Worth reading

Satya Nadella talks about A.I , Cloud and on recent GitHub acquisition

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Satya nadella in an inteview with CNBC talks about recent GitHub acuqition and also Microsoft work on A.I , Cloud etc.

What drives you to work at Microsoft ?
Taking my passion and connecting it into real world . Curiosity , love of ideas and ability to translate that into impact.

How do you compensate customer success ?
By NPS (Net Promoter or Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a firm’s customer relationships. It serves as an alternative to traditional customer satisfaction research and claims to be correlated with revenue growth.)

On GitHub  acquisition
Microsoft  is a developer tool company first and all in for open source . Now developer SAAS is at the center. Both companies will operate independantly . We both share same ethos.

Any more acquisitions on horizon ?
We look for basic 3 criterias , whether its an

  1. Growing market
  2. Can add value
  3. Can integrate well

A.I and Cloud

  • Use of A.I to solve accessibility challenges.
  • Toyota is using Microsoft Azure and Azure Edge platform to entirely optimize their supply chain systems.
  • Microsoft is doing capital investment of 4-5 billion $ on cloud per year.
  • Microsoft is certainly one of 3 main players amongst Google and Amazon.

Image source : geekwire 

Thanks,

RVD

What is GDPR , everything you need to know ?

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What is GDPR ?

  •  It is General Data Protection Regulation.
  •  A regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within EU and European Economic Area (EEA).
  •  Enforcement date : 25th May 2018
  •  It will bring to consumers with a right to know when their data has been hacked.
  •  Google and Facebook hit with lawsuit after 25th May , which seek to fine Facebook 3.9 billion and Google with 3.7 billion euros.
  •  Failure to comply with GDPR can result in a fine ranging from 10 million euros to four per cent of the company’s annual global turnover .
  • How it will affect us for EU region  : You will lot of privacy policy mail / guidelines will reaching to you and need to agree before sharing any kind of information (personal / health  / bank details) etc.  Outside EU , the big tech companies like Google and Facebook they are already re-writing / upgrading their rules and privacies.

Image source : zdnet   Cheers,
RVD

Have you heard of ICO , here are the interesting facts about ICO

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  • ICO means initial coin offering , they are not regulated by any Government.
  • 6.6 billion raised in 1st Q of 2018 , 217 ICO sales
  • In ICOs your money is invested in Cryptocurrencies. During ICO 2 types of tokens you can buy
    1. Utility : Goods and services offered by Company
    2. Security : Safer
  • Company will create a digital tokens and sell it to investors , they can keep them or use it for trade.
  • Increase over 64% as compared to last Q of 2017.
  • Ethereum is most successful ICO of all time & worlds 2nd largest cryptocurrency.
  • Telegram raise 1.2 billion over ICO for which blockchain platform is yet to be build.
  • U.S with most ICO projects worth over $1B and followed by Russia with $310
  • According to study 80% of ICO’s are scams .
  • Average S&P returns are 10% & if invested in ICO’S returns are 13.2x on initial investment.
  • Singapore has launched ICO guidelines , China banned it & U.S SEC launched cyberunit to investiagate.
  • Celebrities have increasingly been promoting ICO’s which is drawing a lot of unwanted attention .

image source : Forbes

Cheers,

RVD

10 interesting facts about the 3rd biggest smartphone maker in world

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Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (/ˈhwɑːˌweɪ/; Chinese: 华为; pinyin: About this sound Huáwéi) is a Chinese multinational networking, telecommunications equipment, and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong. It is the largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer in the world, having overtaken Ericsson in 2012. In 2017, Huawei became 83rd of Fortune Global 500 in Fortune Magazine.

  1. 3rd biggest smartphone maker behind Apple and Samsung
  2. It is the largest telecom equipment maker in the world.
  3. Employees : 180,000 & Annual Revenue : $92 billion .
  4. Campus in Shezen feeds around 60,000 people everyday .
  5. China are moving to cashless economy , nobody is paying with cash in Campus.
  6. Afternoon naps are considered as culture.
  7. 45% employees are engaged.
  8. Black swan in lake , Stationary train in campus .
  9. Campus has Huawei University which has continuing education , classes , seminars etc. (25,000 courses through its university programs).
  10.  Huawei is the world’s ninth-largest information technology company by revenue . 

For see how the campus looks in Shenzen China click here .

Image result for huawei logo

Source :  Wikipedia , YouTube

How to use new Gmail design with fresh look and new features ?

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Google last week unveiled new design for Gmail . It contans fresh look and new features such as

  • Smart replies
  • Smart business-focused features designed to improve productivity, security, and manage the sharing of emails.
  • Email snooze features etc.

