Google Glass - A game changer?

Google Glass, which will most likely be the first product to hit the wearable-computer market has created quite-a-buzz, not all of which is positive. Tech analysts are divided over how successful Google Glass would actually be.

This big-hype isn't surprising and the timing can't be more perfect. The Smart Phone era seems to be nearing its end as new phones offer marginal improvements over existing technology and consumers are demanding new innovations. These hypotheses are strengthened by the latest the global mobile sales data for first quarter for 2013, which reported marginal sales growth (0.7%)  with Asian markets - where a significant untapped market still exists -  accounting for nearly 50% of the sales.

Let's start with the product manufacturing - Google recently announced that Google Glass will be manufactured by FoxConn in U.S. and not China. This move has sent mixed signals about where the pricing is likely to be. This is not the first time that Google has decided to move manufacturing to the US. Not too long ago, Google had decided to manufacture Nexus Q home entertainment device in US. The argument at the time was that speed was more important than cost, and since Nexus Q was not expected to sell in high numbers, the move made sense. So if the same logic holds and given significantly higher cost of manufacturing in the US, Google might not be expecting to sell Google Glass in high numbers, which indicates that the Google might be targeting a smaller market and the pricing might hover around the $1500 mark as some analyst have predicted.

On the other hand, If Google were to go for the mass market, Google Glass has to be priced around $500. In such a scenario, production in China may make more sense as far as costs are concerned, however, safeguarding intellectual property by manufacturing in the U.S. and quickly responding to match consumer needs - i.e. speed -  may also be a key considerations. FoxConn, which is a trusted partner for many technology companies has significant experience in mass manufacturing, which signals that Google Glass may be marketed as a mass-market product. It is possible that initially Google might opt to ration Google Glass by making it available in small batches to retailers and gradually moving production to China as bugs in Google Glass are fully ironed out.

On the software side, ecosystem that Google builds around Glass will be critical to its success. Similar to the razor blade model that was pioneered by Apple for its IPhone, Google is likely to get users to pay for premium applications, while certain basic applications may be available for free. Long term success of glass will be highly dependent on type of applications available to Glass owners.

A research firm estimated adoption of Google Glass at around 10 million between 2012 and 2016 in an optimistic scenario and at around 1 million in a more pessimistic scenario. I am not surprised by the huge variability in the estimates, especially because of lack of clarity on pricing and likely adoption rate

The lack of clarity on adoption rate is because of two reasons - 1st - the privacy concerns that the Google

Glass is likey to raise. A mass-adoption or negative incidents may lead to regulatory changes, which may deter further adoption and thus, adoption estimates. 2nd - competitive response - first the competitors aren't limited to technology firms such as Sony, Apple, Microsoft and Samsung that are likely to introduce wearable computer-watches but also companies that provide other alternatives such as wearable cameras - GoPro Hero or Recon MOD. Market for wearable cameras was estimated at $200MM in 2012. How will these competitors innovate to match Glass is yet to be seen.

Personally, I am very bullish on Google Glass. It's an exciting product. It's not perfect yet, but it has great potential  and to make my case for a high-adoption rate, I offer the following 2 pictures taken at St. Peter's Square in 2005 and 2013  

Anti Big-Data Strategy: Opportunity or Survival tactics?

In case you haven’t caught on to the new buzz word  in the business world, let me break it to you – it’s “Big Data”.  Consider the following fact – 90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone. This data may include search queries on Google, clicks on Facebook (Brands and organizations on Facebook receive 34,722 “Likes” every minute of the day) , tweets on twitter (Twitter processes 7 terabytes of data every day), purchase transaction records (Wal-Mart handles more than one million customer transactions every hour)… the list is endless.

Analysis of this “Big data” has helped generate big profits for companies. Consider Google’s search business for example, where speed is a key success metric.  Google’s search system can predict a query before it is fully typed based on aggregating the billions of searches it gets each day. Wal-Mart is another “Big-Data” pioneer. Wal-Mart uses predictive analytics to better identify customer preferences on a regional basis and stock their branch locations accordingly.  This analysis helped Wal-Mart outdo their competitors, much to its shareholder’s delight.

Big Data is now finding applications in other fields as well, such as FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) Monitoring and flu spread prediction. It’s no wonder then that investors put a high value on big data (Facebook’s $67 billion market capitalization is a testament to that fact). So, if you’re a start-up aiming to compete against industry giants with “Big data”, does that put the start-up at a significant comparative disadvantage? The answer is more complicated that a simple Yes and No.

Let’s analyze the stakeholders involved in the process – There are individuals like you and me, who are constantly feeding companies with data, then there are companies who own the data and hire data scientists who analyze the data and provide insights, which companies use to drive more revenues. The entire process is dependent on individuals willingly providing and allowing analysis of data.

By analyzing your personal data companies can easily infer facts such as such as an individual showing early signs of Parkinson’s disease, or that an individual is unconsciously drawn toward products of a particular color.  As an individual shopper, would you be comfortable with companies utilizing such information to drive their profits?

