Is work building your lifestyle..

Sunday I had a terrific conversation with an old friend who now works with a school in eastern part of the country, precisely in Assam. The school recently provided them fullton access to Internet and they learnt to use Skye.. The conversation that started from how schools are progressing ended up on a critical topic that I would definitely want to pull up here.. Yes the question does your work help you build your lifestyle..

The teacher friend really towed this thought in a certainly different but amazing way that leads me to ask and answer several questions myself...

"I now use Internet more effectively to keep in touch with friends and future. It also helps me in learning new things quickly than exploring books"

"Because our school children have sports as an integral part of the courses, we now exercise religiously"

"Because kids sometimes gets chaotic, we have altered role playing for kids, this ensures they get to see the further side of tutoring while they study"

Well been into IT, I have always heard the cribs about how people have screwed up lifestyles. "I work for 18 hours, don't get enough sleep, have pressure of deadlines" and "I work night shifts, takes me away from the my social life" blah blah blah... Well it is true, not for all but many of us. We spend 10-12 hours working at the office, 2-3 hours driving to work, another 2-3 hours handling issues/calls and conferences from home. We hardly get 2-3 hours at home with family and at home we just eat, sleep, have breakfast and come back to work. Weekends are full of finishing chores like laundry, grocery, shopping, kids blah blah... now is this what we call lifestyle? Or what type of lifestyle should one expect from this?

Well the answer is... it is not your work that is amending your lifestyle, it is you that is building this lifestyle for you. So for my "watch"ful friends.. working for 4 hours at office is not the answer to building a great lifestyle.. it is what you really do, that can build your lifestyle. Lifestyle is not about how much time you stay at home and at work... lifestyle is your behavior, things you do, habits and your actions with regards to things, people and places... Your work plays a major role in it, but its not about time, its about what and how you do things at work.

So how does work help you build a lifestyle?

Its simple... The person that sits beside your desk, if he keeps his desk dirty... there are very less chances that he will keep his house tidy or vice versa. Go check out. Now if he has got into a habit of keeping his desk dirty, he is not going home and cleaning up things. Don't wonder if you see socks lying around, laundry undone, stale food thrown over in fridge.. blah blah.

If you have an engineer who bluffs on why he could not complete his tasks in time, will surely bluff his spouse, friends on several things.

If you see a guy walking to office late, chances are that he will be late for most of the things that he do.

A guy who doesn't care about how he is dressed at office, chances are that he is never well dressed until been told to do so. If there is a dress code at work, it will help build a good dressing basics in turn help build a lifestyle.

A guy who often runs with hair and unshaven for days, chances are that he doesn't care about some hygiene no matter where he is.

If a certain set of procedures are followed, made to be followed... chances are that those procedures will help you be more effective in curbing your bad habits and making a few good ones to become your lifestyle. Well of course people will have to find a value out of these. Though I must say that I am against setting up RULES, there are those basic terms that can help build lifestyles.

I think its all about the quality of behaviour, habits and what you do at work that sums up to become your lifestyle. The guy who is passionate about a bug-free life would definitely much worried to take enough care of his code and quality of work. Now the question to each one of us.. is work building our lifestyle?

Are we concerned about improving it?

Do we action to improve anything?

We recently initiated a self help learning group as a part of fun@work.. A group that will begin to learn a whole new things on its own. We begin with a new language. We believe the attitude to learn something on oneself can help us improvise our lifestyles. I feel geared up for this experience and certainly those other 5 who join me in this. After all.... your lifestyle is more seen at work than anywhere else. And I certainly want a best one for me...

Now if you are doing some fun@work exercises at your workplace... ensure that you add a glimpse of building a better lifestyle for your team. We decided that we would do the following things in future as a part of fun@work :

1. Be a Chef : Having a day when the team will be asked to cook.. things that do not know , haven't heard of.. An exercise that will help them understand various cuisines in the world.. isn't that a better lifestyle?

2. Book reading : Picking up a best seller and reading it on a day out. Book reading becomes interesting when someone is reading it out for you.. in an effective way of course... isn't book reading a better lifestyle element?

