Uncertainty is the new certainty
Which direction are we headed?
Remember making weekly, monthly and quarterly plans? We're learning to navigate when route maps have been erased.
When will we reach the peak of cases? Not sure.
When can children go back to school? Not sure.
The stack of questions without answers pile up.
The uninvited guest shows no signs of leaving.
What's the best way forward?
Get through one day at a time. Tackle what's on your list for today.
Tomorrow must wait. Even if it looks exactly like today.
We're learning to appreciate what we took for granted.
One country in the world has been extraordinary.
New Zealand. A photograph published online shows 43000 people gathered at a stadium watching a rugby match.
No masks.
The ordinary life is back. The place we all want to be.
And where we were a few months ago.
They have shown us it is possible to beat this thing that dominates our lives.
Not to play Russian roulette all day long, every time you step out.
But to get there, we have to embrace uncertainty. Till the virus exits.
Everyday, we woke up and dreamed of changing the world.
But when the world changed, we want to go back in time.
What 'ordinary' pleasure do you want to rush back to?
Pardon me, your desktop's showing
When you click the 'share' button to begin your presentation at a webinar, or on a Zoom call, your desktop stays visible for a few seconds.
All the attendees get to see what's on it.
Your choice of wallpaper. Programs. Or your pet. Animal or otherwise.
If you've got a long to-do list, they'll make other assumptions.
If your desktop is filled end to end with file and folder icons, that's like a trashy desk.
Or if an email notification pops up from your boss asking about a job, everyone will know.
Even before online sharing happened, there was a pause when desktops connected to the projector in conference rooms
You were a pro if you ensured the first slide was what the rest of the table saw.
The option was to hit the button 'b' on the keyboard and the screen would go blank.
That's why you should not be late to presentations. You give away far more than you think.
So you have two options. If you're on Windows, you'll need to do window dressing!
If you're on a Mac, there's Plim. In presentation mode, you can cover it all up
Are you one of the cool people who doesn't need one?
The time to experiment is now
Finding product market fit is nothing but a series of experiments. And there's no time like now.
Doctors on the frontline are experimenting with treatment options.
Product manufacturers are experimenting to find ways around new logistics bottlenecks.
The whole world is in laboratory mode.
And if you're waiting for things to settle down, you're falling behind the people trying new things everyday.
They're solving a problem they face now. Some ideas will succeed, others fail
The idea is to accelerate your learning curve, not withdraw into a shell.
Bounce simple ideas off people you trust.
Acquire a qualification you never had the time for.
Launch a product or solution on a small scale.
And even without instant breakthroughs, you'll progress.
Vegetable farmers formed new alliances and connections.
They took their products to apartments when wholesale marketplaces stopped functioning due to a Covid outbreak.
Local 'kirana' shops came to the rescue when e-commerce sites could not deliver.
Now residents say, they'll stick with the local shop who was there for them during a crucial time.
Bakers sold directly to apartment complexes.
Beauty parlors stayed in touch
WhatApp started getting used as a shopping aid. And merchants responded.
They chose to experiment. And that is the way forward. For all of us.