Smart Investment

Here's a small tip I thought will be useful for us.

Are you paying a premium every year and wondering how much you should expect after x years?

I have a javascript code snippet for you to play around with...


--js code starts--

var calculateCompoundInterest = function(principal, rate, timeInYears) {
  return principal * (Math.pow((1+rate/100),timeInYears))
}

var calculateRecurringCompoundInterest = function(principal, rate, timeInYears) {
  var finalAmount=0.0;
  for(var i=0; i    finalAmount+=calculateCompoundInterest(principal,rate,i+1)
  }
  return finalAmount
}

//fixed one time premium at 5% rate of interest for 11 years
console.log(calculateCompoundInterest(100000,5,11));
 
//recurring premium at 5% rate of interest for 11 years
console.log(calculateRecurringCompoundInterest(100000,5,11));

--js code ends--

Javascript and us

Programming languages are getting as sophisticated as us!

Javascript, for instance, has "callbacks" that let us call the operation back when the output is ready. According to Dr. Venkat Subramaniam, if you are waiting for a callback (like you wait for your girl to call you back), you will either be in a pending state (waiting in the stack of execution leaving way for all unimportant processing to take place) or an unprocessed state (till you end up with a white beard!). So, we typically set a timeout and proceed with our expected chain of responsibility.

Javascript also provides a very beautiful "Promise" object that can nicely wrap the callback paradigm. Promise let's you transition seamlessly between synchronous and asynchronous chains of execution. A promise clearly sets the expectation on whether you can

1. wait, 
2. throw an exception (error) OR
3. exit/proceed

Very much similar to real world promises.Only these promises are slightly better than the real world ones. At least, you can debug. 

Libraries like RxJS provide ways to listen on to a (emitted) stream of objects. This emitted stream is processed in various ways using map, filter and reduce. This will let us sanitize/cleanse, transform and aggregate UI data. This is more like extending the previous promise paradigm to a stream of objects. Can't wait to get hands dirty with some code!

Parting with some residual thoughts from Scott Davis on false dichotomies of perception. Not everything is binary, most real problems may not be "Rocks Vs Sucks". Strongly reminds me of my dear friend, who says "The real world is not digital, Naveen. It's analog!" True he is! 

Cool startups

Was at #sapstartupsocial on Apr 20 2017 and sat listening to and being inspired by mind-blowing ideas ready to unleash at full throttle given the resources and market opportunity.

Here's a small summary of what I got to witness at the pitches and sessions.
The ideas are not limited to these areas, of course.
This is just a satire ;-)

Nandan Nilekani's talk on what we need next and where we are headed really made me think about "Have data and do business" Vs "Do business and have data too". UIDAI APIs will change the game on identity data integration. These APIs can transform businesses and connect opportunities to individuals through authentication and trackability. 

GSTN is another major tax reformation/optimization that can cut through multiple verticals. No wonder GSTN attracted many questions and concerns.

Entrepreneurship

[I'm not a poet so read at your own risk ;) ]

Are you on?

For a journey that changes you
And that takes all of you

That questions everything you hold dear
And that becomes an unknown fear

A journey where everyday's new
A path which is chosen by few

A journey that reveals friends from foes
while crossing bridges full of woes

A journey that forces you to search deep (inside)
to prevent setbacks that seep (in)

A journey where you search for unknowns
till the dawn with frowns and groans

Where your obsession with funding
never guarantees right channels for spending

You learn what is worth
while you sail through dearth (of resources)

(Here's 3 cheers!)

For a journey that changes you
And that takes all of you

Age of AI and Women

[Disclaimer: I'm not an advocate of AI-ization. Neither am I a feminist - despite the fact that I'm posting this on International Women's Day - nor a male chauvinist. For the records, I'd like to call myself a chivalrous-technology-dude.]

