tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307530382025-07-16T22:20:57.544+05:30BS from PS... ; )Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-14442050487286294002015-07-24T09:57:00.001+05:302015-07-24T09:59:38.559+05:30I just watched Chamath Palihapitiya's talk on how to think about growth. He was Facebook's growth lead when they went from 50 million to a billion users.<br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/raIUQP71SBU" width="500"></iframe> <br /> "Growth Hacking" &amp; "virality" have become annoying buzzwords now, and I like how he slices through the bullshit and clarifies the simple basic principles of growth.<br /> <br /> My notes:<br /> <b>Forget "virality" - first get product market fit. Focus on:</b><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> <ol> <li>How do you acquire users?</li> <li>How do you get them to their first aha moment ASAP?</li> <li>How do you keep delivering core product value (which leads to user engagement)?</li> </ol> <br /> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span lang="EN-IN">Once you've answered these, i.e. you have product market fit + user retention, o</span>nly then, think about “virality” – how will users invite other users.</div> <br /> <b>Simple steps:</b><br /> <br /> <ol> <li>Measure: Instrument your product, and see how user's use it</li> <li>Test: Try out different ideas.</li> <li>Learn. Refine. Repeat.</li> </ol> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span lang="EN-IN">Figure out the activation “Aha” moment for users:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span lang="EN-IN">For FB, they figured out that they if they <b>got a new user to 7 friends in 10 days,</b> that user became engaged &amp; retained.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span lang="EN-IN">How do you figure it out for your product?</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span lang="EN-IN">Quantitatively: analyze the patterns of usage of engaged users, and refine the analysis/cohort.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Qualitatively: What is the thing that users are looking for? How do I get it to them ASAP?</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Also - gut feeling without data is useless/negative. Don't believe your own bullshit - always be cynical, test your assumptions &amp; validate with data.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Focus on long term strategic goals, not random short term metrics.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b>How can I apply this?</b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <u>For Windows 10 Upgrade Satisfaction:</u></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> We need to think more clearly about how we can speed up the "aha" moment for Windows 10? What is this AHA moment for Windows 10?</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <u>For StepUp:</u></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> We need to figure out the user aha moment -&nbsp;</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> Self tracking: Tracking your own steps is inherently addictive - so that helps. And the clean &amp; simple UI seems to be a big winner.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> With Friends? Some possible hypotheses:</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> <ol> <li>When you have a conversation with a friend based on something you saw on the StepUp leaderboard?</li> <li>When you actively compete - walk more just to beat your friend?</li> </ol> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> I need to do some user interviews to find this out qualitatively.</div> </div> Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-35496175794575838042015-05-13T07:36:00.004+05:302015-07-17T02:16:01.354+05:30I'm so inspired by Rohan Rajiv's <a href="http://alearningaday.com/" target="_blank">daily blog</a>.<br /> <br /> I've been thinking about getting back into the blogging habit, because <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/writing44.html" target="_blank">writing</a>&nbsp;really is the best way to <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/speak.html" target="_blank">clarify your thinking/learning/ideas</a>.<br /> <br /> I feel like there is soooo much advice &amp; so many different perspectives on just about everything out there, all of which are probably valid in different situations. This makes it easy to go in circles always re-evaluating my priorities/principles/beliefs. Or maybe I just hold my beliefs too loosely, always ready to re-evaluate them.