The Beginners Guide to the Corporate World

So You are ready to take a plunge into the big-bad corporate world. Well, thought my small stint at the office and studying them closely might just be of any help to you.
A few days back I completed 1 year in the industry and the few lessons which I learned in the process are definitely true for any industry you land in and will surely be beneficial to you all. The lessons:
Learn to say no
When I started working, I was very eager to please. This meant that I had a hard time saying no to things people asked of me. I tried to work a lot, and still didn’t finish everything that was asked of me. The result was disappointment from their side, and almost burning out on my part.
If you never say no, your yes is worth very little. Commit to what you can handle, and if people keep asking you for more, make it very explicit that this would mean not doing something else. What I did was to have a list of stuff that I needed to do on a piece of paper with me. When someone asked for something, I showed them the list and asked what I should bump to have time to help them. This allowed me to say no in a nice way.
Communication
And that’s communication with persons, not socket programming. Now and then you do run into a tricky technical problem, but it’s not at all that common. Much more common is misunderstandings between you and the project manager, between you and the customer and finally between you and your colleagues. Work on your soft skills.
If everything is equally important, then nothing is importantThe business likes to say that all the features are as crucial. They are not. Push back and make them commit. It’s easier if you don’t force them to pick what to do and what not to do. Instead, let them choose what you should do this week. This will let you produce the stuff that brings value first. If all else goes haywire, at least you’ve done that.
Don’t over-think a problem
I can spend whole days designing things in front of the white board. That doesn’t mean it will be any better, it just means it will be more complicated. I don’t mean to say you shouldn’t design at all, just that the implementation will quickly show me stuff I didn’t think of anyway, so why try to make it perfect?

Object Oriented Designing is not easy!
Maybe it’s just me, but coming from Computer Science class I thought that OO was easy. The highest marks-fetcher and the dumbest teacher used to teach the subject. I mean, how hard can it be to create classes that mimic the real world? It turns out that it’s pretty hard. One year later, I’m still learning how to model properly and see the relationships between different tables. I wish I spent more time reading up on OO and design patterns. Good modeling skills are worth a lot to every development team.

Learn about the other parts of the software development machine
It’s really important to be a great developer. But to be a great part of the system that produces software, you need to understand what the rest of the system does. How do the QA people work? What does the project manager do? What drives the business analyst? This knowledge will help you connect with the rest of the people, and will grease interactions with them. Ask the people around you for help in learning more. What books are good? Most people will be flattered that you care, and willingly help you out. A little time on this goes a really long way.

Your colleagues are your best teachers
An year after I started on my first job, I was moved to another team. Suddenly I had a lot of much more talented and experienced people around me. I remember distinctly how this made me feel inferior and stupid. I studied hard, reading book after book but I still didn’t catch up. No matter how much you try to read and search, the knowledge which your colleagues can give you is invaluable and you will never find in any teaching manual. I ask questions and I try really hard to understand how my colleagues come to the conclusions they do. See your peers as an asset, not competition.
It all comes down to working software
No matter how cool your algorithms are, no matter how brilliant your database schema is, no matter how fabulous your whatever is, if it doesn’t scratch the clients’ itch, it’s not worth anything. Focus on delivering working software, and at the same time prepare to continue delivering software using that code base and you’re on the right path.

Some people are assholes
Most of the time, most of the people around you are great. You learn from them, and they learn from you. Accomplishing something together is a good feeling. Unfortunately, you will probably run into the exceptions. People that because of something or other are plain old mean. Demeaning bosses. Lying colleagues. Stupid, ignorant customers. Don’t take this too hard. Try to work around them and do what you can to minimize the pain and effort they cause, but don’t blame yourself. As long as you stay honest and do your best, you’ve done your part.

What am I going to do with the rest of my life?

I don’t know whether only I get such weird thoughts in my mind or is it the human mind which is designed in such a way to keep cropping such questions which I faced some time back. Assuming myself to be a very normal person I think it’s pretty normal for people to think on these lines. This one’s for all you normal(!) souls.
I may not answer this question on your behalf but you may at least find some path which might lead to making your life as meaningful and bright as your friends and professors wished you in your college farewell.
Help yourself draw a map
Too often, when faced with a major (or even not so major) life decision, we tend to either take the first decent choice that presents itself or we allow circumstances to choose for us by default - putting off the decision until the inexorable current of life sweeps us past the turning point. As you can imagine, this is not the best way to get what you want out of life. But the options we are faced with in life can be so wildly divergent, or so deceptively similar, that it is difficult to know which turning to take. Wouldn't it be great if we had some kind of road map that would help us know which paths to follow and which to pass by?
Below are five questions that everybody should ask himself or herself before starting out on any new path. The answers to these questions should then be used to guide decisions and to direct actions - when a choice comes up, simply compare the various options with your stated desires and choose the option that takes you closer to (or at least moves you the least farthest away from) your destination - your stated goals and desires.
1. What does success mean to me?
Be very specific. "I want to be rich," is not an answer - just what does "rich" mean, anyway? Are you thinking of a set number? And if so, why? Or is the term "rich" a substitute for certain freedoms and opportunities that you view as coming only with money - and by limiting them to being accessed only through money, are you missing out on other alternative pathways?
Some more specific alternatives to "I want to be rich," depending on the individual, might be: "I want to have enough net income to meet my current financial responsibilities without strain, plus have time and money left over for travel," or "I want to be able to comfortably afford a jet-setting lifestyle in New York City," or "I want to spend 4 days a week at home with my kids," etc.
You should try to come up with at least three answers to the question of what success really means to you personally, with each one reflecting a different facet of what you feel makes up a truly successful life. And keep the money issue to just one statement - after all, such things as personal fulfillment, spiritual meaning and other essential needs and values cannot be solved, acquired or even influenced by money
One of the biggest obstacles to success is that most of us have never consciously explored what that means to us, aside from some vague and nebulous idea of fame, fortune or other worldly success. Knowing what success really means to you - what you hope or imagine that these generic definitions of success would actually provide and how you want those things to physically look like in your life - allows you to weigh your choices more accurately.
2. What are my non-negotiable needs?
List all the things that you envision as inescapable parameters of a successful and enjoyable life. Family, travel, no debt, pleasant work environment, social status, contributions to society, spiritual involvement, public acclaim, love, excitement, comfort - any or all of these, and any others you can think of are legitimate needs that when not met create an environment of stress, want and disempowerment in your life. Knowing what you are not willing to do without makes the relative values of different options clearer.
3. What are my non-negotiable boundaries?
List all the things that you absolutely do not want present in your life. If the idea of working in a standard hierarchical office environment makes you ill, put that down. If you can't stand the thought of living in a cold climate, add that to the list. If being poked fun at about your physical condition or other attributes makes life unlivable, note that as well. By knowing what you will not tolerate, many choices become much easier to make. Plus, it allows you to set down rules and policies about who and what you will invite into your life and the standards of behavior you will, and will not, tolerate.
4. What are my key values?
Spend some time searching your soul to come up with a list of your basic values, creating a life around which would make you the person you want to be and allow you to live the life you want to live. Are you the type who values honesty, clean/green living and a deep love of nature above all things? Or are you more of a 'comforts of home', family and fun kind of person? Do you value charity over letting others find their way on their own, or is it the other way around? Knowing what you truly stand for is a vital component of good decision-making.
5. What do I want to be remembered for?
What legacy do you want to leave here when you pass on? What do you want people to say about your life and you as a person? What do you want to be known for? What would you like your obituary to say about you? Knowing where you want to end up makes choosing the path to get there, and keeping track of your progress, infinitely easier.

