Zhang

N.R. Narayana Murthy (ಎನ್. ಆರ್. ನಾರಾಯಣಮೂರ್ತಿ) founded the Infosys about 20 ago with borrowed $250 from his wife. Now as long as you type the Infosys, you can find out what’s the market cap for this company. How can he turn a small company into a giant?

There are several reasons, but from a conversation with him, I learned that the role model is one of several important factors contributing his success. He admired two people in the world: one is Mohammad Ghandi, and the other is Lee Kuan Yew ( 李光耀). The common characteristics are the liberalization and economic reform carried by them to lead the two countries to the next level. They were the inspiring people to encourage Narayana to go as far as today.

From the conversation, he also mentioned that success is like going through the business cycle. The failure could strengthen your characters, making you stronger and leaner.

Also, social responsibility is also a concern to today’s world. He also mentioned that “goodwill to society is important. . . It also generate value to shareholders.”

These are some important issues interested me and I took some note on those.

Now it comes down to what I have learned form him, CEO, Chairman, engineer, etc.. A successful person can not be made in a day; the greatness stems from the hardwork, patience and resilient to failures.

To be continued…

I have just read an interesting article “2007 Harvard MBA Indicator Reiterates Long-Term ‘Sell’ Signal”, by Ray Soifer’95, HBS. at www dot soiferconsulting dot com

In the article, he corelate the Wall Street’s performance with the career choice by the HBS graduates. It is fun to read at least regardless of the accuracy of the prediction. He mentioned that

“If 10% or less of the year’s class take market-sensitive jobs (which I identify, using the Business
School’s current reporting categories, as investment banking, investment management,
hedge funds, sales & trading, venture capital, private equity or leveraged buy-outs), that’s
a long-term ‘Buy’ signal. If 30% or more do so, that’s a long-term ‘Sell’ signal.”

He also provided some data to prove his idea, such as “Historically, the Harvard MBA indicator has been more prolific as a source of ‘Sell’ Signals than ‘Buy’ signals. The last time it reached the 10% ‘Buy’ level was in the early 1980s, when the Dow traded below 1,000.”

Whether his theory true or not, we have to wait and see what will happen in the near future.

If there is a big buz word since the year 2007 , you have to dig a hole to find it out.

China is generate such an interest across disciplines. From academia to politicians, from Taiwan crisis to military spending, from Olympic to Human Rights, even the severe weather was published in the front page of some big-name newspapers. Here you will find something more fascinating. When you put “China” in a Google Search engine, it turned out more than one billion hit. ( “Results 1 – 10 of about 1,190,000,000 for china [definition]. (0.04 seconds) ” http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=china&btnG=Search, 2-8-08) While you put “Sex” in a Google Search engine, it turned out less than a billion. ( “Results 1 – 10 of about 943,000,000 for sex [definition]. (0.05 seconds”, http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=sex&btnG=Google+Search, 2-8-08)

What does this phenomena mean to the rest of the world? or simply mean for the Google robot? From this statistical analysis, we are focusing more on China than Sex. China is generating such a big buzz on its emerging power , especially its economic power. China’s GDP has time-and-time again shown the rest of the world its global impact which perhaps is leading this surge interest in China by the multidisciplinary. Wall Street is chasing the money in China, White House is debriefing the potential conflict with China, NGOs are doing more ground work in China, Human Rights Group are more critical of China, and higher educations are accepting more students from China . . . . It can go on and on and on. Now the issue is if the Chinese growth model is sustainable. Through the history, there is some balance between economic growth and the associated protection needed to be implemented, such as enforcement of law and protection of citizen’s rights. From grade school, we have learned that the triangular is the most stable, basic structure. For a stability of a nation, like China, it also need this magic triangle to protect from deterioration and destruction. Economic growth or economic policy is only one factor of this stable triangular. It also needs the enforcement of the law and the protection of citizen’s rights.

The Enforcement of law need means the nation needs to utilize the resources efficiently to enforce the law based upon the law without interference of outsiders. The Protection of citizen’s rights means the nation needs respect and protect the basic human rights, which has been in almost every nation’s constitutional law around the globe. The enforcement of the law and the protection of citizen’s rights are correlated, and with the economic growth it can keep the current stability. Otherwise, everything is going to change in a broad time frame. Look at the cyclic Stock Market, the global temperature, or even heart beat, everything is changing in a way which has to been a systematic way from the past. We can predict accurately, or at all, the future; however, we can at least learn some lessons from the past by analyzing the history. It is a double edged sword, it can cut both ways, but which way is the right way, we have to examine certain factors, such as . . . .

…To Be Continued…

Having fun is one of the most important traits among almost all successful people in the world.

“There are three advices I am going to give to you. First is fun, the second is fun, and the third is fun.”

By sking almost anay CEOs of the Fortune top 50 companies, they all said passion (not exact word … fun, interest, fascinating… ) is one of the factor that got them where they are now from where they were before.

So I need to find out what is fun and cool to do this year 2008.

To be continued…

Game, a.k.a. analytical analysis, Section is the easiest one for some people at least good at maths. Here is one of the sample in terms of how to utilize the space in the limited test booklet.

Now what, China — the China?

Everything is going unconventionally. In Old Age people were burned by saying the earth is round. However, today Thomas Friedman is popular by publishing the World Is Flat. In the old days China is known as a Forbidden City, but now the China has become an world economic center.

