One of the surest signs of progress in life and leadership is that looking back often makes us uncomfortable. We revisit an old project and wonder how we could have thought it was complete. We recall a decision that once felt confident and now see all the flaws in our reasoning. We hear our … [Read more...]
Intelligence in Pieces: Mapping the Mind of the Machine
It was the fall of 2000, and I remember sitting in a computer lab in Chicago. I was deep into my master’s program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, taking an advanced course in Neural Networks. At the time, it felt a bit like standing at the edge of something enormous but unfinished- … [Read more...]
The Disappearing User Researcher in the Age of AI
It began with a simple, powerful LinkedIn post by Urooj: a raw provocation about the evolving role of user research. He asked, what happens to traditional user research in a world where behavioural data is available instantly and at scale? What role do researchers play when insights are … [Read more...]
The Funnel is Gone. Your Brand is the Algorithm.
Obaid was in Ottawa this past weekend, and of course we met. These days the core emphasis of our in-person conversations is for me to get a download from him on what is happening in the Valley. In our chat, he described something that felt small at first. It was just a reflection on how … [Read more...]
Staying in the Room Where Decisions Are Made
Every so often, you come across a piece of writing that doesn’t just make you nod in agreement - it takes thoughts you’ve been circling for some time and gives them a clean, sharp frame. That happened for me this week when I read a Linkedin post by Solon Angel. Solon not only crystallized the … [Read more...]
From Digital First to AI First
For over two decades, “digital first” has been the rallying cry. It meant building online before offline, designing for the screen before the storefront, making data and devices the backbone of every customer interaction. It was the promise of efficiency, scale, and reach - and for many … [Read more...]
When the Light Is On but the Door Is Closed
There’s a quiet grief that accompanies the moment you realise your investment in someone’s growth is no longer lifting them. Not because they’re incapable. Not because they’re unworthy. But because they’ve stopped showing up for themselves. You haven’t given up on them. But you’ve stopped … [Read more...]
From Mud Floors to the Stars: A Story of Satellites, Soil, and the Soul of India
There are stories that stir your pride. There are others that spark your imagination. And then, once in a while, there are stories that do both - while quietly rewriting what we believe is possible. Reading NDTV’s recent feature on the 50-year anniversary of India’s landmark SITE experiment - … [Read more...]
Plans as Mirrors, Not Maps
I stood in front of my class yesterday and invited them to sketch a five-year leadership plan. That invitation arrived with a confession. I am not, by reputation or by habit, a serial planner. At least not if we define a plan as a crystalline template that foresees every twist in the next … [Read more...]