If you can find the answer of all these questions you’ll see that till now you were a stranger to the person living inside you. And will see many things still to be done which you’ve always wanted to do. So what’s stopping you.
Life is really not so complicated as we make it to be. What’s needed is to know what you want from your life. Explore it yourself and live it yourself..

How to kill time in office

So, This one’s for all you hapless poor souls desperately wanting some help on a rather serious issue which others might term as a joke i.e. “Afterall how to kill time in the office.”
I know this cannot be a joke because I’ve seen many talented fellows fully laced with technical expertise and sitting idle in this great Indian IT industry and getting frustrated to the point of committing suicide.

When I initially thought about writing it I thought not many would actually need it or like it. But then when I talked to a very high profile manager and he said- “Everyone knows that no one actually is productive at work, some are just better at pretending they do.”
That triggered off the thought in me. And I asked him how can one do it. He replied- “Waste time constructively without getting busted by the boss.”
I know this is easier said than done. That’s why once I received so many comments and requests to write on this topic even I was clueless. So I got into touch with some of the best in this art( mind you, some of them are at very high posts in reputed firms) and took their inputs which I’m summarizing along with my experiences:

This suggestion was given to me by a senior guy in my office only-

1. Hold a huge stack of papers and go to the photocopy machine.
2. Go to the toilet.
3. Slowly zip your pants.
4. Walk to the photocopy machine.
5. Pretend as if you forgot to take your file or something.
6. Walk back to your table.
7. Stop by your colleagues' tables and start chatting about yesterdays match.
8. Stroll back to your desk.
9. Pretend to search for your file.
10. Ooh! You found on your table!
11. Stroll back to the photocopy machine.
12. Switch on the machine.
13. Go to the toilet.
14. Zip your pants slowly

Another friend of mine who works in a consultancy firm in Gurgaon actually had some really practical tips to avoid getting noticed while killing time:

1 Walk really fast when you are going anywhere as to appear something important is going to happen.
2 Carry a notebook with you at all times. Seems like you are supposed to be somewhere taking notes. If at your desk keep it open with a pen on it.
3 Shuffle papers and sigh loudly.
4 Look pissed off / stare at your computer, ruffling your hair.
5 Put up a do not disturb sign when you are browsing the web.
6 Continually click on a pen.


Well those were some wise comments. I personally believe that along with all the suggestions commented out by the people, you should also focus on some creative activity which actually helps you in the longer run. Getting a membership of an article portal and reading atleast one a day will not only keep you engaged but help you increase your awareness and knowledge about so many different aspects of life and nature. Try solving a puzzle a day. Will keep your mind healthy. Indulge in your hobbies and utilize the internet in a more useful context than chatting.
Use time productively even if you don’t have any work. Because as some wise man has said-“If you kill time today, Time will kill you tomorrow”
So take it as a blessing and use it to your advantage. Coz you never know when will your boss catch you reading such stupid blogs at office and from the next day you do not have any free time to breathe forget about killing.
And then you’ll ask me to write on “ How to make 25 hours out of the 24 hours”

We.. The Engineers

Recently I’ve been bombarded with some silly engineers joke. Well I’ll have to say them silly. After all I’m an engineer at heart. Sample this:

Take 1
Two engineering students were walking across campus when onesaid, "Where did you get such a great bike?"
The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want."
"The second engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."
Take 2
An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress.
The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because of the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I like both." "Both?" Engineer: "Yeah.
If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the lab and get some work done."
Take 3
A pastor, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers.
The engineer fumed, "What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!"
The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such ineptitude! "
The pastor said, "Hey, here comes the greens-keeper. Let's have a word with him." [dramatic pause]
"Hi George. Say, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?"
The greens-keeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind fire-fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime." The group was silent for a moment.
The pastor said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."
The doctor said, "Good idea. And I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there's anything he can do for them."
The engineer said, "Why can't these guys play at night?"

Ouch!!
Traditionally engineers have been viewed as geeks or nerds who do nothing but study strange kinds of things and manufacture big machines and buildings. Even nowadays when some coaching institute puts up an ad showing engineering aspirants they would put up posters of people with formal boring shirts and a metallic cap which the mechanics wear in garages. Whereas the doctors they’ll show are all smart and dashing with matching colourful shirts inside their white aprons.
I mean why such discrimination against engineers. They would make serials like sanjeevani and dhadkan for doctors. Do only doctors have the charm to woo girls. And engineers are all boring people found glued to their computer screens or buried inside a pile of machines.
Come on, engineers are not like that. At least not what I’ve seen and known.
Then who are engineers and what are engineers. Well understanding this species is extremely difficult. However the common characteristics are:
Extreme
Whatever they do has to be on an extreme. No study for the 4-5 months of the semester and no sleep for the 4-5 days before the exams. The same student who you’ll find with his torn jeans and the college t-shirt jumping out of the class(or rather bunking out of the class), impressing the panel of interviewers from the very best companies of the world.
The same stud whom you found half-conscious and fully drunk lying outside the hostel gate in the garden, can stun a gathering full of scholars while delivering a speech on consiousness.
Adaptive
Engineering students are supposed to be the most indisciplined and rude fellows on campus who are always clumsily dressed. But what happens to these guys/gals when they hit the corporate floor. They are the most smartly dressed people and present the face of India Inc.
They are as comfortable in the college-side khokha(dhaba) eating maggy sitting on the mat as they are while having lunch with their clients in a 5-star hotel.
Matter-of-factly
The 4 years of engineering teaches engineers how to learn. Learn different concepts, languages, techniques and anything else. Engineers are basically learners. Engineers doing well in CAT and other entrances are not because they are engineers but because they are good learners and can adapt to the changing situations.

