Architecting Solutions - My Supersonic Highway!

It all started not too long ago..4 yrs to be precise..when I stepped into my first "work". Yeah...being late to office, but apart from that I learnt what it takes to be successful..You gotta "think".

The first project I was assigned to, was quite challenging. Add to it, it was an emerging technology which was still in Beta 1. I managed to develop a solution in 2 days. Everyone was surprised, incl my boss. The then IT Director, Mr. Lim Kok Meng, came to me and asked me to explain what I had done. Then he classified it as a failure. This is what he said:

"If you think you are doing good, stop and think. You will do better"

I was confused. I dint work much for 2 days after that. I just wanted an answer..Then I asked him and he said:

"If you think you are doing bad, dont stop to think. You cant do worse"

The above can be taken in an optimistic and pessimistic way, but being me, I managed to think of a better way and managed to create one of the first methods of implementing it using .Net in the world. This made me happy. But I still dint understand what he meant. When I asked him he said:

"If you think you dont know, think and you will become better"

OK, I know it gets a bit philosophical, irritating and what not, but these words made an impact. The curious me started to think.

The last time I talked to him (I do bump into him quite often), and yeah, asked him, he just smiled. Said some things are better experienced than taught.

Anywayz, the big build up is for this. My concept of what it takes to succeed..I know a bit abt IT industry but I guess it can be applied anywhere.

People-Processes-Technology-Tools (P2T2) - Copyrighted :P

People are the core of anything u wanna do, if u dont have the right people, any project is going to fail. Its about the attitude of people as much as its the expertise of people. Strong emphasis of the right people to fit the job is vital, while ensuring continuity and enhancement through new ideas and a vibrant working environment.

Processes are core to the business and how we deal with a business problem. Solution Architecting is all about mapping the business processes and thus domain knowledge is equally important. Business models, design methologies are all processes. These are intuitively classified as "theory", the word itself capable of eliciting a yawn. Developers often mock them, but once these are implemented by someone, the same developers can do wonders with the same processes.

Technology is core to efficiently and effectively deliver the solution to the business problems. Quality is as much important and thus, good technology can serve the ideal purpose. Bad ones can ruin it. Best Practices are often made a mockery of, and is similar to design methodologies. Use it and gain from it, else lose it and get pain from it.

Tools are often underestimated, but are equally important for the effective use of technology. Imagine IT companies without KB search tools, Google or even Project Management tools. In the automated world of today, where our physical memory is seamlessly replaced by hard disks (ofcourse, it makes u absent minded and makes our brain die a slow death, but we are conditioned into this and all we can do is to think harder to make use of some grey cells atleast). These tools are very vital in ensuring concentration of resources in critical areas rather than trivial areas.

Hope I have given a exhaustive brief about what it takes, according to me. Keep thinkin and travel on the highway! What abt me? Im stuck in a traffic jam right now :P

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English and Spell Check

How many of us know whats a spell check, and if so, use it, even though it is provided by default in most of the applications we use today. Here are a few gems from my masters discussion board...

"In this fast paced environment, no company would like to left behind, thus they should welcome employee who think out of the box. Company should welcome these people with open arms as usually creative people are problem solver that offers novelty solution."

"We should start trying to “think out of the box” approach in small steps, as any small changes could consider creativity."

"...we are encouraged to come out with the new idea and at the same time be ready for any new idea come from other colleagues. We need to avoid us become selfish, which only accept good idea from ourselves."

"I believe sceintist are leaders too. Take Thomas Edison's invention of light bulb, in this area he took leadership and lead to other scientist's future enhancement in the area of providing electrical ellumination that we benefitted in modern days. Even though they might now at their live time ever lead a group of people or a dynasty but their leadership in a particular field of research reaches far beyond their live and death."

"I conclude that it, one who possess the above aspects can be consider as a leader irrespective of whoever he may be."

"I Agree with this point, that not all scientist are leader, only they who have organization (formal or informal) with objective, and do leadership task (leading, directing, managing resource etc) can be considered as leader. Absolutely it's applicable for all expertise or role, not only scientist."

"My opinion and experience that most entrepreneurship will become a good leadership to make their company successful. They like it or not, but this is the fact that they have to lead their employee and market to achieve their own goals and vision. If they cannot do this, of course I can guarantee they will be failed soon or later."

"A good leader is mostly will not jump to become an entrepreneurship, they like to stay in their leadership style without making a lot of money and creates new products. Especially the charismatic leadership or even the military leadership, they are most humble or want to be a powerful people in the future instead of become a successful entrepreneurship."

"I dun belive in firm leadership and democatic way of rules will help in the long run."

"It's hard to divide the leadership styles as they will progress over the time. Who will know that the future shall find a new style again. Times and people characters will progress over the time."

Ok, thats enuf for a day. I cant take it any more :P I am not the guy who screams at bad englipiss, but I have a hearty laff, and thot shud share it with u guys too.

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Happy Birthday!

With someone unwittingly remarking tagging me as a "googling-guy", I cudnt help but post this...



Im proud of u my pal, my savior many a time!

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Gimme more...

Well, the list is seemingly endless, and the prayers to end the torture of having to add a few new entries into my blog every now and then (being one of the few lazy chaps not to adapt to blogrolling)..So no applauses (ingendhu kai thattina ungalukkellam eppadi kekkum?) and a big heart-felt welcome to the new additions to my blogosphere...

Dubukku - Almost driven to the verge of forgetting tamil, I went into his world to exclaim that here is one guy who keeps writing in his mother tongue, not to mention his dripping tongue ;) One of the bestest entertaining blogs out there...

Paavai - Strong, passionate intelligent thoughful blog. Expected elegance on seeing the name, but saw emphatic effervescence!