<br /> <br /> I'm hoping to clarify and crystallize my priorities/goals/principles/approach to the big important things in life by writing about them here.<br /> <br /> So I'm going to start blogging again, with baby steps, and <a href="http://sivers.org/zipit2" target="_blank">without sharing or telling anyone about it</a> yet.<br /> <br /> Personal update:<br /> I moved to the Microsoft Headquarters in Seattle in Feb 2015, and joined the Operating Systems Group Design Studio as a Design PM. It's been lots of fun so far! :)<br /> And, I'm working on an exciting side project - a mobile app that I hope to release soon.Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-49037276693680532642013-03-03T22:14:00.000+05:302013-03-03T22:29:51.370+05:30While hanging out near KBR Park in awesome cloudy weather...<br /> <br /> <b>Sneha</b>: I think it's drizzling.<br /> <b>Vidyuth</b>: No it's not.<br /> <b>Sneha</b>: Yes it is - I just felt a few drops!<br /> <b>Vidyuth</b>: It's probably your old bladder control issue.<br /> <br /> Vidyuth was smugly snickering at his jab, but Sneha took only a second to recover and bounce back...<br /> <br /> <b>Sneha</b>: It's actually you - you really need to stop spitting while speaking.<br /> <b>Vidyuth</b>: What rubbish!<br /> <b>Sneha</b>: Seriously Vidyuth - say it, don't spray it!<br /> <br /> It was actually drizzling, very slightly, but that didn't stop Sneha from taking another jab -<br /> <br /> <b>Sneha</b>: I asked for the news Vidyuth, <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090624122849AANVkR4" target="_blank">not the weather</a>!<br /> <br /> All in good humor of course. :)<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6048948992/h3967CCA8/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6048948992/h3967CCA8/" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-61187741139887674882012-10-12T00:50:00.000+05:302012-12-12T00:09:06.092+05:30While planning their honeymoon to Thailand:<br /> <br /> <b>Wife</b>: I can't wait to get to Phuket - I'll sit on the beach and sip mojitos all day!<br /> <b>Husband</b>: If you're going to be sipping all day, they'd better be virgin mojitos...<br /> <b>Wife</b>: If you make me have virgin mojitos, I'll make sure you have a virgin honeymoon!<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small> Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-46184151763953318322011-07-28T10:00:00.005+05:302012-09-16T01:10:26.076+05:30This was back in Johannesburg. We were talking about tattoos and I was wondering why someone would go through all that pain to get one, especially some of the big intricate tattoos!<br /> <br /> John, a tattoo lover on the table replies:<br /> <br /> <blockquote> You're body is a temple... fuckin decorate it! : )</blockquote> You could see the passion in his eye. I was like "Wow!" What a line! Can't argue with that!: )<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2011/07/wellsaid-series.html">What is this "WellSaid" series?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WellSaid">The full WellSaid series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-58841856438621848102011-07-26T21:38:00.002+05:302012-04-13T11:23:01.954+05:30Harika was going to watch the final Harry Potter movie for the second time, so I asked her why she wasn't watching any other movie instead (ZNMD, Delhi Belly etc). Harika replies<br /> <br /> <blockquote> 'Cos I want some magic in my life!</blockquote> You can't argue with that! : ) <br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2011/07/wellsaid-series.html">What is this "WellSaid" series?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WellSaid">The full WellSaid series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-4884288086771253432011-07-26T21:29:00.001+05:302011-07-26T21:31:45.295+05:30I was looking back at the <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">WITnessed</a> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">series</a> today, and there were so many posts that I had totally forgotten about! I totally enjoyed reading them again, and remembering the good times...<br /> <br /> But there are lots of memorable lines that don't really qualify as WITnessed, because they're not funny/witty/silly. So I'm starting the <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WellSaid">"WellSaid" series</a> to share and remember the awesome spontaneous profound/cool/downright idiotic lines that come up in everyday life! : )Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-54878794972506488002011-07-22T10:46:00.001+05:302012-10-12T00:51:16.551+05:30This one is from my friend Malaika -<br /> <br /> This lady I was talking to told me she was going to watch Harry potter tonight and tomorrow night as well. When I asked her why, her friend chipped in and said, "different boyfriend!" LOL!