Wednesday, 3 February 2021

Can you tell what exactly did Amazon "invent'?

 


What you guys never thought of doing.

It isn't always about inventing things. What Amazon did can be simply termed as redefining the retail, continuously taking the shopping experience to newer levels.

                                 

Customer ratings and reviews, one click purchase, automated recommendations based on search and purchase history. These are few things that Amazon invented. There are also some technologies that weren't invented by Amazon but made more accessible, for example cloud computing and virtual assistants.



The best customer service is if the customer doesn't need to call you, doesn't need to talk to you. It just works.

#amazon an #amazing journey
It was predicted by a lot of economists, economic philosophers, and even research scientists back in the early 1900s that when Rockefeller had become insanely wealthy because of efficient manufacturing, the next biggest thing in the world would be efficient distribution, which was definitely done in the best way possible by Amazon.


This photo from 1998 brings back some great memories! [left-to-right with Junglee CEO Rakesh Mathur, COO Ram Shriram (& among first Google investors!), and Jeff Bezos

Monday, 1 February 2021

What are the best ways to slow aging and to look as young as possible?

 

  1. Get lean. If you’re above 20% body fat a a guy and above 25% bod fat as a gal, you’ll look a lot older. So drop the blubber.
  2. Build muscle. Muscle not only makes you look younger, it will make you a lot healthier. Muscle can slow aging and preserve a lot of strength and coordination in old age.
  3. Do your cardio. A healthy heart and a big “gas tank” have many benefits. I like burpees and martial arts. Pick something that gets your heart rate up and do it regularly.
  4. Stay natty and don’t hop on high doses of steroids. Without getting too much into detail, steroids will accelerate the aging process by upregulating IGF-1. This is a hormon that makes tissue grow. But tissue isn’t just only muscle…Cancer cells grow also from being exposed to IGF-1.
  5. Watch your diet. Eat clean 90% of the time. Veggies. Lean protein. Starchy carbs. Healthy fats that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
  6. Eat less meat and more plants. Meat, particularly red meat, has shown to produce TMAO when cooked. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), is then processed in your live when eating red meat and may lead to cardiovascular disease as well as cancer.
  7. Fast. Fasting has shown to regulate hunger and have a ton of different health benefits, such as cell regeneration.
  8. Get cold. Cold exposure has shown to activate longevity genes, increase blood flow and reduce inflammation. So, cold showers, exercising in the cold and ice beaths are on the menue.
  9. Sweat your balls off. Saunas, followed by cold showers have shown to reduce all cause mortality in many studies.
  10. No smoking. Obviously.
  11. Don’t microwave your food in plastic containers. Cancer cell builder No. 1. Avoid at all cost.
  12. Don’t get black out drunk and/or high regularly. Flooding your brain and body with drugs and alcohol, is neuro- and cell toxic, leading to all kinds of ageing processes.
  13. Less sugar. To much sugar can lead to ageing process and makes it hard to stay lean. Not because carbs make you fat, but because they make you incredibly hungry AFTER eating them, so you end up overeating regularly.
  14. Regulate stress and look after your mental health. Learn to calm your mind by taking deep breaths. The 4–7–8 method works wonders for me. Breathe out fully, then breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and then breathe out with a “whoosh” sounds for 8 seconds. Repeat three times. Works wonders whenever I’m stressed out, feel overwhelmed or unfocused.
  15. Keep your brian engaged, active and stay sharp as a tack. Read. Learn languages. Improve your memory. Stop googling everything and don’t rely online personas to make decisions and think for you.
  16. Tailor your nutrition to your genetics. Won’t get into all the details, but this is critical. Want to know why you digest certain foods better than others? Why do some foods give you nasty farts and stomache aches? Why do you get headaches? It might be, that you can’t stomach (pun intended) some foods, because your genetic makeup doesn’t conform with the food item.

Wednesday, 27 January 2021

He is a popular actor, but the true story behind his success will inspire you to pursue your dreams!


You probably have seen the popular 1976 movie Rocky before, and you know that it’s one of the most successful movies in history, but did you know all the struggles its protagonist and screenwriter, Sylvester Stallone, had to go through to reach his goals?

