Rejo Francis

Develop Within or Outsource?
LinkedIn
April 11, 2024

One of the biggest challenges faced by business managers today is in deciding which processes or components are to be outsourced and which areas should they build competence within the company.

Ecosystems - Transforming the Rules of Business
Linkedln
February 27, 2024

The idea about this article on ecosystems came about while discussing with an old friend of mine about how Bangalore which was a sleepy town about four decades ago has today metamorphosed into the tech hub and startup capital that we know today and what were the key enablers that could have assisted or ignited this change to come about.

What differentiates the success of the likes of Kohli, Sachin and Federer?
Rejo's Biz Bytes
December 05, 2022

This is a continuation of the article that I had written about India becoming the CEO factory of the world. The link to this article is attached for your ready reference.

Mapping #Emerging #Technologies to #Business #Models - 5 Key Success Factors
LinkedIn
January 23, 2022

The last decade and a half have drastically altered the way we live by the introduction of several new technologies which have helped organizations reach customers more effectively and helped these organizations to be become successful and in achieving scale.

#Organizational #Structures –#Functional or #Divisional – Which works better?
LinkedIn
January 08, 2022

Traditionally all established large organizations in the last century have followed a divisional organizational structure ... On the contrary, when an organization is first formed by an entrepreneur it follows a functional organizational structure with every decision flowing back to the promoter to decide.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)-The key leadership skill which can be learnt
LinkedIn
January 03, 2022

We all would have worked with different kinds of leaders…with people who are analytical…with people who are indecisive…with people who keep on upward delegating... with people who try to build consensuses...with people who are extremely authoritative…with people who micromanage…with people who develop their teams …with people who are extremely aggressive with targets…and so on and so forth.

Key Routines from sports leaders for success in every day life
LinkedIn
December 10, 2021

Being a sports fan, I do keep a track of the various sporting actions and events related to sporting personalities. Happened to read a few days back how India’s earlier ace long jumper was awarded a prestigious award. Was also watching the series called match point in Zee5 which covers about 2 of India’s greatest tennis players Leader Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi ..they also combined together to form one of the world’s most successful doubles pairs winning every Grand Slam title. Here were two sets of players who had defied normal sporting logic and grown to achieve more success than was expected of them when they started off..

#BusinessModels -The key #success factors
Rejo Francis
December 09, 2021

Ecosystems - Transforming the Rules of Business
Rejo Francis
November 07, 2021

#Business #Models Series # 1 -The key #success factors
Rejo Francis
October 03, 2021

#Business #Models Series # 2 - When should you change and how?
Rejo Francis
October 03, 2021

Right Strategy for Success
Rejo Francis
August 28, 2021

Why Managing Risk is a different Ballgame...
Rejo Francis
August 28, 2021

Connecting #Learning and #Intelligence – #Natural and #Artificial
Rejo Francis
June 14, 2021

Both Learning and Artificial Intelligence are two topics about which I had written about earlier. To quickly refresh. In August 2020, I had written about learning styles which basically was about learning styles and how we could identify our natural learning style to learn and remember things in a faster and efficient manner. In November 2017 article had captured about how the advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) was making into reality Cyborgs which was watched in science fiction movies in my childhood and some of the means by which this was being accomplished. Also, in my articles on habits published at the end of 2020 have also written about how various patterns get formed and reinforced in our brain when a new habit is being formed.

All learning that is done by all humans and in fact all living organisms is hierarchal in nature. As kids we first start moving on our four legs ,then learn to stand on our legs, we start walking and then running. So the steps to learn to run are hierarchal where we first learn to crawl on our four feet we build on that learning to stand and with the learning of the crawling and the standing we learn to walk and based on all the earlier learnings we learn to run. This is what is meant by learning being hierarchal in nature.

The various learnings types which build one on top of another in the same hierarchal manner as explained above are

a) Signal Learning

As the name suggests we learn to respond in a particular way to a signal…Simplest examples that come to mind are we picking the mobile when it rings or stopping your vehicle at a red light or waking up when the alarm rings.

b) Stimulus Response Learning

In this case a desired response is obtained by a series of rewards and punishments. The best example that comes to mind is that of a plant or tree which twists and turns to reach sunlight if the sunlight available to it has been blocked due to some reason. Here the plant or tree knows the rewards of having sunlight and hence it responds in a way to get to sunlight when the same is blocked. Or while you are driving you overspeed and get a speed ticket from an automated camera there are two things that happen, either you will always stay within the speed limit and you will definitely stay within the speed limit where the automated camera is placed.

c) Chaining

This type of learning involves connecting two or more previously learned skills in a sequence. The best example that comes to mind is what happens when you learn driving…Driving is actually a series of skills learned under the stimulus response. Skill to start the car, Skill to get the car moving by changing gears, Skill to when to change gears and when to increase speed, Skill as to when to change lanes and when to overtake, Skill as to when to stop and reduce speed. So, when you actually learn driving it’s the end result of so many learnings which then get arranged in sequence.

