Showing posts with label Wealth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wealth. Show all posts

𝟕 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 "𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫" 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐓. 𝐊𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐢 (Book)

𝟕 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 "𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫" 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐓. 𝐊𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐢

1. The power of compound interest: Compound interest is the magical force that allows the rich to get richer. It's the idea that when you earn interest on your money, you also earn interest on the interest you've already earned. This means that your money has the potential to grow exponentially over time.

2. The rich invest in assets: The rich don't just hoard their money; they invest it in assets that appreciate in value. This could include stocks, bonds, real estate, or other investments. By investing their money wisely, the rich can grow their wealth much faster than if they simply kept it in a bank account.

3. The rich live below their means: Contrary to popular belief, the rich aren't constantly spending money on luxury items. In fact, many of the richest people in the world live relatively modest lifestyles. They spend less than they earn and invest the rest, which allows their wealth to compound over time.

4. The rich take advantage of tax breaks: The rich have access to tax breaks and loopholes that the average person doesn't. They can use these advantages to reduce their tax liability and keep more of their money.

5. The rich have multiple streams of income: The rich don't rely on a single source of income. They often have multiple streams, such as a job, investments, or a business. This diversification can provide them with a safety net and help them weather financial storms.

6. The rich are risk-takers: The rich are not afraid to take risks. They understand that risk is often associated with great rewards. They're willing to put their money into new ventures, invest in emerging markets, and even start their own businesses.

7. The rich never give up: The rich are never satisfied with their current level of success. They're constantly striving to improve and grow their wealth. They're also very persistent and resilient, never giving up on their goals even in the face of setbacks.

I hope you find these lessons helpful.


Way Of The Wolf - By Jordan Belfort (Book)


Way Of The Wolf is a book authored by Jordan Belfort. Born in Queens, New York, Jordan Belfort was always inclined to business. When he went bankrupt at the age of 24, he had $100 with him. He used it to set up America’s largest brokerages, Stratton Oakmont.

In the book, the author presents tried-and-tested techniques and sales strategies that have worked well in real-life. You can learn how to overcome a setback, learn the art of persuasion and amass wealth. The author shares the system he used for himself in a step-by-step manner.  This book is for anyone who wants to learn the art of persuasion regardless of their age, educational background, or skill set. It can help you become an expert salesperson, negotiator, entrepreneur, or speaker. After reading this book, you will get to know things that you had never thought about before.

Way Of The Wolf by Jordan Belfort is a great book if you are in any type of sales job! And as the book says, even if you are not in “sales”, you are still always trying to sell something: an idea, your CV, your life, etc.

Jordan breaks down his state of art, Straight Line sales system and shows you how to get a client from the opening to the close down the straight line. Every day we are trying to convince and persuade people and this book will immensely help you to do this. The book gives access to exclusive step-by-step system-the same system Jordan used to create massive wealth for himself, his clients, and his sales teams. The book explains the power of persuasion to a whole new generation of readers, revealing how anyone can bounce back from devastating setbacks, master the art of persuasion, and build wealth. Every technique, every strategy, and every tip has been tested and proven to work in real-life situations. Written in his own inimitable voice, this book cracks the code on how to persuade anyone to do anything, and coaches readers, regardless of age, education, or skill level, to be a master sales person, negotiator, closer, entrepreneur, or speaker.

Summary of the Book in One Sentence : With the right persuasion techniques, it is possible to generate wealth. The result can cause an upheaval in Wall Street!

The Pillow Method


Joseph works as an accountant with a multinational company. He is always working overtime and hardly gets any personal time. But the job is important for him. He suffers silently. Deep within, he aspires  for work-life balance. He tried switching jobs. But every time he found himself in the same situation i.e. working for long hours on all days. Then Joseph tried "The Pillow Method".  Everyday, he would use this simple yet powerful method to achieve his goal of striking the right work-life balance. Within 3 months, he achieved it. Now, you might wonder, what did Joseph do ? What is this Pillow Method ?

If you see scientifically, Joseph had always believed that he will have to work overtime at his job. He also added a reason that this was due to the nature of his job. He had actually programmed his subconscious mind himself into this belief. Nobody had forced him to believe like this. It was his own thought pattern which was deep rooted in his subconscious that made him act accordingly. No wonder, he always found himself into jobs that required extra hours of work everyday.

Joseph used the Pillow Method and simply unprogrammed his mind from this erroneous thought. The Pillow Method is simply writing your right thought that you wish to plant within you, on a piece of paper and keeping it beneath your pillow when you go to sleep. Joseph would take a paper and write on it "I believe in the work-life balance and I have achieved it. My job is rewarding and fulfilling professionally and personally. " He would ponder on it with strong belief and then simply put it below his pillow and go to sleep. In morning he would wake up and read the paper and reaffirm his thought. That's it ! He did this everyday for 3 months and soon he found that his mind had changed in a way that he could delegate work to his peers, define scope of work mutually agreed by him and his boss and also hire junior accountant under him to assist him. This way, he was able to establish the right work-life balance and got to live the life he wanted to.