Rocky was the first movie starring Sylvester Stallone, it’s been realized with just $1 million budget and unexpectedly grossed more than $200 million at the box office.

But what’s the truth behind Stallone’s success? Let me tell you his extraordinarily inspiring story:

Everybody knows Sylvester Stallone, but just a few know the inspiring story behind his success.
A story about failure, rejection and the eventual achievement of his dreams.
A story that should inspire you to never give up your goals.

Have you ever wondered why he has such a “unique” expression? He was born paralyzed in the lower left part of his face. Furthermore, his speech had not the perfect diction you would expect from an actor.

In mid 1970s he went to New York to pursue his dream of being an actor, but he found nothing but closed doors. He was broke, so he had to sleep for three weeks at the New Jersey Bus Terminal.
He even had to sell his beloved dog, his best friend, for $25. This was the lowest point of his life.
One day, while watching a Muhammad Ali match, he got an idea for a screenplay. He worked on it without sleeping for a whole weekend, and after 3 days of work the script was ready.
One of the first offers he got were $125,000 for the movie rights, but the producers didn’t want him to act in it. But this wasn’t his dream and walked away.
He had the guts to refuse such an offer, even if he was so broke.

After a few weeks they offered $325,000, and he refused again. Eventually they consented him to act in the movie, but with a very low salary for a leading role, only $35,000.

Guess which was the first thing he did with that money? He tracked down the person he sold the dog to, and bought back his best friend, spending $15,000.

The dog also starred in the movie, you can see him in the famous scene with Rocky running up the stairs.

        (featured image by Towpilot)

Rocky grossed $200 million at the box office.
Stallone had to go through the hardest path to get where he was, but all the sacrifices eventually paid off.
“It ain’t about how hard you hit, It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving on. That’s how winning it’s done”

What this story teaches us is that if you want something badly enough and if you work harder than you can, you make the impossible possible.
Share this amazing story with your friends and inspire them to pursue their dreams.

What's a business idea that no one thought would work but ended up being successful?


This is probably the most powerful line, you’ll here on the internet today.

“No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come”

And this legendary company was one of them.

Apple

In 1997, 21 years after Apple was founded, the company hadn’t yet established itself as the empire, that it is today.


The stocks were being traded below value, and the company was worth less on paper than its actual existence. Employees believed that they would be acquired by the Sun. Michael Dell had suggested that the company shut shop and return investments to stockholders.

It was then that Steve Jobs returned as interim CEO (after being fired in 1985). After launching an elaborate internal campaign and inspiring employees, he began building the brand that redefined personal computing.

Apple faced a lot of struggles in his early years, but see the fruitful results now. So, keep going on and believe in your vision. That’s all.

Tuesday, 26 January 2021

How can I improve my decision making skills?

 

The same way Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg do.

Decision fatigue.[1]

Understanding this psychology principle will instantly improve your decision-making skills. Just how might surprise you.


To get stronger, you lift heavier weights.

To learn, you read more books.

To get fitter, you workout harder.

To make better decisions, you should…

Make fewer decisions.

We view decision making like any other activity. To get better, you must practice the skill, right?

This is not the case.

You should think of decisions as currency. Every day you begin with only so much. Yet, as soon as we wake, we start spending.

Should I wear the red shirt, or the white?

Toast or cereal for breakfast?

Watch television or listen to some music while eating?

Buy a coffee on the way to work or bring my own?

Decisions aren’t free, every single one is a withdrawal from your mental stamina. Once it’s spent, it’s gone for the day. These seemingly small decisions are slowly sapping your willpower and ability to decide. It’s why you can eat healthy all day only to fall victim to after-work temptations.

Your willpower is finite. Decisions are difficult cognitive tasks undertaken by your prefrontal cortex.

Fortunately, you already know the solution.

Make fewer decisions. It’s so simple, it’s almost hard to believe.

You need to take your small decisions seriously. These aren’t insignificant withdrawals, they add up. Remember, a leaking faucet wastes nine thousands litres of water a year.

Cherish your daily decision-making currency, don’t waste it on insignificant decisions.


By the way, did I mention habits?