Here is simple and faster way to have new design ,

1. Click on gear (Settings) icon below your account picture.
2. After click there will be option ‘Try out new Gmail’.
3. Select and Done.

img source : theverge

Cheers,
RVD

How Starbucks handled the situation of racial biases ?

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Incident :

2 black men were arrested in Philadelphia Starrubucks stores asking to use restrooms . An Starbucks employee refused as they havent bought anything . The men sat down and were asked to leave and employee called the police.

Action taken by Starbucks

Starbuck has decided to close nation wide 8,000 stores to give training to all employess on racial bias.Starbucks will close the stores May 29 to offer the training to 175,000 employees .“I’ve spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it,” Kevin R. Johnson (CEO , Starbucks).

Handling the situation

Starbucks handled it very nicely by coming up solution of giving traning to all its employees . CEO (Kevin R. Johnson) has come out immediately and cleared Starbucks will not support any kind of racial bias and personally talked to 2 Black men those were arrested at Philadelphia store.

I think this is the way every organisation should react / response to such kinds of situations or crisis.

Image source: nbcnews

Batteries will replace Solar power technology soon , lets find out ?

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Batteries will replace Solar power technology soon , lets find out ?

– Currenly in U.S electricity is generated by either Wind mills but when wind goes down its generated by natural gas.
– As we go on building more solar panels the cost of making will get cheaper the price is reduced to 20%
as compared to last decade.
– Batteries are expensive , they are useful where Solar power less state like Hawaii .
– The Tesla Gigafactory 1 is a lithium-ion battery factory under construction, primarily for Tesla, Inc., at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) in Storey County (near the community of Clark, Nevada, United States).
– The factory started limited production of Powerwalls and Powerpacks in the first quarter of 2016 using battery cells produced elsewhere, and began mass production of cells in January 2017. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval estimated that Nevada would enjoy $100 billion in economic benefit over two decades from the construction and operation of this factory.[8] The grand opening event was held on July 29, 2016.
– Research says as of now only 1/10 th of worlds power is produced by battery and next couple of decades it will make only 3%.
– All major players such as Samsung , LG investing huge amount in battery powers etc.


Cheers,
RVD

If you gave me $100 billion and said take away the soft drink leadership of Coca-Cola in the world, I’d give it back to you and say it can’t be done : Warren Buffet

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One of the famous quote by Legendary investor and Billionaire Warren Buffet : If you gave me $100 billion and said take away the soft drink leadership of Coca-Cola in the world, I’d give it back to you and say it can’t be done.
Here is info-graphics that shows How Buffet chooses stocks by Using Graham’s and Phil Fisher principles on investing in equity.

Courtesy of: Visual Capitalist

Cheers,
RVD

Price is what you pay, value is what you get : Warren Buffet

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Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Warren Buffet is a CEO and revenue of Berkshire Hathaway is $223 billion USD.

Every quarter and year Berkshire Hathaway releases / publishes their annual report to public. Here is a list of all of its annual reports. Buffets talks about its thought about its investing in all of its annual reports , these are some consolidated ones.

  • At Berkshire, we much prefer owning a non-controlling but substantial portion of awonderful company to owning 100% of a so-so business; It’s better to have a partial interest in the Hope diamond than to own all of a rhinestone (an imitation diamond, used in cheap jewellery and to decorate clothes.).
  • Our flexibility in capital allocation – our willingness to invest large sums passively in non-controlled businesses – gives us a significant advantage over companies that limit themselves to acquisitions they can operate.
  • Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard’s.) I believe the trust’s long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors – whether pension funds, institutions or individuals – who employ high-fee managers.
  • Keeps things simple and dont swing on fences , when promised on quick profits respond with quick no.
  • If you don’t feel comfortable making a rough estimate of the asset’s future earnings, just forget it and move on.
  • Forming macro opinions or listening to the macro or market predictions of others is a waste of time. Indeed, it is dangerous because it may blur your vision of the facts that are truly important.
  • A “flash crash” or some other extreme market fluctuation can’t hurt an investor any more than an erratic and mouthy neighbor can hurt my farm investment.
  • When Charlie and I buy stocks – which we think of as small portions of businesses – our analysis is very similar to that which we use in buying entire businesses. We first have to decide whether we can sensibly estimate an earnings range for five years out, or more. If the answer is yes, we will buy the stock (or business) if it sells at a reasonable price in relation to the bottom boundary of our estimate.
  • The goal of the non-professional should not be to pick winners – neither he nor his “helpers” can do that – but should rather be to own a cross-section of businesses that in aggregate are bound to do well.
  • I can’t remember what I paid for that first copy of The Intelligent Investor. Whatever the cost, it would underscore the truth of Ben’s adage: Price is what you pay, value is what you get. Of all the investments I ever made, buying Ben’s book was the best (except for my purchase of two marriage licenses).