You can also follow the Pillow Method to manifest your goals. Before going to sleep everyday, simply write your desire in a positive way on a piece of paper. Dwell on it for some moments and then put it beneath your pillow and go to sleep. Immediately after walking up in morning, read the paper again and ponder on it. Do this EVERYDAY and you will eventually see the results. There is NO MAGIC in this process. It is just that you are able to change your subconscious conditioning by this method. You can choose to manifest many things such as a big house you wanted to own, or mending relations with your loved ones, creating wealth, or just wanting to be happy !

Remember that you use positive and affirmative words in a clear way on what you wish to manifest. Don't write vague and confused thoughts. Write exactly and precisely what you want in few words. That's all.

This simple, powerful method can bring unbelievable changes in your life. Try it for yourself and see the results !

The Founder (Movie 2016)


It is very likely that you must have enjoyed a burger or a meal from McDonald's at least once or may be several times in your life time. You might even have your favorite type of McDonalds's burger or ice-cream that you look forward to enjoy only at McDonald's. You will get exactly the same type of burger in McDonald's even if you are in a foreign country. McDonald's Corporation is an American fast food company, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in California, USA. McDonald's is the world's largest restaurant chain by revenue, in over 100 countries across 37,855 outlets. McDonald's is the world's second-largest private employer with 1.7 million employees [figures as per year 2018].


To know how a simple concept of selling burger became such a huge success, please watch the movie " The Founder" released in 2016. The film portrays the story of creation of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain.  It is a very enjoyable movie and takes you through the success journey of McDonald's. In 1954, Ray Kroc is a traveling salesman selling Prince Castle brand milkshake mixers. What he finds is McDonald's—a highly popular walk-up restaurant with fast service, high-quality food, disposable packaging and a family-friendly atmosphere. Ray meets with the two McDonald brothers, Maurice and Richard. Ray begins building a McDonald's restaurant in Illinois. This proves successful, and new franchises begin opening across the Midwest, with Ray representing himself as the creator of McDonald's. Despite his success, Ray begins to encounter financial difficulties as his share of franchise profits is limited due to his contract, a share that the McDonald brothers decline to renegotiate. Ray incorporates a new company, Franchise Realty Corporation, and attracts new investors. Ray renames his company to the McDonald's Corporation and demands to be released from his contract and buy the McDonald brothers out. The brothers agree to a $2.7 million lump sum payment, ownership of their original restaurant in San Bernardino. The film closes in 1970 with Ray preparing a speech where he praises himself for his success in his elaborate mansion with his new wife, Joan. An epilogue reveals that the McDonald brothers were never paid their royalties, which could have been in the area of $100 million a year.

The movie teaches us many valuable lessons on business, relationships, personal and professional life. While Ray makes a grand fortune, he divorces his wife Ethel who stood by him in his hard times. Though you want to praise Ray for his success in business, you feel equally disappointed with his marital life and the divorce that follows. The McDonald brothers are progressive in their views. Yet they are not fast enough to move with the changing times. They fail to see the valuable contribution of Ray in their business. This costs them their business itself. Also the failing health of one of the McDonald brothers due to diabetes teaches us that health is finally the biggest wealth. Nevertheless, the movie motivates us strongly in achieving success in business and inspires us to be persistent in our efforts.

The movie is available on Netflix and it is strongly recommended to watch it with your family and business partners.

Click here to join WhatsApp Group of Jupiter Knowledge

 

Who Moved My Cheese (Book)


Who Moved My Cheese?  is a world famous book by Spencer Johnson that was published in 1998. It has sold more than 26 million copies worldwide in 37 languages and remains one of the best-selling business books. 

The book is a simple parable that reveals profound truths. It follows the physical and emotional journeys of four characters – Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw – as they search, find, lose and must rediscover their favourite food, cheese, in a large, twisting maze.

In the book, the cheese is a metaphor for what you want in life – a good job, a loving relationship, money, possessions, health or spiritual peace of mind. The maze is where you look for it – the organisation you work for, the family or community you live in. The problem is that no source of cheese lasts forever. Life changes, whether we like it or not.

Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw’s stories explore the various ways we all respond to this change. And though it’s disarmingly simple, Who Moved My Cheese? captures and explores powerful and resonant truths that could have been written just for you.

Its ultimate conclusion? Change is inevitable. Anticipate it, adapt to it, learn to embrace and enjoy it. Do so and you won’t just suffer less stress and unhappiness, you’ll enjoy more success and fulfilment in every part of your life and your work.

The six lessons in the book can be summarised as 

  1. Change Happens -"The Cheese keeps on moving"Online business has replaced many traditional business models. The change is inevitable.

  2. Anticipate Change "Get ready for the cheese to move". If you are running a grocery shop, accept the fact that online shopping is the future way to buy goods.

  3. Monitor Change "Smell the cheese often so you know when it’s getting old". Keep your eyes and ears open to see how the online business is affecting your store.

  4. Adapt To Change Quickly "The quicker you let go of old cheese the sooner you can enjoy new cheese". Switch to the new system of selling online and don't rely of your grocery store alone for physical sale.

  5. Change "Move with the cheese."  Adapt to the change  to boost the sales with the new payment system. Through brainstorming and creative thinking, come up with several techniques that would encourage more buyers to purchase from you.

