you keep re-fueling the desire, the madness, so that it lasts forever, not just for days, weeks or months, start ups that click need to be at it for years. For an individual or team to succeed as a startup, having the startup madness is a must.

If you are an entrepreneur look inside you and make an honest assessment. Do you have the streak?

If yes, great.
If no. But you think you can build it - nice, go ahead and do it at the highest priority.
If you don’t have it and you can’t build it - I am not sure you should continue being an entrepreneur.

On that other hand, if you are not yet an entrepreneur you should also look inside you and make the same honest assessment. Do I have the mad streak?

If yes, you fool, leave your job right now - the world of ’startup madness’ is calling
If no, it would best for you to avoid the path of entrepreneurship, until the ‘madness streak’ gets to you

Ismail, you are doing a great job!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:38:00 +0000

Eid Mubarak, all of you! I’ve been wanting to write for sometime now, but guess I’ve been overloaded with emotions, questions and just too much confusion in my mind.

But, while I sat to watch television y’day (which is a rare thing for me to do), I saw this news report on how a black Eid was celebrated across the nation. I saw celebrities who follow the Islamic faith criticize the recent Mumbai attacks; I heard repeatedly that the Holy Quran does not promote harmful acts, bloodshed or terrorism. I read messages of solidarity, peace and brotherhood on the television screen.

All this only reinforced my faith, the faith of being Indian. Not that of any cast, creed, community, religion or economic strata of the society, but of simply being Indian!

One word unites us: this was an email Natasha sent me last week

Last week, I was in Delhi meeting up with a group of bright entrepreneurs at a popular café in Connaught Place. The café was bustling with life, with many youngsters, tourists and families. The youngsters keeping tables and processing orders wore a welcoming smile as they went about their tasks.

Among them, I noticed one youngster who stood silently, alone in a corner. Wore a sad face, which screamed out “I don’t want to be here, let me go home”. But, I guess he had no choice, but to professionally go about his duties of keeping tables and processing orders. His colleagues spoke to him casually and he responded mechanically. Each time he had to interact with a customer or a customer looked at him, he got very conscious. He stood there covering his hand not to reveal his name tag!

I kept watching him, as I went about my meeting. I so wanted to walk up to him and ask him if I could help him in any way, what his troubles were and perhaps give him a “Jaadu Ki Jappi”. But, I just could not muster enough courage.

Finally, before I left the café. I happened to visit the restroom and on my way out, I crossed paths with him. I smiled at him, but he looked away. I noticed that his name tag read – Ismail.

As I walked out of the café I had tears in my eyes. I so wanted to tell him that it was not his fault that a certain group of people want to cause harm and destruction in this world! Just because he has a name that is similar to those who caused harm and destruction, he does not become one of them! I just could not go back to doing it. I did not want to hurt him more, if at all.

I’ve read a few events of people blaming the Islamic community in India after that incident. I have read of one instance where an airhostess was yelled and verbally abused at because of her name. I’d like to apologize on behalf of all those who may have reacted in helpless anger, without realizing what they were doing.

I am thankful to all those friends of mine who have made me what I am, among other things - a true proud Indian. And to all my friends who follow the Islamic faith – I love you all as much or more than I did before. You’ll are great human beings, many peace loving, many more creative than the rest! Thank you for being a part of my life!

World Diabetes Day - Did you check your blood sugar today?

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:49:00 +0000

The "age factor" compels you to do a few things, one such in my case is the urge to shed that extra fat and stay fit. So, i've been at it for a couple of months, but have always had a problem measuring my efforts towards that end.

Last week, Namit, Varun, Himanshu - founders of LifeMojo, one of MVP's portfolio sent me a test link to their B2C platform - www.lifemojo.com. Here you can not only assess your current body and lifestyle "health", but also plan and track your diet and exercise schedule. These guys are in a pre-release mode and will open to users shortly... i'll update my blog when they release, its a great tool to try out, if you are health conscious, a health freak or just concerned about over-weight. I know that they are also going to add tracking tools for preventive healthcare, such as diabetes and blood pressure.