Image source : cnbc

Keep Investing , Follow your own instincts before buying stocks / MF’s 😀

Jack Ma : If I want to write a book then it will be Alibaba’s 1001 mistakes.

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Ma is is a Chinese business magnate, philanthropist, internet and technology entrepreneur, who is the founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a conglomerate of Internet-based businesses . His Net worth is $41.5 billion USD.

Jack Ma talks about Trade, Globalisation and Automation killing our jobs at World Economic Forum January 2018 at Davos.

  • In this era of technology, next World War will be against disease,poverty and pollution.
  • If you are ,

20-30 years old you should follow a good boss  

 30-40 do something about yourself 

 40-50 years old Jack suggest do things that you are good it

50-60 spend time in next generations.

  • Alibaba has 49% workforce are women.
  • Alibaba value first Customers , second employees and then Shareholders.
  • Nobody can stop globalisation if trade stops war starts.
  • My grandfather works 16 hrs a day and he says he is very busy , we work 8hrs a day still we are busy. Our children / grandchildren will work only 3 days 4 hrs a day a week.
  • You should spend better money than Government and other people.
  • Phillanthropy is about action , involvement not only about giving money. Philanthropy idea should be burried into Business Model.
  • If you want to be successful learn from other people’s mistakes. Dont listen to Success story. If I want to write a book that will be “Alibaba 1001 mistakes”.
  • Artificial intelligence will not kill our jobs. Computer will always be wise than Humans .
  • Leaders are always optimistic about future , then never complain and its about responsibility.
  • Alibaba is fighting everyday very hard to compete with others . Facebook, Google and Amazon , Alibaba are luckiest companies of this century.
  • On Singles day in China , Alibaba made $25 billion USD in 1 day . 270,000 transaction /sec. and 100 millions package a day that happen due to computing power.

 

Image source: cnbc

Mark Cuban looks for these 10 traits before investing in an entrepreneur

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Mark Cuban is Billionaire , Tech mogul and outspoken owner of Dallas Mavericks . He is Shark in Shark Tank (Shark tank is reality show where aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world pitch their business models to a panel of investors and persuade them to invest money in their idea.) . His Net Worth is $3.3 billion.

Before he invest in in an entrepreneur’s Business / Idea or Product he looks for ,

  1. What is the roadmap or vision is clear of your Business ?
  2. You are wantrepreneur or entrepreneur ?
  3. Are you willing to sacrifice and work 24 * 7 to make sure your competitor will not kick your ass ?
  4. He is not in favor of Subscription services or Business model .
  5. Looks for a company rather than product for a investment.
  6. Have you overvalued your Business or Idea that is born in Valley looks only for higher valuation doesnt want make a deal ?
  7. Neural networks , Aritifical intelligence and Machine learning are some of key areas to invest Cuban thinks in upcoming period.
  8. Mark wants enterpreneur to work hard rather than inveting , he does not want only inventor who keeps on inventing products / ideas over period of time and looses his focus
  9. You should be clear with your Business economics (Revenue , EBIDTA , Profit / loss ) many times what happens is enterpreneurs are not good with numbers .
  10. Enterpreneur must be quick decision maker and answer the question the single reason why should he invest in your idea ?

These traits Mark Cuban looks for in an enterpreneur.

Cheers !

Image source : cnbc

How to get a deal from a Shark – Part II

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How to get a deal from a Shark – Part II

To be Continued from Part I , If you havent went through PartI here is link. Now lets see these 2 Sharks Daymond John and Lori Greiner how to get a deal from these Sharks. Here are some of my findings ,

3. Daymond John : AKA Fashion guru . Founder, President, and CEO of FUBU . He is fashion guy likes to invest in Clothing and various forms varieties of Mens , womens apparels also in retail products . He has very few investments in software / app etc.

Offers :
He typically offers x amount of $ for 33% minimum , he hardly goes down below 33% equity / stake. If DJ makes an offer first and that you are eager to hear or hearing other Shark’s offer then usually withdraws his offer . He is very flexible in partnering with other Sharks . He has partnership / deal of HSN .

Successful deals on Shark Tank :

  • Bubba’s Q
  • Mission Belt

4. Lori Greiner : AKA Queen of QVC. She is a Inventor, entrepreneur, television personality, author, investor. She holds over 100 U.S patents.  Lori sticks to equity what she offers , because she is know for lightning speed in retail products .   She has very good relationship with some of largest retailers in U.S (Walmart , Target , Bed Bath and Beyond etc.) . She belives is her own strategy to bringing into retailer . Her majority of investment are in mass product which are appeal to larger cosumer rather than small target audience. She has very few investments in Bakery products / cookies / healthy products / software / mobile apps. etc.