3. Swim party : Our next party, we want it to be a pool party. People can enjoy been in water. Isn't swimming a better exercise? They would do it if they enjoy doing it.. and what fun if it is done with people you love.

So much more... so much more to do to improvise on our lifestyles... I am geared to build a better lifestyle for myself, right in the place where I spend most of my time.

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New Joiner - Boot them, Board them

Booting up new members... a question that has been hitting for a while now...

Since August 2010, we in Pune have doubled up the size of our development Team.. while it is a good thing for any team and is a sign of upcoming prosperity to the Team and Organization... There is certainly a bigger issue to handle . To ensure that the new Team carries old values, improvises what we have and ensure that the characteristics of the company is not changed and at the same time the new member learns all of this in a much much effective way. If you run through the previous thoughts I have shared here you would certainly know why I feel it is important to have this process handled effectively. Also my previous post on New Joiners on the challenges we have faced in the recent past and the strategies we are trying to adopt to make our new joiners more effective... I take chance to put some efforts writing how we are planning to design our boot camp...

A few key ingredients to success of a boot camp is the fact that who runs the boot camp process.. I believe that the reflection of this runner is what takes the boot camp and the new joiner to succeed in boarding the team correctly... The basic elements of Team building form, norm, storm and perform can really be controlled and managed by this face who runs the boot camp. So while we define the needs of boot camp lets say, we put the prerequisite first, then sum of the process of booting the member to the team.

The biggest hurdle in organizations getting their new joiners boarded and started successfully is the missing role.. Yes you need a Boot manager. That guy who would co-ordinate trainings, sessions, tours and walk through and can also step in and be with the booters to bring them upto speed in right time.

Once you have a boot manager, you can build up a flow to manage your boot camp. Ideally I feel the boot camp should be a 4-5 weeks process. This process should be managed with the help of the most senior team members so that the values and organizational goals and clearly flown in the most significant way.

Here are the key elements a boot camp should hold...

1. Boot mates

Companies that have ability to hire in bulk can definitely afford to do this. Create a boot camp where more than 2-3 new joiners are involved. We have always faced an issue where new joiners join us in split of time and the gap is sometimes between 2 weeks to 5.. of course the challenge for smaller organizations is they never need people in bulk so most of the time the new joiner has no counterpart to learn from.

However an ideal situation, if you have boot mates it helps to understand the process effectively, discuss things within and have a better kick start. We have mostly been unlucky with the bulk joiners except for the trainees who really got a real help of joining together.

2. Culture tour

Most of the new joiners are confused on the cultures of the teams and organizations as there is no likely culture education one gets when he starts. Most of the new joiners learn about the culture with time(Though this is how mentoring happens) I favor a culture tour by someone very senior in the team, if someone like a CXO or head of the team can give a cultural walk through it can help the team member understand the team in the following days more effectively. Ideally a cultural tour should be split into multiple days and people [most of these key executives of the company or team]. If a new joiner doesn't understand a culture, he may not be able to contribute effectively. More less if he is a culture unfit.. it may hurt the team long run.

3. Vision

One of the most confusing factors I found joining previous organizations I worked in was lack of information on vision and strategies. I don't say that they don't exist, but if they don't flow out to the new and old members it causes a sort of confusion and clarity issues from a futuristic perspective. A sight of vision from various teams needs to be given to the boot camp members.. like Product Development road map, Technology road map, Services road map, company vision, local office vision. All of this helps the members to accommodate and build expectations accordingly.

4. Deep dive

Well nothing is more easier than getting a developer look at the code and start fixing bugs. The initial days of the boot camp should be architecture and code walk through to the boot camp members by Sr. Tech architects of the team and the process should involve them to do bug fixing right from development to release of what they have fixed. There is nothing more motivating than to see how your bug fix has made to the production and is helping a few customers on the product even before you get into the mainstream development.

6. Mentor

A new joiner needs to know who is mentoring him. A designated member needs to be definitely a key old member of the team who can help the new joiner get booted sooner and with less issues.

