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Advice Request
Ram Kumar
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Ram Kumar
Founder and Director
Mango DVM
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Ram Kumar is a member of:
Ram Kumar's Advice
Exploring the path
Do not get carried away by Hype, Fame, Money and Popular opinion. Choose
whether you want to be a Manager or a Leader. A Manager focuses on doing the
known more efficiently. A Leader likes to go in to the unknown, to explore
and set a new path for others to follow.
Achieving Success and ensuring growth
I practice the above mentioned skills. I reserve a substantial part of my
space and time to "do nothing", to marinate data, incubate ideas, to collect
and focus my scattered self..
space and time to "do nothing", to marinate data, incubate ideas, to collect
and focus my scattered self..
Current work profile
I am the Founder and Director at Mango DVM. I have been evangelizing the
concept of reaching legally licensed digital content (Music to start with,
videos and movies later), to the middle and bottom of the mobile consumer
pyramid, to consumers who cannot afford the huge data charges of consuming
online content. Over the last 5 years, I have been working with the music
industry associations, software / technology vendors and shop keepers in the
unorganized sector creating a win-win-win solution for all.
concept of reaching legally licensed digital content (Music to start with,
videos and movies later), to the middle and bottom of the mobile consumer
pyramid, to consumers who cannot afford the huge data charges of consuming
online content. Over the last 5 years, I have been working with the music
industry associations, software / technology vendors and shop keepers in the
unorganized sector creating a win-win-win solution for all.
Leadership skills
To See the Prisms through which we see. To continuously reflect on and
expand the boundaries of our "frame of references and paradigms". To be open
to reality and adapt our strategies and action plans dynamically as we chart
our way in to uncharted territories.
expand the boundaries of our "frame of references and paradigms". To be open
to reality and adapt our strategies and action plans dynamically as we chart
our way in to uncharted territories.
My advice
Do not get carried away by Hype, Fame, Money and Popular opinion. Choose
whether you want to be a Manager or a Leader. A Manager focuses on doing the
known more efficiently. A Leader likes to go in to the unknown, to explore
and set a new path for others to follow.
whether you want to be a Manager or a Leader. A Manager focuses on doing the
known more efficiently. A Leader likes to go in to the unknown, to explore
and set a new path for others to follow.
Handling Office disputes
There is always a balancing act between individual interest and
organizational interest. If some bacteria in our intestine think they are
more important than their host, both their host and the bacteria suffer.
Cancer is an extreme case of cells losing the context and purpose of their
existence. By connecting employees to the soul and purpose of the
organization, we can align their personal interests with that of the
organization. And sometimes we have to treat the organization like a
graduating college, where employees join, learn, grow and leave.
Overemphasis on retention could also create health issues for organizations.
If we start considering organizations as living beings, then many complex
problems can be easily resolved.
organizational interest. If some bacteria in our intestine think they are
more important than their host, both their host and the bacteria suffer.
Cancer is an extreme case of cells losing the context and purpose of their
existence. By connecting employees to the soul and purpose of the
organization, we can align their personal interests with that of the
organization. And sometimes we have to treat the organization like a
graduating college, where employees join, learn, grow and leave.
Overemphasis on retention could also create health issues for organizations.
If we start considering organizations as living beings, then many complex
problems can be easily resolved.
Managing personal and professional life
Steve Jobs said, You can't connect the dots as they occur. You can only
connect them - looking back wards. Leadership is all about prototyping,
trials, experimentation and failure. If you have failed 75 times on
something, it means you have successfully eliminated 75 alternative
hypothesis, so you yourself or others after you, can focus on the
alternatives that have not yet been tried. In that sense, you contribute
even in failures. So avoiding mistakes is not the right word. May be you can
avoid costly mistakes. If you can try something and disprove a hypothesis
(fail) at a cost of Rs 10, you should not spend Rs 1000 on it and arrive at
the same result.
connect them - looking back wards. Leadership is all about prototyping,
trials, experimentation and failure. If you have failed 75 times on
something, it means you have successfully eliminated 75 alternative
hypothesis, so you yourself or others after you, can focus on the
alternatives that have not yet been tried. In that sense, you contribute
even in failures. So avoiding mistakes is not the right word. May be you can
avoid costly mistakes. If you can try something and disprove a hypothesis
(fail) at a cost of Rs 10, you should not spend Rs 1000 on it and arrive at
the same result.