<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-4474287454814914332011-07-20T10:08:00.012+05:302011-07-20T10:08:01.885+05:30<b>Sneha</b>: Find out where we can go to watch the match tonight! (football world cup)<br /> <b>Andreas</b>: Yes Ma'am. Should I submit a report at the end of the day?<br /> <b>Sneha</b>: Yes, please do that! I want prices, menus everything...<br /> <br /> So Andreas sent an email to everyone and in the end he added - <br /> I uploaded a detailed 3-page report with all the comments and info, menus and prices on www.SnehaYouAreNuts.com.<br /> <br /> Sneha doesn't react.<br /> On the next day...<br /> <br /> <b>Andreas</b>: *sheepishly* So did the site work for you?<br /> <b>Sneha</b>: I clicked on it, but it redirected me to some other site called www.AndreasIsAnAss.com! <br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-8660122130908212372011-07-18T10:10:00.002+05:302011-07-18T11:34:58.445+05:30<b>Sneha</b>: Someone stole the seat from my bicycle yesterday!<br /> <b>Johannes</b>: So you go and steal someone else's seat.<br /> <b>Sneha</b>: No way - I'm not going to steal!<br /> <b>Johannes</b>: No, really! You've seen these abandoned bikes on the side of the road - just take the seat from one of them. That's not called stealing!<br /> <b>Sneha</b>: Yeah - that's just "re-CYCLING"!<br /> <br /> (This was in Freiburg, Germany)<b><br /> </b><br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-18738913402120734592011-07-14T18:29:00.002+05:302013-02-27T12:21:37.777+05:30<b>Groom</b>: I don't understand <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110528140341AAxKDXz">why people cry at weddings</a>?! <br /> <b>Bride</b>: I don't know - I don't think I'll cry at our wedding... I might cry before the wedding...<br /> <b>Groom</b>: Hmm... And I'll probably cry after!<br /> <br /> <br /> Speaking of crying at weddings - watch this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE4E77nF8Mg">hillarious video of a groom crying at his own wedding</a>! <br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-9233736720657227732011-04-27T18:59:00.000+05:302011-04-27T18:59:30.244+05:30Deepi was telling us how Su and her boyfriend met.<br /> <br /> <b>Su</b>: We first met through Mohsin actually...<br /> <b>Deepi</b>: Mohsin was at Su's place and was very drunk, so I had to call Vishal to pick him up to take him home. That's when they first met.<br /> <b>Sneha</b>: Aah - So he came to pick Mohsin up and picked her up instead!<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-4152702109396985842010-07-07T22:02:00.002+05:302010-11-19T11:18:22.719+05:30On facebook...<br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=561781230">Rohit</a>'s status</b> : "Women should have labels on their foreheads saying, 'Government Health Warning: women can seriously damage your brains, current account, confidence, and good standing among your friends." My friend said this when he was not in his senses... Does anyone agree...???<br /> <br /> <b>Sneha comments</b>: I agree... that your friend was not in his senses! :p<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-18765826422626806242010-06-30T21:16:00.006+05:302010-06-30T21:27:17.876+05:30<blockquote>Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,<br /> nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.<br /> Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.<a class="htmlTab" href="javascript:void(0)"> </a><br /> <b>Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.</b><br /> To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits<br /> in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.<br /> ~ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller">Helen Keller</a></blockquote>I love this quote!<br /> Hellen Keller so succinctly and directly acknowledges the oft ignored/dismissed/forgotten/hidden fact that life IS a like a theme park of roller coaster rides - anything can happen, to anyone, at anytime - which is part of the fun!<br /> <br /> It's up to you to enjoy the ride or to get off, and find another ride you might enjoy - remembering the whole while that there are going to be ups and downs. Or you could just sit on the sidelines, complaining about your last ride &amp; pretending to be helpless.