Anyways, the best thing i liked about these guys is that even if they are in pre-release phase, fixing bugs and all that - When i logged onto www.lifemojo.com this morning - i was totally impressed. I saw a little note on World Diabetes Day on the homepage. When i logged in it also showed me a little reminder about getting my blood sugar tested... So, lo and behold - i promptly got to the hospital near my house in the morning and gave my blood sample to get my sugar levels tested! This, i have been procastinating for a while, though my doctor had suggested i get it tested, considering the family history of blood sugar there exits.

Thankyou LifeMojo!

Tahaan

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:10:00 +0000

Alfred Hitchcock, talking about Suspense, said a couple of things that I am reminded of “Always make the audiences suffer as much as possible.” And “There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it.”

I watched Tahaan this Friday and I experienced what Hitchcock had said. I was suffering every moment of the story from the time Idris gives Tahaan a task. There absolutely was nothing that happened in a bang, so I died anticipating….


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Tahaan

Personally, after a really long time I have seen a movie that cleansed my senses – creative and social. Santosh Sivan has told the story of Tahaan in a very simplistic way, portraying otherwise mundane events of everyday life in the valley. But hidden in the simplicity and everyday activities are the truths that are startling.

Though guns, terrorists, deaths, fears are everyday part of this simple story supported by some amazing cinematography, one notices it but is not alarmed by these truths. The innocence of Tahaan, his quest to get his Birbal – the donkey back is what one enjoys. But all this changes slowly, as Tahaan meets Idrees and the story takes a small deviation. The beauty of this is that nothing is sudden, that’s what makes you feel desperate, helpless and completely stripped off your facades – while you sit and watch in your seats, holding your popcorn. Wanting to know what Tahaan does, thinking of the various consequences of his actions, wishing that he does not do all of those things you are thinking, wondering how an innocent act can be a curse to mankind!

Along with the main story of an innocent little boy and his donkey, the story manages to, though subtly; paint a picture of the lives that people lead in the valley. Missing husbands, frequent visits to the army office, dead bodies, and children playing terrorist games, Kashmiri Pundits living fearful lives underground – prisoners in their own home… It reminded me of that common essay topic in school – I cried for a pair of shoes till I met a man with no legs. I guess, I complain less about things now.

What I hate about the movie is that it is a small event from the ‘issue’ called Kashmir. A convenience for some, a lifestyle for some other, a living for many and a way of life for the rest.

What I love about the movie is that this event in the heartland of Kashmir ends on a positive note. A sign of hope? Perhaps!

Tahaan for me is mastery in storytelling, a landmark film in recent years!

Tahaan means - merciful, tolerant and even cursed.

Annoucement: MVP-Batch2-2008

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:19:00 +0000

Morpheus Venture Partners Announcement - Kick off: MVP-Batch2-2008.

Wake Up

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:43:00 +0000

A Poem by Harish Shanthikumar

When the road ends and mind unfolds,

The same tune echoes the stories untold,

You followed the Pied Piper blinded,

Wake up, you lost thy child in you

Convictions, prejudice and common sense

A claustrophobic black hole that you live in

Limiting your evolution

Wake up, its time to look within

Hallucination of reality

Deja vu of existence

Science defined by limitation of your senses

Wake up, look beyond thee.

An eye for an eye, yellow is yellow

You’ve been told

Is this the truth?

Wake up, nothing is what it seems

An expanding universe

With an abbreviating mind

In a state of cognitive dissonance

Wake up, to the higher dimension

In the quest for the absolute,

An eternal hunt for the truth

Resurrected cornerstone you need to comprehend

Wake up; it’s never too late to die

VP Engineering for Crederity: Apply now

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:18:00 +0000

Role

Looking for a core team member, VP-Engineering to lead the design and implementation of all the products at the company. The ideal candidate has extensive experience designing, building, and deploying public consumer facing web sites. We seek an experienced technologist that loves technology, thrives in a multi-disciplinary collaborative environment, and doesn´t mind rolling up their sleeves to code. The successful candidate will be one of the senior employees/partners and will help shape the company from the ground-up.

Responsibilities

Lead the architectural platform design and release products; Design, build, and test applications; Help to build & lead the development team; Be the first to help us get to the market.

