“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Write a newsletter every week: that was my new year resolution for 2024. When I wrote my first newsletter on Jan 6th, 2024, I didn’t know if I... Continue Reading →
How Elite Imitation Affects Public Policy
In a previous newsletter on marketing fallacies, I argued how we’re prone to the Apex Fallacy the most. It’s widespread because some companies do indeed beat the conventional wisdom and win big. We see it unfolding right in front of us. And, we risk being seen as too soft when we appear skeptical about its... Continue Reading →
The Market for Lemons
Why do people prefer buying used cars from a dealer rather than a private seller? Especially when people know they must pay a premium for dealer’s commission charges over and above the car’s selling price. This is the issue American economist George Akerlof addressed at length in his paper, “The Market for Lemons”. The paper... Continue Reading →
Four Common Fallacies in the Marketing World
Like any other line of work, the marketing function too is prone to logical and cognitive fallacies. While there may be many more, the following 4 fallacies occurred most often in my marketing years. Feel free to write in the comments about the fallacies you encountered the most at work. Let’s dive in straight. 1.... Continue Reading →
Build on Strengths, Not Weaknesses
Should you pursue your passion or go after what begets status and money? This is a question most of us grapple with at some point. However, the happy news is it’s not a binary. In fact, if you replace ‘passion’ with ‘competence’, the question poses a false dilemma. You’re more likely to achieve status and... Continue Reading →
Should You Chase Your Dream Job?
I ask if our yearning for a dream job is justified. *Relentless Repetition*: That’s how philosopher Henna Arendt describes modern work. This being the case, is following your passion the solution? Or should we pursue something else?
What I Learned from Peter Drucker
I write about Peter Drucker's ideas that influenced me the most. I begin with his idea that people learn either by reading or listening (and seldom both).
Stories We Tell Ourselves
The times were great in your youth, not because the times were great, but because you were young.
My co-authored Op-ed on Outlook
Pranay Kotasthane and I co-authored an open on why COMPASSION, not empathy, must guide Public Policy. Here's the link to the op-ed. ------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Jagdish Chandra Asthana Could Have Been a Good Policy Analyst A cliche you’ll hear often is that policymaking should be empathetic. And like many such pronouncements, it is a wrong one.... Continue Reading →
The Write Way to Heal
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou. That writing about your problems could have some merit may seem far-fetched in the era where LinkedIn too has joined the cringe-bandwagon. However, research indicates that there’s more to this than meets the eye. The crucial role of writing in... Continue Reading →
Musings by Madhav 