<br /> <br/>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-50504509365724263312010-06-22T23:34:00.005+05:302011-07-15T02:25:05.863+05:30Lot's of folks have asked me why I haven't posted in so long. I find this both flattering and inspiring! : )<br /> <br /> So I'll start my return to blogging with a quick update on what's been keeping me busy...<br /> <br /> <b>Work...</b><br /> I've been crazy busy at work. I'm a <a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2009/03/09.html">Program Manager</a> on <a href="http://www.bing.com/?mkt=en-us">Bing</a>. This involves a LOT of thinking &amp; writing - email, documents, specifications, which leaves me with precious little "thinking &amp; writing energy" for blogging.<br /> <br /> <b>Eurotrip...</b><br /> Then I also took off on a little Eurotrip. Frankfurt, Cologne, Amsterdamn!, Prague, Nuremburg, Bayreuth, Bamberg, Freiburg, Frankfurt. (I'll post some pictures soon &amp; hopefully an interesting video too).<br /> <br /> <b>Puppy...</b><br /> My <a href="http://harikavedula.blogspot.com/">girlfriend</a>'s got a puppy - a black labrador with white paws and a white patch on his chest. Very cute. Also very <s>naughty</s> annoying! That little rascal has been keeping me busy too!<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSOhDmSBCDiuuwQzu-cSvfTtD0fQ_gBMqrthfZJU7oy7yxemNYnZ4JbpgtTBYC5r0dsc7TH9U9izzDMXhlnZq_N3xy5V3navRUOIMVFNhr-Ot1xnK8X_FgJtIKb24OKo6wW4x/s1600/JacksonPuppy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSOhDmSBCDiuuwQzu-cSvfTtD0fQ_gBMqrthfZJU7oy7yxemNYnZ4JbpgtTBYC5r0dsc7TH9U9izzDMXhlnZq_N3xy5V3navRUOIMVFNhr-Ot1xnK8X_FgJtIKb24OKo6wW4x/s320/JacksonPuppy.JPG" width="269" /></a></div><br /> <br /> But, I'm still ambitious about making time to blog - I've got some <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">WITnessed</a> and <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/Fun%20Photos">Fun Photos</a> lined up in my drafts. Will finish and post some of of them this weekend.<br /> <br /> Cheers, and thanks for reading! : )Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-19311981675270333712010-04-13T09:15:00.004+05:302010-04-13T11:26:39.325+05:30After watching this <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_barber_how_i_fell_in_love_with_a_fish.html">awesome TEDtalk about tasty cooking and healthy farming</a>...<br /> <br /> <b>Markus </b>: If I had to do it all over again, I'd learn about international cuisine and become a master chef!<br /> <div style="color: #666666;"><b>Sneha </b>: It's not too late! There's this <a href="http://www.thelastlecture.com/">very inspiring talk</a> called the <a href="http://www.thelastlecture.com/">Last Lecture</a> about fulfilling your childhood dreams! Wanna watch it?</div><b>Markus </b>: (opens the video) But this is over an hour long! : |<br /> <div style="color: #666666;"><b>Sneha </b>: It might be an eye opening experience for you Markus!</div><b>Markus </b>: Its so long, it might become an eye closing experience for me!<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-63776572146811094002010-04-05T11:04:00.001+05:302010-04-06T17:55:48.521+05:30An annoying telemarketer called me.<br /> <br /> <b>Telemarketer</b> : Hi Sir,&nbsp; XYZ company would like to offer you Life Insurance.<br /> <div style="color: #666666;"><b>Pratik</b> : I'm a student, so I don't need any insurance. Please take my number off your call list.</div>(this is my standard strategy to get my number off loan/insurance calling lists etc.)<br /> <b>Telemarketer </b>: Oh ok. Can you give me your father's number? When can I call him for life insurance?<br /> (I pause at his audacity - I am taken aback but also impressed by this guy's tenacity.)<br /> <div style="color: #666666;"><b>Pratik </b>: *serious + sad tone* My father is no more. </div><b>Telemarketer </b>: Oh... Sorry sir!<br /> <div style="color: #666666;"><b>Pratik </b>: You should have called a year back, we would have been rich by now!</div><b>Telemarketer </b>: *silence*<br /> <br /> I think he cut the call before I burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> FYI - My father's very much alive and kicking! He found this hilarious! : )<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-52485272474345050582010-03-30T09:54:00.008+05:302010-03-31T12:46:01.808+05:30I <strike>enjoy</strike> love reading about (or meeting) a variety of "awesome" people, and "checking out" their advice on how to be awesome.