To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

The Irony of Independence Day

Independence Day is here. So people, let’s get out our tri-colored t-shirts, paint our faces (and bodies) with the colors of our motherland, drink a bottle of Zinda dil Pepsi, listen to the Prime Minister’s soul-stirring call to the nation not to get down on its knees for terrorists, cheer for the “Men In Blue” against England (yeah We finally managed to beat them in their own backyards), SMS “Go India” to Bharat TV for a chance to win a year’s supply of Pizza Hut pizza, watch the DVD of “Gadar” if the cricket match gets washed out and then, no matter what happens, go and watch “Chak De India” in the evening (since it’s a crime to waste a holiday without Shahrukh Khan).
I am an Indian. A real Indian. A patriotic one. I support the Indian cricket team regardless of whether Ganguly or Dravid is the captain (unlike some people who shall remain nameless). Whenever I hear “Aye mere watan ke logon” I stand up and try to hold the hand of the person next to me. And I invariably have a Raymond’s “complete man” sensitive moment as tears flow down my cheeks to the tune of the song, my mind flooded with the memories of all those jawans and kisans who have laid down their lives for their country. I make it a point to forward any mail I get about the achievements of India, speeches of Narayana Murthy, Vote for Taj etc. And for Independence day, I play only patriotic songs on my computer—-only not Anu Malik’s “We love you Oh India, tujhe na chorenge” cause that’s so horrid I believe that the Pakistani ISI paid for it.
However even on such a nice day, some people just don’t “get it”. You know the type—those that try to find logic in Hindi movies, who think Manoj Kumar hams, who write ” You” instead of “U”, those who say the the tri-colour flag should not be used to make garments and stuff. Come on people..look at U.S. How much they show their love for the country by wearing their flag all across the body. We’re only asking for garments.
These people, while acknowledging the economic progress India has made in 60 years, spoil the festive mood by pointing out that 600 farmers committed suicide in the Vidarbha region last year (a fact that the media and Indians in general don’t really seem to care about) and idiotically ask if this is the caring India our freedom-fighters (even the word “freedom fighter” gets me teary-eyed) fought for. Farmers dying–who cares—I prefer to see a boy being rescued from a well, thank you.
Now, Kisans—they a different thing—I can lay down my life for them. Smiling like Aamir Khan’s character in “Rang De Basanti”.
These “kabab-main-haddi”s also question the fact that we live in a truly independent country— a country where the government can ban media they feel target their ideology and where the government can seize the equipment of broadcasters they feel are not transmitting in the “public interest” (i.e. their interest). They feel it reminds them of the 1920s/30s/40s when the Queen’s government imposed media blackouts and used draconian laws on anyone who disagreed with the masters. Frankly if you ask me, as long as the government does not censor “Kkusum” and “Kahani Ghar ghar ki” and allows me to vote for my favourite “Indian Idol” I think it is doing more than enough to maintain my freedom and my ability to exercise free will. The so-called doubters can kiss #$ @#$.
Of course there is much not to like about India. Don’t get me wrong—there are still injustices. Like how Indians are treated shabbily by these bastardly foreigners —-see how Shilpa Shetty was “physically and mentally” harassed by the Big Brother house . A keen student of history, I am reminded of the time one Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was physically and mentally harassed by a racist ticket collector in South Africa. And how he reacted ! By stripping down to a langoti, quitting his profession as a lawyer and arousing the nation into revolutionary action. I sincerely hope that this experience triggers something similar in Shilpa . The nation will be aroused automatically (no pun intended).
The other problems about India I can think of, off-hand, would be how our cricket team lacks a genuine all-rounder, the endless traffic jams and bad road conditions, snotty desi girls who don’t reply to my offers of “franship” and traitor Indians who don’t “report as bogus” all those “I hate India ” communities on orkut despite my repeated mails.
I mean how any Indian can tolerate an insult to his motherland and not try to stifle the voice of her enemies, by twisting their windpipes, is just beyond me.
Whenever I say all this, those same people again come up and tell me that it is precisely because of this attitude (My attitude, they question,eh), that we as a country have not been able to become as “independent” as we should have been.
But as I said before, these people just do not understand the “passion” behind being Indian. Obviously, they deserve to be shot.
Anyways forgive my display of emotion. After all it’s my country. And today is the day it became independent. So let the expressions flow.
Jai Jawan. Jai Kisan. Jai Hind.
And don’t forget the Pepsi.

Are you a rat running a rat race

Do you curse your manager everytime he passes by you for earning more than you by working less? Do you keep on waiting for the calendar to change for the next month for your account to get incremented by a fixed number.. well almost fixed after that appraisal period too. Do you regret why you joined this damn company and while others of your batch have moved ahead and you are left behind. Do you close your eyes every night after a day full of reading emails and chatting and working for the 10% of the time you are paid for. And then again get up in the morning to rush against the snarling traffic towards your office. Well my dear you show every symptom of a rat running a rat race.
And the only way out is to move out of the race coz the tragedy of rat race is even if you win you still remain in the rat race. Sorry for using the cliché but that’s true.
Moving out of the rat race doesn’t necessarily mean quitting the job. Moving out means detachment from the web of the daily chores & excessive involvement in mundane tasks. But staying focused towards your duties and responsibilities. Very much like Krishna preaches in Bhagwad Gita- ‘Stay like a lotus petal in pond.. wet yet dry. Involved yet detached.’