Apart from that there are many things the boot camp can contain, those few I found always helpful are listed down:

1. Get the new joiners trained by only senior members of the team. They are in a state to answer queries and they can guide well.

2. A view of infrastructure, tools , product and production environment should be done both by theory and action.

3. Get them assignments that can let them see how they impact the product even before they get to work in the mainstream teams.

4. Introduce them in steps to the entire organization fraternity, so that they can approach who they need to.

5. Get them a place where there trainings can see real time action. Once we put a new joiner in a war room where we were fixing some critical production issues.. Wont believe he till date has been key in getting most production issues handled by himself.

6. Make them fix bugs that they see, and that means those bugs that they see in the code no letting others to fix them in future.

7. Let them see a list of development items they can work on, so they can choose the best they find for themselves. If you are too small for this, then explain why certain project / module is best for them.

8. Keep the boot camp in work area so people can over hear and learn.

9. Do throw challenges at new joiners and ask them for improvements needed in process, tools and products.. they have a best view when they come from outside and this can definitely let them see those issues that you don't.

10. Let them walk free so they can do different things and ask different questions, let them challenge and get challenged.

11. Most of the new joiners somewhere have a feeling of insecurity when they look the surroundings, work etc in the early days of joining.. have regular meetings with them and address these insecurities. A boot team can get these issues in bulk.. but if not then have it handled together.

12. Always apply the same boot process for everyone in the team. This will ensure that all of them have a similar understanding when they join. the roles they play later can be different after the booting is successful.

13. Offer them to quit after the bootcamp.... I read this in Delivering Happiness by Tony Hseish... after the initial training he would offer the new joiners to pick a sum and quit if they did not like the work or team or company. This ensures that you have the guys who want to be with you and not those who would crib all their lives as they got into you. Earlier they leave better for you.

For all of the 10 you need to plan a few days and small exercises not just on technology but also on different topics so that they can alter themselves to the teams. All these exercises should definitely involve old and semi old team members.

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The inspiring friday tale - How to be happy at work

The Friday that passed away last was highly inspiring, believe me not all Fridays are very good part of my days for a few reasons like I like to be in Office and work, I feel pressure to complete all those incomplete things I have left over the week to be completed on the weekend, I find Friday nights lazy and Saturday and Sunday mornings dead as kids have no school on the weekends and everyone at home sleeps till late.. So what is it that made my Friday happpy and inspiring? (Catch the extra p in Happy yet?), well I had 3 reasons for it and I am going to blog about each of these reasons in the Friday's that make me Happy series, So let me tell you what those 3 things were so that we can continue our discussion further :

1. YT our Tech Architect gave us an eye opener, On Software Quality

2. I met an EX-MLA and got some lessons and tips about politics and life - Very fruitful and inspiring

3. I found a few more ways to be Happy at work

So taking a regular approach I think I will begin with the 3rd... In the middle of the day on Friday the 18th, I took some time off from office so I can visit a physician for my wife, on our way back we found a old time friend waiting by-side of the road for a Bus and offered him a lift home. I give a bit of our conversation before we operate it and I tell you my reasons to blog...

This conversation is post our greetings ;)

Me : "How are you doing?"

Him : "Okay, You tell me"

Me : " I am good.."

Me : "Where are you working these days? and hows work?

Him : "I work for a Software Company, XXXXX we are into blah blah etc etc" [Half of India works for Software companies so this was no brain teaser]

Him : "My Work? I Simply love it" And I noticed a broad flash smile on his face [This surprised me, half the people from the industry I meet are either whining about how there company is not good or there managers are ruining there lives...]

Me : "Cool" - My inner curiosity was killing me... I wanted to know the reason behind the smile and also wanted to find out what is it that the organization was doing that he was feeling so Happy...

Him : "I have learnt to be Happy"

Me : "Hmmmmm... so what is it?" - I have to say that Zappos has got me so inspired that I am trying to find all possible ways of building great cultures and happiness in the team and honestly I wish to imply every single thing that can benefit our teams too...