<br /> <br /> I was checking out <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080410172220/dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/career-advice.html">some</a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080229154904/http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/09/the-pmarca-gu-1.html">great</a> <a href="http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job/">career</a> <a href="http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/11/how-to-create-a-fulfilling-career/">advice</a> today, and it is intriguing to find that amidst so many diverse points of views, lots of the advice agrees with/complements other advice. Whats even more intriguing is that oftentimes, some advice is very conflicting with other advice.<br /> <br /> The habits/strategies/tactics/tips that one awesome person swears by just don't work for another equally awesome person. "Early to bed and early to rise" v/s "work when you're in the mood &amp; sleep when you're sleepy" is a classic example. In fact, some people use both of these "strategies" very effectively at different times.<br /> <br /> I also enjoy giving advice - figuring something out, by myself or from someone else, and sharing it with others. <br /> <br /> If there is one "absolute" lesson I've learnt about giving and taking advice, it is that "everything is relative".<br /> The only advice that's reliably true is "it depends" - on the person, his unique motivations, the situation, the time, the environment etc.<br /> <br /> Which brings me to the Advice Dilemma - <br /> <blockquote>How can one give (or take) good, true, generic, scalable advice when everything is relative?</blockquote>I can think of 2 approaches :<br /> <br /> 1. Generalise : Distill the advice down to its first principles - the underlying principles common to all good advice on the subject. Trust the audience to apply the principles effectively.<br /> 2. Specialise : Tell your specific story, and how your approach helped you in your situation. Trust the audience to pick up from the context, the lessons relevant to their unique situations.<br /> <br /> Between these two ends of the spectrum, we have <strike>many</strike> infinite different levels of abstraction. Which is the most effective? Or is it best to use both extremes to complement each other?<br /> Once again... "it depends".Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-21682969650886303962010-03-19T00:11:00.003+05:302010-03-19T00:33:56.624+05:30I've got many little ideas and theories, that I'd like to develop and record.<br /> <br /> But developing a little idea into a full blog post before putting it up is a barrier that I don't usually get past. So I'm going to start posting these little "nuggets" for us to chew on, and then develop them as we go.<br /> <br /> The idea behind this "Nuggets" series is to<br /> 1. Explore ideas. (writing makes me think)<br /> 2. Start conversations about these ideas. (with all of you wonderful readers!)<br /> <br /> [Inspired by <a href="http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/bio.asp">Seth Godin</a>. He never fails to <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/03/not-for-me.html">post</a> <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/03/you-rock.html">precious</a> <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/03/on-self-determination.html">little</a> <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/03/anxiety-is-nothing-but-repeatedly-experiencing-failure-in-advance.html">nuggets</a> every single day!]<br /> <br /> These two previous posts qualify as nuggets :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2010/02/self-discipline-and-sacrifice.html">Self Discipline and Sacrifice</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2010/01/whats-your-sentence.html">What's Your Sentence</a><br /> <br /> <small>Quick Link :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/Nuggets">The entire Nuggets series</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-75163549631251859152010-02-04T10:47:00.005+05:302010-02-08T11:35:27.711+05:30<b>Pratik</b> : I wonder why there's a crazy mile long queue at the petrol pump! There must be a petrol price hike tomorrow!<br /> <div style="color: #666666;"><b>Vikas</b>: Why do they bother? Hike in petrol prices makes no difference to me - I fill exactly 100 bucks ka fuel everyday!</div><br /> <small>As it turned out, people were frantically filling petrol because there was a "bandh" the next day.