I know it’s not as simple as it sounds but let’s first understand the problem.The problem arises when you start comparing yourself with others and succumb to peer pressure. You always like to reach to the other person’s position(obviously if he’s at a higher level) by just looking at the face value of his position and ignoring your strengths and weaknesses. You always want to be appreciated by others, approved by others. You have always believed that the better people feel about you, the better you can feel about yourself. However, you may have never really considered that the opposite of this belief must hold equally and unhappily true, and that is: The less you are approved by others, the more alone and uncertain you feel. This helps to explain why you think you have to please people as well as why you resent those you feel you must please. Being approved by others has become a strange kind of life-support system wherein, after a lifetime of depending on it, you unconsciously believe that there won't be life without someone there to approve you into existence. Just the opposite is true. The more you depend on others to confirm you to yourself, the less real life you have of your own.
It is our fear of being alone and in doubt, of wanting to feel certain that what we are doing is right, that compels us to seek the approval of others. So this tells us that the chief cause of why our lives so often wind up in the hands of others is not that they are superior or that the world is too strong for us, but that we don't want to face the uncertainty and aloneness that we think we are too weak to bear. This is the real cause of all of our wrong relationships in life: We have been betrayed by a belief in our own weakness. And unless we overcome ourselves we’ll continue to find ourselves in the rat race- running towards an unknown goal.

The conscious refusal to go along with your weakness is what invokes and finally delivers real inner-strength. This new kind of strength gradually becomes the cornerstone of a true individual existence -- the life you've always wanted. This may sound philosophical. The stakes are actually eternal -- but self-victory is as certain as the fact that light always triumphs over darkness. If you will stay in the middle of this struggle for true self-possession, not asserting your individuality but allowing it to flourish and to blossom -- bearing what you must bear by refusing to submit yourself to negative, self-betraying influences -- you will come to know the highest approval that Life can award. You won't be jealous of anyone coz you know you'll definitely get what you deserve. Reality itself will approve you. And when it does, all of your struggles (and races) will become a thing of the past. You will possess yourself. No one around you will suspect that you now live in a new kind of bright inner-world; a world that is always on your terms because your terms and the terms of this happy new inner-world are never in conflict. You have won the race. You have won your own life.

Avoiding Conflict at Work

As you stand to take a plunge into the corporate world away from the comforting company of your friends and well wishers of college days, you may well find yourself dealing with people who are just not your type. And when it comes to working in a team you are bound to face conflicts.
We rely on and spend more time with our colleagues than with most other people in our lives: yet we frequently experience conflict at work. In a way it’s obvious and in a way ironical.
Conflict is such a broad term for what can be experienced, ranging from office gossip to outright being physically aggressive. In nearly every single office there are always going to be personality clashes at some point, and most of the time they will be fairly easily sorted out. However,
sometimes they aren't and there is often no other option than to resign.
The real problem underlying this situation is that people really don't have the skills to deal with these kinds of situations. They frequently accept the problem when it is happening and then get really upset afterwards. I don’t say that you’ll come out winners every time but the five ways in which you can perhaps come out of the tricky situation are:

1. Avoidance (also can be known as Ignoring (I Lose / You Lose)) This is the most frequently used strategy along with accommodation. Here conflict is avoided by simply refusing to engage in the situation.

Example: Someone making a sly comment and the person it was aimed at simply walks
away. While this obviously is not a good way of dealing with conflict the majority of the time as it tends not to help, it is worth being considered as a strategy for when the conflict is just not worth the effort of being addressed.

2. Accommodation (also can be know as Looking Good (I Lose / You Win)) Here you take the conflict and submit.

Example: Listening to unhelpful criticism and believing it. Again, very frequently used especially where there is low confidence and self-esteem. This is another not very successful method of dealing with conflict, but it will do if you know that there is a solution coming soon.

3. Compete (I Win / You Lose)
This one means that you play the person at his or her own game and work hard to get your own way in the conflict.

Example: Someone starts spreading rumors about you, so you do the same in return in an attempt to discredit the power of the other person's word. This can be very useful when the conflict is mild and you are passionate about your stance, but can lead to a vicious circle as the conflict escalates. Be very sure you want to use this strategy as lowering yourself
to someone else's level rarely shows you in the best light.

4. Compromise (Illusion of I Win / You Win but not in real sense)

It’s more of an adjustment from both the sides....but the pinch is still there. A much more useful tactic to use. Here you don't give in to the conflict, but work out a solution somewhere between the two sides.

Example: Someone delegates a huge amount of work to your already over-filled plate, you respond by taking on some of it, and then recommending that this person parcel out the rest to other people. This is the strategy of choice for most untrained managers as this is how we frequently deal with children in real life - and so it is a behavior we all know about. This can of course lead to the obvious downfall of the actual solution leaving none of the sides happy. This is best to use when the goal is to get past the issue and move on - with the issue having relatively little significance.

5. Collaborate (Actually I Win / You Win)

This is the most effective and correct strategy to follow. You start working on Alternative Options. The most useful tactic, particularly with extremes of conflict such as bullying. The aim here is to focus on working together to arrive at a solution, where both sides have ownership of and commitment to the solution.

Example 1: You and someone else are at completely opposed viewpoints over a project.
You sit down with them and work out why they believe in their point of view, and explain your own. Clever and lateral thinking can provide a solution, which answers both sides, but is not a compromise.

Example 2: Someone is bullying you at work. You talk to this person and collaborate
on modifying his behavior.

Use this strategy when the goal is to meet as many of the current needs as is possible. It’s the most difficult strategy if confidence is low as it involves actually naming the issue to the conflict-creator, which can cause huge anxiety and fear.
To collaborate successfully on an issue such as continuing conflict you need to follow few basic guidelines.

You must recognize that part of the problem is your own fault: you allowed it to happen and did not try to address it to begin with. You can use this aloud and actively take part of the responsibility, as this will put the onus onto the other person to take the other part of the responsibility. Remember that we frequently don't like in others what we don't want to see in ourselves, but find occasionally anyway. Be very sure that you have not committed the same conflict and that you do not in the future.

Manage yourself during the resolution attempt - learn calming strategies if you are hot-tempered or confidence boosters if you are shy. Do not to be emotional, as emotion will only make things escalate.
Don't believe that the best defence is a good offence - that is part of the Competing strategy.
Work the issue, not the person: this means addressing the behavior rather than the entire existence of that person. There is a different level of ownership for behaviors, and people will take less offence if you criticize their behavior than if you criticize them personally.