IBH - Boisterous yet soulful, this blog leaves you dazed..by the concept packaged into a nice content in an appropriate context.

Jagan - Unlimited jollu intersperced with hilarious posts. Keeps u interested if u r a guy, keeps himself interested if u r a gal.

Visithra - With eyes enlarged to scare the dash out of u, shes one ruthless gal when it comes to bossin around. Shes what I wud call a girl next door...Keep ur distance and rasichufy, kitta pona kodharify case ;)

Sukku - Self proclaimed good girl (i guess she hasnt watched the movie ;)). Coffee day arattai! Sometimes filter coffee - perfect homemade recipe!

Gayathri - At wits end...you will find her knitting some more.

To one n all, thangu for keeping me interested, but filthy curses for making me work hard for the next 5 mins adding ur links :P

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Copy Cats :P

Plot Summary for Gajini (2005)

Surya's "Ghajini" is the most eagerly awaited movie ever since its audio with music by Harris Jayaraj became a chartbuster. The release has been postponed a couple of times and now it is finally slated for September end. It is an all-out action adventure directed by A. R. Murugadoss. The theme is offbeat. It is about a man who suffers from short-term memory loss after a head injury. He starts tattooing names of people and places on his body as he tries to unravel the mystery behind his wife's killers. According to Surya, who is paired with two glam girls Asin and Nayantara: "It is a technically superior, edge-of-the-seat thriller that is sure to be an entertainer. It is superbly packaged too."



Plot Summary for Memento (2000)

Leonard (Guy Pearce) is an insurance investigator whose memory has been damaged following a head injury he sustained after intervening on his wife's murder. His quality of life has been severely hampered after this event, and he can now only live a comprehendable life by tattooing notes on himself and taking pictures of things with a Polaroid camera. The movie is told in forward flashes of events that are to come that compensate for his unreliable memory, during which he has liaisons with various complex characters. Leonard badly wants revenge for his wife's murder, but, as numerous characters explain, there may be little point if he won't remember it in order to provide closure for him. The movie veers between these future occurrences and a telephone conversation Leonard is having in his motel room in which he compares his current state to that of a client whose claim he once dealt with.

Podaanga!

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Best of Random Access

A quick recap onto the first 100 posts in this blog...in chronological order.

About Me
mirror-image
inspiration
about-me
you-call-me-nerd

My life story
how-it-all-began
kindergarden
std-1
std-2
std-3
std-4
std-5
std-6
std-7
std-8
std-9
std-10
std-11
std-12
year-1
year-2
year-3
year-4

Better Half
love-life
blessing
fitting-tribute
chinna-chinna-aasai
ninaivugal

F1 - The Passion to Perform
schumacher-saga
steve-slater-epic-battle
groan-for-bridgestone-misery-for
just-one
not-quite
anti-ferrarism

Friends, Blogs and Bloggers
invisible-man
blogs-and-bloggers
deed-indeed
kostin
people
moodevi
sacrifice
blogger-mates
geng-brothers-n-thangachis

Poetic Thoughts
poetry-blog
poetry
whats-love
dreams
time
irony

Special Moments
24th-new-year
happy-birthday-to-you
friend-philosopher-guide-god
i-salute-you-o-my-mother
thalai
special-day

Career Guide
career-woes
humble-lesson-in-management
going-with-flow
construction-of-instruction
whats-goin-on-buddy
they-say-history-repeats-itself
masters-here-comes-mister
no
clock-work
laymans-clock-work
training-blues
double-century-and-private-sanctuary

Events, Incidents and Accidents
its-one-of-those-days
eureka

Travelogue
bangalore-bonanza

Random Thoughts
power-to-perform
mores-remorse-and-divorce
mathematics-of-numbers-and-pseudo
great-indian-libido-food-for-thought
random-thoughts
window-of-opportunity
trilemma
rich-or-poor-accounting-for-sure
my-first-story
what-was-i-thinkin
what-women-want
tag-you-are

Music and Movies
simple-pleasures-of-life
kanaa-kandain-dreams-do-become-reality
just-few-words

Gals n Babes
figure-lah
lunchtime-dilemma

Technology
of-bill-gates-and-open-source
google-at-its-best
its-all-about-net

Quotes
point-of-note
what-it-takes
please-help-me

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A Special Day

Whats special is that today marks the 59th birthday of my amma. Shes been the woman whoz mostly been in the shadows in my life, always there but without her, it wud have been impossible. And frankly I havent done her justice for wht she has done. I talk a lot more abt my dad anyday, but that doesnt mean I love my mom any less. Juz a bit sad that I aint with her on her special day.

Today is a special day too. It has been ejjatly 55 weeks since I started blogging to reach a century of postings. Aint it a nice coincidence that I started off my first post on my appa's bday and reached 100 on my amma's. It started off as an online diary, but soon encapsulated as a place where my thots are embossed on and where I can sneak into others' minds. It has been a journey bittersweet, with lotsa friends n fun..And an occasional foray into self-realisation and introspection makes it all the more nice.

I have been having a tough time the last few weeks. With three things to handle simultaneously, I really have had to prioritise things. Pushed beyond the physical capabilities is when your mental strength is exposed. I wish I do have something up there! With no time to even break down, it was nice to take a day off today. Ofcourse Murphy's law struck with a major problem, but I was upto it and gave a kuttu on its head so hard that Murphy will think twice before comin bak to me :P But that only means the pressure adds up tomm. But it was all expected, so this is my chance..to become a Hero or Zero.. Ofcourse, I wud prefer the former.

Ofcourse, the Blogger servers goin down almost 4 hrs today dint help :P With a quick search, I realised this aint the first time... Was juz expected, with a huge number of ppl takin to bloggin these days! Anywayz, lemme get started...Every long journey begins with a small step.

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