I've come across a spectrum of women ranging from YOLO to most-patient-perseverant types. It surprises me how women manage to be so receptive and yet assertive while being so attractive. Congenial yet compelling. When I see them handle situations with a broad-mind, slightly unspecific, open for change with a readyness to change perspective, I see bias for less analysis. Hence a tendency of being more action-oriented. That takes me to the next point. This approach encourages more heart-oriented behaviour and (may be) hence highly encourages participation. This is a contrast and complement to a highly-focused, aggressive, competitive, heartless, goal-oriented-time-bound and unflinching - labelled as male-like - styles of approach.

AI on the other hand works with data. Unbiased (and ruthless) analysis mixed with history-based trend analysis marks AI. Add predictions to this analysis. And then more ability to learn from real-time data and auto-correcting your predictions. Isn't it how we all aspire to be when we do our investments or play a game? Look at the past and deal with present with a futuristic vision (over-simplified but you get the point?). I've also been hearing AI-ists talk and demo systems/bots which understand and respond to emotions. That's like a sci-fi flick coming live in our lives! Without being too optimistic or pessimistic about AI, I feel we should embrace our breakthroughs and focus them on space exploration, medicine, transportation, conservation of environment and many such areas. My (less) understanding limits my ability to imagine the possibilities AI can throw open!

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, it's high time you think about a lady and an AI bot as your co-founders!

Insta-gratify yourself?

Back in my blogger shoes in the new year!
With demonetization shaking the ground and great music souls RIP'ing, 2016 ended on a bittersweet note.

While stepping into 2017 with new perspective and expectations, as usual, started pondering over our motivations and fuel for every day.

Disclaimer: My introspective self is always ready with multi-dimensional questions (in CS/DS terms - don't bother if you don't know those abbrevations - like a n-ary tree which goes many levels deep).

What is your fuel?
Conversations with friends and family? Stuff you do passionately every day? Impact you are making in the lives of people around? Experience you acquire while doing all this...?

One thing that seems to ego-massage my inner-self everyday is marked in "red". Irony, isn't it?

Before you start hitting me with all your perverted guesses, let me tell you I meant notifications on my mobile!
I seem to love those red notification dots flashing on my mobile every now and then. Whatsapp, Viber, FB, Instagram, Quora, Smule, Meetups... everybody seems to be obsessed with red as if you are saying... "Hey... here's a life changing message you got from somebody (whose number I haven't saved - not intentionally, of course) saying 'Good Morning. Have a nice day!' " Ah, I love the feeling when I grab my phone and click on that button which keeps flashing. Even if I lock my phone, that red dot ("My precious" in Gollum's tone) has an assistant (another blinking light at the bottom of my mobile. What an innovation! As if I'm a sailor sailing the distant seas and I see a lighthouse of hope in the form of this lifeline - a bloody blinking blue light )

I'm definitely not complaining! If you think I'm, I better clarify. I love those notifications despite my arduous failed attempts to stay away from them.

I tried

1. Disabling internet at every possible instance
2. Downgrading my data plan
3. Downgrading my wifi plan
4. Uninstalling apps
5. Disabling push notifications
6. Disabling read receipts to curb the urge to see if the person I have sent the msg to checked it or not
7. Repeatedly requesting friends to call and meet me persistently
8. Asking for real help through all those channels 

But I still love those beautiful red dots! 

"Precious, these hobbitses won't let us check those dots! Tiny stinky hairy hobbitseeeees!" 

Money works in many ways

[ Inspired by demonetization initiative in India and also my reading of Economics of Banking. I got to tell you both have been very painful. ;) I want this post to be a sort of cliched one. Am not very good with words and meter. ]

Money works in many ways
 
We save a penny here and a penny there
Our vaults get heavy and our ego too
We lose time to even count your pennies
We drive fancy cars and have great views from the window
Wear the best and look the best
Roam the world with a backpack and stubble

What does money want?

It loves movement from hand to hand.
It cannot contain in a locked safe!
It longs for value.
If you don't give it what it deserves, it goes sad and black!

What is money?
Moulded metal or printed note?
It pervades everywhere. 
It drives people insane.

Money works in many ways.

Money's made of the hope that we LIVE the next day.
However we want to.
Nothing more and nothing less.