d) Verbal Association

This is a type of chaining learning but which is verbal in nature, Or rather the items being connected are verbal in nature. For example, when you are learning a new language you actually think in the language that u know very well and are comfortable with and then convert the same to the new language using the right verbal linkages. This is one of the key skills that are required when we learn languages and this could explain why some people can pick up languages much more faster than others and why some people can learn to speak a language with ease but struggle to write the same.

e) Discrimination Learning

This involves learning to respond in different ways to a series of similar stimuli…The best example that comes to mind is how you respond differently to the same stimuli to your boss and to your sub coordinate …We also learn to differentiate between two types of cars even though they might look similar etc.

f) Concept Learning

This involves developing the ability to make the same response to different individual stimuli that come from the same class or category. Concept learning helps us to generalize. Taking on the same earlier example as driving once you learn to drive a bike, the basic process of starting, using the clutch and getting the vehicle moving, changing gears and so on are the same even if you drive a car.

g) Rule Learning

This higher learning is the ability to recognize relationships between concepts and to successfully apply these general rules to other scenarios, even scenarios not experienced by the learner earlier. The best example that is coming to mind are the numerous situations that we learn in our work environment. Some of these would be captured in SOPs which are there with you and some would have been learned on the job. But once learned the learning can be used in similar situations as they come up even if they are in different environments which haven’t been experience by us earlier.

h) Problem Solving

This is the most complex learning which allows the learner to invent complex rules to solve a problem and then apply those same rules to other problems. The best example that comes to mind are the thump rules or the work around that we learn and develop to handle and manage certain situations. These thumb rules become a reference point or a rule for us which we end up using in several other situations also.

The above learning styles were first postulated by Robert Gyan.


All functions that the neural networks in our brain do is hierarchical…So let’s take a small example when we move from a dark room to a room with much more light our eyes adjust to ensure only the right amount of light actually goes in and we are able to see the surroundings clearly. But this function or any other simple function that we perform as humans or identifying a particular model of car when we see one etc. are actually driven by a set of tasks which are hierarchical in nature.

What really adds to the complexity is that the light sensitive cells that detect the amount of light in a room do not directly talk or communicate to motor neurons which causes the iris in the eye to contract or expand. The light sensitive cells in the eye send messages along neural connections to a neuron in your brain. If this particular neuron gets enough build up of information from the sensory neurons, it then sends a signal to the motor neurons that control the iris.

How is this related to Artificial Intelligence?

Intelligence is defined as the ability to continuously learn thereby improving at skills over time.

Artificial Intelligence is the display of intelligence by a non-living object like a machine as opposed to Natural Intelligence which is seen in living creatures including humans. This artificially intelligent device perceives its environment and then takes action to optimize its chances of success at a given task…

But the challenge with most Artificial intelligence machines is that most of the machines are not created on the logic of neural networks but on logic components, for which writing code was easier when AI was getting developed.

The above has resulted in the following major differences between Natural Intelligence (NI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)…So while NI communicates electrothermally AI communicates electronically. So, while NI has billions of neurons AI has billions of transistors. AI is also 10 million times faster from a computational perspective compared to NI which also explains why AI machines are capable can manage data and computational responsibilities with more speed and efficiency

To understand how AI machines based on Neural networks will be different and how they will use the eight learning skills which are used by NI, watch this space for more…

AI in Sales Series – Part1 – Revolutionizing Traditional Products and Services
Rejo Francis
May 12, 2021