Never lay blame, as this will only fan the fires. If you are not getting anywhere, ask for further information from the other person about the reasons for their behavior, but don't ask the
questions with 'why' at the beginning - if you do this will actively put the other person under the spotlight and they will get defensive.
Remember above all, that people who enjoy creating conflict are ultimately power-seekers who enjoy controlling others. Frequently this is because either they have suffered in a similar way before or feel that they have very little control over their own lives and does anything they can to feel in control. A little compassion will take you a long way both in resolving the situation and in putting it behind you when it is resolved. One of the most important strategies for collaboration is to start "Listening First".

IIM-B revelation dissected

A top secret, highly classified document has just been released. Not by the CIA, but IIM Bangalore. The cloaked in mystery, super secret selection procedure to one of the most elite management institutes in the country is now a matter of public record. A 5 page document outlining exactly how IIM B admits candidates into its flagship 2 year PGP program is now available on the institute website.All those of you giving CAT this year will no doubt be excited by the contents of the release. Like the CAT RC section, it's a bit of a daze to read so let me sum up what it says:
PHASE 1
a) Stage 1 shortlist: This is prepared solely on the basis of performance in CAT. You need to achieve certain minimum cut offs in each section. Of course these cut offs vary from year to year, depending on how test takers have performed as a whole.No big surprise here, we've kind of known this.
b) Stage 2 shortlist: Here is the real bombshell.For all candidates in the first shortlist as stated in Table 1, the weighted total of the five components namely (a) work experience or professional course, (b) CAT, (c) 10th board, (d) 12th board, (e) bachelor’s as stated above was used to prepare a pre-GDPI rank list for calling candidates for the GDPI.
This means having a high CAT score is not enough to get an interview call to IIM B. Your past academic performance matters a hell of a lot.
How much? Well, the weightage is as follows:
CAT = 20
10th board=15
12th board=10
Bachelors= 15.
(If you have not completed Bachelor's your marks in undergrad years will be considered instead).
Weightage for work experience and/ or professional course was assigned as 10. Interestingly, CA is the ONLY professional course eligible for weight under the criteria 'professional course'.
And the formula for work ex gives the highest score to candidates with an experience of 36 months duration.
Thus the profile of the candidate most likely to get a call from IIM B is as follows:
* High CAT score, cleared all sectional cut offs
* Consistent academic performance across 10th, 12th and graduation.
* 1-3 years work experience.
* A CA with good CAT scores and impressive academic record could have a small advantage.

PHASE 2
For each of the three elements of evaluation during the GDPI process – Group Discussion, Group Discussion Summary, Personal Interview - the average of the scores given by the two interviewing faculty was considered.
Weights as follows:
GD score - 7.5
G D summary - 7.5
Personal Interview - 20

Frankly, I never knew 'G D Summary' was important! During the interview 'work experience quality' is evaluated on a 5 point scale (0 – 0.5 – 1 – 1.5 – 2) by each member of the panel. The average quality of work experience score was multiplied by the pre-GDPI work experience score and accordingly revised in Phase 2.The Group Discussion score, Group Discussion Summary score, Personal Interview score, after standardization within interview panels, were added to the pre-GDPI total (with revisions in Work Ex Score, if any) to arrive at the final aggregate score.And that is the basis of the final ranks. The 'total' scores were out of 105.

My observations:
The subject of deepest debate is- the amount of importance it gives to 'consistent and high performance in past academics'. This makes your class 10 boards one of the most crucial milestones in life!
The coaching class guys will have a lot of explaining to do. No matter how well you do in the present ie in clearing CAT, your past can and will will drag you down!
In the final analysis I would say IIMs are designed to attract well rounded geeks. But emphasis on the geek aspect is higher, the well rounded bit a happy coincidence.
There are a lot of 'been a topper throughout my life' on these campuses. The exam and subsequent process is designed to admit this profile.The IIMs and the CAT were always considered to be the best filter that separates out the true gems from the book worms. The emphasis was always on the aptitude and the presence of mind of the student rather than the amount of hours he’s put in throughout his school and college life. On one hand we are talking of providing the ‘real’ education and not just bookish learning. And on the other we are motivating students to become bigger book worms.
I may be sounding a bit critical of the toppers. But it’s actually a voice for the underperformers who just do not know the art of scoring in exam papers like all the toppers do but have nonetheless the same or may be more mettle to be in the IIMs.
And on a more philosophical note, I wonder when we will be freed of past patterns of thinking. Yes, the past can predict the future but it can also constrain it. The 'yesterday predicts tomorrow' line of thinking discounts the power of the human spirit to achieve and overcome, to rise to new challenges.

Regardless of what IIM B might say, you gotta shed the baggage of the past, live in the present and dream for the future!

Why Can’t I Say what I believe?

Have you ever seen an old photo of yourself and been embarrassed at the way you looked? Did we actually dress like that? We did. And we had no idea how silly we looked. It's the nature of fashion to be invisible, in the same way the movement of the earth is invisible to all of us riding on it.What scares me is that there are moral fashions too. They're just as arbitrary, and just as invisible to most people. But they're much more dangerous. Dressing oddly gets you laughed at. Violating moral fashions can get you fired, ostracized, imprisoned, or even killed.If you could travel back in a time machine, one thing would be true no matter where you went: you'd have to watch what you said. Opinions we consider harmless could have got you in big trouble. I've already said at least one thing that would have got me in big trouble in most of Europe in the seventeenth century, and did get Galileo in big trouble when he said it-- that the earth moves.

That was then. But are we free to say what we believe. Sorry, not even today.
Let’s see what are the things when uttered can get us in trouble.
No one gets in trouble for saying that 2 + 2 is 5, or that people in Nepal are ten feet tall. Such obviously false statements might be treated as jokes, or at worst as evidence of insanity, but they are not likely to make anyone mad. The statements that make people mad are the ones they worry might be believed. I suspect the statements that make people maddest are those they worry might be true.If Galileo had said that people in Greece were ten feet tall, he would have been regarded as a harmless eccentric. Saying the earth orbited the sun was another matter. The church knew this would set people thinking.

I’m no Galileo. I’m not as insane. But whenever I see myself not fitting into the situation my family, my religion, my caste, my country puts me in- I question most of the times to my mind and ask WHY? May be I don’t have the guts to sound a rebel or allow people to question my blasphemous attitude. I do not want to narrow down the scope by listing some of the questions that come to my mind. But I believe, and as I said I’m not as insane, So most of the questions which creep into my mind must also find a place in all of the billions ever thinking minds of the world.

