Consumer experience, product judgement, well that's about it!!

I am not a B-school grad, nor am I a Product designer but, I am a consumer who walks an extra mile before buying a product. This habit of mine has made me into a not so mediocre consumer (I don't want to call myself an intelligent consumer cause the company fools you in some way or the other) . This post is my attempt in admiring(in my view) some products/innovations the industry has thrown to consumers.

“We want consumers to say, 'That's a hell of a product' instead of, 'That's a hell of an ad.'”

- Leo Brunett

It was a busy evening for me, I had to go around town insearch of a vital component for my project, I was searching all over town for this particular component. During my quest for this component I happened to pass by an area where my friend was put up too. We made a quick plan to meet up to discuss something for our final year project. We decided to keep the meeting brief as my friend had to head to swimming classes in a short while. We had some thought provoking discussions on the nature of the project we intended to do.

Our meeting ended, both of us waiting for my friend's cousin to arrive in a grey Honda City, to pick up my friend and head to the swimming classes. Two headlights showed up at a distance and my friend said, “ There he comes”. The dude got down the car, the light in the car turned on and he closed the door and the lights turned off!!,well they didn't turn off immediately though, they gradually dimmed down. Damn! They were amazing to see, the interiors of the car gradually merging with the darkness as the lights faded out. My first reaction was, WOW!!, why couldn't the folks at Maruti Suzuki think of this, both are Japanese, why the difference. I was in awe of the car, not because it was the best engineered car around me, but because it made the consumer who owned it feel special, it made the owner feel special everytime he got down and got off the car, that's how the consumer experience should be according to me. Everytime we use something, it should make us feel special, it should make the owner feel he is a class apart, it did make the owners feel great, here are some stats to support it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_City

               Sometimes you become part of some amazing discussions that your view towards some simple things change forever. I was lucky enough to be a part of this particular discussion with two great engineers, the discussion was all about consumer experience.

                     A sunday morning, me my bro and my parents headed to my aunt's house, where my cousin and his wife had just returned from a holy voyage to the divine “Maanas Sarovar”. A topic came by where my brother and cousin had a discussion on the functionality and the restrictions that Apple imposes on it's users. My cousin who is a Phd and director at IBM brought up a very interesting point when he asked my brother to get his laptop's battery adapter. He said, “ Dude, go get my laptop charger, it's in the room on the table”. My brother got the adaptor and handed it over to my cousin. My cousin continued, “ See this adapter, most of us with laptops have it. But then, this here is the adapter of a macbook, how is this different from other adapters? We all wind up the wire and then always wonder what we have to do the end of the wire which has a socket, we wonder what do with it? We tuck it in between the wire. But the blokes at Apple had a different idea, they have given a small hook to tuck this particular socket, this is Consumer experience!!”. I was awestruck. I really asked the questions why didn't any other consumer electronics maker think of this. I really didn't like Apple as a company till then, I really felt their products were not value for money and the restrictions  they imposed on users were just meaningless. My views changed from that day onwards, it's not just the functionality and the value for money that a consumer should look at, but also consumer experience aspect that one has to look into before judging a product as a whole.

When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.

— Steve Jobs

At the end of the about two incidents, I really changed my view towards judging a product. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I'd certainly like to bring in the above mentioned things when I venture into making a product for the consumer.

passionately passionate

“Macha oodi oodi bore aagogide, enaadru different aagi maadbeku”( bored of this studies dude, want to try out something different ), a line from a conversation that I had with a person who has shown me the power of Pure Passion. This blog is about the power of true passion and where it can take you in the journey of life.

             It was 1 A.M.and I was awake just like all my other collegemates to study for the upcoming exams. The exams were to start in a few days. I got bored of studying. To take a break from studies, I called one of my friends. During the conversation, I got to know that he is ill. The dude stays just nearby, I dropped by to check on him the next day. To tell you more about him, he is a very passionate photographer, very easy going ( More than required :P) and a man with Obsessive compulsive disorder. He happens to be my senior too. Coming back to the visit to his house, I was there for a very brief span of about twenty minutes, during which we had a conversation of what next after Engineering, as he was passing out of college in a few days. During the conversation, he told me his plans for the future, during which he hinted that he would not be opting for a normal life, on my curious questions, he just replied “ Wait and Watch!”. The conversation ended there and I returned home. I thought I'll address him as “The Jr Kamal” in the blog.

