Varun Kumar

Courtesy: WSJ Google Inc. showed off its plans to create a digital wallet that will allow consumers with Android smartphones to pay for goods and services or receive coupons and offers by waving the device in front of a special reader at the checkout counter.   http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520804576347422554224968.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews

“How to sell yourself” is a brilliant motivational book written by Joe Girard. Joe Girard is acclaimed as "The World's Greatest Salesman" by the Guinness book of World Records for selling 1425 new cars in a single year. The book starts by saying “ WE'RE ALL SALESPEOPLE ”. The kid who is trying to talk his mother into letting him stay up an extra hour to watch TV is selling. The girl who hints to her boyfriend that she'd rather see a romantic movie than a hockey game is selling. And when he tries to talk her out of the idea and get her on the edge of the ice, he's selling. The teenager who wants the old man's car for Saturday night is selling. And the guy who steps up the voltage as he says good night at his girlfriend's door is selling. Anybody who has ever asked the boss for a raise is selling. Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you do and wherever you do it, you're busy selling. You may not have been aware of this, but it's true. ...

I came across a beautiful series of temples at Itkhori, Jharkhand. This place is an awesome mingling of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist deities. All the idols here have come from excavation. Itkhori block is famous for the goddess Bhadrakali and Bhagwati. Goddess Kali is worshiped here as Jagdamba. People flock here to offer sacrifice and Mundan sanskar. It has a scenic beauty and is a very good picnic spot. The most astonishing spot for me is the following:- The water visible in this idol never vanishes. Even if we take out entire water from it, water reappears as soon as we put the stone back on it. I don’t know the scientific reason behind this phenomenon but people have very high religious faith associated with it.

Basic Concept ·        Threadless.com is an online t-shirt company using community-based innovation and product development. ·        Based on an ongoing competition, Threadless community members create and submit t-shirt designs, provide feedback, cast votes, and purchase t-shirts. It’s a community that ·          Builds the product ·          Markets the product ·          Buys the product Threadless also relies on community members to actively participate on the site by critiquing submitted designs, blogging about their daily lives, posting songs and videos inspired by the designs and most importantly purchasing t-shirts that have won the weekly design competitions. All printed designs typically sell out and are then retired from the active catalog to make room for new designs.

I would like to thank my team mates - Munaf Kapadia, Shilpa Jhamb, Mayank Singh, Madhu Kumar M, Sourav Mukherjee, Deepika Kaushal for their efforts to bring in possible strategy of Starbucks. Firstly, our team tried to map the experience associated with Starbucks coffee outlet. Thereafter, we conducted PESTEL analysis wrt India. Our survey gave us many insights like  78% respondents visit coffee shops for the experience, 75% visit to hang out with friends and so on. Thereafter, we conducted analysis based on Porter's model, SWOT analysis and Competitor's analysis. Based on these, we came out with a 3-pronged strategy which included partnership, alliance and acquisition. Possible STP: 16-38 yrs, quality coffee, superior experience Product: Customized menu but no customization in coffee offering. Price would be high but not the highest. The detail strategy includes place, promotion, supply chain, logistics, distribution and community building. To get the details, contact any...

A must read book for Supply Chain Enthusiasts which talks about networking the flow of material, information and cash.  It talks about five principles:- Velocity, Variability, Vocalize, Visualize and Value. Every manufacturing and service firm lives or dies within a networked context. Business success is now largely determined by conditions outside the four walls of any one company. The objective of the book is to assemble all the relevant techniques in the pursuit of defining a ‘supply chain architect’ role, bringing together various organizational functions on a project, rather than a line management, approach. This is essentially an innovative textbook to scan, with plenty of detailed tables and graphics. It also uses the technique initiated in The Goal, in this case interweaving various storylines through the book, to illustrate the theories and techniques. The takeaway is the 38-step blueprint or road map used in designing and operating supply chain networks.