Sorry about the inactivity. I have been posting occasionally on Quora, and you can see my questions and answers here.

I might still post here, but only if the content does not fit in Quora.

Venkatesh Rao’s latest blog post is fabulous. In it, he postulates that business essentially is just a vehicle for technological change. This thought was simmering in my head for a while now but I had not found a way to articulate it. This metaphor is amazing for me because it explains so much of how business works – why some businesses succeed and others do not. I will write my independent thoughts on this concept someday as they evolve, but for now, just enjoy the article.

I was philosophizing with Sunniv today, when we ran into the gem:

In the absence of an appreciation for art, the price tag remains as the only barometer for measuring value

I was recently reading about Elon Musk and the guy has me convinced that I ain’t shooting for the moon, I ain’t doin’ it right. Elon is trying to solve three of the biggest problems that we are facing today: space travel with SpaceX, reliance on oil with Tesla Motors, and climate change / energy crisis with SolarCity. If he succeeds, he will have lived a life worth living. If he fails, at worst, he will go bankrupt. And even that is not that big a deal these days, as he will be have the option of picking himself up back again.

Elon is my new idol, and hereafter, I will either pursue big projects or take steps that will enable me to do so in the future. In my case, the reasons for doing so are:

• Risks are low: Economic risks have never been lower in history. Being very ambitious still has high upside, and the downside has been lowered significantly. I often go on multi-day hikes and as the initial discomfort gives way to a feeling of normalcy, I am reminded that baseline isn’t so bad after all.
• My opportunity costs are high: I am confident that if I were to start businesses with the sole aim of profits, I would be successful in making a decent amount of money. I also have the option of doing that. Which means that anything I pursue instead will have to have a greater impact
• I believe in the adage: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”
• Death: I’ll die one day. And when I do, all that will matter is what I did when I was living

One of my favorite movie quotes is the iconic monologue that Ewan McGregor makes in Trainspotting:

“Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life… But why would I want to do a thing like that?”

When I first saw the movie, I was a college student just beginning the journey of existential angst, and this was Gospel. Today, I’m well on the way to resolving my quarter-life crisis, and this  monologue inspired something else in me. I realized that our choices have increased exponentially compared to the past, and not just in terms of variety, but they have also moved to a higher plane. Consider this:

Until the 17th century, you did not get to choose who you would be and where you would live. What you did was determined at birth. If you were a sailor’s son, you were a sailor. If your father was a trader, you would start accompanying him in his trips as soon as you were in your teens. Women didn’t have a choice – they were housewives by default.

In the 18th and 19th century, industrialization kicked in and jobs became created to line the factories. Now, you could choose a job. If you chose to work in a coal mine, you would move near the mine, and you would do that for life. Your position and salary would remain fairly static.

As 20th century rolled around, corporations came into being  and they needed some brains in their workers. Jobs turned into careers. Now, you would choose a company after college and slave it out as you moved up the chain of command.

In the 21st century, things are again changing. Already, we are seeing the notions of working-at-home, freelancing, and entrepreneurship taking grip. To attain a basic standard of living is easy, which allows you to take time and discover your passion. Plus, travel has become cheap. You can go to a place that you love and do what you love doing and still manage to make a living. Now, you can choose life.

My contribution to the English language:

Grouponify - verb. To select and give somebody an unbeatable offer based on their preference. “Tom knew Sarah liked frozen yoghurt, and grouponified her by taking her there for their date on a hot summer afternoon.”

What do you think? Too ambitious?

I bought an earthquake alarm today for my home. It will alert me 30-40 seconds before the next big one strikes Kathmandu. That’s a lot of time for me to get to a safe spot and save myself. You would think that given the likelihood and the imminence of an earthquake, most people would get one. But somewhere between procrastination and ignorance, very few people have actually bought an alarm for their homes/offices/schools. Well, if they won’t buy the alarm, you can take the alarm to them.

To help warn the ones without an alarm, you could set up a business that alerts them via SMS or a call when the alarm goes off. Setup shouldn’t be too complicated: a sound sensor that responds to the alarm can be connected to a computer. The alarm should trigger in the computer something that initiates bulk SMS delivery and/or bulk calling to database of phone numbers. You could charge people a monthly subscription fee or a one-time amount to get on the database. People will (hopefully) pay for peace of mind, and you will have a tidy profit