Every habit you establish stops draining your willpower reserves and keeps your decision-making coffers topped up. Once you have established a habit, it works with you.

Many fitness enthusiasts will tell you they hated going to the gym, now you can’t get them away from the place. They actually enjoy the exercise, it costs little, if any willpower. This is the power of your habits.

Every habit you create will stop draining your willpower battery.

Make fewer decisions and create more habits.

Give it one month. That’s it. I guarantee it will change your life.

Just be sure to send me a message or leave a comment when the time’s up. I would love to hear about the positive change you’ve experienced.


If you have found this helpful, you can follow me on Facebook/Insta: AshokThoughts to learn more about improving your life. Thank you for taking the time to read this answer.

Footnotes


What is something that almost nobody knows about entrepreneurship?


He arrived in America with no money and with no formal higher education.

His parents decided to move the Carnegie family to the United States in 1848 after a famine hit the Scottish countryside. When he arrived in America at thirteen years old, he found a job that would pay him $1.20 for a 70-hour week.

During his free time, Carnegie read books loaned to him from one of the local libraries. (Later in his life, he never forgot how important these books were to his life, so he donated his money to building over 2,500 public libraries and important educational institutions around the world.)

When Carnegie was about 18 years old, Thomas Scott, the owner of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, employed him as a telegraph operator at a salary of $4.00 per week.

By age 24, Mr. Scott saw great potential in the young Carnegie, and asked him if he could handle being superintendent of a division of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He took the role, and his relationship with Mr. Scott grew stronger.

Mr. Scott later became Carnegie's mentor, which lasted until 1878, when Scott suffered a stroke that limited his ability to work. Despite this layoff in interaction, the relationship through the previous years changed Carnegie's future.

The experience gained working closely to Scott was a vital ingredient in his extraordinary success in the steel industry. Selling his company to JP Morgan would later make Carnegie the wealthiest man in the world and the extraordinary philanthropist he later became.


Now, to answer your question, what is something that almost nobody knows about entrepreneurship?

This is culinary school. It’s very “similar” to Mr. Andrew Carnegie's classroom.

How is it similar?

Chefs learn by doing. They test and practice. They burn food, and try again, and again, and again. They sometimes cut themselves, often it happens again and again.

People may know this, but hesitate to believe that … :

  • A college degree is not needed to become a successful entrepreneur. It’s been proven over and over again in history that this is true.
  • College teaches what has been done in the past, not what hasn’t. Entrepreneurs look forward. They observe the world around them and anticipate market trends.
  • The years and money people spend “writing papers” could be spent creating and starting a small business. People learn much more during one year in the startup world than the whole four years in college. Also, chances are, it will be cheaper.
  • “But starting a business won't guarantee any success!” True. Does any college guarantee you a job, or give you your money back? No! They take your money and run!
  • Many people think that they need an MBA to be a successful entrepreneur. False. An MBA is a “Master of Business Administration.” Let me translate what “Administration” means:
    Administration is running a business, NOT starting one.
  • Do you see anyone “cooking” here?

A chef is not a chef until he/she cooks something.

An entrepreneur is not an entrepreneur until he delivers value.

Get out of the classroom and start cooking!

Monday, 25 January 2021

How did Steve manage to “Think Different?”

 


Steve was a dropout, a rebel, but most importantly, Steve was FREE!

Steve enjoyed complete self-governance, total independence to be himself, and would never conform to or follow the crowd.

Steve was not a people pleaser. He was driven by his passion and vision, NOT by other people’s opinions.

Why don’t we have more Steve’s in the world?

Our Industrial Age educational system has one mission to accomplish:

STANDARDIZE!

The educational system tells us what to think, NOT how to think.

Indoctrination is oppressive, it kills creativity and innovation.

Indoctrination has been an effective way to mold people to fit the “status quo” and NOT challenge it.

Why doesn't the world see more creative geniuses?

Because we’re expected to follow the crowd.

To answer the question, what made Steve Jobs so special?

Steve was FREE from indoctrination!

Real education teaches you how to solve problems, how to create things, and most importantly, how to THINK DIFFERENT!

#BusinessSmart