As sales professionals we sell a product or service to our end consumers. For enabling the same we build various types of channels to cater to the right target audience. We also build sales teams to help improve the processes…
We also build various processes and systems to help improve the efficiency and to improve the efficiency of the processes and increase the market share compared to our competitors. As per market/ consumer requirements we then modify the required product and services, which also leads to the creation of new/ enhanced products or services for non-consumers.
I remember how the introduction of mobile phones and laptops helped improved the efficiency and productivity of sales professionals like me. During the lockdown as well, we have found ways to stay in touch with our consumers using technology, channel partners and teams to ensure that the sales process continues to work seamlessly and efficiently.
There are several technologies which are at the tipping point from a user perspective… some of the key ones are as below.
1. AI or Artificial Intelligence
2. Blockchain
3. Virtual Reality
4. Augmented Reality
5. Big Data
6. IOT
Felt it would be helpful if we could understand some of the ways in which AI is being implemented successfully by some of the companies which would help us also look at ways for implementing the same in our organizations as well.
Artificial intelligence has been around for more than 50 years. What has changed in the last decade or so is the way we have changed our approach to AI which is when developers started looking at developing AI the way the human brain works…Please refer my articles in November 2017, January 2019 and April 2021 to get some inputs on the same.
When we do something for the first time the human brain creates a new pattern in the brain. When we repeat the same activity again and again it gets reenforced. Over a period of time, it leads to the creation of what is called a habit. Once it is a habit its execution is taken over by the sub conscious mind which is why if we make a habit of keeping your car keys in a particular place you always end up keeping it there itself though very often you might not even remember doing it
It is when developers started using the concept of neutral networks that AI started developing faster. The creation of huge amount of data that is created with the adaption of smart phones on a daily basis is also one of the other enablers’ AI becomes more and more efficient with the availability of more data, which it then uses to learn implementation of the process in a better and better way. The improvements in speed and efficiency of mobile networks while moving from a 2G network to a 4G network have also enabled.
Today we will take the example of company which produces something all of us use on a daily basis to move around.
A traditional product and service that we all use…
Kone…which produces elevators and escalators, which helps people to commute faster and efficiently...
We have all been using elevators for a very long time. I remember during the peak office times during morning and evening in Mumbai how you sometimes have to wait for so long for the elevator to actually stop on your floor during this time…We also come across similar situations in malls where you keep waiting and waiting for the elevator to stop and when it does stop, its too packed for you to get in..
With the restrictions of Covid 19 automated doors is another main product which is being implemented in all buildings to enable contactless entry and exit.
So how has a company having a very traditional product started using AI?
Kone has fitted sensors on its machines that can pick up the start and stop time of elevators in each floor, the acceleration, the temperature, the noise levels, and the frequency of the vibrations. In places where they are managing full buildings, they are also trying to understand people movement at various periods of time.
This information are then fed to the cloud and using the data that is available, machine learning algorithms can understand the varies movement trends in the building which is then fed to the group controls of the elevator systems which coordinates the way multiple elevators operate together and ensures the best decision to move everyone around efficiently is taken.
Kone has also separately packaged this service and now sells it to other operators as well, hence building a new revenue stream.
This also enables AI to predict potential failures of the machines in advance so that planned preventive maintenance can be done to ensure the machines continue to operate at full efficiency during the peak demand times.
The above example was the case of how AI could be used to improve efficiency of a traditional product where the interaction between the company and the consumers is continuously there for the full lifetime of the product to improve its market standing and hence its sales…
I will be covering how AI is being adopted by companies in different sectors and different segments and addressing different sets of consumers in my articles going forward …
So watch this space for more…

Us vs Them - Do Communities help sell Products
Rejo Francis
April 27, 2021

The Placebo effect
Rejo Francis
April 27, 2021

Shopping experience disruption
Rejo Francis
April 27, 2021

Ecommerce - maturing, accelerating, growing
Rejo Francis
April 27, 2021

Connecting #Learning and #Intelligence - #Natural and #Artificial
Rejo Francis
April 11, 2021

The article explores the connection between natural intelligence and artificial intelligence.

Develop-within-integral-core-competency-vs-sourcing-out-
Rejo Francis
October 26, 2020

The article explores the pros and cons of developing core competencies within an organisation vs sourcing out

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-learning-normal-how-covid-19-lockdown-has-rejo-francis/
Rejo Francis
October 17, 2020

The article explores the pros and cons of developing core competencies within an organization vs sourcing out

The #New #Learning #Normal-How the #COVID-19 #Lockdown has #Disrupted #Education
Rejo Francis
October 17, 2020

I had written about the various learning styles that are there a few weeks back and how understanding the learning style that suits you best will help each one of us to improve our learning efficiency dramatically …The lock down period has also brought about a few changes or rather shifts …My daughters have completed one semester through online classes and they keep sharing some of the difficulties that they face on a daily basis in adapting to the new normal…I also have old classmates who are teachers now who share the challenges that they face while taking classes through online means…

Meanwhile the Indian government has also announced the new education policy which if implemented properly could drastically alter the way education or learning has been happening…Moreover whenever I open the Sunday newspaper I find at least two full page advertisements about learning apps..

But before I actually get into let me share a personal experience that I had which I think would get altered with the new education policy…I had taken admission to a part time PhD programme about 7 years back…I was on a high after getting the admission as I had qualified through a rigorous written exam and interview for this well-known institute…

As business professionals we run into day to day challenges which are diverse and which challenge your experience levels…We always find a solution to each and every challenge that comes up and always finds ways to keep growing your business…However most of the learnings from each of these experiences would stay with me and my team which we would probably evolve as thumb rules when encountering such situations in future, Some of these would also become part of the company best practices…I was looking forward to the programme to learn or identify a successful way in which these learnings could be understood from a research perspective to share these learnings to a wider audience. I had no intention of taking a career shift and was also clear that this course was in no way going to help me develop and grow in my career the way I had envisaged it to grow…So the jobs to be done had been clear for me..This was the case of the majority of the people who had enrolled for the programme.