<br /> I drove on, took a turn off the main road and passed another petrol pump. It was just 1 minute away from the above mentioned petrol pump, but there was no rush at all! <br /> </small><br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-37515240586233052662010-02-02T16:52:00.018+05:302010-03-19T00:13:53.408+05:30<blockquote>"Self discipline does not mean suppressing or sacrificing your desires.<br /> Self discipline means always choosing your deepest desires, over your many superficial desires."</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ttv24JFa8yEDPZkdKjePKD0ktAiOX_EgTMdtiIQ6H8U3zdCSze9TMDfIs2oyUX4QLYKCgSluGW3FAyZpQduqQAt75u8kzA99L7u2gqcpk5ZGuhxHepurJtCv_56XnlrfuDYg/s320/selfdiscipline.jpg" width="320" /></div><br /> When you sleep early tonight to get up early tomorrow, you are not sacrificing your late night movie.<br /> You are simply choosing a good nights sleep and a fresh start to an engaging and productive day tomorrow instead.<br /> <br /> When you avoid overeating, you are not suppressing your desire for another slice of that delicious pizza.<br /> You are simply choosing to feel light and healthy rather than stuffed and heavy.<br /> <br /> When you get your butt to the gym, you are not sacrificing your time and suffering an hour of physical exertion.<br /> You are simply choosing to be healthy and energetic, instead of spending another hour blogging/surfing aimlessly.<br /> <br /> <small>(Reminder to self)</small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-36662796758689770312010-01-27T23:46:00.002+05:302010-03-19T00:14:49.676+05:30<object height="270" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8480171&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8480171&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="270"></embed></object><br /> <a href="http://vimeo.com/8480171">Two questions that can change your life</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user418351">Daniel Pink</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /> <br /> <blockquote>"A great man is a sentence"</blockquote>Mahatma Gandhi lead India to Independence, using non violence as his weapon.<br /> <br /> Bill Gates realized his vision of a PC in every home, and is investing his time and money in tackling health and social problems in the world.<br /> <br /> <br /> 2 questions to ask yourself...<br /> <br /> Q1. What's my sentence?<br /> Pratik was awesome, and he inspired others to be awesome.<br /> <br /> Q2. Was I <strike>better</strike> awesomer today than I was yesterday?<br /> Hell yeah! : )Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-71661525711556411302010-01-20T09:05:00.001+05:302010-01-21T21:11:13.024+05:30This one's from Sneha... It happened over SMS...<br /> <br /> <b>Frauke</b> : When we reach the theatre I will prank you...<br /> <b>Sneha</b> : Eh? You will what me??<br /> <b>Frauke</b> : Oh... In Aussie slang giving a missed call (one ring on the phone) is called "prank".<br /> <b>Sneha</b> : Oh... In my slang that's just called- CHEAPSKATE!<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-64126844797333755112010-01-18T10:51:00.003+05:302010-01-19T17:52:48.897+05:30Rakesh, my ex-manager, was taking a ride with me in my car. We approached the car and he wanted to put his bags in the boot/trunk/dickey.<br /> <br /> <b>Rakesh</b> : Open up your back side!<br /> <b>Pratik</b> : Never! The only thing I'm opening up is the trunk of my car...<br /> And I'm so glad you're not my manager anymore!<br /> <br /> After getting into back seat... <br /> <br /> <b>Rakesh</b> : I'm too big to fit in the back!<br /> <br /> (Though the last line was a general comment and not in the same context – you dirty mind!)<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30753038.post-84571459804969280402010-01-15T10:37:00.004+05:302010-01-21T21:17:56.355+05:30I was admiring the awesome waves on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visakhapatnam">Vizag</a> coast...<br /> <br /> <b>Pratik </b>: Wow dude! Those waves are awesome! Much better than Goa... Do people surf here?<br /> <b><a target="_blank" href="http://harikavedula.blogspot.com/">Harika</a></b> : The only "<b>surf</b>ers" you'll see here are the washerwoman washing their clothes with <a href="http://surf.com/laundry_tips/index.php">Surf</a>!<br /> <br /> <small>Quick Links :<br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/2008/05/witnessed.html">Erm... What exactly is "WITnessed"?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.pratikstephen.com/search/label/WITnessed">The full WITnessed series...</a></small>Pratik Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734478138118397140noreply@blogger.com0