The Goal

I just finished reading a book called 'The Goal' by Eli Goldratt.

http://www.amazon.com/Goal-Eliyahu-M-Goldratt/dp/0884271781/sr=8-1/qid=1169654572/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-8768742-2188469?ie=UTF8&s=books

Its a novel but has become best selling management book. Its a story about one Alex Rogo, who is a plant manger for a manufacturing company. His plant is making losses and going to be closed down if he does not turn it around within 3 months. Needless to say he turns it around into a profit making plant. But it was not simple. He thought, made changes in the plant and did troubleshooting with the help of his teacher cum friend Jonah.

This is simply one of the best books I have read. I learned following things from the book:

1. Many times solutions to problems are plain common sense but we are too tied up with what's called common practices that we either ignore them or don't dare to implement them.

2. We should not treat any organisation as something which you can improve by improving efficiencies of each individual of the organisation. Local optimus theory simply does not work. We need to ensure that individuals work well in syncronisation. Sometime it even helps a company if certain people are sittling ideal than trying to ensure that everybody works full time.

3. The book really gives a very good idea about how a company boardroom functions. How managers interact with their employees and how they manage a big company.

4. Also worth learning is how patiently Alex Rogo handles the family pressures and tries to bring her wife back when she leaves him as he could not give any attention to her.

Whoever among you runs some kind of business should read this book and if you run a manufacturing company or part of such company you must read this book. You can take my words for that.Please let me know your thoughts about the book if you read it or have read it already.

iPhone is here...

Apple decided to end the long running rumours when Steve Jobs in his keynote address at Macworld 2007 finally announced the much awaited iPhone (http://apple.com/iphone)




I watched the demos and keynote video on apple's site and I think it really has potential to be a revolutionary product.

Other highlights of the event were Apple rechristening itself as Apple Inc from earlier Apple Computers Inc and announcement of another interesting product called Apple TV (http://apple.com/appletv/)

Coming back to iPhone, its going to be available in 2 models:

1. 4GB model costing $499 with 2 yrs contract
2. 8GB model costing $599 with 2 yrs contract

Its going to be available on Cingular networks in USA starting June 2007, in Europe by the end of this year and in Asia in 2008.

Now talking about some unique features of the phone:

1. Simple design without keys and you don't need stylus to tap on the touch screen.
2. You can merge 2 simultaneous calls in a conferance with a few simple tapping on the screen
3. You can scroll without scroll bar
4. You can flip through pictures in your phone like you flip pages of a book
5. SMS, Text messages are displayed as chats in IMs
6. Sensor detects if you rotate the device and changes your portrait mode to landscape automatically
7. Light sensor adjusts brightness according to light around you
8. Proximity sensor detects when you move phone near your ears and switches off the display
9. You can zoom in and zoom out using a pinch motion on screen using your two fingers
10. It runs Mac OS X

There is lots to talk and know about iPhone, so I will suggest to watch Steve Job's keynote video for complete action. You can also read another blog for more details and pictures. iPhone announcement got a very encouraging reaction from stock markets as well, as apple's stocks soared on the bourses whereas stocks of other handset manufacturers like Nokia, Motorola and Samsung came down.

One thing which I don't like is that Apple does not offer an SDK for developers like us to develop applications for iPhone and I hope that changes soon in future. Read more - what's missing from iPhone.

Apple aims to have 1% market share of annual mobile sales(1 Billion) in 2008 and that's not a small expectation by any means so let's wait and watch if all the hype around the iPhone translates into real sales or not.

Update on 7th Many 08: Vodafone bringing iPhone to India in September 2008