What I found in the institute was a modified version of the normal full time programme…the only difference being that instead of maybe visiting the university for all five days a week you could visit the campus for 10 days which included two weekends once in every 2 to 3 months.

Everything else including programme content, delivery ,processes and assessment systems all remained the same…While the Jobs to be done were very different for the participants in both the batches, what was being offered by the university was exactly the same..

On the contrary let me share the success story of a university the South New Hampshire University which by identifying the right jobs to be done that the concerned students were trying to address was able to build a huge and profitable business… Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) under the leadership of its President Doctor Paul J. LeBlanc has grown from 2,800 students in 2003 to over 135,000 learners and is the largest non-profit provider of online higher education in the United States.

Even in 2003 ,The SNHU ran both online and normal programmes but like the experience that I had used to treat both the programmes as two sides of the coin…every process from responding to enquiries, financing options to programme delivery were treated in the same way… When SNHU identified that the requirements (Jobs to be Done) were very different for the people taking the online courses and modified their process to address the same that they became hugely popular and profitable..

The above example shows the present standardised nature into which our education or learning process has fallen into .The key elements of the education process are the learning process and the assessment which is done to check if the concerned person has understood the learnings…The present teaching delivery that we use is one of mass delivery where the teacher teaches what that person feels is the best to make the students understand the concepts ..Like explained in my earlier article each person has a prominent learning style and this will explain why we always found learning one subject easier or we found teaching by one particular teacher to be easier to understand..

But this kind of mass education or learning is only a 100 years old…As learning originated it was a very personalised way of teaching…We know about Gurukuls in India and about the Shaolin temple in China and about Jesus Christ having twelve disciples.

Here the students and teachers lived together, and the teacher imparted all his knowledge to his students. This kind of personal teaching was so intense that the teacher knew everything about the student including his weaknesses. Malayalees will remember the movie called “Kayamkulam Kochunni” which portrayed the real-life story “Kochunni” in the 19th century in the state of Travancore. The movie depicts how “Kochunni” learned the martial arts and how his teacher knew his student so well that after so many years also he could tell weak point in his defence which would eventually lead to his capture.

With the start of industrialisation, the need for more educated and trained manpower started growing…This led to the creation of the teaching and assessment methods that we know of today. Teaching methods were teachers teach to hundreds of students leading to varying levels of learning and understanding of what is being taught…

Assessment were basically brought about for the below reasons:

· To understand if a person has mastered a subject or material

· To understand if they are ready for progress

· For comparison and ranking between students

· To get an idea on what percentage of the subject has been mastered by each student

As per the assessment method that is being followed today a person is promoted to the next level if they score above 40 or 50% marks. Technically it means that if a person has learned 50% of what was expected of him he is considered good to be shifted to next level.

What this leads to is people being at the same level of learning administratively while being at different levels in their knowledge level…So we might have a person who is studying in the 10th grade but whose knowledge of algebra would still be at the level of the 8th grade…In the case of Biology the same person might be at the 10th grade level itself.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could get the same personalised learning which we had followed a century ago? Maybe this unexpected lockdown has set in motion a sequence of events which could very well lead to the same…Due to restricted movement we have been having online classes for students starting from schools to professional colleges.

Both teachers, students and parents have now got used to this. Similarly assessments also during the lockdown have shifted totally online ..Under normal conditions this change would have taken us years to bring about. This is what disruption does…

The lockdown has also brought about the following new shifts:

Companies like Coursera have been offering 30,000 courses free for about 1000 students of each college. During the initial phases several institutions also were not really aligned to take up online teaching these institutions have grabbed this opportunity with both hands. Assuming at least 50% of the students would have sampled these Coursera courses it has brought about a huge sampling for their courses which would have otherwise taken years to accomplish..

Companies like Google have established their intentions to get aggressive in this space…This will also lead to better and more efficient products coming out in the personalised learning space…In addition several companies have launched education products which are targeted at providing learnings based on the present learning levels of the students…Like I said in my earlier example we might have a student in 10th grade whose algebra knowledge would still be at that of 8th grade…With these personalised learning products the learning could actually restart from the 7th grade level.

Online education platforms

Like e-commerce platforms am anticipating these platforms to become the next growth story… Udemy an education platform revenues have doubled in the first quarter of financial year 2020 ..As per my understanding this trend is only likely to grow…The growth of platforms like Udemy is also likely to bring in two sets of non-consumers into the education space..

Platforms like Udemy provides the option to anyone including individuals to upload and sell courses on their platforms. Many of these courses are very short term and skill related which would not be offered by any university. As I said in the beginning this is addressing two types of non-consumption.

