Bright Possibilities

Author: Murali

  • Fitness and Togetherness – thanks to Girls on The Run

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    A few weeks back, my 11 year old daughter came home with a form requesting us to sign and acknowledge that she can join the Girls on The Run. At first I was surprised when I read that 4th and 5th grade girls are going to attempt a 5K run. I do not recall attempting a 5K…

  • Startup Ecosystem in Seattle – perspectives

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    Today I was reading Sandi MacPhearson’s Medium article discussing Startup Ecosystem mentions that Seattle is lagging behind other places. Compass’  group report on global startup ecosystem provides more depth. Over the past year I had been more exposed to startups in Seattle area. Now that I am in a startup and advising a few startups, I can reflect on the learnings. Seattle…

  • Tax filing experience from Turbo Tax keeps getting better

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    It is that time of the year for folks working and earning in USA. I am not a constitutional expert; but this much I understand. Come Apr 15th (or around there) we have to complete filing the tax returns to ensure that what may be due as per reams of legislation makes it to the…

  • Light Rail in Tacoma – simple and convenient

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    Yesterday, on Apr 16th, we had a wonderful experience with the Light Rail system in Tacoma. I would love for such experience to be more common in Bellevue, WA. I visited Tacoma to have my son attend the Washington State Chess tournament held at the Convention Center.. We were asked to park near the Tacoma…

  • Imagination and creativity at display by students at Wenatchee

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    On Apr 2nd, we attended the Washington State event for Destination Imagination at Wenatchee. 91 teams from across the state were in attendance. I observed fantastic creative work from the students across the state. I was also excited to have my daughter participate in one of the teams. A few teams used “leaf blowers” to construct hover-board for the…

  • High school students apply for summer internships

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    Spark SIP connects aspiring high school kids in the Greater Seattle area to internships with small companies, universities and enthusiastic coaches. This year I joined this program as both an advisor. I am gratified to see several entrepreneurs step up to sponsor projects including Sensoria, AppSheet, 9-mile labs, 6crickets, and Quantyzd. The season has started very well – we…

  • Build to last longer

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    Today I read an excellent article on building weatherproof companies. The author focuses on founder CEOs and advices them to think about longevity through learning fast, strong culture, real board / advisors, an excellent execution cadence, and handling the monsters of the mind. There are two principles I had held high in my work –…

  • Investing and Prioritizing for Products without shouts – CSI method

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    In big companies and small companies, we are always brimming with many ideas but limited time or people to get work done. There are many ways to organize the work list and at many different granularities. A few years back we were in a product planning session with literally 1000+ items to consider. Yes, spreadsheets are great…

  • Shape your habits – one small step at a time

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    We all have habits. We all desire to change habits. Sometimes it is daunting. However if we pause and think through the steps, we can change habits, which can change our character and our lives. Last month I read the Book: The Power of Habit. Charles Duhigg provides several examples to illustrate the science of habit formation…

  • Energy, engagement and early success in startups

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    In the past week, I spoke with founders and co-founders of startup companies. These companies are pursuing projects in diverse areas including internet-of-things, software-as-service for invoices and shipping, robotic games for consumers, novel application of sensors for physical environments, etc. The founders are bright, focused, and exude energy in their missions. They are mindful of the challenges…