  6. Enjoy Change "Enjoy the taste of new cheese." Be happy that your work paid off. Your success doesn't end here. Create more opportunities and situations  to boost your business.

Buy your own copy and always read it at least once  a month.


The Pursuit ( 2019 Documentary on Netflix )


Capitalism or Socialism ? Democratic Socialism ? Which is the best way for the world ? No economist or social scientist has been able to analyse this. Russia was a super power with its Communist government calling the shots for all things concerned with life for Russians. In Russia, people used to say "You can't dream in Russia". On the other hand, US was strictly a capitalist economy. The great American Dream enriched the life of millions of Americans. However, today an average American lives with a sense of financial insecurity. The rich and wealthy in US have become richer and wealthier while a common man in US struggles to maintain his family expenses in spite of working 12 hours a day. Meanwhile European nations are facing challenges related to rising number of immigrants and radicalism along with financial instability. 

Capitalism thrives on private ownership and maximum profitability while Communism emphasizes the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. On the other hand Democratic Socialism  advocates that production are socially and collectively owned or controlled, alongside a democratic political system of government. (Denmark has more or less Democratic Socialism.)

In spite of major scientific advancements and technology and massive industrialization, millions of people in world are still struggling with poverty and hunger. What has failed or what has really worked ? What is the current situation of the world ? What will happen to world in future ? What is the best way of governing a nation ?

All this has been wonderfully analysed in the documentary "The Pursuit" released in 2019 on Netflix. Essentially, in this documentary, the famous social scientist Arthur Brooks, takes us through different countries and meets various people from different economic sections. With some great inputs from them and adding his own analysis, Arthur Brooks helps to see a world which is gradually unfolding to a being of optimism and evolution.  Arthur Brooks (born May 21, 1964) is an American social scientist, musician, and contributing opinion writer for The Washington Post. As of July 2019, he joined the faculty of the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. Brooks has researched the junctions between culture, economics, and politics.

The documentary begins with Brooks' visit in Dharavi, a slum colony in Mumbai, India. Although Dharavi is shown as a symbol of poverty and misery to the world, in reality, it is a commercial thriving place always buzz with activity. Every inch of space in Dharavi is utilized profitably by small units and individuals to produce commodities that have takers in foreign markets too ! Brooks describes how in last 5 decades around 2 billion of world population have come out of poverty. Simultaneously, US is seeing disturbance within, especially among below 30 age group population, who believes that America's Capitalist system has failed to take care of American people and it should take to Democratic Socialism. Brooks takes us to Denmark where everything seems to be perfect. Ironically Brooks' own ancestors had migrated centuries ago from Denmark to US for a better life. Denmark faces the problem of rising number of immigrants who refuse to integrate with Denmark's culture and rather impose their own way of life on the very country that gave them refuge. Brooks also visits India and meets the Holy Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, India who tells him what are the 4 things required for anyone to be happy. 

The documentary leaves the viewer with ample food for thought. It makes sense to people belonging to all nations and generations. It was released recently in 2019 on Netflix. Do watch it and try to see what it has to say to you !

The Wonderful XIRR Excel Function


Suppose you are making investment in gold.  In January, you bought gold worth $200. In March, you had some extra money. So you bought more gold for $300. In August you bought gold worth $ 50. In December, you need money and you want to sell the gold. You check the market rate of gold in December. The gold you own is worth $700. So total cost of gold is $550 and current price of gold in December is $700.  That means you will earn a profit of $150 if you sell your gold. Your profit percentage is 27%.  But do you understand how much was the return on investment per annum ?

You have to take into account the different time periods and the different amounts that you invested. There is a very simple way of addressing this problem. Just use the XIRR Function of Excel sheet in your laptop. 

The XIRR function is categorized under Excel financial functions. It calculates the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for a series of cash flows that may not be periodic. It does this by assigning specific dates to each individual cash flow. The main benefit of using the XIRR Excel function is that such unevenly timed cash flows can be accurately modeled. In financial modeling, the XIRR function is useful in determining the value of an investment or understanding the feasibility of a project that does not have regularly periodic cash flows. It helps us understand the rate of return earned on an investment. Hence, it is commonly used in evaluating and choosing between two or more investments.

How to use XIRR function:

Let us take the above example: (Note:The percentage calculations have been rounded off)

  1. On 14-January-2018, you bought gold worth $200.

  2. On  3-March-2018, you bought gold worth $300.

  3. On 30-August-2018, you bought gold worth $50.

  4. On 23-December-2018, you sold all the above gold for $700. So you have made profit of $700-$550 = $150.  Profit percent is (150/550) * 100 = 27%.

  5. But how much was your actual return on investment per annum ? Open your Excel Sheet and put values as below and use XIRR Function. You have got 34% returns per annum on the investment you made !
Date    Amount
14-Jan-18200
03-Mar-18300
30-Aug-1850
23-Dec-18-700
XIRR34%

So you saw,  if you are investing over a long period of time by putting different amounts at different dates, you cannot come to conclusion on your profitability by simple profit percentage calculation. You must use XIRR to calculate annual rate of return. This will give you a precise understanding on how well you invested your money.