It is prompting several working professionals to take these courses offered to build on their skill levels. It is also providing a platform for industry professionals with wide experience, but who are not from the traditional teaching faculty to build courses based on their industry experience…It has even started a trend where students create teaching material for other students..

Value Networks

The supporting networks in a system are what we call as the Value Networks…In the case of the educational system these would include the following

• Textbooks

• Which will include people writing the prescribed textbooks

• Will also include agencies involved in printing and the Sale and Distribution of these textbooks

• National, State and Local Boards

• These boards decide the curriculum to be followed for each course

• They decide the institutes which get approved and affiliated

• The number of seats that each institute can offer for each approved course

• The norms for faculty

• Content delivery to student

• Testing

• Teachers training

As we move away from the present teaching and learning methods these value networks also will undergo and change and will need to modify to suite the new normal. One the biggest hindrances which usually prevent such dramatic changes in the huge power that these value networks wield…The Lockdown has drastically altered the situation which would normally have required years to change.

Govt approval for online courses

Another hurdle which has prevented the dramatic growth of these courses which are provided by different platforms were the lack of Government accreditation. The Government of India has started the process to build the process and parameters for accreditation of all such courses

New Courses to be offered as per New Education Policy

As per the New Education Policy students have the option to select wide range of courses as per their personal choices. Most of the education institutions do not presently have the capability to offer many of these courses and will have to find options to provide the same as per requirement

Am reminded of this interesting study on US and Japanese car company assembly lines which was done by Steven Spear…

In this study they were trying to understand what made the Toyota assembly line so unique when everyone had also imbibed the concept of the assembly line from the Japanese. .So while the US car companies had implemented the assembly line a new recruit would be provided training on all the 10 steps of the assembly line that he would have to do on the first day and he would be on the line from the next day…At the Toyota line if the first step that the new recruit would have to do would be put the front driver seat in its position he would just do that activity till it reached perfection before more activities were added to his work…So while the US car companies and a large pool of inspectors to recheck all the products coming off the assembly line the Toyota system with hardly any inspectors had a better quality product ..

So while our present learning and education system is like the US assembly line the lockdown induced changes we will love into a Toyota kind of learning system…As we further progress on this path educational institutions and teaching as we know today will evolve rapidly. Institutes will also face competition from unexpected sources like say a Google…

Whether the institutes will adapt to the new normal or get swept away like a Kodak camera or a Nokia Mobile only time can tell…

We Work - Business Model
Rejo Francis
October 17, 2020

Insta sell - changing face of ecommerce
Rejo Francis
October 17, 2020

The Domino Effect of Innovation: How Every Disruption Fuels the Next Big Breakthrough
Linkedln
February 26, 2025

This idea struck me while speaking with a team behind a rising ride-hailing app. They explained how they were offering the same core services as the market leader but with better incentives for drivers—so much so that many drivers were switching over. How was this possible? Because their technology was built on existing innovations: smartphones, GPS, digital payments, and cloud computing—none of which they had to invent. This new disruption was simply the latest step in a long chain of breakthroughs.

The Future of Computing: How Microsoft's Quantum Breakthrough Will Change the World
Linkedln
February 23, 2025

The motivation to write this was a news article in today's TOI which talked about Microsoft new discovery and how this new discovery could make actual quantum computing devises a reality within a few years unlike decades which was what was thought to be the time needed for this technology to start effecting our day to day lives.

From Idea to Industry Giant: How MVPs Build Billion-Dollar Businesses
Linkedln
February 20, 2025

One of the biggest challenges in business today is deciding which idea is worth pursuing. Whether you're a startup founder or a market leader, the question remains the same: Is this concept good enough to scale?

This is where the power of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) comes into play. An MVP is a streamlined version of a product with only its core functionalities, designed to test the market and gather user feedback with minimal resources.

Stress Isn’t the Enemy—It’s Your Growth Engine!
Linkedln
February 18, 2025

I recently watched Marshall, a biopic about the legendary lawyer Thurgood Marshall, who won over 40 civil rights cases that shaped history. One scene stood out—a woman, overwhelmed by stress, jumps into the water intending to drown. But as soon as she hits the water, her instincts and swimming skills take over. Instead of sinking, she swims to safety.

The Art of Great Storytelling: Secrets from the World’s Best Communicators
Linkedln
February 09, 2025

We all would have admired or been captivated by friends, bosses and colleagues who have refined the art of storytelling both in our personal and professional life’s. There’s a timeless power in storytelling—a bridge between facts and emotions, logic and empathy. It is also a bridge which brings out the real story behind the numbers and helps us understand things in totality.

Team Habits: Unlocking High-Performance Collaboration
Linkedln
February 06, 2025

The world of work has completely transformed. With rapid technological advancements, team structures have evolved from static, co-located groups to dynamic, fluid networks involving direct colleagues, vendors, and partners across multiple locations and time zones.