Life moved on, I became busy studying for the exams and I had totally forgotten about this conversation I had. On the previous day of my fourth exam, I got a call from the “Jr Kamal”. On hearing his voice, I was able to sense a feeling of joy and satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment was clearly visible in the tonne of his voice. The talk began in usual style and he enquired about my preparations to the exam. During the conversation, he asked me, “Lo ninge Rajiv Menon gotta? (Do you know, who Rajiv Menon is?), to which I replied, “ Illa maga, gottilla”. He told me who Rajiv Menon was and for those who don't know who he is, kindly check out the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Menon . During the whole description of “Rajiv Menon”, I was wondering, why the man is telling me about him so much. Realising that I was puzzled with this sudden description, he enlightened me about the reason for emphasising so much on “Rajiv Menon” it was about his future goals, a question that was unanswered the other day, had clear cut answers. He had decided not to work in any sort of a company, instead he chose to take up something that many would call the biggest risk or biggest mistake of his life. He chose to take up a course in cinemataography and decided that he would take up cinematography as a profession. Many people decide upon something in life and then give up on it, but this dude is different. As they say fortune favours the brave and fortune did favour his bravery. He got selected for a course in cinematography at the prestigious “Mindscreen Film Institute”, the film institute started and run by the acclaimed cinematograher, Rajiv Menon. To tell you more about how difficult it is to get into the institute, only ten students are selected from all over India and the selection is done personally by Mr Rajiv Menon. It's a different league altogehter.

So rarely do we see “gems” like these, who decide to make their own path in the road of life. We often dream about what we truly want to be in life, yet our dreams go astray because of our mediocre thinking. Inspiration needs to be drawn from dudes like these, who not only decide to set sail in a storm, they are determined to crossover the storm and reach the horizon. As one of the famous companies taglines say, “what dreams drive”. They definiely drive their dreams. But what is that fuels their undying spirit to chose something that the wiseman warn them from.

It's PURE Passion

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
– Albert Einstein,

There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether it’s the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a businessperson.”
– Anthony Robbins,
Speaker and Author

Passions have fuelled such enery in the past, they will continue to do so. From souls like these, we need to draw inspiration, Inspiration to do things that we are truly passionate about, even the legendary Steve Jobs said, “Love what you Do!”. Hope that like this Jr Kamal, me and many others fuel our dreams with the fuel called “Passion”.

Thats why the world admires Amercians!

My friends tease me as "American Lover" and often criticised me as being unpatriotic, this blog will strengthen their feelings I guess.

I have never liked or enjoyed watching reality shows.I have always disliked them for the too much of exaggeration and over dramatisation. I have even found them to be unreal and made upquite a number of times. But a few days back while I was channel browsing, I found one show on a popular TV channel, which did have all of the exaggeration and over dramatisation, but it also had an honest message that really attracted me to watching this. It is a show where the "decision makers" of a huge corporation/organisation like the CEO's, the mayor of a city all take up jobs at the execution level to learn more about the employees and what problems they are facing and what are the changes they expect from the top management so that their lives and work environment would be better. But the Bosses are undercover! I have watched quite a few episodes and I should say that I have been impressed by the swift and effective changes that these bosses bring after they have witnessed the problems of their employees. The bosses also gave away wonderful holiday packages to a few of the employees to honour their exceptional service to the organisation.
This is not the part that amazed me much, holiday packages or some extra cash is all ok. The employees at the execution level, took a lot of pride in the work they did. Be it garbage collectors, be it mechanics at the service department of a city, the firefighters, the window cleaners, the sweepers had one common thing which was so remarkable and wonderful. They took a lot of pride in the jobs they did. They all were so proud of themselves to do those jobs. Even the common people had immense respect for the work these people did.They felt they were responsible for making life of the public better. It amuses me, as why we can't have the same mindset of respecting the different jobs people do, why we tend to have scepticism in respecting other people's jobs. The show also showcased the CEO's, the Mayor, the Director all of them were kind enough to come out off their white collar jobs and work as ground level employees undercover. They also had the patience and the care for solving their problems.
So many people in India have spoken about the equality and dignity of labour, the concept of "work is worship", yet till today the society is biased and treats the ground level labours in a very unpleasant way. Hope this changes soon. Change is the only thing which is constant.

This is Vattam signing off.

Why do I Blog?