Him "Nothing, There are so many small things we do and we should take pleasure about.. why Whine, when you can feel Divine"

Believe me... the words made my day... This also comes because one of a fellow colleagues a day ago had asked me "What keeps you motivated to write a blog? there are so many issues, work load etc etc".. Though I answered "Passion" I know that there is much more.. I just think what inspired me to feel proud about is worth sharing here...

Yes.. I have found a way to keep myself Happy... and that Happiness really turns back to wherever I am ... at work, at home or any other place.. I have always been like this and these are the things that I do to be like this... i.e. Happy

1. Read a book unrelated to your profession

Reading is always a blessing, I have learnt this with experience... it has helped in knowing new things and new ways of doing things. A lot of us are scared looking at the breadth and width of the books but let me tell you it is not bad once you get in..

I made atleast 18 attempts before I actually started loving reading. Now reading keeps my momentum at work.. The recent book I am reading is "Worshipping false Gods" [A book targeted towards Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's life and decisions by Arun Shourie a BJP leader] . Prior to that I finished "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hseish [This is more related to my work, culture but inspired me a lot]. Reading really keeps you involved and I am sure that if it is away from what you do regularly this will keep you busy in the evenings.

P.S. Don't start with Leadership and self help books, if you are not a regular reader.. start with Fiction or some suspense thriller novel...

2. Go visit an art gallery, Museum,

This will blend you into the oceans of art.. some paintings, some art work.. just go visit it once every while. A visit to a aquarium or a sports ground or a museum is also not bad... I visited the Kelkar museum 2 weeks ago.. and learnt a lot about Pune city's irrigation setup. Amazing I must say... A few weeks ago to the renovated Deccan Gymkhana grounds and took a tour.. you know the history and the players associated with it..

3. Watch Movies

I watch a lot of movies. 2 new movies a minimum a week. This keeps me busy, I know one of my weekend nights is going to be watching a good actor play things. Movies inspire you to improve yourself...as in watching a sports centric movie always blesses me to do more exercises, watching Sean Connery, Amitabh Bacchan, Aamir Khan and Tom Hopkins get me improve my style [include all the Hindi players within too]. Sometimes running into Operah's and plays will also keep you Happy.

4. Blog your experience

Write about it. The more you write the more you improve.. Sharing is a new way of learning and blogging is a really nice experience.

5. Swim

It heals you. Believe me. If you cant find time to swim everyday, try and use your weekend to swim... I haven't seen another best way to relax oneself than swimming.

6. Exercise

A daily exercise or a morning walk can really really get you excited for the entire day. I have noticed that if the mornings begin early and start with a exercise they are surely going to turn you into a motivated factory ready to face the challenges of the day smartly and patiently. I treat Yoga in this section also.

7. Take a walk in the neighbourhood and find 20 things that you had not seen in your last walk.

Well not just neighbourhood, try this on roads and places.. you will find amazing changes and the effect of those changes too. I had done this in office building and noticed some changes that should be termed interesting, people, behaviors, attitudes and choices.. really inspires you... if you maintain the list you would find it worth reading a few years/months later.. if you want to make it easy... capture them in pics.

8. Sport

Stick to a sport.. cricket, soccer.. play it. Just don't watch it. Worst case watch it when it is played and not on TV. Sport is one of the best way to build patience, aggression and winning spirit all at same time.

9. Bowling Alley?

Go hit it once a while... this will bring flavours of joy in your routines.

10. Try an Adventure

Bungee jumps, adventure sport, rock climbing or scuba diving.. whatever you can do... ensure you do it once every few weeks.

11. Surprise your spouse, colleagues

With surprising elements... take them for a uncalled lunch or gift them something that they weren't expecting. This will keep them looking for you on what you would do next and in general improvise your confidence on doing creative things. Also it helps one gets creative.

12. Say a Thank You

A Thank you a day helps. See the smile that you would give someone who did good to you.

13. Donate your books, clothes

See how others would benefit from your unused belongings.

14. 1 Act of Random Kindness to your colleague

As it says... do this... A few kind words, a few polite and kind actions towards others..