Be a visionary, an evangelist, an entrepreneur & an innovative individual to lead the change…

Requirements

Extensive and demonstrable experience architecting, building, and deploying large multi-tiered consumer-facing web applications; Experience building scalable, flexible, robust, and secure architectures for high traffic applications; Driven by agile methodologies and test-driven development; Willingness to “own the code” and build pieces of the system; Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and technical team management; Solid knowledge of .Net/SQL/HTML/ XML/CSS/Javascript/Ajax/Flash, web application architecture, scalable deployment

Work experience: 8+ years. Should have relevant experience - been there done that or willingness/vigor to work diligently on gaps..

Compensation: Willing to take risk- salary based on experience/skills + equity.

Basically, we are looking for a smart, capable, and most of all a person who has entrepreneurial mindset to run it as business.

More:

To know more about Crederity go here. Write to careers AT crederity DOT com to apply.

Declaration of Independence

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:52:00 +0000

I came across this inspiring video on Varun's Blog!

“Declaration of Independence”

It is inspirational. It reflects my sentiments. It encourages me to do what i am doing better. Watch it, i am sure it will inspire you to no end... and here's a secret wish i will make - "wishing that it converts you to take that plunge, turn you into an entrepreneur!"

The start-up mentor

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:23:00 +0000

Liffy Thomas from the Ergo, The Hindu has written about morpheus venture partners.

The start-up mentor

Start-ups don’t need just the funding. What they need in their initial years is the realisation that their idea is workable, that hiring is not difficult, that one can break even and that wealth can be created in the process.

Two young entrepreneurs, who created waves with their debut firm Madhouse Media (later acquired by DVD rental company SeventyMM), are out to prove that with their latest Bangalore-based venture, Morpheus Venture Partners. Click here for more...

Morpheus Venture Partners

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:57:00 +0000

Like a rolling stone, I’ve been rolling along gathering experiences. I’ve been on a roller coaster ride ever since I can remember – innovating and making a difference to anything I opted to do, along the way gathering all the experiences that life could offer me. At times I have been immensely successful and at times I have failed and learnt from my mistakes.

Right from my early days as a free lancer which I consider my initial days as an entrepreneur – coz for a free lancer it’s the connections, the work and the marketing of oneself as a brand is what helps succeed; till now – experiences have always prepared me for the next big thing that was to come in my life.

As someone who has always questioned the obvious, tried to innovate out of mundane situations and boot strapped all the time, founding Madhouse helped me put those previous learning to use and I got to learn many more things, that only starting a venture will give you and no words can explain it.

With all the experience I have gathered, I am now ready for the next big thing in my life – Morpheus Venture Partners. With a mindset to support, encourage and help entrepreneurs in India, I set out my journey as a founder / partner at Morpheus with Sameer Guglani (who was also the other founder at madhouse media). We set this journey out with a few objectives in mind for Morpheus, which will redefine themselves and become more relevant to the current Indian start-up scenario as we work more closely with start-ups as part of Morpheus.

At Morpheus we want to:

· Work with teams of young / bright entrepreneurs who have the ability to listen to the customer and are open to morphing their ideas for the customers and have the innate ability to constantly innovate and be on top of things.

· Work closely with start-ups in India. Start-ups / young entrepreneurs who have a great idea, an idea that has the potential to solve some of the greatest problems for the customers.

· Work closely by mentoring young entrepreneurs helping them define their business, getting started, reaching out to customers, redefining their product for its customers, etc.

· Create an environment that allows young entrepreneurs interact with experienced gurus with relevant knowledge in specific domains.

· Create a platform where young entrepreneurs / startups can learn from each other.

· Start a revolution that will help balance the skew in the system – where entrepreneurs are chased by all else in the system.

And thus, I set out on another journey of mine, with all you - my friends – who I derive immense energy from. I thank you all for making me realize that all people are good people in this world, like you – who support, help, criticize – all for the good, for the betterment of my experiences.

My parents always told me: If you believe in something very much, just go ahead and do it. The outcome of everything is the experience!

Kannada Play on 14th - 15th June

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:59:00 +0000

Associated Amateur Artists (AAA) is one organization that stands testimonial to the passion for the arts. Year after year, this over 3 decade organization fights all odds to achieve one goal - theater, good theater!