When I started blogging seriously about two and a half years ago, I didn't know whether I would continue to do it for a long time. I had written my first blog out of the sheer thrill that the incident gave, I wanted to express it so badly and tell the world what an interesting thing had happened to me. If I look at it now from a third person's view, I laugh at my action and wonder how kiddish of me to publicise something that didn't deserve so much of attention.I even remember, I had mailed my cousin in the US to see and comment on my blog.Since then my blogs have covered various aspects of life.I have enjoyed writing them and seeing others people's reactions for it.I have learned from credible sources that Writers always enjoy the appreciation from their readers appreciation.I have felt the same too.Many people mostly friends and relatives have come up to me and appreciated on blogs that I have written.I really felt on top of the world when they did so. After I started blogging seriously, my view in general towards the world has changed, I look at things in a more analytical way, a way which makes me question every incident/action of the world around me, which has helped me get answers to some complex questions. I have a rather strange habbit, whenever I write any blog,I always ask my brother to give his opinion about it, I feel he's my worst critic, he has always criticised me for my mistakes while writing.He has been very blunt about his opinion and sometimes his opinions have been very harsh and discouraging,I have been angered by his opinion,but they were all very honest. He even criticised me badly for calling myself the “Elite Vattam”. I was quite let down, but then I thought my next blog will keep him quiet. But that didn't come for a long time, until I posted my blog “What is humanity?”, he just said one single sentence in our very very brief conversation, he said “Eno hosa blog ella bardidya? It's good”( you seem to have written a new blog,it's good) these were his words.I was really awe struck, with no words,though I didn't express the joy inside me even a tiny bit, I just replied, “Hoon baribekalla, thanks”(Ya have written,thanks). Though my reaction was very subtle, my mind was filled with some strong happy emotions. It was an elated feeling for me. To sum up on why I blog, there are three things that I have realised that has kept me going are, primarily the satisfaction that I get out of writing,by letting my thoughts off my mind and into the words and then because of some kind and encouraging words that people have showered after they have read my blogs and lastly but definitely not the least to impress my brother he's been a critic and he has been a great role model for me. I have a few names to take this time round,I would like to thank a few people for their really encouraging words which has drived me into continuing my blogging spree, my friends Prateek(dude called me just to tell about my blog),Rajesh Dubal,my cousins Arun,Ajay and Vishal.My Kde friend Shantanu Tushar who helped me better the appearance of the blog.Thanks guys!and of-course my bro Santosh Vattam for all his criticism that helped me better my writing. This is Vattam signing off.

What is humaninty??

Recently one of my maternal uncle's passed away.It was something that no one had expected,it was so shocking.He died of a massive heart attack in a temple near the port town of Mangalore.He was 59 years old,a cheerful,fun loving and a very social person.He was always into some social activity or the other and he had a great devotion towards God.During the last year I had become quite close to him,whenever he called my mom,he made it a point to speak to me.
My heart goes out to his family members,especially to his 17 year old son who has to face his 12th board exams in three months time.I really didn't know what to say to him.I heard the news from my father and I was really shocked to hear it.I still remember speaking to him a few days back over the phone.At the end of the day I had to accept that he was no more and move on.
Amidst all this tragedy there was this tussle in his family where there was a divide on the way his last rites had to be performed,this was because,my aunt (his wife) belonged to a different cult,my aunt's brothers wanted to do his last rites in their methodologies while my maternal uncles (my uncle's brothers) wanted to do in their methodology.It was a very shameful tussle is what I came to know from my dad's words.While my aunt's brothers were the ones who had supported my uncle at all times,they definitely had a greater say in this regard,but my other maternal uncles were keen that their words were considered.My dad the diplomat in his imitable style like always came off as a hero by bringing an amicable solution to both parties involved.Cheers Dad!
Amidst all this,I wondered one thing,why is all this happening?Isn't there something called humanity?Agreed his last rites need to performed in a just way,but then there are some things which ought be given a little more thought during such tragic times.I really felt that any one of the two parties should have just let it go,so that the sensitivity is the situation is safeguarded and no one would be burdened to handle the already stumped family.I was shattered to witness all this,cursing myself in my inability to just ask the people to shut up who were making some unnecessary noise instead of consoling the family members the loss they have just had.I sometimes wonder in what civilised society I live which fails to understand the situation and react to it.Why the human being is bent on getting pushing his point of view when something more important and more sane is to be done.My paternal uncle had put an amazing line in his short story that he has written and published,which I wish to quote here "what is life when Living is extinct?",which truly accounts for the situation I witnessed,the living was really extinct.I wish the world changes soon like the very meaningful song from "The Beatles" called "Imagine" which talks about the world as a unified and a single place,even "lord Krishna" said the same thing Vasudaiva Kutumbakam which means universal brotherhood,which we have failed to achieve till date.I really hope that song is not just a song but reality.At the end of this I really am confused about the meaning of the word humanity."Humanity" what does it really mean?"is it just another word with just a dictionary meaning with no true meaning to it like so many other words in this language.What is Humanity???

This is Vattam signing off