15. Share your knowledge, even if not asked

Because if you do this.. you would learn more and the value of giving will earn you more....

So why not try and do a few things like this... there are more that I would want to share... but I guess I will keep them coming as we move on....

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Say NO TO AGILE

I had a 15 minute debate today with a very good friend. While I started this blog, I had just finished the conversation and while I finish this blog I have decided to give him a call and tell him DONT THINK OF AGILE..To give a bit of a background to this... I received this call just 30 minutes ago where a friend banged greetings and then asked "Is this Agile any good?".. A few questions and I was sure that Agile is not working for him... Going over those thoughts and discussions I really feel pity when people without understanding the need, necessity and requirement of Agility rule out the benefits, perks and values of Agility. I have no hesitation in saying that Agile is not just about a process... I think Agile is more than a attitude... And if you want to find and enjoy benefits of Agile.. you need to be prepared to learn, invest and work on Agile Teams.

So what are those things that should act as a hint to you.. so you can make this decision to say NO TO AGILE? As a manager, lead, stakeholder, product Boss or CEO.. you definitely need to understand when and where you SHOULD NOT do Agile...

1. When your Sr. Management thinks every feature has a fixed number of developer days.

2. When your Organization thinks that a product is just fully ready as a requirement document or mockup is

3. When any of the following do not understand what Agile is CEO, CTO, Product Manager, Development Lead

4. When any one in your team thinks Agile is ONLY for co-located teams

5. When anyone in your team thinks Agile means no due date

6. When anyone in your team thinks Agile is a PROCESS and it should be strictly followed

7. When anyone in your team thinks PROCESSES and reports make products and Agile is just another one

8. When your Product owner does not know how to progress with the product

9. When your product team thinks that the feature can evolve as the development proceeds

10. When your product team does not document clearly on what they need from development

11. When your development think that Agile is for extended development time

12. When your developers value completion of feature more than quality of the product

13. When your development is only about coding once and re-visiting back only when needed.

14. When Agile is just not going down your throat.. and you are making decisions in your team.

15. When Agility is only for a brand new product development

16. When Agile is a way to hide your incompetence and quality issues

I asked my friend to revaluate WHY Agile.. and then decide to do Agile or not... Do you think it is a right suggestion?

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Passion

Post the last scrum a day before,I asked this question to YT and Vaibhav "Are our scrums valuable?" One reason asking that question was for the last few days/ months we are discussing "What we do" and nothing more... Over a last few months we have never discussed things that would make life of our users effective... In other words "We are not fighting for our users". The discussion led to several things and turned down to Passion and Negligence... I decided to take each of these in my blogs on these issues... The lack of passion in making attempts to think different, do different, help easing up lives of other and at the same time JUST not doing our jobs been very close to my heart, I took that part back to my home so I can think on it and see what we can improve... and when in the night I was strolling on my regular reads... I cam across this post Seth Godin made title "Are you doing a Good Job" -

He says "I come in on time, even a little early. I do what the boss asks, a bit faster than she/he expects. I stay on time and on budget, and I'm hardworking and loyal." ..

Well you run an eye through your office you will definitely have some bunch that matches this criteria.. but is this what takes you to become a cool organization? a cool team? Nopes... if this attitude is carried, then even if you work with Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, Mark Zuckerburg or Evan Williams you are not going to be able to make a Google, Twitter or facebook.. you probably may make one product for whom you do not care if it makes money and fame as others as long as you earn your monthly salaries... I don't say that doing all of the above means nothing... I think it means a lot. But does that add value to anyone else? Well people argue... I don't need to do anything new to add any value to anything... I just stick to my time and task and I can still improve things. "Yes" you can, but "Can you?" I believe when you are in such routines... you loose the focus easily (Something I believe we have lost in the last few months just doing the routine chores).

What makes a team different and an individual outstanding is the attitude when he starts to bring more value to the Team, to self and to others through what he does... It is not about what extra you can do, it is about what thing you can do that can help everyone else be more effective. What Seth writes here is what it actually means

"What aren't they asking me to do that I can do, learn from, make an impact, and possibly fail (yet survive)? What's not on my agenda that I can fight to put there? Who can I frighten, what can I learn, how can I go faster, what sort of legacy am I creating?"

