We're Having Fun -- Talented Human Resources

We are having fun. Previously we had problems in this area. But once we stopped blaming and instead took responsibility, owned the problem and planted ourselves in the driver's seat, the problem seemed to downsize itself and almost solved itself. Then we started having fun.

Previous Thinking

A PhD in tree studies, a PhD in vine studies, a PhD in flower studies, a PhD in soil studies, a PhD in water studies, a PhD in weather studies, a PhD in sun and wind studies, a PhD in rain studies --- all just to decorate the Headquarter? But before Facebook became Facebook, even if we gave them a tree for free, they may not have room to plant it in their Harvard dorm.

A PhD in food sciences, Five-Star Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean chefs, a PhD in diet studies, a PhD in hygiene studies --- all just for the company canteen? But before Google became Google, the two co-founders may not be able to eat all that these cooks can whip up everyday.

Current Thinking

We may not be able to architect our HQ, but we may be able rent a nice room in a nice neighborhood.

We may not be able to provide international cuisines at our canteen, but we may  be able take buses and cabs to a nice restaurant once in a while.

Honda may now be making Honda Jets but when they started their Engineering Dept was more or less a bicycle shed.

After this pivot in our thinking, we started having fun!

We're Having Fun --- Meaningfully

We are having fun meaningfully. We are doing meaningful stuffs: meaningful for ourselves and meaningful for our customers. Please join us!

Millions of kids in the developing world (or the so-called emerging markets) do not use English well. They may not need English for literary, cultural, moral/character development purposes since their mother tongues can serve those purposes really well.

But they do need English to learn science, technology, business and to expand their social world.

We help them learn English better, faster, more cheaply --- online.

After English, when we have "earned" the right for expansion, we'll expand to other subjects crucial for their livelihood.

Isn't it noble to share or give away "tickets out of poverty" to these kids?

To those cynical folks, the book Succeeding When You're Supposed to Fail: The 6 Enduring Principles of High Achievement  has confirmed my long-held suspicion that working without a purpose or meaning gives us a higher chance of developing Alzheimer's in our brains when we grow really old.

1. A brain with a meaning,
2. A life with a purpose,
3. A heart with a vision,
4. A spirit with generosity

... that's what we endow our co-workers with at our team!

Education Software, Meaning and Cry Babies

Yesterday, a kid's mother asked me to help his son with Math.

My son solved them all, I solved them all, both in many different ways. ... Then we wonder, "Will the kid get it?"

1. Millions of people can solve such problems, faster and better than our father and son team.
2. And thousands of websites.

None of these people, none of these websites ... become really helpful to this kid. If they are, I'll tell his mother about such sites. Maybe they did not know Gandhi's Lucky Charm.

In one of his last letters, he told Indian politicians to visualize the most pitiful face in India, and to ask themselves how what they are going to do will help that face.

My website, if I do one, will be world best, not because I am clever. Because I am kind and honestly want to help.

Birds never find food in riverbeds. Crocs never find food in mountain tops. It's not about brains, it's about desires.

I desire to help. So I find helpful solutions. I have stumbled upon hundreds of such solutions.

Thus, I cannot and will not relax. I must stay the course; to drive away misery of such nice kids, like Levine, which is his name.

What Do You Want to Be Remembered For?

This is the late Peter Druckers' famous question.

I want to be remembered as someone who successfully digitized several aspects of teaching and learning, who has reduced wasteful learning of all kinds at all stages of life-long learning journey.

As Bill Gates once remarked, many people before us had tried and failed: radio, TV, CD, elearning, ecourses. A few years down the road, we may also add the recent phenomenon MOOCs(massive open online courses) to the list.

They were perhaps too ambitious.

If we aim for partial but useful solutions, focused micro-solutions, we can have a better chance.

Perhaps, we can find out many a sweet spot along the spectrum of teaching and learning. Perhaps, we just need a better business model, where incentives are better aligned.

As ever, I am optimistic. We may not come up with a Silver Bullet. Yet, small incremental improvements, when they compile, can make a real difference for all concerned: teachers. students, trainers, trainees, learners, parents and the society as a whole.

Role of IT and Software in Education, Learning and Training

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

This is the voice of the customer.

Things we now have but  didn't a few years ago:

1.  iPad, iPhone, Facebook, Bing. 
2. 3GL, 4GL programming languages such as Python, Ruby, Lua, Erlang, Scala etc. 
3. multi-core, virtualizations, ec2, data centers, etc either. 

Technologies -- hardware as well as software -- are making headway by leaps and bounds.

But what about the applications, the products? Why are they lagging behind so pathetically?

Let's narrow our interest to just learning applications. Are they making a real difference to real people's lives? Have they tackled the fundamental desires, whims, needs, wants, concerns, worries, anxieties, fears, insecurities of the potential users of such applications and services?

Fundamental Questions

1. How can such an application help companies achieve and retain their competitiveness, save them time, effort and money?
2. How can such an application help teachers increase their effectiveness, save them time and effort?
3. How can such a service help trainers increase their productivity?
4. How can such a product help students and learners raise and keep high scores?
5. How can such an application help employees and professionals solve their problems in a better way?

Fundamental Issues

What does a student expects from her/his education?

What does a trainee wants from her/his training?

This has not changed much throughout our history e.g. Read Ma`ha`ba´ra`ta, or Journey to the West, or Arabian Nights.

Industrial Revolution liberated us from the limitations of our physique and we thus no longer marvel at derricks and cranes moving heavy containers.

Isn't I.T. Revolution supposed to release us from the limitations of our minds and memories, or at least enhance our learning, thinking, reasoning and problem-solving abilities?

The revolution is not over, it's just unfinished.

If you want to carry on with this revolution, please join us.