We were taking our children to a resort. The children loved swimming, and I figured it was a good time to have them appreciate what we were doing for them. So I tried to needle some nice feedback.

“Are you happy?” I asked my eldest kid, who was then 11.

“Yes, ” he answered.

“Why?” I asked, expecting him to say he was happy because we brought them to the place.

He thought sometime about it, and asked back, “Dad, why? Do I need a reason?” Read the rest of this entry »

This is part of a speech I give to budding entrepreneurs and students on how I get started to be an entrepreneur.

” …. Unlike other entrepreneurs who quit their jobs to start their own business, I grew up with the thought inculcated to me daily that my father would turn over his business to me, eventually. Our family was of Chinese lineage, and the Chinese were of the belief that the way to prosperity was to own your business, however small. In fact, there is a Chinese proverb that says “it is better to be the head of a chicken than to be the tail of a bull, ” and we absolutely believe and practiced it. While other friends dreamed of becoming lawyers and doctors, most of what I dreamed was what business I would Read the rest of this entry »

A school in Shanghai ( as reported by Time Magazine) is holding an EMBA class. The students go through weekly classes for 2 years learning everything from trade to public speaking. The course is popular, and have seen through over 1,500 participants. But the e in EMBA does not mean Executive. It stands for early, and the oldest student in the class is age 6, with some as young as 3…

One of the things I always envied is the ability to have a smart repartee - an intelligent answer that not only tweaks the humor but also is able to prove your point without being pushy. Here are some jokes I particularly enjoy.

A young man was interviewed for a job.

” Do you think you would make a good bookeeper?” asked the boss.

” Yes sir, I ‘ve sometimes kept some library books for years and years.”

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Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most persistent problems in business is miscommunication. It is astonishing how sometimes everyday English words can be twisted, and misunderstood. Here are some laughs on ‘alternate’ understanding of the language.

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Snake Charmer: Pls. be careful with that trunk. It contains a 10 foot snake.

Porter: You can’t kid me — snakes don’t have any feet.

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Angry Customer: These safety matches you sold me won’t strike.

Shopkeeper: Well, you can’t get matches much safer than that… Read the rest of this entry »

I founded several companies on technology because I loved technology. I thought it would be great that I would have the freedom to pursue the directions that I loved.

What I have found out has been different. Not that I am unhappy about it, but if you could describe the routines I have in the office now, it is pretty much putting out Read the rest of this entry »

A great business slogan encapsulates the mission and vision of the company and guides the stakeholders on making business decisions. One of the better ones I recently saw was Indian software company Infosys, whose slogan, ” Powered by Intellect. Driven by Values” I feel in 6 words captured greatly what are the strong points and goals of the company.

In my writings, you will read a lot of what I talk about the principles of life and business, but at the heart of it, what will bring you success, or happiness ( if you define success as such) is still our ability to love. In fact, Benjamin Disraeli said it right when he said that, “We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end.

I have been very blessed , not necessarily because of material success, but I marry the woman I love ( but that also after the initial fire and romance, there is enduring love and trust that continue in our marriage) , and have a family that enjoys Read the rest of this entry »

I try to spend a lot of time with my kids, and in as much as possible, try to play together with them. One of the things we frequently play and enjoy are some educational games and puzzles that tests logic, and many word games. I will write more about these in the future as I am convinced that many of these games positively develop certain mental and logical aspects of the growing kid. Of course, as a parent, I would stress that playing together with your kids often also develop stronger bonds with them, and allows them to trust you with their issues as they are growing up, so that they would look at you not only as a parent, but also as their mentor and friend.

One of the success criteria I would gauge myself is how much my children Read the rest of this entry »

On the course of everyday life, we get to meet many people. Some we like. Some we don’t. Some we immediately feel a sense of affability, some at the start, we immediately feel that they are odious or obnoxious.

There are a lot of reasons why we dislike people — maybe they are discourteous, maybe we don’t like the way they dress or look, maybe they rub us the wrong way, or maybe we are just having a bad day. There is not much you can do if people dislike you because they don’t like your face, but there is something you certainly can do if people start to avoid Read the rest of this entry »