The Power of Emotional Runway: Fuelling Resilience in Life and Work
Linkedln
February 06, 2025

In business, we often hear about financial runway—the amount of time a company has before it runs out of money. But there’s another kind of runway that’s equally important, perhaps even more so: emotional runway.

Emotional runway is your capacity to cope, persevere, and thrive despite challenges. It’s about how much emotional and mental energy you have left to tackle life’s inevitable ups and downs. And just like financial runway, if you don’t manage it well, you risk burnout, disengagement, or giving up altogether.

Anxiety Hacks You Can Start Implementing
Linkedln
January 30, 2025

Anxiety is one of the most pervasive challenges in modern life. In a world that moves at breakneck speed, filled with uncertainty and endless notifications and noise keeping yourself at peace is not an easy task.. Anxiety could build up due to several reasons, people, or situations that are part of our day-to-day routine. Over time anxiety leads to situations which would outwardly reflect as Avoidance, Isolation, Blame etc. We are also very often overwhelmed by overthinking due to anxiety that it starts effecting our performance levels.

Monoculture: The Double-Edged Sword?
Linkedln
January 22, 2025

In today's hyper-connected world, monoculture has become a powerful force shaping our economies, societies, and even our personal identities. From the foods we eat to the technology we use, a singular dominant culture has emerged, often overshadowing the diversity that once defined humanity. Take India, for example—once upon a time, traveling from village to village meant experiencing a variety of distinct foods, clothing styles, languages, and traditions.

Unlocking the Power of Your Mind: Carl Jung’s Insights
Linkedln
January 21, 2025

In 1997, a young entrepreneur named Jeff Bezos took a leap of faith and founded Amazon, an online bookstore operating from his garage. Despite facing numerous challenges, Bezos had a vision—a deep belief in the potential of e-commerce.

Leadership in an AI obsessed world.
Linkedln
November 25, 2024

I was doing this test yesterday, which is quite common nowadays where with your camera and mic and motion sensor turned on your laptop the testing algorithm decides if you are doing the test as per the laid-out conditions so that the accuracy of the analysis improves as per the database available with the testing algorithm.

The Power of your Thoughts – Lessons from Ex- Cricket Captain Ganguly & Superstar Vikram
Linkedln
October 21, 2024

In our day-to-day life’s, we go through ups and down, success and failures that tests our resilience, strength, and determination. Often, we find ourselves at crossroads, where challenges and setbacks stand as formidable barriers between us and our goals. Many of these tend to happen despite our best efforts and hard work.

Action-based leadership
Linkedln
September 02, 2024

During our lives and careers, we would have seen ourselves and those with whom we have worked closely evolve into different kinds of individuals with different leadership styles. If we think about ourselves also, we would have seen ourselves change in our leadership styles as we have progressed in our lives and careers. We would have also seen different people respond differently according to the situation or various other stimuli during different situations and different stimuli

Cramming Innovation: Does it make us lose Opportunities?
Linkedln
August 15, 2024

The idea to write about this article came about while listening to a video of Steve Jobs where he answers a very technical question from the audience about particular features about a technology (open doc) and how this could be used more effectively etc.

Maximize your Success through your Natural Strengths and Personality traits ...
Linkedln
July 21, 2024

Have talked several times about Michael Phelps the ace US swimmer who was blessed with perhaps the best natural physique that maxims the performance as a swimmer. Though he was almost 6.5 feet tall he had very short legs for someone of that height. Since the legs were smaller in height the upper torso was naturally bigger. With all the the swimming and the accompanying body workouts he used to weigh around 194 pounds.

Unlock Market dominance with Whole Product Strategy
Linkedln
July 07, 2024

If you look at any of the products or services that we use today that have become totally market dominant they have become so because they have followed a Whole Product Strategy. The result is the same if you look at social media, messaging, telecom, or cars and software and tech products.

Sales? Marketing or Business Development ?
LinkedIn
June 30, 2024

For someone who has spent his entire career in Sales, Marketing and Business Development I often struggle when in casual conversations people swing between these three terms with their own definitions to understand what I do or to explain what they do. The situation is more critical with people who are from different backgrounds and don’t relate to the jargons that we throw out. The reason for this article is to try and throw some light into what constitutes the so-called market and its various players and constituents.

Scaling Dilemma…Growth amidst Tradition and Change
Linkedln
June 24, 2024

In today’s world, where technology has made market entry much easier and scalable we see multiple products and services entering in different categories. Most of them come with their own unique value proposition which ensures that they stand out from the existing list of service providers.