AAA presents the play BIDEE NAANU DEVARAGIRABALLEY

The details of the play are as below:

Play: BIDEE NAANU DEVARAGIRABALLEY (Let be, let me remain as The God)

Date: 14T & 15TH OF JUNE at 6.45 PM

Venue: H N Kalakshetra (National College, Jayanagar)

Playwrite: Mr. N C Mahesh (lecturer, National college Basavanagudi)
This play won the first prize in Prof B C Memorial playwrite competition organised by Suchitra Kalalendra

Language: Kannada

Director: Sri. Hiriannaiah Haranahalli (Well known artiste in Kannada industry)

Music: Mr. SHASHIDHAR KOTE (Well known musician)
Dance Choreographed by: Mrs Deepa Narayan (well known TV Artiste)
Tickets: Rs 50.00

OUR NEXT PRODUCTION LATE TP KAILASAM'S 'SOOLAY'

AAA IS ALSO LOOKING FOR THEATER ENTHUSIASTS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ACTING, DIRECTION, BACKSTAGE, LIGHTING MAKEUP... ANYTHING THEATER... PLS CONTACT US

Contact:

Miss Akhila H : 9880277470

Mr. Arun Rao: 9900107090

Reliance Communications, Don't call me anymore!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:41:00 +0000

I do not answer the call if its from 30333232 anymore. But its strange to see how these guys have been repeatedly calling me.

I bought a reliance netconnect connection three weeks back and a day later as promised my connection got activated. The same day i got a Welcome call from one of the agents who asked me a bunch of questions for verification. Thanks were said at both ends and i was a happy customer. Until...

The next day i got another call, Welcome Call Sir! (please, i hate it when people don't bother to figure out if its a man or a woman they are talking to. My voice is not that masculine, nor do i have a Punjabi Sikh name to make things more confusing!) I answered patiently and told the caller that a welcome call has been done, this is a second call. Thanks were said.

From then on, i've got 30 calls in all, on a daily basis from Reliance, some i have answered, explained to them that i've got a welcome call already, please make note. Some i have simply not answered.

Meanwhile, i've already got my usage bill and i still continue to get welcome calls :)

Reliance Communications - I would've loved to see this dedication and efficiency in your data service and complaint resolution.

PS: I've got a welcome call, please make note and don't call me anymmore!

Entrepreneur, a breed of its own!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:35:00 +0000

Four years into the journey as an entrepreneur and founder, as someone who meets fellow entrepreneurs, founders of startups – young and old, I have realized that it takes to be something else to spearhead a startup. I think, it’s a breed of its own, a species that’s called the entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur is someone who actually takes the effort of thinking up an idea. When the large part of this world is happy or complaining – safe in their respective jobs, here’s one person who actually puts some effort and THINKS, thinks about the need, thinks of making a difference, even dreams about making it big and becoming a billionaire. In all, he is the one who makes an effort to THINK UP AN IDEA.

An entrepreneur is the one who takes the risk, makes the first move of translating that idea into action! With an idea in mind, this is the person who mulls about it, discusses it with people, gets feedback, tries to make it relevant to the current conditions, evaluates it… makes the first move. He either sells this idea to another, who becomes his teammate or just pulls things together and starts off. This is the person who takes the plunge, takes the risk – he is the one who ACTS.

An entrepreneur is the one who holds guard. He is the one who takes the risk, the utmost. Through success and failure, he is the one who is facing the criticism, speculation of arm chair speculators, wild predictions of the media, cynicism of the critics…. He is the one who has decided to dedicate crucial time and energy into what he believes is a good idea - he is the one who has a HIGH APPETITE FOR RISK.

An entrepreneur is the one who has SELF DISCIPLINE, who is SELF MOTIVATED and motivates others, who LEADS BY EXAMPLE, who takes criticism HEAD ON, who is turning every negative into a CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK. An entrepreneur is someone with high self esteem, someone who never gets discouraged by failures, a person who has the guts to do it, Fail, and learn from mistakes and rise – like a phoenix, that’s re-born from its own ashes!

So, the next time anyone of you meet this special breed – the entrepreneur, make sure you take sometime to interact with them – they will have something to impart. Make sure you consider all the efforts that go behind creating a startup, before you hastily criticize – you may actually appreciate them for what they’ve done. Who knows, the next entrepreneur you meet may inspire you to take the plunge and convert you to a real entrepreneur from an enthusiast. Someone who’s always wanted to do something of your own, but never got to doing it!

If you are an entrepreneur reading this post – Celebrate, celebrate the sheer fact of your being an entrepreneur… it takes a lot to be one, salute!

