What is next for Comp Sc and IT

 Where are Engineering Branches of Computer Science, related and IT heading ??

I heard all three major IT gaints are either not taking college hires from campus for a second year or the growth projects is not great.  When I read this I was thinking of what I was advocating for last few years. 

Every THING has a Cycle. Now IT cycle is coming down. It is a clear writing on the wall. “Conquering the Chaos” a book by Ravi Venkatesan  that came in 2013 has a few pages advocating how all these IT companies must transform to meet next growing needs while focusing on Customer Centric plans. In fact when I asked two of my friends kids to take up Civil engineering than comp sc or IT many thought I am out of my mind and I asked them to be Civil Engineers as I am one. What many did not know was I started seeing trends when IBM started investing in Vietnam and Phillipines. 

Today, In my opinion the reasons for the present IT sutuation are

1. Lack of forward thinking leadership at helm of these companies. Instaed of worrying about their jobs and securing their bonus many did not take bold decisions Like Satya Nadella

2. Geo Political situation. No need to explain as Software exports might be subjected to more taxes and less profits

3. Workforce that is not learning surviving skills, but losing what they know even. Their span of attention has become very less. Focus and concentration is lacking. What that means for an employee is some one takes your place and you are displaced

4. Too many graduates coming out. The engineering college spends less to have more of these two branches than corr engineering labs. They can have more intake. That is causing market getting flooded with Engineering Grads like BA, B Com, BSc grads of our time. They are willing to take up recuiter jobs as relevent fileds openings are a few. Competetion is too much. 

I always voiced for Core Engineering branches for students or choice of their passion Law, Arts, etc than comp sc and IT. Now also I ask all parents to think what is best for your kids. When I see long lines of these Engineers waiting to write a exam hoping they will get the so called Software job, My heart pains for their future

Failing Fast is Success Mantra

 Failing Fast is Success Mantra:

Oct 20, 2015

One of my friend visiting us from US was sharing that in Silicon Valley (where everything is about start-ups and many made it) if you fail faster you are considered a better start up and your stock goes up while people running companies with money from their own pocket or VCs are called living dead as they do not know when to exit the game.

Michael Jordan of the famous Chicago Bulls who won the NBA cup three times in a row against New York Nicks  is my all favourite athlete; not as he gambled off his money; not that he left the team a couple of times and came back but he always learnt from the mistakes.  You need to be really BOLD and GUTSY to admit your failure so my word to all start-up folks, if you think you are failing please fail fast and move on.

You need a mentor,  go find who failed a lot as they would give you best advice on what landmines you need to side step and what you should not do. They may need time to open up, but they are your best bet to get top class advice in my opinion. How many of them do we have in your city? You will never know as they don't have directories, they are not listed in Internet. So my friends it is hard to find these folks than finding the Start-up gurus who conduct conferences, run sessions lecturing, and project themselves as next best thing to sliced bread. Still I suggest you go after finding these unlisted folks who failed and ask them for their time to help you.

If you think 9000 shots and 300 games is a small number better re-think again. Every day we fail in one or other thing, but beauty is have we learnt anything out of that is the question you should be asking yourself. Have you misplaced the trust people put on you in those 26 shots that might have won the game? Don’t worry to admit that you missed and move on. You need Scottie Pippen likes to be on your side to bring a winning company.

So my dear start-up friends, get wet behind ears, see some bad things in life, the earlier you see them the faster you grow. Following the yellow brick road may lead to a fantasy that cannot be fulfilled but creating the road you want to travel will be definitely get you to be on top of the world.

Reflections of 2023

 Reflections of my 2023 

This is a year that will be dear to me for so many reasons. 

First at the end of Jan 2024 I will be leaving corporate life retiring as per company policy to start a new second innings. My inspiration for this are many of our alumni from first five batches.  I am sure i will post something bigger in next five years what I accomplished. My advice what comes your way embrace and go with it is the one that gives you success. #EmbraceWhatComesYourWay

Always I speak of empathy to the people around you. We dont know what others are going in their lives. Pay attention to what they are worried about. Listeing helps in doing this. A recent experience I want to share.  We started an IGNITE club in our SVUCE. The team is very young and they wanted to conduct a HAKATHON. They planned well but fell short of funds.  Loved the self confidence they showed. Asked IGNITE alumni to help and inmediaty the funds came. I could have been upset that they did not plan well but appreciated the spirit with which they started.  Thus the event went well and waiting to hear final news

#EmpathyAlwaysPutsOthersFirst

Dont worry about what you are doing today as what you will become later in life is unknown. I was doing PhD at Texas A&M Univ College Station Texas. You can see the picture of me at my soil dynamics lab. No one must have thought including me where I will be three decades later. At that time in 1993 refused to take any comp courses when everyone around me were doing Visual Basic and getting whopping compensation. Later when I found reality of my comp with possible PhD versus master in CS, got an opprtunity to shift to SAP EDI. Thus no turning around. After that IBM in US and so many.  I call my success as #AccidentalSuccess. I grabbed every oppurtunity that presented before me and had a fulfilling career building high performing teams.  I feel I am leaving at the top of my game 

#ChangeAtTopOfYourGame 

Moving into the next year if you want to be like me, dont make any resolutions that you can not fulfil. As the beautiful sunset over Hyderabad today (captured in Picture) your flight is ready so be ready to take off with postive intent, emphathy and open mind  

A Civil Engineers Perspective

"Three men returning from a bowling tournament. A mother and daughter heading to a baby shower. Two Shriners who had gone to a black-tie dinner and were heading home to Toronto. A married couple driving to Texas. A truck driver heading from Green Bay, Wis., to Goshen in Orange County.