Scaling Dilemma…Growth amidst Tradition and Change
LinkedIn
June 23, 2024

In today’s world, where technology has made market entry much easier and scalable we see multiple products and services entering in different categories. Most of them come with their own unique value proposition which ensures that they stand out from the existing list of service providers. Sometimes these new value propositions create new customer segments itself. If we look at traditional family business also, we will see some which have grown and thrived and some which have fallen aside.

Bill Grant Study on Long term Success-Learning Conversations & Deep connections.
Linkedln
June 13, 2024

Bill Grant was a successful chain store owner and had made a fortune through his 25 cent stores across the US where he mainly specialized in selling kitchen supplies and household wares.

Sales Hooks -The Strategy Playbook
LinkedIn
June 03, 2024

During the Initial stages of my career the organization that I was working for was the lead sponsor for getting Michael Jackson to India as what I remember in a concert spread across several countries in India called the MJ Show. Since I was always a great fan of Michael Jackson, I had managed to get entry to the place before the show happens. While the concert would be only for a few hours the preparation by the team to set up the speaker systems and the checks that they run on them to get the perfection needed was something unimaginable. Despite being done by extremely experienced people they weren’t taking a chance and were checking each option with a backup plan in case something went wrong at various stages during the programme.

Yes, is nothing without a HOW?
LinkedIn
June 01, 2024

A few weeks back I accidentally started watching a movie called Captain Phillips in one of the English movie channels. The movie is based on a real story of a freight ship which is boarded by about four determined young pirates and how the crew led by their captain manage to get things back on track. Despite the bigger set of pirates being fended off in their first attempt to board the ship, this set of four very young pirates decide to come back and finally manage to board the ship despite the resistance offered.

The famed Disney Business Model
Linkedln
May 01, 2024

As a child growing up in India, there were only two or three entertainment companies by which I used to get to see English content, of which Disney cartoons was one and so the moment I ran into this Disney Business Model of 1958 a few weeks back it struck a chord with me..

Disruptive Leaders - What sets them apart.
Linkedln
April 29, 2024

Like everyone else I have also had several leaders during the course of my career...I have also picked up several of my good management practices from some very dynamic and motivating leaders... However, management practices as we know today is only about 100 years old

OKRs...The secret sauce to the Google's and Intel market dominance...
Linkedln
April 28, 2024

We are again at that part of the year where we work out our goals for the year. These are called by different names in different geographies and different organizations. But the basic purpose of all these is to ensure that individuals and teams are aligned to the overall goals of the organization. Organizations, particularly ones which have been in existence for a long period of time would have their own cultures and practices which have over a period established themselves as key goalposts and milestones in the organizations.

Award - India 500 Quality Leaders Awards
MSME Awards, India
December 21, 2019

Emerging Leader of the Year Award
UBS Forums
September 25, 2018

Unleashing Change Management Summit - Looking beyond Covid 19
Global Executive Events
June 02, 2021

AI in Sales
Inventicon
June 02, 2021

https://www.gtreview.com/videos/keynote-looking-beyond-covid-indias-new-normal-look-like/
Global Trade Review
April 27, 2021

A look back on the impact of COVID-19 in India and the new changes emerging as the new normal

Looking beyond COVID- what does India's new normal look like?
Global Trade Review
April 27, 2021

Shift from pipeline models to platform models post COVID
Rejo Francis
April 11, 2021

The video explores the shift from pipeline models to platform models post COVID

The Evolving Media Landscape
Rejo Francis
October 17, 2020

ATxSG Asia Tech event

AI Summit - TechXLR Singapore
AI Summit - TechXLR Singapore
September 14, 2019

Disruption
Youtube
September 02, 2019

Award - Stevie Award - Gold for National Sales
Stevie Awards USA
February 22, 2019

International Stevie Awards for National Sales - Gold Sales Director - Silver and Sales Manager - Silver
Stevie Award
February 22, 2019

Podcast - Business Models Series 1 - Factors that make a Business Model Successful
Rejo Francis
October 10, 2021

Podcast - Business Models Series 2 - When do you change and how?
Rejo Francis
October 10, 2021

Rejo's Podcast - Law of Opposite...
Rejo Francis
October 10, 2021

Podcast
Rejo Francis
January 03, 2022

Big Data and why it Matters

Business Intelligence and Analytics
Transformance Forums
July 26, 2019

Do prizes influence our purchase decisions?
Rejo Francis
September 16, 2021

Should brands focus on community selling/influencing more?
Rejo Francis
September 16, 2021

Should brands focus on community selling/influencing more? Part 1
Rejo Francis
September 16, 2021

Organizational Structures that Promote Success
Rejo Francis
January 03, 2022

This podcast talks about the various Organizational Structures that Promote Success

Managing-Your-Innovation-Portfolio-Core-Innovation
Rejo Francis
January 03, 2022

This podcast series talks about mix of the innovation required for addressing the following three scenarios which are essential to meet the various goals that an organization sets out to achieve…
this is the first in the series which is on focusing on Core innovation
To maintain and grow the existing markets and segments that the company is present the company will still have to get better in the way it does things presently. The core innovation is to address this segment. This involves innovation for existing customers and markets and would involve mainly improving the existing products using the existing assets. These innovations would be incremental and continuous.