Career as an Actuary


An Actuary is one of the most sought after and highly paid professional in corporate world. Let us understand who is an Actuary and what does he do ?

An actuary is a business professional who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. The actuary analyses risks that can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require asset management, liability management, and valuation skills . Actuaries provide assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms. Actuaries are professionals trained in this discipline. In many countries, actuaries must demonstrate their competence by passing a series of rigorous professional examinations.

Actuary basically belongs to the field of Actuarial Science. Actuarial science is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in insurance, finance and other industries and professions. Actuarial science includes a number of interrelated subjects, including mathematics, probability theory, statistics, finance, economics, and computer science. 

An actuary has analytical skills, business knowledge, and an understanding of human behavior and information systems to design and manage programs that control risk. A credible actuary qualification comprises a rigorous schooling or examination structure and takes many years to complete. Actuaries use skills primarily in mathematics, particularly calculus-based probability and mathematical statistics, but also economics, computer science, finance, and business. Actuaries therefore are employed in insurance and reinsurance industries as
  • Staff employees

  • Consultants

  • Advisors for sponsors of pension plans

  • Employees of government agencies such as

    • Government Actuary's Department in the United Kingdom

    • Social Security Administration in the United States of America
Actuaries assemble and analyze data to estimate the probability and likely cost of the occurrence of an event such as death, sickness, injury, disability, or loss of property. Actuaries also address financial questions, including those involving the level of pension contributions required to produce a certain retirement income and the way in which a company should invest resources to maximize its return on investments in light of potential risk. Using their broad knowledge, actuaries help design and price insurance policies, pension plans, and other financial strategies in a manner that will help ensure that the plans are maintained on a sound financial basis.

Most traditional actuarial disciplines fall into two main categories: life and non-life.
  • Life actuaries include health and pension actuaries and deal with

    • Mortality risk

    • Morbidity risk

    • Investment risk.

    • Life insurance

    • Annuities

    • Pensions

    • Short and long term disability insurance

    • Health insurance

    • Health savings accounts

    • Long-term care insurance

  • Non-life actuaries include property/casualty/general insurance and deal with

    • Physical and legal risks that affect people or their property

    • Auto insurance

    • Homeowners insurance

    • Commercial property insurance

    • Workers' compensation

    • Malpractice insurance

    • Product liability insurance

    • Marine insurance

    • Terrorism insurance
Actuaries are also called upon for their expertise in enterprise risk management, dynamic financial analysis, stress testing, the formulation of corporate risk policy, and the setting up and running of corporate risk departments. Actuaries are also involved in other areas of the financial services industry, such as analysing securities offerings or market research.

There are relatively few actuaries in the world compared to other professions and they are high in demand.  As of 2016, in the United States, newly credentialed actuaries on average earn around $100,000 per year, while more experienced actuaries can earn over $150,000 per year . As of 2014,  in the United Kingdom a starting salary for a newly credentialed actuary is about £50,000; actuaries with more experience can earn well in excess of £100,000.

The actuarial profession has been consistently ranked for decades as one of the most desirable. Actuaries work comparatively reasonable hours, in comfortable conditions, without the need for physical exertion that may lead to injury, are well paid, and the profession consistently has a good hiring outlook. It is considered one of the best professions for women  and one of the best recession-proof professions.

Source of info: Wikipedia




Companies can’t improve Customer Experience Until…...


Raghunathan K
, (M.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai), is a seasoned professional with over 35 years of experience mainly in IT industry intervened by short stints of teaching. He shares many insights on business, human life, world, society, Nature on his blog https://tskraghu.wordpress.com .

Here is one of his wonderful articles on improvement of customer experience for companies.

**********

“Customer experiences are being harmed because business efforts to improve employee engagement are fundamentally flawed” – Neil Davey (Managing editor, MyCustomer.com)

“As a result, there has been increasing attention paid to the employee experience in recent years, with growing focus on areas such as wellness, diversity, inclusion, mental health, capability development and training.

Yet despite the proliferation of these projects, estimates by Temkin Group suggest that the number of engaged employees still remains disturbingly low – with its research indicating that only 33% of staff are highly engaged, and that number dropping to as low as 26% for those aged 18-24. This last statistic is of particular concern because this demographic is amongst the most likely to be serving customers, whether in contact centers or in other customer-facing roles.”..........Click link for complete article Companies can’t improve Customer Experience Until…...

Click here to join WhatsApp Group of Jupiter Knowledge

What are Switchwords ?


The human being is the best product of Mother Nature. He is the most Divine amongst all species of the world. Human beings are gifted with the power of speech. Whenever you speak, you use some words. Words convey meaning and therefore they are a powerful way to produce desired effect on anyone's thoughts and emotions. For example if you start using bad words against someone, he will surely take offence and get angry. On the other hand, kind and loving words will soothe people's mind and mood. Such is the power of words. There are many ways to channelize the power of words for various purposes. One of the ways is using Switchwords. Switchwords  was popularized by James T. Mangan (1896–1970). He was a famous eccentric, public relations man and best-selling author on self-help topics.

