NOW

Getting stuck at home for 40 days is a real bummer. Mentally it’s a very tiring thing to do. Sit at home and get stuck on a computer with tons of video calls. Wow that is so tiring.

When I was very young, they dreamt of video phones. Phones on which there would be a tiny screen where you could talk to people and see them at the same time. I thought that was a very sci fi thing to happen. I could never believe that this was even possible. Now I am on video calls  whole day long with so many people on it.

We always had Microsoft teams software on the laptop and I wondered why we ever would want it? Now we do so many meetings on teams that’s it gets a bit tiring. But I guess this big event will change the way we fundamentally work. With all this software, we have all now learnt how to use it and be comfortable with it. I guess we won’t be travelling for work meetings for a long time. People will be lets just VC and don’t bother to meet face to face.

This is a good thing. I learnt this from all the startup guys over the last few years. They were all into VC for demo, meeting, everything. So, in my last company I was the only ‘dude’ who was comfortable over VCs. Then a few more in my office got the bug. But it remained a bit of an odd man. Most still wanted to meet the guy on the other side.

This is the third big wave I have had the privilege of seeing in the last 5 years. Three events have happened that changed the behavior of a billion people. First was when demonetization happened. It took a lot of money out from cash and put it electronically. There was a stupid cost that the economy was to pay but it brought to a lot of people the power of electronic cash. It change the behaviour and pattern for a lot of people.

Second – was the Jio launch. Jio essentially made data ridiculously cheap on mobile for entire India. It brought data to a lot of people. People just showed that when access to free data they can consume like crazy. Information and entertainment reached almost everybody I know. This was the big change. Before the Jio launch, mobile and desktop traffic was about 55-45 in mobile favor. After the launch it zoomed to 70 to 80% in favor of mobile.

People consumed everything on the mobile. And the business model had to be changed for every firm. If you are not on the mobile, then you are nowhere. Even today people and businesses don’t design for the mobile screen. Even when data is staring them in the face. I just don’t get it. I have had to lose my cool on so many issues and people when planning for the mobile first world. Sighhhhh.

This is the third big immediate shift that we are seeing. This will be hard on a lot of people. Its going to be difficult for the economy to come back. People are going to be displaced. Jobs will go and people will be forced to reimagine their lives in new ways. It is said that it takes 21 days to form a habit or kick a bad habit. We have going to be locked out for 40 days. A lot of habits are going to change. Lets see how the rebound is. Will businesses change forever, will people change forever, or we will just remember it like a wonderfully crazy dream that happened in the past.

Whatever – its interesting to have lived through these times. Our parents talk about the emergency in 77 or the wars that we had. We will talk about moments like this – when overnight money was poof, everyone was mobile and the world was inside, scared. Wow. I just hope that we come out of this relatively unscathed and then we should be happy about these times and would talk about them with fond memories.

The other thing we have been lucky in our family is that I amassed a big range of games to play. A lot of board games. So that’s a good thing but also, I don’t think my family love sit as much as I do. Sure, they play but it’s not like a highlight for them as it is for me. I love playing these games and it gives me great joy to play/ win lose fight and have a jolly good time. I would love it if I could retire and continue to wake up, play badminton, go to Starbucks drink coffee (yes, I am dreaming), read a few books, have a few meetings to help startups, teach a few colleges, play board games, swim in the evening and then go to sleep. That’s my retirement plan.

I never thought that I would plan for retirement nor did I ever think that I would retire. But I guess this is my dream retirement. Travel the world? I dunno. I don’t have that big ambitions. I would rather play my life, mentally and physically and get tired by the end of the day.

BTW an old friend popped up. After a long time. She had done some courses in yoga and then learnt about beinga teacher and the she did special yoga therapy and boom she is some fancy ass teacher who can do therapy and heal you. Randomly she decided to help me with my knees, post op. That was mighty kind of her.

She was a good friend, probably still is but we aren’t in touch and I think when we do randomly connect, we just kind are kinda warm towards each other. Not much to say or share, just a warm nice hello. But that’s not the story. The story is that she is a really good therapist. I am so amazed. Suddenly at the age of 33 or so she decided to do this, change her profession and dedicate herself to this. Wow.

At first, I was like – there is no way I can do something like this. But when I thought a bit about it. Well, well, that is exactly what I have done. I went after digital, learnt new tricks and transformed my skill sets and redefined my career. Ok. But I am still might impressed with her. And yes, I feel very nice when an old friend calls you to help you out – unconditionally.

Randomly another friend called me – this one is plague. This one is a multi-level marketing guy looking to sell you something on the side to make money. You are nothing but a sales pitch. Oh god, does he not know he is so predictable? Does he not know?

But you get all types. All experiences. It’s a good thing. These are interesting times. Hopefully we come out stronger. Yup, I have faith in the power of the human being if left to his own imagination. We will have to work extra hard to be on top of the change we see. It’s difficult but it’s not that impossible. I did it, she did it. You do it. Now.