Thinking over this I am sure you as Managers have come across some of these type of arguments...

"I was only asked to do this and so I did this"

"I cant spare more time at work, I have a family"

"I don't think I want or would like to do it... it is not my area"

"I am not sure if I should do this"

However have you come across something like this?

"Well, Look here I just made this and I think this can really help our developers"

"Eureka!!!! See what I made for you..."

Its the attitude to do different and outstand... and that is the attitude that I learn Tony Hseish and Fred had and why they could make Zappos a success.. - When you are passionate about doing things and improving lives of others, you build A culture, A legacy.

I recently heard an argument from someone that if I am not going to keep growing and earning more and more regularly, I wont be able to keep the momentum or passion within.. I need X, Y and Z as minimum things to help me keep upbeat... My thoughts on this was that if you need X,Y and Z to do better,there are a lot others who can also do the same if they get X,Y and Z. Passion is not haunted by needs, it is inspired by willingness. I think it is more than XYZ.. it is what and how you align what you give to get what you want... The passion to improve things helps anyone to grow... The counter argument was "Managers always want there team to do more, is More what you call passion?" I think NO.. many people do not realise that the attitude to contribute lends them borrow suitable experience and growth.. in short run this growth can be Money or perks, In long run this growth is Knowledge, Wisdom and Respect along with a lot of Money. If you are not passionate.. you may grow in wealth, maybe somewhat in Knowledge... but what you will lack is the Juice in life... The juice that will keep you flowing and glowing.

So go back and answer these questions...

When was the last time you did something that was not told or asked from you and You did it and feel proud about?

When was the last time you think you improved life of your peer by doing something really great?

When was the last time you felt happy about your work you are doing?

When was the last time you appreciated your own work?

When was the last time you knew you were wrong and accepted it?

When was the last time you improved on the mistakes you did when no was watching you?

When was the last time you said something to yourself and it meant good?

When was the last time you failed and wanted to succeed on the failure?

When was the last time you wanted to learn something on your own?

When was the last time you wake up, thinking today I will make our product users life better?

When was the last time you said this feature can turn the life of our product and I can do it?

When was the last time you said This is the best quality product / code I have written?

When was the last time you said "Lets improve?"

When was the last time you badly wanted to improve?

I am sure you will find your answers... if you don't, lets find it together...

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The Myths of 2G Spectrum and the Reality - My View

Referring to my previous post and an email I saw from a colleague.. forced me to write this post up... The entire post is made up of those thoughts on how I analysed the whole 2G spectrum thing and one reason I write this post in this blog is also due to the fact that as Leadership and as Authentic leaders many of the leaders have to sit in chairs of victims just because the myths become allegations and truth is un-revealed.

For those of my friends who are not in India and do not know about this can just click here and find relevant material to read... so here is how I see the whole 2G spectrum scam, before I do that I think it is also important for people to first understand the core of economics... I am glad today that a few of those lectures I attended in my Commerce graduation help me understand this better...

What is a Spectrum?

Well I am sure as a good googler you would have done a search and gone to the wikipedia definition of Spectrum here... I just want to put it in a sporty kid language... to me Spectrum is how various waves transmit the intensity... or just say these are various types of waves that carry signal... more generally this is how our data [Voice, data etc] will be carried faster [Internet, telephone, satellite signals etc]... a deeper but more precise way to see spectrum is watch the rainbow colors that are omitted when you expose your eye to see sunlight through a diamond... In this case where we are dealing, it is all about technology and physics, so it is a natural and a scarce resource.... the logic of advanced technology and demand / supply rules make it scarce.

What is demand / Supply?

I am sure you know this.. if supply is less and demand more... you know what happens.... You shell a lot of money out, don't you?

However if the demand is less and the supply is less.... it is called scarcity of a resource... something that becomes important when an advanced technology comes in and improvises the supply...

Why demand/supply is important here to discuss?