One fateful moment brought them all together 26 years ago at 10:50 a.m. on a Sunday morning, April 5, 1987. As they drove along the New York State Thruway near Fort Hunter, the bridge collapsed. All 10 died.

The bridge came down during a spring flood caused by snow melt and torrential rains."

Source: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/25-years-ago-the-bridge-was-gone-3460076.php

The video of same bridge is available in your tube courtesy Vintage news

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBaoRhtMWLE

When I was in Texas A&M Pursuing my Ph D this is the basis for the Civil Engineering (A fluvial geotechnical problem - ha ha I know for those not knowing much Civil Engineering this will be gibberish) Ph D work me and a few others did. Texas state funded a project to make sure all the bridges that are not founded on bedrock to be evaluated for the failure. That is what governments and people representatives should do when a natural disaater occur; to learn and improve. 

My research work along with others who worked with me is patented thru Texas A&M University System and is in use for solving bridge scour problem. What else we need satisfaction in our life, when what you worked for is used for benefit of others.

After 20 years and not completing the PhD, when I met with my professor in College Station TX, I heard this news and I am very happy. 

What is a Civil Engineering in me doing in IT and what's my perspective of the whole research and moving away to Corporate (worked for IBM, Microsoft, State Street and now with Maxim Integrated) is - 
It does not matter what you do as long as its useful for some one; 
It enhances lives of others; it makes you smile thinking go what you did; 
You feel you accomplished something however small it may be;

IT industry – Is reality setting in despite symptoms for Long?

Four years back I was addressing the freshers’ introduction in an engineering college at Khammam. I asked the students how many of them would like to take up a job in IT. 80% of the students raised their hands. I took about an hour to go over the advantages of Core Engineering, Attempting for Indian Engineering Services, scoring well in GATE and how Public Sector Companies recruit from GATE. When I re-polled the percentage looking to join IT came to 30%. I figured out that many of the students do not have right knowledge and resources. 

Reading the news that Infosys RELEASED 9,000 over an year is a writing on wall in IT industry that many refused to see for a long time; Colleges, Students, IT Leaders and educators. Increasing demands from customers on any Application Maintenance Services (AMS) and testing services contracts to reduce cost year on year by vendors forces automation to keep margins. I really appreciate Infosys HR head who boldly admitted to the fact they RELEASED 9,000 over year because of automation.

I cannot name the companies here but many more IT companies are following with reduced campus hiring and retraining people or shifting them to other functions.

·     One IT major stopped visiting Tier 3 colleges. When colleges feared that they might be affected and requested the company to visit the campus the hiring went from 100s to single digits. While the company recruited 45,000 for 2016 passing graduates the numbers forecast for 2017 pass outs would be 25,000.

·     Another couple of major companies announced that they will reduce campus placements this year

What’s the solution:

In my opinion the following will be a start:

• At least now educators and education system will start focusing on core engineering, let people know the opportunities available, start fundamental science and engineering that can be used in industry

• Students – stop using one guide for all and learn concepts, you are in global competition, if you cannot think, write and communicate clearly you are out of competition

• Teachers: Educate yourself with new areas of subjects and show commitment to educating next generation India. Students look up to you

• Leaders in Industry: Speak truth on customers’ expectations that can translate to your current and future employees as opportunity. If they fail to catch the wave they will be in a watery grave

Author is a teacher, researcher and IT leader who worked for IBM in US and Microsoft in India

How to Handle Re-organizing, Re-structuring, or Strategic Decision???

Sitting in Lord Venkateswara feet, in the Temple town was browsing thru the FB posts today morning and came across a couple of articles that made me put my thoughts on one topic: online Start-ups bubble.

The words Re- organization, Re-structuring, Strategic Decisions- these used to be scary words while in US, working with a start-up. They meant only one thing - I may be laid off due to one or all of the above. I survived 6 such changes in 7 years to move into IBM when the start-up was acquired by the BIG Blue. On the last day when the decision was made to announce the acquisition and let 50% of the employees go, I was called by our Vice President. I called my wife and told her I will hand over the company phone, pick up kids, go home and call her.  The good news was my VP retained me for I was having a strength that was lacking in the team that was moving to IBM, and hence I went to IBM. I will stop here with a positive ending as this is not this write up is about.

Why I remembered this incident is that I see the start-ups that are popping up in food delivery and on-line retail space like mushrooms are withering away quite fast, laying off people. These are companies that are made of people IP than any other product IP. However the expectations of the employees (people) working either in start-ups or MNCs, is completely wrong that they are permanent employees of the company. They are just full time employees as long as the company wish they are useful for them. What any employee working must do is sharpen your skills, enhance your resume to reflect your contributions, and keep an updated resume as you don’t know when the train of re-org is coming your way.