Why?
Some would ask, why would one want to do this? Why deliberately go poking around among nasty, disreputable ideas? Why look under rocks?I do it, first of all, for the same reason I did look under rocks as a kid: plain curiosity. And I'm especially curious about anything that's forbidden. Let me see and decide for myself.Second, I do it because I don't like the idea of being mistaken. If, like other eras, we believe things that will later seem ridiculous, I want to know what they are so that I, at least, can avoid believing them.Third, I do it because it's good for the brain. To do good work you need a brain that can go anywhere. And you especially need a brain that's in the habit of going where it's not supposed to.

Training yourself to think unthinkable thoughts has advantages beyond the thoughts themselves. It's like stretching. When you stretch before running, you put your body into positions much more extreme than any it will assume during the run. If you can think things so outside the box that they'd make people's hair stand on end, you'll have no trouble with the small trips outside the box that people call innovative.

When you find something you can't say, what do you do with it? My advice is, don't say it. Or at least, pick your battles.
The most important thing is to be able to think what you want, not to say what you want. And if you feel you have to say everything you think, it may inhibit you from thinking improper thoughts. I think it's better to follow the opposite policy. Draw a sharp line between your thoughts and your speech. Inside your head, anything is allowed. Within my head I make a point of encouraging the most outrageous thoughts I can imagine. But, as in a secret society, nothing that happens within the building should be told to outsiders. The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club.

Especially if you hear yourself using them. It's not just the mob you need to learn to watch from a distance. How can you see the wave, when you're the water? You need to be able to watch your own thoughts from a distance. That's not a radical idea, by the way; it's the main difference between children and adults. When a child gets angry because he's tired, he doesn't know what's happening. An adult can distance himself enough from the situation to say "never mind, I'm just tired." I don't see why one couldn't, by a similar process, learn to recognize and discount the effects of moral fashions.
You have to take that extra step if you want to think clearly. But it's harder, because now you're working against social customs instead of with them. Everyone encourages you to grow up to the point where you can discount your own bad moods. Few encourage you to continue to the point where you can discount society's bad moods.
Always be questioning. That's the only defence. What can't you say? And why?

Product based Company vs Services company

It is a common notion among the freshers and also among some of the people in the industry to consider services company as completely devoid of innovation and thriving solely on labor arbitrage. I was myself guilty of similar thinking for a long time.

However, after the little experience I have in the industry and watching both Services and product development side by side, I have realized that both have their own unique challenges and it is not at all fair to put services companies on a lower pedestal than product companies.

Firstly, there aren't really any true product companies. No company can simply build and sell products without providing services around them. Microsoft - the epitome of software product development - has a very large fraction of its work force providing support and associated services around its products. Apple, IBM, Sun - you name it - all develop products and provide services around them. If anything - many of these companies (notably IBM) have realized that services is a much more profitable business to be in. IBM Global Services is probably world's largest software services company.
Secondly, unlike common perception, services companies constantly innovate to remain competitive. The innovation may be in the form of better processes, better hiring strategies, or in developing complex technical solutions for their clients. It is true that many large software services companies do routine incremental maintenance work for systems that were architected elsewhere. However, that is true for large product companies as well which need to invest majority of their resources in maintaining and updating previous versions of their products. If anything, a services company has better chances of doing interesting work in varied technologies as against a product company which is likely to be tied to a single platform and a single product. For a services company, every client and every project is an opportunity to pick up a new technology. The portfolio and technical breadth of services companies is undeniably greater than those of product companies.
The greatest advantage of working in a services company is that you learn to listen very carefully to what your customers are saying. On the shoulders of its clients, a services company gets an opportunity to look closely at varied business models, ship varied products and learn from mistakes and successes of others.

The product company on the other hand the product based company has its own systems in place and is more of ‘content’ than ‘presentation’.
Let me elaborate a bit. A product company is not necessarily great because it innovates. What makes a (good) product company truly stand out is its ability to place its bets on building something in a way that nobody else has, and then giving it all the company's got. Product companies invest in R&D, they take chances, and in their DNA is the ability to know “what” to build without somebody telling them to. The what is a very key element.
The technical challenges and innovation will be similar but a services company does not own the intellectual property and also does not take the responsibility of the success of the idea. This responsibility makes a product company special because it makes long term revenue for the company. (And explains the swelling packages offered to the employees!)
Which one’s for you. You decide yourself..
Product companies are about innovation, service companies are about understanding, listening to clients and addressing the solution within deadlines. The processing of listening to the market is the common aspect of both. However, the kinds of people required for these roles are fundamentally different. Think consulting firm, and you can imagine the big B school MBAs in client relationship roles. There is a lot more emphasis on soft skills, on formal processes, less emphasis on precision or sustainability, less time for innovation, less thought on the code line and more on getting to a solution that works in time. Product companies require more creative people, but their social skills might not be as good. Again this is an observation and not a rule of thumb.

Narad Vachan:
A product company uses its people to create intellectual property.
A services company rents its people out so others can create intellectual property.
A product company takes a $20/hour Java programmer and uses her skills to create a $20 million product.
A services company takes a $20/hour Java programmer and rents him out for $25/hour.

Starting with a start-up?

Every now and then you hear of a certain startup company visiting the campus and the compensations are huge to say the least. Anything which will tempt the best of the lots.
But if you're trying to choose whether to pick the tried and tested dream company of your’s or brave the waters of a start-up, it's crucial to consider the entire landscape of compensation and career growth.

Start with salary.
Once upon a time, you could expect to work at a start-up for a pittance -- if you got paid at all. Most senior managers and founders lived in their parents' garages while building a company into a real business.
The billions of dollars in venture capital being poured into start-ups has changed all that, giving many start-ups enough cash to pay competitive salaries. However, always remember the mysterious gap between the CTC and the in-hand salary. You certainly wouldn’t like to have an in-hand salary of 19k per month and a 4.8 lpa CTC. So get your facts clear first.

Consider the hours you'll be expected to work.
The defining characteristic of a start-up is working long hours. In the first few years of a start-up's life, it's not uncommon to work 12-hour days, seven days a week.
If you're working double the hours that you would work anywhere else for the same salary, you've effectively taken a 50-percent pay cut. And the time that you spend working could very well have been used for other things.
It's hard to measure the opportunity cost of giving up all your free time. Maybe you would have spent it on the couch, but then again, maybe you would have taken a class or written that novel. Those with families have to consider the toll work will take on their personal lives.