Quote: If you continue sitting, you just warm the bench! ~ Anon

Definition: Entrepreneur – a person who has started a venture or a startup, otherwise called founder.

If you haven't failed, you haven't lived!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Mon, 26 May 2008 08:08:00 +0000

Check this video out on sameer's blog

Startup Disco

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Tue, 20 May 2008 04:05:00 +0000

All you startup people... entrepreneurs and enthusiasts... Its the time to disco!
Ashish and a couple of other guys have started this great concept.
Overloaded with work at your new venture? Tired of tweaking that presentation for the VCs or exhausted before the funding has come by? Are you just suffering from a entrepreneurs block? Looking for like minded people to interact with?
Get inspired, unwind and party at the Startup Disco.
Date: 23rd May, Friday
Place: Taika pub, Bangalore

Get more info. here

Seeya all there!

Bangalore Royal Challengers register a win on home grounds!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:13:00 +0000

The body language of RC boys seemed much better today. Finally, it had to take Jumbo to come to the rescue. Well, though he gave out too many runs, that last over was a roller coaster of emotions for all the Royal Challengers fans… At the end, alls well. Rahul Dravid is loved by all again. The fire crackers in Bangalore finally were lighted! Much required, good win by Bangalore by 3 runs. Too bad, Deccan Chargers – try some recharge.

As I write this post I am watching a super-duper of a match Punjab Royals vs. Kolkotta Knight Riders. What a match! What a match! Kolkotta just became the only team in T20 to loose 4 wickets in 5 overs! The energy, the zeal, the comeback by Punjab after their shaky batting is wonderful… As I get back to watching the match, I already know Punjab is winning this evening, with a great treat of cricket. But, in a T20 match, you never know till the last ball is bowled… watching on!

Proto: The Startup Event, Delhi July 18-19

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:58:00 +0000

So close, yet so far!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:02:00 +0000

When the Delhi Daredevils set to bat today, i thought it was a tough bet for Bangalore Royal Challengers... the last 5 overs in the first innings, i began to believe that Royal Challengers may stand a chance.

In the second innings, i thought it was Win time finally for the Mallaya boys. They had everything going right, but, as it had to be... Bangalore lost by 10 runs.

The only consolation, this is the closest Bangalore has got to a win. Ask Rahul Dravid, he says, we are gelling as a team... we should get things working now and win all the games we play from now on.

Duh! What a thing to say, after you've played half a dozen games and half way into the tournament!

Delhi Daredevils performed well, with great zeal and style!

Mumbai Indians – Victory Finally!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:05:00 +0000

For a team that has its ace player injured a team that got caught in the midst of a controversy of a slugfest, for a team that was doing all but winning… Today’s win comes as a big relief.

Though the times were desperate, the Mumbai Indians could have easily crumbled like the Royal Challengers, they had everything that could go against them – Tendulkar not playing, damaged by Bhajji’s controversy, playing on Kolkotta grounds with jam packed fanatic spectators, facing the fierce Knight Riders who have displayed immense grit and passion from their first game!

They had a great game strategy in place, curtail the opponent from scoring and then attack by not giving away wickets. The first innings did go well, as they managed to curtail the Knight Riders to a realistic total. But, the initial batting line gave in to excellent bowling attack of Saurav’s team. There was time when Mumbai was loosing out, but Bravo and Utappa stood sturdy and quick leading the team to victory.

Though the first victory, for a team amidst all of the pressure and emotional upheaval, it is indeed commendable! And now the Ambani’s have more reasons to smile…

Indian Cricket’s Mr.Dependable, The Wall - T20’s Bane?

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:50:00 +0000

Amidst the festivities of a brand new format, glamorous owners, sexy cheerleaders and unimaginable amounts of money, the game of cricket is witnessing a new change – perhaps a much needed change. What with controversies muddying ODI World Cup formats, advertisers loosing interest in backing Test Cricket and the whole business of cricket growing stale?

As I walk away witnessing Match No. 15 in the T20 tournament, I am left with one question in my mind. What does MS Dhoni, Saurav Ganguli, Shane Warne have that Rahul Dravid seems lacking? Barring MS, all other captains are Dravid’s peers or perhaps a little senior. So, the argument of age and adaption doesn’t belong here. Nor does the argument of politics and unfair judgment fully apply. So, what the heck is wrong with Dravid and his Bangalore Royal Challengers?