Privacy concerns relating to use of “Big Data” are already being voiced. Ovum, a research and consulting firm, in a recent survey of about 11,000 people across 11 countries, found that 68 percent said they would use a do-not-track feature if it was easily available on a search engine.  The survey tells me two things – first, people place a high value on their privacy and second, there is an opportunity to serve segment of customers that value how companies use their personal data (any start-ups listening?)

The “Big Data” era will be turbulent and exciting as legal departments and business managers walk a thin line to balance privacy concerns with big data insights, while investors realize true returns on their bets on big data. As an article in Standford Law correctly states – The tasks of ensuring data security and protecting privacy become harder as information is multiplied and shared ever more widely around the world. Information regarding individuals’ health, location, electricity use, and online activity is exposed to scrutiny, raising concerns about profiling, discrimination, exclusion, and loss of control - Despite the risks and concerns, I don’t expect big companies to implement stringent data-use policy anytime soon

Fall-A at Michigan Ross: What did I learn and unlearn?

Exhilarating! I guess that word sums up my Fall A experience at Ross. To evaulate how I did during a particular period, I like to do what I term as the "Wise test" - I  ask myself a simple question - Am i wiser now than i was at the start of the period? The answer for me is a resounding YES!. At end of Fall A, I am amazed how much I've learned in matter of a few months.

Biggest surprise for me? - It was how much i enjoyed Accounting. Majority of my work before Ross did not involve high-level accounting and I always figured Accounting and Finance are probably not the subjects I'd enjoy or excel at. Surprise! Surprise! - I not only enjoyed Accounting but I was also good at it. Majority of the credit goes to Professor Greg Miller, who i think is an artist. He forced us to think beyond the numbers and formulas and question the underlying assumptions.

My fondest academic memory during Fall A was from Prof. Miller's class. In one of our cases, I found myself against the popular opinion. When we started, some classmates sided with me, but soon. I was the only anomaly who disagreed with the entire class. I believed that I had a sound argument to support my beliefs, but Prof. Miller kept encouraging my peers to take a dig at my assumptions. At the end - My assumptions were right and Prof. Miller had just orchestrated the collaborative attack to showcase how executives budge under pressure and make wrong decisions.

Other classes I really enjoyed were Strategy, Economics and Statistics. Wait a minute? Did I just list all the classes I took in Fall A? Hmm.. I guess I did enjoy this amazing learning experience at Ross. Professor Clyde, Ethiraj and Ahn were simply amazing at their subjects.

The other side of the experience is of-course recruiting. Yes - MBA1s have to hit the ground running early. I utilized Fall A to learn about firms, polishing my resume, ironing my story and attending networking events. This part of my experience is actually counter-intuitive. In India, recruitment always happens at the end of the course wherein the firms come and pick candidates and networking is minimal (if any at all).  Thankfully, there is amazing help available at Ross to unlearn whatever we know of networking and learn the American-way to build and sustain long-lasting, rewarding relationships. I've got tremendous support from Indian MBA2s who have gone through similar experiences. It's amazing how supportive and collaborative Indian community is at Ross.

Did I tell you I was the Associate Director for India Business Conference at Ross? - We hosted many amazing guests such as Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh; Toos N. Daruvala, Senior Partner at Mckinsey and Mr. Manoj Bhargav, the founder of 5-hour energy. 

As far as social aspect is concerned. I have met some really smart, down-to-earth people at Ross. There are multiple-friends I can count on - but you already knew that about Ross isn't it? 

Other highlights of Fall A for me? - Getting elected as International/Cultural Diversity Chair for my section. I believe that international students bring amazing experiences and It is important to provide a supporting environment, where internationals feel comfortable to share and ask questions (which is often counter-intuitive for many internationals). So what did I do? - I collaborated with my good friend Onrej (Co- International Diversity Chair) - to launch a unique "Buddy program" to pair Internationals with Locals. It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out in the next 2-3 months. I'll post updates on the blog.

Best advise? - One of the advice I got from a MBA2 in Fall A that really resonated with me was - Take your experiences and own them! - The fact that you're at Ross means that you have something great to offer. By end of Fall A, I've realized that I am my own biggest supporter. I am glad to have amazing MBA2s to help me excel.  Some of the MBA2s actually go out of their way to help you. That's what Ross spirit is all about - when you can't pay it back, you pay it forward. 

The next few months are going to be crucial for me as I try to balance studies and case competitions with recruitment. Am I excited?  - ABSOLUTELY!  .

Consulting Network gets Gold Certified!

Consulting Network was recently Gold Certified by http://nerdydata.com; This means that Consulting Network gets more traffic than 99% of other websites they index.  The users are diversified across the globe - See map below.

I hope we can keep the momentum going!

The fag end of fall..

 Hurry, or you'll miss out" we're told, as if our all-fired hurry in life was not the principal reason we missed out ~ Via #twitter

At Ross, you can be extraordinary...

  

A lovely video depicting all the great things you can accomplish at Ross and change the world..

A2 Magic

Captured this one on my way back from School...

Sunshine! - Captured this one on my way back from FedEx center

First Football game at the Big House

What an experience!

Ann Arbor & More...

 I found this interesting on quote on one of the ceilings at many picturesque spots in Ann Arbor

More magic, please.