If you haven’t heard of the latest news, you might continue reading this article. Now PetroChina, just go through Initial Public Offering in the Shanghai Stock Exchange, becomes the largest oil and gas company in the world with twice as much the capital as Exxon Mobile (the number two by then). Now let us run some Number One’s.

PetroChina is the largest Oil and Gas company by capital in the world.

China Life Insurance is the largest Insurance Company by capital in the world.

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China is the largest Bank by capital in the world.

China Mobile has the largest subscriber in the world.

Well, what’s it all about? Why the newly listed public-traded Chinese companies are so attractive? Is it babble behind all those Number One’s? There are many theories behind it, mostly from the economic perspectives, such as emerging market, state-planning policy, and infantry of the stock market. However, there is a new cultural facet as well. Being the number one or break the record is the dream and the pride of all Chinese people. Three-Gorge Dam …Damn to be the largest. The National
Beijing Theater gonna be the largest. The stock market gonna be the largest. . . . Well it is good when we run the figures while listening to the buzz — the largest. It is good because it show the attraction to the foreign investment; it is good because it will drive local and global economic growth; it is good because it will bring welfare to local and global citizens. People will keep pouring more money into the Stock Market nowadays with pride and enjoyment.

At the moment, it is a great scene and hopefully it will be happy ever after. The Chinese economy is still young, the intact market is still large, and the growth is still prominent. Now what? What will be the next thing after those glamorous achievement, which can be marked on the tomb stone of current leaders, as Thomas Jefferson put only three of his greatest achievements as his epitaph.

What really need to do is to cement the babble and transform the babble into the solid material; in other words, it might not be babble only if the China does something about it. Perhaps it is a dream, perhaps it is crazy, and yet it makes sense if you know the PetroChina, ICBC, and etc., from unknown to the largest industrial leader in the world. All of it happened over night of the Initial Public Offering. Nothing else can’t it have done? There might be one, which has been neglected by almost all the people in the whole country, politics.

In order to consolidate the growth of this unthinkable achievement, which is a huge babble from everyone’s eyes, the China needs to bring more political legitimacy (no matter what flavor, western democracy or Chinese Rules with special characteristics, or blend) to its citizens; to enforce the election law to elect, not appoint, real representatives to their constituencies; and to give more power to the people, but rather the public servants. Only if the China provides more protections and benefits for the people, especially ordinary people, to secure the colossal progress of its economic power, which is also determined by economic principles (either Marx to Smith or Ricardo. . .) China is on the edge of the cliff. It is dangerous but curable. If the China can build a 3-Gorge Dam across the Yangzi River, it can also build a freeway to transform the cliff. It is called being safe after being in danger.

That is so what? And that is so, the China.

To be continued.

Google is ambitious to follow Apollo’s mission to put something into the Moon. . . However we have to know this time we are MOON 2.0.

“Why does Google love space? Well, for one thing, we just think it’s cool,” wrote Alan Eustace, senior vice president of engineering, on the official Google blog at googleblog dot blogspot dot com.

Chapter Eight

Change

The secret of the LSAT is that all the tactics are from the extensive practice. You have to practice and see all the previous test before you can take the test. In the real tests, when you do the reading section, you need to have a clear idea of its own questions types, when you do the Game section, you need to consider the drawing and its two types of questions. When you do the logic, you need to know its categories.

“There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must be besieged, positions which must not be contested, and commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.”

Therefore, the ones who know the changes will ace the LSAT, and the ones who knows nothing about the change will not succeed. The test takers who do not know the change but take all the strategy as “as-is” will not get the answers right.

Therefore, the wise test takers have to know all the strategies and know why some questions got right, as well as knowing why some answer is wrong. By knowing the reason why some is right will help you to build the confident. Knowing why some is wrong will help you to avoid selecting the wrong again.

In order to manage the question well, you need to practice and practice. Practice makes you to find the questions types faster, practice makes your thinking clearer, and practice makes your answers more accurate.

The secret of the LSAT is not only getting more practice, but also analyze each questions to know exactly whether it is right or wrong and why it is so.

There are 5 mistakes also in the Art of War:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.”

You have to think carefully to avoid making the same mistakes in the “war”, let alone the LSAT.

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DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING TRANSLATION IS FROM THE OPEN DOMAIN AND MAY CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT ERRORS. THE EDITING IS IN PROCESS AND PLEASE USE IT WITH CAUTION.MANEUVERING

VARIATION IN TACTICS

1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives
his commands from the sovereign, collects his army
and concentrates his forces

2. When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country
where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies.
Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions.
In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem.
In desperate position, you must fight.

3. There are roads which must not be followed,
armies which must be not attacked, towns which must
be besieged, positions which must not be contested,
commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

4. The general who thoroughly understands the advantages
that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle
his troops.

5. The general who does not understand these, may be well
acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he
will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account.

6. So, the student of war who is unversed in the art
of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted
with the Five Advantages, will fail to make the best use
of his men.

7. Hence in the wise leader’s plans, considerations of
advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.

8. If our expectation of advantage be tempered in
this way, we may succeed in accomplishing the essential
part of our schemes.

9. If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties
we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate
ourselves from misfortune.

10. Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage
on them; and make trouble for them, and keep them
constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements,
and make them rush to any given point.

11. The art of war teaches us to rely not on the
likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness
to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking,
but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

12. There are five dangerous faults which may affect
a general:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him
to worry and trouble.

13. These are the five besetting sins of a general,
ruinous to the conduct of war.

14. When an army is overthrown and its leader slain,
the cause will surely be found among these five
dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.