You can use Switchwords for healing yourself, attracting money and fortune, improving relationships, get recognition and fame, achieve success, to build up self confidence.

Switchwords are like affirmations or Mantras (Click link: Mantra Chanting). But they are NOT mantras. Switchwords basically help you to shift your attention or consciousness or energy from one dimension to the other dimension. You can use any word for Switchwords. If you are depressed, you can choose your Switchword as "Happiness".   Suppose you want to become rich. You can coin your own Switchwords as "Prosperous". Just repeat this word mentally or verbally or by writing it. Keep on lovingly telling yourself your chosen Switchword. The loving reminder will eventually come true and you will indeed become rich, prosperous and joyful. Yes, it is that simple to use Switchwords. But at the same time, remember you have to be patient, joyous and have FULL FAITH in your chosen Switchwords. It is just not words, but also person, places and memories can help you change your consciousness. Remember yourself as a small child and recollect your memories as a child when you would play with all your friends full of purity, innocence and joy. Whenever you feel low, think and strongly recollect those joyful moments. It will immediately shift your consciousness from sadness to happiness.  You can also use a picture, movie or a song that helps you change your consciousness. An event or a past feeling which can switch your energy is a Switch Feeling or a Switch Event for you. A movie or a song which can change your energy is a Switch Movie or a Switch Song as well. Switchwords are your own design. So creating your own Switchwords will be the best design that you create for yourself. 

Switchword phrases are the phrases made out of combinations of few effective Switchwords without using and following any grammatical rules. Switchword phrases have energies of combination Switchwords to attain desired results. Many Switchwords can be clubbed together to create a Switchword phrase in order to acquire the power of many Switchwords into one phrase for quick results. Creating a shorter possible Switchword phrase helps to attain success soon.  Example of a Switchword Phrase is "I am rich".

It is strongly suggested to use one-word Switch words than long phrases.  Ideally always create Switchwords with one word to get what you want. A Switchword phrase of 2 or 3  words at the most can be used. Too many words create more confusion . It is better to be precise with your intent. Simple is better. Now that you know so much about Switchwords, don't waste your time and immediately coin your own Switchword. Best of Luck !

What is Game Theory ?


Economics is much like a game, wherein players anticipate each other’s moves. This premise gave birth to a new kind of mathematics, which is called Game Theory.

Game Theory is a branch of applied mathematics. It enables you to analyze situations in which parties, called players, make decisions that are interdependent. For example, you are running a company and you need to reduce your staff strength as there is loss in business. It is not a simple decision. You have to take into account various factors such as company's reputation, motivation level of employees, social media, Board of Directors of company, financials of the company. This is a tough decision emotionally. But it has to be taken. Game Theory can help you interconnect the perspectives of all stakeholders ( players as per Game Theory) and arrive to the best, feasible decision. Each player considers the other player’s possible decisions, or strategies, in formulating his own strategy. A solution to a game describes the optimal decisions of the players, who may have similar, opposed, or mixed interests, and the outcomes that may result from these decisions.

 Examples of application of Game Theory
  • To understand which political parties will support each other

  • To know possibilities of merger and acquisitions of businesses

  • To decide the best possible price to sell for a product or commodity in a business

  • To estimate the voting power of voters and its impact

  • To strategize on where to locate a manufacturing plant

  • To study behaviour of certain animals and plants 

  • In a labour-management dispute the two parties certainly have some conflicting interests, but both will benefit if a strike is averted. Game Theory helps this kind of agreement.
Game Theory addresses an enormous range of decision making possibilities. There can be several types of game theories. A game can be designated as being a one-person, two-person, or n-person depending upon number of players. A player need not be a person. It can be a nation, a corporation, or a team comprising many people with shared interests.

Game Theory can be classified into various types depending on factors. Examples are given below.
  1. In chess, the player knows the opponent's board layout at all times. ( Perfect Information Game)

  2. In Poker game, the player doesn't know his opponent's cards. ( Constant Sum Game)

  3. A seller and a buyer agree on a price and sign a contract.  (Cooperative game )

  4. A seller and buyer keep on disputing the price (Non cooperative Game)

  5. Companies bidding for a contract through tender process ( Non Cooperative Game)
There is a huge requirement of Game Theory experts in corporates and organizations. It is a lucrative and fulfilling career to pursue. Aspiring candidates should be good in English, Economics, Mathematics, Computers and Sociology. This is mandatory to become a successful Game Theory expert. Doing a doctorate from a prestigious university in Game Theory will ensure a highly paid and prestigious job in big organizations. Game Theory is a prized domain and it will continue to grow and evolve with time.