What other opportunities does the start-up offer?
Although the lure of riches is compelling for many people, there are some other reasons to work for a start-up that don't involve dollar signs.
For example, in most start-ups, people are given greater responsibility than they would have in a more established company. For many, having start-up experience is another step on the career ladder. So that what you can learn in an year you might not be able to learn in 5 years working in an established giant.


Are you ready for it?
The work load and the responsibility put in are enormous. Considering your first job, are you ready for it coming straight out from the colleges where the only responsibility was hosting the cultural fest. Or you think you need proper training and stuff to get prepared for the big bad corporate world. ‘Coz that’s not going to happen there. Work from day 1.

How many shares of stock will you get from a start-up?
Just because stock is being offered doesn't mean your dreams of becoming Bill Gates are almost fulfilled. Look at the details of the entire process. Companies have a lot of flexibility in how they offer their stock to employees. Find out how much you'll have to invest to make use of your options.

How long until they vest?
It's crucial to bear in mind how long you'll have to stick around to own all your shares. This typically takes four years or even longer. A start-up is not exactly a get-rich-quick scheme.

What if the company is sold?
Many start-ups make attractive acquisitions -- in fact, some are founded in hopes that they'll be acquired by one of the giants, such as Amazon.com or Yahoo.
But what about you, your shares, and your job? Many people who are attracted by the excitement of working for a start-up don't want to work for one of the giants. If your company is bought before you fully vest, you may have to work for a company you don't especially like or have to give up some of your stock.

So go for it for the challenger inside you and the challenges it offers. After all it's always your belief in yourself more than your belief in the company.

Flirt @ Office

You don’t flirt with anybody. Flirting is a way of life. The way you talk to the other sex, the way your eyes move, the words you choose to say... it’s all part of the the rocket science thing called flirt. We all do it but are unaware of it. And especially in office where we spend more than half of our lives and create a world of our own, you’ve got to utilize every bit of the chance you get to give yourself that playful indulgence.

A giggle here, an eye contact there. A playful punch or hands shake which continued just a little longer. The increasingly frequent cubicle visits. And soon it’s lunch for too or may be even drinks after work.
And that is where the story takes the turn. No I’m not talking about what happens after the drink. This is not a Sidney Sheldon’s novel piece.

The problem lies with the ever heavily-loaded emotional hearts which we Indians carry and soon the flirt no longer remains a flirt and becomes romance. Now don’t ask me what’s the difference?

But unlike the publicity-starved celebrities, you have to keep insisting that you're "just friends" to everyone around you, including yourselves. Still, you wonder, "What's the big deal, anyway? A little flirtation never hurts anyone."

Looking at it from a distance really doesn’t give any alarms. Or do they. Let’s see.

Office romance - the good
There are many issues -- both positive and negative -- to consider before engaging in office romances. One of the positive aspects is time efficiency, since you no longer need to search for a significant other in the evening. Why look around for potential dates when you have an office full of beautiful women (alas, that’s not true for most of the companies :)? You save both time and money.

A second advantage to dating someone in the workplace is that since you spend so many hours together at work, you already have an idea of what she's like. This can save you from lots of headaches down the road.

A final advantage, is that you can carpool. Not only do you get to spend the night together, you also save on petrol. Wow, what are the chances that you could date women that would save you money?

Office romance - the bad
Office romances also have their drawbacks. For example, no matter how well the relationship is going, the situation itself is a recipe for disaster. The fact that couples are in constant contact with one another day and night may cause friction within the relationship. Everyone needs "alone time" to pursue hobbies or hang out with friends, and the lack thereof may cause relationships to self-destruct.

Office romances may interfere with individuals' abilities to perform their professional duties. Imagine telling your girlfriend that she's fired? There is obvious potential for conflicts of interest between office situations and relationships. And there’s absolutely no way to avoid accusations of favoritism, not giving time to your colleagues, which may harm your relationship with your colleagues.


Office romance - the ugly
Before beginning a relationship consider its potential outcomes. If things don't work out, will things become awkward? Prepare yourself for the unwanted situations that might follow. In order to be prepared, evaluate who's date-worthy, their position and the consequences of a breakup:

Dating colleagues: Rivalry and competition may harm the relationship. Uncomfortable situations may arise after the breakup when career advancements issues come into play.

Dating Subordinates: False accusations of favoritism may arise, as well as accusations of sexual harassment after the breakup.

Dating Bosses: Might have to work late almost everyday. You may get FIRED after the breakup.

Guidelines for success
Always remember; while inter-office dating is not necessarily illegal, many companies have policies against it. The tricky part regarding such policies is what defines dating. Most companies encourage friendships, so where's the line between friendship and dating? If you start dating someone in the office, whom can you tell? Should you try to keep it a secret? What if someone finds out?
Here are a few preventative guidelines to help develop a successful office romance without falling into any pitfalls or lawsuits.
1. Adhere to the "one year" rule by only gradually letting a workplace or business acquaintance become a friend. Even then, try to keep it a casual, non-intimate friendship.
2. Don’t commit. (This is especially for the guys. Girls somehow are born with this tip) Keep people guessing including your partner!
3. Be an Aamir Khan of DCH than an SRK of DDLJ. Girls like emotional stuff only on screen.
4. Email communications should be avoided and no mushy gushy chats in office. There is something about email that makes men and women let down their guards, so before hitting the send button on your computer, re-read your message and make sure that you are not hitting the reply all/send all button!

So finally if you are so much in love and are ready to face the same woman who sits in the cubicle next to you again in the dining table sitting next to you at your home having dinner. Or the lady, for whom you bought that expensive deodorant for yourself to woe her, shopping for a deodorant for you and saying “Better use it. You stink like a pig in summer.” Ouch! Or still you are ready to face the same charming lady who greeted you every morning in office to shriek at you every morning from the kitchen to wake you up.
Or the dazzling beauty for whom you went to sleep each day early so that you catch her in sweet dreams to be well.. wherever you want! Different people have different styles. So I can’t comment.
If this is the case then go for it.
Office romances can be fun, and successful -- a growing number of newlyweds are coworkers. They should take the proper steps, however, to ensure that the relationship will last without interfering in the workplace.

