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Nike’s first ever cricket ad – panache inc ! February 27, 2007

Posted by avjohn in Cricket, Nike, Video.
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The Road to MBA Land – fact and insight February 15, 2007

Posted by avjohn in Business, Education, MBA Admissions.
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Its a bumpy ride – believe me, I’ve fallen twice, risen and moved on, nurturing bruises all the way. An MBA wasn’t ever a dream I saw even on most high spirited nights. Then geek existence of mine, all I wished (perhaps in too much earnest) was to write code !! I sat for 8 hour non stop interviews , tickled gray cell land all I could; to what end – landing a plush coding job ! Why ? I say – seeing the outputs of induced knowledge.

5 years into code land, 3 jobs later, I saw the light – yup, the end of the endless tunnel kind of one, which raises you to that weed like high.

The Why

The most right on reason – just not living for the status quo, the quest for new tricks when a whole bunch ceases to thrill.

Thrill seeking and the ensuing desire for change were my drivers through this process. I’m sure every admit has their ubiquitous yet unique drivers.

Ladies and Gentlemen, getting this right, is key. Sit down, stand up, do acrobatic yoga, listen to music (yes ! rock music) , get high – do whatever you have to get this right. Believe me its time worth your while.

Almost all schools are really intent on understanding your why – ever so evident from those essays – you wouldn’t believe how many ways these committees figure out to ask a simple question – Why ?

The When

Once you’ve got your why driving, its just a matter of deciding when to take the pit stop. The when, ever so conveniently, for me happened when it was time to get knotted down (I stick to the argument that I didn’t really rig the panel to get me off the hook from the impending lifelong commitment!)

The How

This is the most painstaking if not mundane part of the process. But hey there ain’t no skipping this biggy.

Get the schools right (you need to define right), understand their process in detail, track their deadlines, schedule the apping process ( so unlike me you don’t end up scrambling to write essays a week before the deadline !), starting with when to hit the GMAT to when to app, when to finish, who the reviewers should be – the whole shebang.

Here’s where you get to write treatises/give speeches on leadership, short term goals mating with long term goals to spawn success all the way. This is one of those on the pedestal moments – make good use of it.

Bottom line, getting through to B-School isn’t always a cake walk. Know what your getting into, and why, the rest is a mostly an expression of your why and your persona on paper.

Good luck to applicants – buzz me in case you think there are walls (one or more) keeping your MBA dream at bay. I’ll see what I can do to help!

If everyone cared a la Nickelback February 15, 2007

Posted by avjohn in Music, Rock, Video.
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Living Technology ! February 15, 2007

Posted by avjohn in Microsoft, Technology.
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I believe technology is one very dynamic and thought provoking force out there. Folks would question this, and I could be wrong but passion really doesn’t stand to reason most of the time.

What’s all of a sudden got into me ? Well, a few days ago, I came across this video of Microsoft’s yearly plan for world domination (insinuation). http://www.microsoft.com/winme/0701/29031/ces.asx Here is a company that truly is building an unbelieveably tangled web of great ideas which will one day just blend into the normalcy of life !

Don’t mistake me, I’ve my reservations about the quality of software Mike builds, but thats just me (or is it). Anyways its a treat to know of the true creativity that flows into building these products, and moreso the far sightedness the designers have built …

Kudos to some great minds at work!

My year that was … 2006 … February 15, 2007

Posted by avjohn in Life, Retrospect.
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Well, I’m back .. Life’s been keeping me busy on the sidelines… Anyways my 2006 in restrospect …
This year was pretty phenomenal for me perhaps ‘cos it held some nice times for me – not limited to a company switch (ahh the money), admission to a world class MBA program, hooking up with some friends of my yester years … yada yada yada
‘06 was spent mostly with Uncle Sam, debating about the virtues (and maybe vagaries) of global wars, fuel price hikes, Smirn Off’s inebriating capabilities and why am a darn enigma to the female race …:D The last one’s kinda been a perennial one, but heck I like to keep it in my woe book every year (more like every time that ’strutting ma goodies bomb shell’ sneaks a glance at me and gives up that ‘puzzled look’) … Here’s what kept this mallu going … [The Answer to the Question of "Life the Universe and Everything associated with mallu men and their travails in woman land"]

Woes aside … 2006 did give me some real upsides on the work front with promotions to the ‘league of excel peddling gentlemen’, ‘billing man’ … the works. Yeah I did manage to make the Indian School of Business admission committee accept me to their MBA ish program …

Am in that place where most junta with work experience find themselves some years down the line … incidentally I get to leave ‘all this’ behind after almost 5 years (man I seem so old already !) to get back to school … really looking forward to the opportunities post MBA (dun they all …over zealous : youthinks)

One thing I’m just coming to terms with, is the move out of this place Uncle Sam calls the Bay Area … For those uninitiated souls …its essentially … mmm …. uhhhh …. ahhh … an area around a bunch of bays !!! (youthinks… this nut job is gonna do an MBA… and help run some big shot corporate …God Help Us All !!) Sad jokes aside, this place is a cultural paradise – its a heaven for those of us who have lived in places like Texas where all we get to see is wide expanses with specks of software companies (not to miss the occasional mustang) and beautiful southern belles swinging around bars to songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” ….:D Well a few more months here… gonna enjoy it as much as I can …

As usual … no plans for New Year Eve or Day for that matter … the price you pay when you lose your friend circle. Me will be the designated driver for my friends drunken ventures at some SF joint … hope to oggle till all I can see is tweety …

Happy Holidays folks … and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year to all …