Beware of Robotexts and Spam Messages


A Robotext is the act of making autodialed calls/texts to cell phones. This includes text messages from text messaging apps and Internet-to-phone text messaging. If you receive such calls or texts on your mobile phone,  then please exercise caution. Do not ever respond to them. These calls or texts will ask you to send some details in response which could be your confidential data. This personal data of yours will be used by them to hack into your bank and credit card accounts to make purchases and defraud you. Though there are various laws existing to curb Robotext companies, they are too powerless to check your vulnerable reaction to the Robotext.  So it is your responsibility to be alert and prevent any kind of fraud with you. Same applies to spam messages in your email folder. These emails will seek response to unsubscribe if you are not interested. When you press "unsubscribe" link, it will only make them understand you are an active user. They will send you more such messages through different email. There are many ways to counter the nuisance of Robotext and Spam mails. In an Android based mobile phone, you can simply block that number. The caller from that number will never be able to connect with you. You should also report these spammers to your network provider.  There are various mobile apps such as Nomorobo, Robokiller to check Robotext.  These apps can analyse and identify if the text message is genuine or not. Also avoid downloading unnecessary apps on your mobile. They may be secretly sending your entire data on mobile such as SMS, pictures, stored files, passwords, your internet activity to the fraudsters. These fraudsters can play havoc with your privacy and easily make monetary transfers through your bank accounts. Moreover, your private pictures can be used by them to their advantage. Often you may get lured by Robotext and Spam Emails to submit some data to claim free coupons or discounts on purchases of clothes, food etc. DO NOT ever respond to them and never submit any kind of data, no matter how attractive their offer is. Also they may promise you some commission if you help them in some rescue situation or victimisation problem. These are always baits to exploit your emotions so that they can steal your data and defraud you later. No helpless person will send emails and texts to strangers like this in clear, crisp language. So exercise your common sense and do not fall in the trap. Same applies for dating sites, facebook requests. Attractive appearance of the friend requesting person combined with sweet language is an alluring trap for people seeking companionship. Thoroughly check and proceed. The unknown stranger making sweet talks with you on facebook could be just interested in your money. He/she will seek some money transfer after building up some rapport with you. Immediately stop and block the user. Most importantly, never share any confidential information with such people. The world of mobile and internet is huge and intimidating at times. Always remember, your common sense and alertness will help you overcome the above challenges effectively.


Click here to join WhatsApp Group of Jupiter Knowledge

The Pomodoro Technique


The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method  given by Francesco Cirillo. It is a proven and popular time management life hack. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro (Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato). After about four pomodoros, you take a longer break of about 15 to 20 minutes.

There are six steps in the original technique:

  1. Decide on the task to be done.

  2. Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).

  3. Work on the task

  4. End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.

  5. If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2.

  6. After four pomodoros, take a longer break ( approximately 15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.

The idea behind the technique is that the timer instills a sense of urgency. Rather than feeling like you have endless time in the workday to get things done and then ultimately squandering those precious work hours on distractions, you know you only have 25 minutes to make as much progress on a task as possible.

Additionally, the forced breaks help to cure that frazzled, burnt-out feeling most of us experience toward the end of the day. It’s impossible to spend hours in front of your computer without even realizing it, as that ticking timer reminds you to get up and take a breather.

The result is greatly improved productivity during focused work sessions, that can be maintained through effectively managing distractions and taking regular breaks.

The technique has been widely popularized by dozens of apps and websites providing timers and instructions.

Article condensed from Wiki Link


Invest in Art and Paintings


You must have certainly heard about the famous painting "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci. Also time and again , you read or hear in media about Picasso, M.F Hussain, Van Gogh and many such famous painters. Well, most of you just hear and don't dwell much on them as you think art and paintings are meant for the museums, art collectors and wealthy people. Collecting fine art is as much about beauty and desirability as it is about investment value. In a strong economy, paintings by legendary artists command a handsome value in the market. A painting by Picasso is viewed as highly prized asset by high net worth individuals. Get into the business of investing in art ONLY if you are passionate about art. Only a person with taste for art can understand its value. Hence it is quite obvious that only true art lovers can become successful investors in art. You may be surprised to know that not only original paintings but also their legal copies fetch a good price in the market. An original painting will have a very high market price.  A print of the original is still considered a work of art and can have a good value. If the print carries original autograph of the artist then it will fetch a higher value than the non autographed one. Gicleé is a type of print which has high resolution which artists call it as “museum quality”. Posters are copies of original works without a limited run of printing. These are great for art collectors on a budget, but are not worth much as far as investment value goes. One must thoroughly research before investing in art. Various parameters such as artist, the artwork, the dealer have to be scrutinised deeply and understood well before making any decision.  There are various sources of buying art such as art galleries, auctions,  art fairs, online. While you may have done enough homework and research before buying art, there is no guarantee that your artwork will prove a lucrative asset for you. Moreover, selling art in market could be quite challenging as it is not a liquid asset like gold. Only limited art buyers will be interested in purchasing the same. Handling and storage of art has to be done with utmost care as even a slight damage to the art work can drastically reduce its value. When you purchase art, you need to choose with a collector’s eye, but an investor’s mind. Your collection should be a reflection of your tastes and a part of your everyday life. Ignore trends and trust your best instincts. Make sure it’s something you love, because you may be looking at it for a very long time!

Tips for Financial Planning


In today's times, it is important for each and everyone to plan their finances and investments for living a happy life. Most people are too  busy to spend time on planning their finances and often are short of money even though they work hard and save money.  They make the following mistakes:


  1. Not Tracking Expenses: Do you always wonder "Where did my salary go ? ". If you are asking this, then you are surely not tracking your expenses. Maintain a diary and record each and every expense you make. This itself will make you conscious of your mistakes and help you spend wisely.

