Actions teach you more than opinions ever will

It's no contest

Are opinions useful? May be if you are a judge. Or a politician. A person in power.

For the rest of us, it's a point of view. May be some people will agree with your opinion. And others won't.

You're free to say what you wish. The real question is, will it make a difference?

It doesn't matter if the opinion is strong or weak. They're like notifications. And about as important.

Here's a simple example. You have an opinion about who should be selected for the Indian cricket team? Great. 

Are Indian selectors going to listen? Is your best friend going to agree?

One place where your opinion counts is a vote. Do you vote?

Or only have an opinion on that as well?

Actions are different. They show results. They bring about change.

'The world is flat' was an opinion. 'Humans can't fly' was an opinion in the previous century.

Actions shape the world, not opinions. 

People are what they do, not what they say. 

Maybe you have great ideas. Are you acting on them? And learning what works?

We fail often. Succeed occasionally.  

And this is the hardest part. Do you actually believe in your own opinion?

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Apply stock market principles to brand building

What is your mind share of customer interest? That's your equity.

The point from which you need to grow. It's tiny to begin with.

The best stocks consistently meet investor expectations 

Brands have to surpass customer expectations 

Investors hold stocks with long term growth potential

Brands who retain customers long term generate solid growth

The operative word is long term, not loyalty.

Investors are not loyal to stocks, but their own interests.

Ditto for customers.

Losing mind share equals losing market share. That's a slippery slope.

Mind share is harder to retain than retail shelf space.

Reputation drives stock value. Up slowly. Down in a flash.

Reputation drives brand value. The same conditions apply.

Reaching the top is easier than staying there 

Stocks with integrity can weather the bulls and bears

Brands with integrity can withstand customer churn.

The returns on investment are disproportionate.

But unpredictable. For stocks and brands.

Stock markets are not for the faint-hearted.

Neither is brand building

The best stocks command a huge price premium relative to their turnover

Customers are willing to pay a huge premium for the brands they value.

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How hard is it to sign out of Google?

I'm talking about mixed-up user experience here.

There was a time when you signed out of Gmail and you were done. Nothing else to bother about.

Now, other members of the family have accounts. And on the family computer, it's madness.

You may be signed out of Mail but not Photos. And what happens to GDrive?

You could be logged into YouTube with your Gmail account but your recommendations are off.

Then you notice another family member's logged in at the top corner.

Google brightly asks if you need to switch accounts.

A laundry list of all the user names of people who have logged in and off that computer appears. Including the friend who used it once.

With children logging in and out of Google Classroom accounts, its like the chaos that erupts in schools between one period and the next.

And if Mom's a teacher, its Indian Khichdi.

All mixed up with no clue as to what went in. 

But everyone's digging in enthusiastically. Crazy runarounds all day.

The fun begins when you sign into a new device. 

Google security throws a fit with notifications flying in all directions.

What's your Google sign out experience?

Sane or insane?