P.S. Well you might think that I’m primarily addressing to the M sex. Yes, I’m nobody to teach the fairer sex the art of flirt!

Why MBA?

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Why MBA?...Interesting question.....here are some possible answers :

1) My dad told me to do so (papa ne kaha tha)
2) Had spare 1100 bucks
3) I am not good at tech
4) ROI(return of investment) after MBA is good
5) Everyone seems to be doing mba ....so i also joined the race
6) You ask me why ....and I ask you why not?


Ok. So let me answer each one of you separately.


1. "My dad told me to do so (papa ne kaha tha)"
: But then Dad also asks you to marry his friend’s daughter Roopa who’s in Champaner!

2. "Had spare 1100 bucks"
: good one, Even my friend last year felt the same, but then realized that a lot of chocolates (even vodka) can be bought with 1100 bucks.


3 "I am not good at tech"
: so what makes you think that not being good at tech, naturally
qualifies you to be good at management?

4. "ROI(return of investment) after MBA is good"
The avg salary in best of IIMs is 12 lacs CTC, which isn’t that great coz after 2 yrs in a good company (and a switch), your salary can be 10 lacs (obviously you have to excel in your work for that, but dont expect MBA and
thereafter to be a cakewalk) . And the cool 4-5 lakhs you spent on the studies.

ROI in the share market, and in any business is much higher. Actually if ROI is all you care about, start a garbage collection and disposal company. You ll break even in 2 yrs, then add a garbage recycling
unit. You ll be a crorepati in 5 years. I am not joking, I know someone who did the above in 4 years total, I am sure all of you can do it definitely.

5. "everyone seems to be doing mba ....so i also joined the race"
: What would you call this - peer pressure, or crab mentality? But before you snicker and laugh at the rest of the world who does this (and you dont), just pause to remember your admission into college.
Why did you put Computers as your no. 1 choice? Did you actually like the field? How much experience did you have in the field? How many of you chose it, even though you didnt have any real affection towards
it? So you want to repeat that all again?

6. "You ask me why ....and i ask u why not"
: You ask me why I should I go to hunoolooloo for vacation, and I ask
you....... why not? Basically there’s no end to counter questioning.


On a more serious note, see it’s all a question of where you see yourself
say 5-10 years from now (although very few of us think that long
term). If you are a 'techie' at heart you would probably be quite happy to
be working on the tech side of things and you can make a great career that
way as well, but if you want any of the following things then an MBA
probably makes sense -

(1) A career move to an entirely different domain say finance or consulting.....it could be done the without an MBA as well but then the struggle is a lot harder

(2) A fast forward button for your career.....in the corporate world degree holders from top b-schools are given positions of responsibility and authority very quickly considered to those without an MBA irrespective of
any amount of 'managerial' acumen you may show.

(3) Money.....lots of it ...at the end of the day there's no denying the fact that this plays a very important role besides your work...Infact for many it's the sole reason for many who pursue an MBA.....the hard fact is
that those who do the actual work get paid far less than those who 'manage'them.

But then consider these hard-hitting facts.
The highest paying job (after an MBA, and maybe after anything else as well) is in the field of Investment Banking. You work 20hrs a day, 7 days a week, sleep during flights, and earn crazy amounts of money.
And get burnt out in 6 years max. That’s what a high up guy in Lehmann Brothers told me. The guy said that he has worked for 6 years, hasn’t met his wife for a while even though they live together, and is planning to quit soon. So if it’s money that drives you, remember to be in the top 5 in IIM-A,B,C and also be prepared for the above.

Dudes don’t be duds. Realize that the only thing that matters in life is to achieve something that you actually desire (that sounds sooooooooooo cliché). So try and be honest with yourself. Ask yourself whether you enjoyed solving technical challenges (the linked lists, the trees…. sorry tech folks, I couldn’t remember any other subjects) Ask yourself whether your dreams and hopes about engineering (before you joined it) had anything to do with science (and not about engineers getting good jobs). Most of you might not be technically inclined, and that’s absolutely fine (it reduces competition for many).

Now ask yourself whether the MBA is what you really want. Does finance, economics, accounts, HR excite you? Do you feel positive thinking about them? Or do you have a plan for yourself in which an IIM degree might help.

Next, review your own personality and inclinations. Do you prefer being the workman as long as you have the freedom to choose your tools and your work, or do you love playing supervisor?

If you feel inclined or biased towards any of the above two sides,congratulations. You will do well in life, skip the rest of this article. For the rest, you better start exploring yourself. Life's too short anyways. By the time you realize what you want from it, it might have slipped away.If you want to do an MBA, best of luck, I sincerely wish you to do well. Prepare hard (You know that already… why doesnt anyone ask me to shut up?). Prepare smart (now whats that?) Critically review yourself, and water the roots. Work on improving speaking, reading and writing
skills if that’s where you lack. blah blah blah.... I think most good institutes would be doing this so for purposes of brevity, I’ll leave it for them to continue). Also keep in touch, I’ll like to offer you
to join me when I start my own company.

If you are technically inclined, read the following very carefully.(You can even try printing out the next paragraph in bold, large font size and stick it all over your walls, but I wont really insist on that)

You might be working in a company in which you may not be getting a chance to enhance (or even use) your talents. DON’T lose heart. It’s only a while before your projects will become better. The initial year can be a very big disappointment, coz that’s when you go through bench rotations, maintenance work etc. But things become dramatically better afterwards. Use your extra time to prepare your technical skills outside of your current work area, and after a year you will be able to leverage that knowledge to join a better company. There are a lot
of good companies who do really high-quality work, and a little sustained effort will get you there. One of the most amazing things about the technical field is that it’s a pure meritocracy, atleast in good companies. Many companies (I know for Trilogy atleast) have a technical career ladder as well in which you can reach the very top
and still stay tech. Your job takes on architectural, not managerial roles. You lead the company in its technical innovation endeavours.
What more do u want? (You also earn a lot of money, but I won’t dwell on that, coz money matters much less than impact and power to pure tech lovers. I know some of my friends..). And you can do stuff like SRK in Swades.

To end with, I’ll simply repeat a very cliché statement:

"Just follow your heart"
Whether it’s a tech field or an MBA.
The rat race for money won’t ever end, even when you become Bill Gates.
The only things that will make you feel satisfied and happy are your family, and the sense of achievement that your work gives you.