  2. Spending First, Investing Later !: If you always complain that you have no money left for saving, then follow the simple rule "Invest first, Spend Later". You will be forced to manage your expenses due to this. Try investing in SIP (Systematic Investment Plan)

  3. Planning Taxes in the Last Moment: Always plan your taxes at the start of the year. Never leave tax planning at the end of year as this will cause you to cut corners and won't give you ideal tax planning. Invest in insurance and other schemes wherein you can claim income tax rebates and minimise tax burden.

  4. Not Making Goal based Plans: If you don't know where are you going, then it doesn't matter which road you are walking. Does this make sense to you ? Always have a goal. Remember, you must always form a realistic goal and work towards achieving it. Your finances will automatically get planned accordingly. So make a list of short-term, mid-term and long-term goals and plan your finances accordingly.

  5. Not Planning for Emergencies: Every human in this world is subject to uncertainties of all kinds. To deal with any emergency situation, you should keep an emergency fund aside. Otherwise you will tap your long term savings and thereby impact your investments meant for your retirement.


Click here to join WhatsApp Group of Jupiter Knowledge

Purpose of Insurance


You often find many advertisements for insurance telling you about its many benefits. However few people are aware of actual purpose of insurance and many people fall in the sales trap of insurance agents. They end up buying wrong insurance policies. Well, here is in brief the real purpose of insurance.


Insurance is basically meant to cover a risk against an uncertainty. For example, you are the earning member of the family. If you die suddenly due to some reason, then your family will have no money to live on. Here is where insurance comes in. If you buy insurance for your life, then in case of your death, your family will be given monetary compensation as per your policy coverage.  There are basically 2 types of plans: Term Plan and Endowment Plan.

In term plan, insurance premium is less and insurance coverage is big. But the insurance premium money is an expenditure. You just get tax exemption related benefits for the premium paid. That's all. 

In endowment plan, premium is higher and insurance coverage is less. But you get money back along with some extra amount as per the policy chosen. You also get get tax exemption related benefits for the premium paid.

So seemingly endowment plan looks attractive to you. But in reality, it defeats the very purpose of insurance. Never buy insurance for making money or investing money. Buy insurance only to cover risk.

Insurance is done for coverage of death, illness, accident, disability, travel, car, property. It is applicable in personal and business fields. So beware if an insurance agent tries to sell you a policy. Be very clear why you are purchasing the insurance policy and take the right decision.

Click here to join WhatsApp Group of Jupiter Knowledge

VUCA - Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity


VUCA is an acronym to describe on the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of general conditions and situations.  If you are in a decision making process or analysing or understanding situation in personal or professional life, then use VUCA to make your understanding clearer and deeper. All big corporate companies use VUCA for strategic leadership. Analyse a situation by gauging 4 parameters namely volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. VUCA is one way to describe today’s business world. It is a totally new environment, where old laws don’t apply.


Each parameter is explained as below

  1. Volatility : It is about the nature and dynamics of change. It is the quality of being subject to frequent, rapid and significant change. Things change continuously. What is true today isn’t true tomorrow. In a volatile market, for example, the prices of commodities can rise or fall considerably in a short period of time, and the direction of a trend may reverse suddenly.

  2. Uncertainty : It is the lack of predictability, the prospects for surprise, and the sense of awareness and understanding of issues and events. Fixed values in the economy and stock exchange can collapse overnight. And because of globalization a relatively small cause can have huge worldwide consequences.

  3. Complexity : It is the multiplex of forces, the confounding of issues, no cause-and-effect chain and confusion that surrounds organization. It involves a multiplicity of issues and factors, some of which may be intricately interconnected. Your electronic gadgets like  tv were simply connected with a wire to an antenna or the phone network. Today it has become far more complex with setup-boxes, routers, wifi connections, etc…

  4. Ambiguity: It is the haziness of reality, the potential for misreads, and the mixed meanings of conditions; cause-and-effect confusion. Ambiguity is manifested in a lack of clarity and the difficulty of understanding exactly what the situation is. For example is Donald Trump in favor or against raising minimum wages?


VUCA can be seen as four types of environment in a matrix with 2 dimensions:

– how much you know about the situation?

– how much you can predict the results of your actions?

The corporate has adopted the VUCA model in a big way. Big companies assess the business situations and align their strategy using VUCA. You can also use VUCA in your own life and business. Let's understand VUCA with a simple example.

Peter works as a software engineer. He loves cooking. Peter wants to quit his full time job and start a cafe as he believes he would be happy doing this. Peter analyses his decision based on VUCA.

  • Volatility:  ( More for job, Less for Cafe ) : Peter's job is more uncertain than operating his own cafe. The nature of software companies is such that firing of employees happen often. However a cafe business is rather stable as food is basic necessity of humans. It is quite probable that even though the cafe may not be a roaring success, it will still survive if it is run rightly.

  • Uncertainty:  ( More for job, Less for Cafe ) : Again Peter's job can be taken over by Artificial Intelligence related technologies. But cafe will survive such uncertainty factor.

