Security Can Be Frictionless
I was initially shocked to learn from this report released by ThreatMetrix last week that financial services firms worry more about fraud than customer convenience. On second thoughts, I shouldn't…
The Downside Of Generic Brands
Brands like Xerox, Maggi and, to a lesser extent, SAP, virtually represent entire product categories. With a dominant market share, such generic brands have not only enabled their owners earn huge revenues in the native product categories -…
Solving The Last Mile Problem
Like me, most automobile drivers might find GPS navigation systems more useful to reach a particular place rather than to find the way to the general area in which the…
Differentiate By Catalyzing Executive Mandate
"Executive mandate" is often cited as a critical success factor for virtually all kinds of information technology projects. Whether it involves the development of custom solutions or implementation of ERP or…
Handwritten Note Or Email?
In response to a recent question on LinkedIN, “After an interview do you send an email or do you think a handwritten personal note can be make a difference?”, I’d…
Factory – Not Charity – And Time For NUEGA
Widely lauded for putting more money in the hands of India's vast rural population, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) provides guaranteed employment of 100 days per year to the…
Of Black Swans And White Tigers
I can easily understand Alex Gross's complaint with the Seattle zoo where he takes his son in James Patterson's novel London Bridges since my family and I have faced similar…
Season’s Greetings!
Talk of Many Things wishes its readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010. Apart from WordPress on whose popular blogging platform this blog is built, let me…
Embrace Voicemail Messages To Trigger Action
In India, it's customary for people to take calls on their mobile phones even when they're busy in meetings or while they're driving - most often only to tell the…
Mass Brands Can Acquire – And Retain – Customers Of Class Brands In This Recession
If there's one thing that's different about this recession from the ones before, it's the permanent shift of customers from premium to value brands. In a recent report, McKinsey says that…