Well going the laws of (fr)economics, spectrum would have had no such issue if the resources would have less demand in future.. but with Technology it appears that the spectrum is going to be one elastic resource that will have ability to generate more and more supply as technology enhances [Nothing like petroleum, which can have less supply some time in future]

How does Spectrum licences happen?

At least from an Indian standpoint a spectrum is allocated based on various approaches..

• 1. First come first server [Whoever is following a set of criteria and comes first to approach wins the license]
• 2. Auction [A regular tender process, whoever bids more gets its]
• 3. Specific criteria driven [If you have X and Y as initial basic criteria then you can get it ]

In case of 2G spectrum license allocation it appears that the first come first serve was used.. means whoever approached first got the license.. the same method A. Raja's predecessor has applied...

So then what is the scam here that opposition parties and media is hyping about?

Well in this case of 2G spectrum license allocation, it is said that though A. Raja applied the same method as his predecessors he did not apply it in as in format.. he did some changes[some conditions changed] that would benefit only a few telecoms companies... How much this makes sense? Well it could... if somebody asks for X money to make sure that the Y conditions are put so XYZ companies get the license...

Does this mean Raja has not taken any money?

As far as I have followed up the news and details... NO.. there is no allegations so far that Raja or anyone else has taken out of these licenses... There are speculations that there is some money stashed in for changing the dates and criteria...

So where does the 1.76 lakh crore figure come from?

Well when the government decided to release the 3G spectrum licenses they realized the potential money an auction could have got for the 2G spectrum also... all the hype the media and some of the opposition is making is about this figure and not actually any corruption figure.. of course the conversations between Nira Radia and others that have been released over Internet and media just adds different flavors to the issue, but it still doesn't mean that there has been X money taken by Y...

So if government loss 1.76 lakh crore, it means people lost that money or it was people's money?

Hell NO... A lot of if's and but's here... but here is my simple understanding on this...

Option A

If an auction was held for a 2G spectrum:

say auction costs the telecom company at 100 Rs

The Infrastructure costs them 50 Rs

The 100 Rs would earn the telecom company Rs 30 in 5 yrs

means total costs for telecom company is 180 Rs.. now to cover this 180 Rs I am sure the 2G services will cost say 2 Rs per customer... of course this would include some profits for the telecom company..

Option B

If given on the first come first serve

say auction costs the telecom company at 50 Rs

The Infrastructure costs them 50 Rs

The 50 Rs would earn the telecom company Rs 15 in 5 yrs

means total costs for telecom company is 115 Rs.. now to cover this 115 Rs I am sure the 2G services will cost say 1 Rs per customer... of course this would include some profits for the telecom company..

So who earns more? customer? who pays more if auctions are costlier.. customer?

What is the real issue?

I believe the leaked conversations, media hype, a bit of uncontrolled developments, lack of understanding, speculations, a berg of corruption of course and a lot of miscommunication and transparency issues...

• Spectrum licenses should have been first analysed.. not by A. Raja but also by the previous governments and should have made sure that we take foot steps or analysed steps other countries used in this process...

• There should have been a clear picture of what , how and where the licenses were granted to whom and why.

• There should be a clear statement from government that the cheaper the spectrum , the cheaper it is expected to cost people.
  
  
• The corrupt and the ones in radar as expected needs to be bought to papers...

I hope I tried to be as much detailed as I could... I am sure there are different views on this... but I understand... a lot of times leaders and managers make decisions based on circumstances... it is easier to blame it afterwards... but nobody wants to make the decision in the first place, and if some do.. people want to blame it on their frustrations....

So if Dhoni puts Nehra to bowl first is no different to me then Raja putting the license granting method... the resource waste that has happened in this process may be linked to people's money... but believe me in case of 2G spectrum... it would have cost the people a fortune if there was a big auction fight for the licenses....

P.S

This is my personal view on the whole spectrum thing and I dont endorse anyone to be innocent or accused, all this matter is in court of law and it will take it due course to punish the one's responsible.

I also maybe wrong in my analysis, but what I have analysed is based on the facts that are available to me over so many internet sources and news and the little economic understanding.

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