  • Complexity:  ( More for job, Less for Cafe ) : Peter may have to learn new programming skills continuously which may keep on posing challenges to Peter throughout his job tenure. But Peter will love running cafe as he is passionate about food business. He will happily do all the needful required for his cafe.

  • Ambiguity:  ( More for job, Less for Cafe ) : Peter's job skills may soon become outdated with advancement in technology. But his cafe will not face this issue as basic food items on a cafe's menu remain same.


From the above example, we see through VUCA analysis that Peter should start his cafe. What a simple, wonderful and objective way of understanding the reality !

Apply VUCA in important situations and live happily.

Click here to join WhatsApp Group of Jupiter Knowledge

Be Selfish. Be in the Present...


Author: Suhas Dutta
(Suhas is co-founder, Partner at 3nayan, a niche consulting firm which uses Process Engineering, Robotic Process Automation and Digital Transformation for Strategy Re-Energization, Growth Enablement and Organizational Effectiveness of organizations)

I have been seeing two sets of people on laptops, and on conference calls through breakfast at the hotel for all of last week. This bothers me, and is making me want to write.

Many of us often travel for work. I have done that over my entire corporate career, like many of you. Millions of air miles, thousands of room nights. Platinum, Gold status everywhere. VIP treatment. Getting escorted from outside the airport straight into the plane. Taxi at O' Dark Hundred Hours, Airport, Conference rooms, Hotel rooms, skip breakfast. Being recognized at international transfer airports by airline ground staff, lounge staff and by cabin crew. Working through intercontinental flights.

You get the picture. Many of you have been there.

As I travel now, for 3nayan, at breakfast, very often I notice people on conference calls or sitting with food and a laptop open and working through. Some working in the bus between the airport terminal and the plane. Some are told to shut their laptops off because the plane has started taxiing.

Some of them, maybe, run their own businesses. Most, surely are employed and work for someone else. I used to be one of those. No big deal, many do exactly that. When I used to, at that time, it did feel like the right thing to do.

Trying to get ahead, compete with colleagues, make money which you don't get time to enjoy, kill yourself. Oh, well! Career growth, maybe. Not sure what other value add. But, it is clear (to me now) what it did not let me do. It did not let me be there, in the present, to be part of what was actually more important and happening around me.

Working through the breakfast will add nothing to your life. That email that you wake up to answer in the middle of the night isn't that important. Nothing in the world is going to stop or change if you don't attend that conference call while your significant other is eating her / his meal alone, at your table, in front of you.

Work-life balance is not an HR responsibility, nor your employer's. It is yours, it is mine. Be a little selfish, think long term. Stop to take a minute for yourself. Be in the present. Enjoy that cup of coffee!

Maybe you agree, maybe you don't. Would love to hear from you in any case :-)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#opinionsmyown

Click here to join WhatsApp Group of Jupiter Knowledge

The Art of the Start- by Guy Kawasaki (Book)


If you plan to be an entrepreneur and want to quit your job, but do not know what to do, then this is the book for you. You will find lot of books in the market on issues such as writing a business plan, recruiting, raising capital, and branding. The problem is they focus on the wrong priorities and your dream run for entrepreneurship halts permanently in a short time.


But this book "The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki will guide you through an adventure that’s more art than science—the art of the start. The book will help you understand various aspects of successful entrepreneurship - from raising money to hiring the right people, from defining your positioning to creating a brand, from creating buzz to buzzing the competition, from managing a board to fostering a community.

In The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki brings two decades of experience as one of business’s most original and irreverent strategists to offer the essential guide for anyone starting anything, from a multinational corporation to a church group. At Apple in the 1980s, he helped lead one of the great companies of the century, turning ordinary consumers into evangelists. As founder and CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, a venture capital firm, he has field-tested his ideas with dozens of newly hatched companies. And as the author of bestselling business books and articles, he has advised thousands of people who are making their startup dreams real.

Go and get your copy and become a successful entrepreneur.

The Prophet - by Kahlil Gibran (Book)


Often we wonder what is the purpose  of life ? What do we gain by living in this world ? Why do we work or play or live ? Why we have family, friends and society ? What is the meaning of all this ? We never find easy answers to such questions that sometimes arise within us. We quietly bury them in our minds and move on with our routine life. We explore the mysteries of life through religion or spirituality. But we abandon that too as soon as our overpowering duties of life take over.


So let's keep it simple. Just read this small wonderful book "The Prophet".

The Prophet is a book of 26 poetic essays  that are philosophical, spiritual and inspirational. Gibran’s musings are divided into twenty-eight chapters covering such  topics as love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, housing, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.  The prophet in the book is Almustafa. He has lived in the city of Orphalese for 12 years and is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses topics such as life and the human condition.

 Here is what is he says about marriage:

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.”
― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

The Prophet, is one of the most beloved classics of our time. It has been translated into more than twenty languages, and the American editions alone have sold more than nine million copies.The book is a pleasant reading and soothes your mind with its deep insights on various aspects of life. You will surely be a changed person after reading this wonderful book. Buy your own copy or Click here to download free pdf file.

Click here to join WhatsApp Group of Jupiter Knowledge