Important decision
In the campus interview in my college I was offered a higher salary -
closer home by TVS group, but the job was in Electronics Maintenance. I
chose Murugappa Electronics 20 KM away at a lower salary because it was a
Project engineer job that requires design, development and installation of
custom solutions to process industries. That made a huge difference to whom
I became in the professional world.
My decision to leave Murugappa Group after 15 years to go and work for
smaller boutique firms for about 6 years, also helped me expand my
horizons. And then the plunge I took in 2007 to start Mango DVM, even before
I got any funding was the next critical decision.
closer home by TVS group, but the job was in Electronics Maintenance. I
chose Murugappa Electronics 20 KM away at a lower salary because it was a
Project engineer job that requires design, development and installation of
custom solutions to process industries. That made a huge difference to whom
I became in the professional world.
My decision to leave Murugappa Group after 15 years to go and work for
smaller boutique firms for about 6 years, also helped me expand my
horizons. And then the plunge I took in 2007 to start Mango DVM, even before
I got any funding was the next critical decision.
My family background
I was born and brought up in Chennai. My father retired as a Supdt from the
Chennai Metro Transport Service (Earlier known as Pallavan Transport
Corporation). My mother is a house wife. My sister is a Tamil teacher and my
brother is a Quality professional in the Auto sector. My wife works for
Citibank. My daughter is finishing +2 and my son is going to 9th. My father
hails from Kumbakonam and is a popular Tamil writer with many Novels and
Research books published in the name of Kundanthaiyan.
Chennai Metro Transport Service (Earlier known as Pallavan Transport
Corporation). My mother is a house wife. My sister is a Tamil teacher and my
brother is a Quality professional in the Auto sector. My wife works for
Citibank. My daughter is finishing +2 and my son is going to 9th. My father
hails from Kumbakonam and is a popular Tamil writer with many Novels and
Research books published in the name of Kundanthaiyan.
Inspired by
My Tamil teachers who encouraged my creative writing skills, My bosses at
Murugappa Group who gave me a new initiative or project every 3 years, a few
friends and relatives who opened my heart, my spiritual gurus and coaches at
the Oneness University, my investors who gave money for a PPT presentation
filled with Passion, Shop keepers who voluntarily gave up piracy to become
Authorized Mango DVM dealers, The music industry veterans who started with
Rs 12 per song and has travelled with me on this road to a point where we
sell songs at 50 paisa to road side laborers, I am influenced and moved by
everyone I interact with..
Murugappa Group who gave me a new initiative or project every 3 years, a few
friends and relatives who opened my heart, my spiritual gurus and coaches at
the Oneness University, my investors who gave money for a PPT presentation
filled with Passion, Shop keepers who voluntarily gave up piracy to become
Authorized Mango DVM dealers, The music industry veterans who started with
Rs 12 per song and has travelled with me on this road to a point where we
sell songs at 50 paisa to road side laborers, I am influenced and moved by
everyone I interact with..
My prospective towards India Technological development
There are many hammers out there (Big, small and fancy ones) looking for a
nail. Technology can only give solutions. But we first need to decide what
problem we want to solve. There is a company based in Singapore that I
mentor, who developed a software solution based on customer's request and we
are all the time growing the product based on what we hear from the
customers. To focus on customer's problem and pain points is very important.
In that sense we need to Tame Technology to benefit customers and the common
man.
nail. Technology can only give solutions. But we first need to decide what
problem we want to solve. There is a company based in Singapore that I
mentor, who developed a software solution based on customer's request and we
are all the time growing the product based on what we hear from the
customers. To focus on customer's problem and pain points is very important.
In that sense we need to Tame Technology to benefit customers and the common
man.
More about me
I consult / mentor couple of early stage companies on marketing and product
management. I have published some papers and articles and speak in events
related to Technology and Entrepreneurship. Have done about 13 batches of 2
day workshops on leadership.
I have been learning Bharatanatyam for the last 10 years, from Kalaimamani
Ms Narthaki who recently received Sangeet Natak Akademi award from President
Pranab Mukherjee. I write poems and stories in Sulekha.com
management. I have published some papers and articles and speak in events
related to Technology and Entrepreneurship. Have done about 13 batches of 2
day workshops on leadership.
I have been learning Bharatanatyam for the last 10 years, from Kalaimamani
Ms Narthaki who recently received Sangeet Natak Akademi award from President
Pranab Mukherjee. I write poems and stories in Sulekha.com
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