From the start of this tournament, I have noticed a lack of team spirit among the players of Bangalore Challengers. The captain of the team seems to be under some depression and pressure that I am unable to contemplate. A win that was clearly theirs today was given away on a platter to the Chennai Kings.

The spirit to fight was lacking, the strategy to win and encounter was amiss, the fire in the belly – extinguished! I guess it’s about time the owner of Royal Challengers intervened and demanded performance from the team. Guess its time for a change, a change in captainship or a crash course in aggression, strategy, positive leadership to Dravid – so that he can come back and save his grace in the tournament.

This brings another question to my mind – is this spelling the end to Dravid’s career as a Cricketer? Personally, I hope not!

Bangalore Open Coffee Club

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:08:00 +0000

Just on my way to an interaction on Open Coffee Club. OCC bangalore is an open forum for Entrepreneurs, VC's and budding Entrepreneurs to come together and connect with each other at the grass root level. The group holds its meetings every alternate Sunday.

More details at: Open Coffee Club

More dope once i am back from there..

Also, i watched Jodha Akbar last night...more on that also later!

Shoes - Variety Shoes!

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:07:00 +0000

Shoes they come in shapes, sizes, costs and by the feet that wear them... here are some i clicked during the Valentine's day part at Seventymm (www.seventymm.com) where i work.

The Crocodile skinned, the regular hardworking ones, the semi-formals

The writer types (Left), kurtapyjama-sandals kind (Top)

Mixed bag...err, shoes...pointed, beads, embroidery, stringed...

A full foot circle...round and round, around the world!

What's your foot story?

Valentine's day FRAUD by Cafe Coffee Day

noreply@blogger.com (nandini) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Today, on Valentine's day, when tradition talks of spreading love and expressing your love... Cafe Coffee Day has managed to pull off a FRAUD!

My classmate from University came by visiting me, she lives in another country and is visiting India briefly. She dropped by at office and we decided to go to the nearby Cafe Coffee Day or CCD as its commonly known as!

The Valentine flavor was seen all around and at CCD, with red balloons and young couples mostly in Red and Black, the women holding presents or flowers.... the spirit was in the air!

When we sat to order, i was a little disappointed as they were NOT serving the regular menu, so there was no usual Masala Chai Black for me. A little unhappy, i continued to choose what my friend had ordered for - 'Go Nut Cappuccino'. As the guy was walking away with the order, we noticed that there was "no price attached to the menu", we joked about CCD's strategy to make extra bucks on V-Day and asked the guy how much the cappuccino costs, he did a mental calculation and said Rs. 51/-. We were pleased, thats not a rip off after all!

The order came and our expectations got crushed further, the Go Nut was all about one simple cappuccino and CCD's own Masala Peanut, which they call ' Go Nut'. Bummer! Yet we were going with the spirit... catching up on matters of a few years that had grayed on us. After a couple of hits by the floor supervisor at CCD we decided we'll make way for the young love birds who had flocked around waiting for their chance to taste the sweetness of caffeine...

When it was Bill Time, i was given a bill of Rs. 75 first, which in between conversation i handed a Rs. 500 note... so when change came back, i was charged an amount of Rs. 190/-

It happens such that Go Not, has nuts that's separate and charged Rs. 36 for 2 (all the time we thought it was complementary and it sucked!) Cappuccino was Rs. 75 for one. (Omygod!) When asked for a clarification, i was told that the person who took my order was not aware of the costs. Even after random excuses and million illogical statements, my question was not answered - "I want a compensation." Finally, after a serious argument and pointing out that CCD was doing a fraud with its customers, i got charged Rs. 51/-per cup of coffee.

The point is not about money here, it is about setting consumer expectations. It is about ensuring product knowledge and awareness to the last line in your business.

It is also about acknowledging the fact that consumer's are intelligent, running a business, but in a fair manner. I have no qualms about CCD making a quick buck on V-day, but my problem is in the fact that they opted not to inform the customers about the prices up front, still worse, gave wrong information.

What's your fraud experience? Let know. Also, i will be interested in knowing, if you guys can come up with intelligent fraud ways of making a quick buck... let the ideas roll!