Offers:

She takes atleast 15% equity depends of product / Business idea. If your product is not yet make it to retail her first step will be get into retail.

Successful deals on Shark Tank :

  •  Scrub daddy
  • Drop stop

All of these findings / analysis are based on my views might vary from person to person.

Image source : ABC.com

To be continued …..

Cheers,

RVD

How to get a deal from a Shark – Part I

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How to get a deal from a Shark – Part I

Shark Tank is an American reality television series that premiered on August 9, 2009, on ABC. The show is a franchise of the international format Dragons’ Den, which originated in Japan in 2001. Shark Tank shows aspiring entrepreneur-contestants as they make business presentations to a panel of “shark” investors, who then choose whether to invest. Each Shark (Investor ) is from different background and loads of experiences from various Industry . Here are the names and businessness of Sharks from Shark Tank. In Part I will cover for these Sharks,

1. Kevin O’Leary : O’Leary Funds , O’Leary Ventures , Softkey and StorageNow Holdings
2. Barbara Corcoran : Founder of The Corcoran Group, Barbara Corcoran Inc. and Forefront Venture Partners

While pitching to Shark here are some key rules you must follow to get a deal ,
1. You should be clear with your numbers (Revenue, EBITDA)
2. Your business must have minimum debt
3. You should own maximum % of your business (more than 80%)

Now lets see the which Shark will be suitable for your Business / Idea ,

1. Kevin O’Leary : He is shrewd venture capitalist and has brilliant Business Accumen. Kevin’s favorite question to you are  
– What is your customer acquistion cost
– Have you valuated your Business correctly ?
– Is there anything propritory or IP or having patent on your Business idea / Product

Offers
He only wants his money back thats it he will invest irrespetive of his own liking or passion in your product / Business or idea . His deals are usually of royalty based he doesnot want you equity / stake in your business like,
If you are asking for $250,000 in 20% stake means you are valuating business at $1.25 million : Deals he would make

a. If it’s retail / Bakery items / Beverages / Fitness products,
For every item sold $2 untill he recouped his $250,000 and drop $1 in perpetuity

b. Mobile app / Software
He wil, give $250,000 as loan at 18% interest rate , doesnot want any equity.

c. Likes to liecense a product .

d. Sue over intellictual property or patent (Utility or Design) that you have.

Successful deals on Shark Tank

  • Plated
  • Wicked good cup cakes
  • Lovepop

2. Barbara Corcoran: Barbara is one of my favorite Sharkats 🙂 , because she knows how to judge people quikly  and whether can he / she do the Business with her ? . Her majortiy of deals are Baking products or Food items / Cuisines etc. She has vast experience in taking an idea and making it into big business , also know how to Brand ,  Design a product . 

Offers

Barbara sticks to what she offers , she wants atleast 20 % of Business (According to avg. taken from deals she made ).  She must feel passionate about your product or like a test if its a food item / cuisines.

Successful Deals Best deals on Shark Tank

  • Ryans Barkary
  • Tom + Cheese
  • Cousins Main Lobsters.

In next Part will see for next Sharks .

Image source : Wikipedia

Image source :  ABC.com

To be Continued …..

Thanks,

RVD

What are the steps involved in Machine Learning ?

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Easy ways to start and to know about Machine Learning ,

Let see example below to visualize how above steps in action ,
Suppose we want to determine difference between Wine and Beer. How do we differensiate in terms of Color or Alcohol percentage ? . We need to have a data from different glassess of Beer and Wine .

Prepare a data in table format or graph in terms of color , % of Alcohol and Beer or Wine. Need to a choose a model as there different models created by Data scientists for Text, Speech , Images , colors and sequences. Then it comes a Traning which is most important part of ML. By Choosing a model we are able to differensiate between Beer and wine rather than depends of human judgement.

For training we have equation
y (output) = m (slope) * x (input) + b (Y-intercept)
weights = [m1,1 m1,2]
biases = [b1,1 b1,2]
Model is nothing but random values of matrix [W,b]
Training data -> Model [W,b] -> Prediction -> Test &Update W,b = Repetitive process

Actual steps of ML
1. Gathering Data
2. Preparing that Data
3. Choosing a Model
4. Training
5. Evolution
6. Hyperparameter Tuning
7. Prediction

Appplications of Machine learning 

1.Detecting cancer,
2. Self driving cards
3. Detecting escalators in need of repair
4. Diabetic Retinopathy

Market size
It will rech $8.81 Billion by 2022 as per reports published by MarketsandMarkets

Want to get your hands dirty in ML use this API ,
TesorFlow is an open source software library for Machine Intelligence. Here is to play around API.

 

Image source: webtrends

Cheers,

RVD