A couple of my experiences in this regard are; the first one on how the employee must be prepared for any eventuality and the second one is how a company can handle it better.

One of my colleague and a good friend in US – used to tell me, every time there is changes coming thru and we are discussing with our theories of what will happen (we were never right in predicting) “think you are a consultant that will be let go one day- keep your desk clean and laptop without personal stuff so that you can walk away”. In my mind this is a better way to be prepared than going thru a shock.

I saw many that were let go for the first time in the company history of an MNC in May 2009. The company prepared well all of us the manager of managers, and leadership. The way employees took the news is very welcome as the prep work was well done. Second day of the layoffs one of the skip level employee made a comment that “the way it was handled was very bad” I asked her to go check with the people and then come back to me. After a week she came back and said “wish I was there”. A few I know were already looking or had offers in hand and when laid-off they have a gift for them to put a down payment for apartment or buy a car.

India is experiencing what western world has gone thru already. We learn from them or we reinvent the wheel for both employees and the companies. I believe the employees in first place must know a job is not permanent for so many reasons:

1. As an employee is your stay in same company you become useless after a few years. Embrace change and look for adventurous new opportunities that will provide an opportunity to learn 
2. Be always prepared as companies don’t love you when you stop being effective. When the company pays you a salary they expect at least 4-5 times more in terms of business. Simple math- makes sense J. Always check if you are helping the bottom line of the company. 
3. Career making is a snakes and ladders game: you have to side step, step down to eventually be at top. As long as you know that you are never in shock. 
4. Companies must encourage in India to use Individual Contributors more so the social stigma associated with IC roles in India is gone; meaning keeping the salary the IC is making, providing an indirect influencer to work across teams, and use them in right way to show case the value they bring to table. As an employee be prepared to embrace this IC role without hesitation.   
5. One major word of caution – don’t live EMI life- busying everything with EMIs. India is still evolving in finance sector to create credit checks and holding one accountable for the EMI payments. Stay frugal like our parents taught us and save than being a spend thrift. 
6. Don’t succumb to peer pressure of unwanted spending on cars, vacations, and anything that you cannot afford as others have these

I strongly recommend every employee working in any IT and Product companies that are susceptible to market place effects – upgrade, upgrade and upgrade your talent but not your phones, cars, and TVs. You will be successful in your career and will be happy person so you can enjoy the life with family.

Innovation Thy Name

Facebook used right way is next best thing of loads of information. I saw a small video on “Breakthrough Innovations of 2015” on FB. I went to check authenticity and found the list is from MIT (http://www.technologyreview.com/lists/technologies/2015/). If you read the top 10 list: Magic Leap, Nano-Architecture, Car to car Communication, Project Loon, Liquid Biopsy, Mega scale Desalination, Apple Pay, Brain Organoids, Supercharged Photosynthesis, and internet of DNA. I saw a small video of these and also read about them. This is true innovation as I feel the word innovation is a misused and abused word that I can think of.

I will share a couple of examples why I think Innovation is a misused and abused word by people. When cloud computing was just around the corner and a couple of players like Amazon and VMWare were ahead of the game, there was a US leadership team visit to our company. One Development Manager put up a cloud web page as Innovation. Every one is the room were going gaga over that while fresh from US, I was thinking to myself what is innovation in this. Of course the guy got promotion and moved to US in same company, but the point is Innovation is abused in this case, as per my standard.

Day today I see a lot of start-ups in last one year when I attend any event in Hyderabad. Most of them are in retail on line or food delivery and some what IT related. I heard many that have no clear idea of what they are trying to solve and I feel many are wantrepreneurs (wanna be entrepreneurs- very happy to see a word coined by a friend long time back in t-Hub). I wish and hope at least some of these 10 key areas of breakthrough and related come to t-Hub soon. Then we can expect a next whatsapp or anything coming out of Hyderabad or India. With NALSAR, ISB, IITH and IITH as main backers of t-Hub, the CEO and COO will decide to bring right people into t-hub to bring value to the catalyst t-Hub will decide to bring right people into t-hub to bring value to the catalyst t-Hub that are working in real breakthrough technologies from various industries: Bio, Agri, manufacturing, hardware etc than simple IT based.

My request to all the so called “eco-system builders” in any city is:

• Don’t abuse word Innovation else Einstein might come back crying. Don’t encourage start-up people that come with bad ideas that are copycat types or not really an innovation – tell them openly without hesitation that their idea has no innovation. You are doing them a favour.  You don’t need a cult to be an eco-system  builder but you need to foster growth.
• Send anyone thinking of innovative ways to right places to look for information or examples. We have great research institutes and talent pool, guide them right. Don’t stop them as you do not understand what they are building but accept you do not understand that and send them to right people or ask for help where you can point them. 
• True innovators are amongst us; some were there at Innofest that happened recently in t-Hub. Encourage them. Support them to get into global markets and lead them to reach top of the world. 
• Finally foster and grow open thinking in your own kids; listen to their thoughts as we could get our next big thing from youngsters.