Managing-Your-Innovation-Portfolio-Adjacent Innovation
Rejo Francis
January 03, 2022

This podcast series talks about mix of the innovation required for addressing the following three scenarios which are essential to meet the various goals that an organization sets out to achieve…
this is the second in the series which is on focusing on Adjacent Core innovation
This innovation is used by organizations when they want to expand into nearby categories or segments where the same competencies that the organization is presently good at is used to enter these segments and markets. So, using this innovation the company adds incremental products and services which helps organizations to add new customers who aren’t using the products or services presently.

Managing-Your-Innovation-Portfolio-3. Transformational Innovation
Rejo Francis
January 03, 2022

This podcast series talks about mix of the innovation required for addressing the following three scenarios which are essential to meet the various goals that an organization sets out to achieve…
this is the second in the series which is on focusing on Transformational Innovation.

This innovation which is probably the most difficult to plan and execute as it involves creating products and services to cater to new consumers. This involves developing breakthroughs and inventing things for markets that don’t yet exist.

Disrupt yourself - Mumbai Unplugged
Youtube
July 26, 2019

Disruption - Strategy Leaders Summit Mumbai
Youtube
March 17, 2019

Disruption - Strategy & Execution Forum Dubai
Youtube
May 01, 2018

The #New #Learning #Normal-How the #COVID-19 #Lockdown has #Disrupted #Education
Rejo Francis
April 27, 2021

The #New #Learning #Normal-How the #COVID-19 #Lockdown has #Disrupted #Education
Rejo Francis
October 17, 2020

Boost your Learning Efficiency
Rejo Francis
November 26, 2023

Tips to boost your Learning Efficiency

Tacit and Explicit Knowledge
Rejo Francis
November 26, 2023

A short video explaining the differences and nuances of Tacit and Explicit Knowledge...

instant innovation
Youtube
August 19, 2023

Daily delights Uncovering new horizons
Youtube
August 10, 2023

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence
Youtube
September 02, 2019

Leadership Types - Efficient or Effective
Youtube
September 02, 2019

Disruption defined
Youtube
August 11, 2019

Future Trends in Disruption
Youtube
May 08, 2019

Blockchain Demystified
Youtube
June 22, 2018

OKRs - The Secret Sauce to Google and Intel's Market Dominance
Thinkers360
April 29, 2024

Why do Small Wins matter so much?
Thinkers360
April 05, 2024

Mindset Shift: Product Sales vs Service Sales
Thinkers360
March 10, 2024

Big Data – The Real Benefits
Thinkers360
February 25, 2024

Finding the Creneau to get the right positioning
Thinkers360
February 18, 2024

Order, Disorder, Reorder
Thinkers360
January 20, 2024

Differentiate ...Like McDonalds does...
Thinkers360
December 10, 2023

Bridigital Nation
Thinkers360
November 29, 2023

Trust the Heart of Sales Negotiations
Thinkers360
November 21, 2023

Sales Funnels and Buyer Personas
Thinkers360
November 08, 2023

Accelerate Growth with Stretch Goals!
Thinkers360
October 25, 2023

Maximizing Productivity - Insights from Top Leaders
Thinkers360
October 17, 2023

AI vs HI - How will the future play out?
Thinkers360
October 06, 2023

Can AI truly emulate the Human Brain?
Thinkers360
September 24, 2023

Cracking the Code of Disruption
Thinkers360
September 09, 2023

Mastering Concentration - The Key to Enhanced Productivity
Thinkers360
September 01, 2023

Relentless - ISRO's Journey to Chandrayaan 3
Thinkers360
August 26, 2023

What separates Good from Great Leaders
Thinkers360
August 19, 2023

Change-Metamorphosis-like-the-birth-of-a-butterfly
Thinkers360
August 14, 2023

Do we stunt our potential to become bonsai reflections of our true capabilities?
Thinkers360
July 29, 2023

Yes and No. Are these two extremes as we make ourselves to believe
Thinkers360
June 24, 2023

There would be several instances in all the movies that we watch where we have to decide between a Yes and a No which is also a reflection what happens in our daily lives.But are these two extremes as we make ourselves to believe?

 

How your Product appeals to key decision makers in the Human Body.
Thinkers360
June 18, 2023

Choking under Pressure – Why does this happen at the most crucial moments of our life.
Thinkers360
June 04, 2023

The Power of Storytelling
Thinkers360
May 13, 2023

Labelling - Another Technique to Successful Negotiations
Thinkers360
April 16, 2023