The cell that defines you

With so much options in the Indian cell-phone market these days, what should a buyer do. The buyer should FLOCUS (Features, Looks, Offers, Cost and USage). Read the complete article that I wrote for Saledekho.

Start-up names

For the last couple of weeks I have been stumbling upon websites (mostly those of start-ups) whose names I just can't spell when I hear it for the first time. Examples: here and here. I am sure that these start-ups are run by smart folks and that they will create amazing stuff and make substantial money out of it. I am also sure that if I ask these guys why they name their website this way, I will get an answer which will not be as outrageous as their URLs. Still, I feel that I should list down the criteria that I would consider when naming a company:

• It should be pronounceable

When I tell someone on the phone/skype "go to blah blah", I don't want to spell out my URL. It should be simple and evident. Good example of that is dropbox and a really bad example is kyazoonga.

• The domain should be available

If you are creating say an online marketplace for books, don't even bother to look for domains like bookbazaar, because, it would have already been taken or squatted.

• It should not be very long

Long URLs always have their own set of problems. Not being able to remember the URL is just one of them.

• It should be self explanatory

I would like to minimize the time and website real-estate spent in explaining the use of the website. Towards that end, a meaningful URL would go a long way. Example: Blogger. You blog in Blogger. Simple. Another good example is moneycontrol and tinyurl.

The droplet and the world

When you look at a droplet of water hanging on to a window sill, you see the world staring back at you in reflection. A realization dawns. The world is so small that it is completely reflected in the droplet and the droplet is so large that is encompasses the world. This realization is the beginning of an awakening. An awakening to the fact that size is irrelevant. Size doesn't matter. What matters is only the thought. The thought of the droplet and the world.