Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Organizational Scaling/Maturity and Over-Complexity

As companies mature and scale from the start-up phase, there is a need to add processes and procedures.  However, most organizations over-complicate the bureaucracy.  Complexity keeps growing along with the company.

To be healthy, complexity should taper off and become stable, while the company continues to grow/mature:




© 2020 Praveen Puri

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Wake Up! The World of Business is Changing Rapidly!

We're in uncharted territory.  It's a brave new world of social media, global competition, and no gate keepers.   All your employees touch customers and the outcome can be spread word of mouth around the world instantly.

Technology is exploding around us and change is accelerating.

Either you're great or a commodity - there is no middle ground for "good".

People and businesses need to tap their inner uniqueness and try new, creative things. We need to experiment and keep failing and succeeding.

It's all about connections - connecting with customers, suppliers, and partners to continually build more connections and goodwill.

All employees and entrepreneurs need to be artists, social media marketers, and connectors.

We need to learn creativity and improvisation.  We need to continuously create value in the moment.

© 2020 Praveen Puri

Good Programming Is An Art

Good programming is an art.

I've had disagreements about this with other software executives.  They think its not an art - its industrial age manufacturing: paint by numbers, drown everything in object oriented libraries, slap another contractor on the project and, bingo! you have success.

NO! 

In the old days, programming was an ART- done by talented mathematician / programmers who could code assembly, C, and knew how to succeed by omission.

Look at Forth - the secret is what you leave out!

That is why the Apollo mission could run on a fraction of the computing power in your iPhone.

Could not happen today:

1. With "programmers" on bloated Windows PCs using clunky build tools and slinging hash together from object oriented libraries.

2. Even worse - IT "management", with all it's crazy, bloated processes and procedures.  Projects get done inspite of all the CMM, six sigma b.s.

© 2020 Praveen Puri

Why You Need A Blog

I once thought a blog was good for directly making money - by selling your products and / or advertising.

Now, I know that's a terrible reason to have a blog - the world is saturated with play it safe, commercial blogs that everyone ignores.

No - I need to write this blog for me - as an outlet - to discuss my ideas and, sometimes as a catharsis.  Those are the posts I need to do - that are written in a frenzy of stream of conscious, improvisational nuggets.

I need my posts  to be art- to be authentic - uncensored. Need to capture my ideas, and put it out for the world.  

By being authentic to who you are, that is the way to attract like minded people, and connect with people. Not connect with any ulterior reason in mind - just the need to express and hopefully draw connections.

Anything worthwhile is accomplished in this fast, moving Attention-Scarcity Age by connecting and working together as artists.

© 2020 Praveen Puri

Play It Safe?

Why should we play it safe?

Why should we feel bad to compare ourselves and our results to others - why should we even compare anything to others?

Who says we are competitors?  That only happens if you have a carbon-copy, fungible commodity.

But, even if you and I wrote books on the same topic, they are not fungible - they speak differently - they have a different tune - resonance.  it is quite possible that my book's tune my appeal or affect another,  while yours might make an impression on someone else.

Why should we self-censor and beat ourselves down into a cog in the wheel?

For what?

When I'm afraid and think I should conform, I think of my kids - do I want them to grow up and conform - just be someone in the faceless crowd?  Or do i want them to shine and contribute to humanity - do the thing for which they are suited?

© 2020 Praveen Puri

Problem Solving in The Moment

Solve and brainstorm problems in moment - so its fresh.  Be moment driven.

When you are ready - just do it - no thinking - just start discussing ideas!

Get together and start discussing, thnk of possibilities, what could be the cause of the problem, and then try to figure out a way to prove or disprove your theories as soon as possible.

Do everything in the moment - 

if you want to write - just pick a topic, write, and let it go!

if want to consult, go to networking event, or make speech - then do it!

My daydream is to help people to effortlessly and joyously spread their ideas and create value in the moment.

© 2020 Praveen Puri

Corporations Need To Permit Creative Outbursts!

I've spent my life trading, developing software, and managing financial applications and teams that have to put out fires where billions of dollars were at stake.

Where I had enormous pressures put on me to get things done NOW - I got to bend bureaucracy, create in the moment, bypass all processes and procedures.

know what?  I succeeded

I'm not someone who thrives on processes and procedures - most of the time I'm bored - then, when firefighting happens, i shine!  I come alive!

With billions on the line, I'm the goto guy and they let me grab people, figure out what's going on, bypass processes and procedures,  and just do the work!

The sad thing is that this mostly only happens in prod support situations.  Companies would grow and become great if they could allow creative outbursts all the time.

© 2020 Praveen Puri

Bring Pure Zen Improvisation to Your Work!

Pure zen improv - don't get scared because you aren't a "professional" actor from Second City - you are the actor of your life! 

This is what I like doing - solving problems, creating - with a group of people - in the moment.  This is deeper than  simplicity and minimalism - its intuition, improvisation, freedom.

Have the courage to create in the moment - old works feel stale - mentally discard that work and create something fresh.

Stop letting yourself or others make you feel like you aren't a professional - or who are you - or what you are doing.  You are worthy and qualified.  You give yourself permission to create.


You're not just a minimalist artist or creator - you're a zen improvisational creative artist.

Present moment awareness.  Creativity, improvisation, creating in the present moment, problem solving.

Let it flow out from you - trying not to get stifled - get the flow going.

creativity, simplicity, zen, improvisation

We need to help people unlock their creativity, be themselves, flow, and shine!  Bring out the best - best solutions, etc - stop holding back - bring out excellence.

Not ok, not good - but excellent - be your greatest stuff.

© 2020 Praveen Puri

What's Your Passion?

What's your passion?  Music, dance or drawing?

For a while, I thought my passion was software development, trading, or simplicity.  Then, I dug deeper - below the surface of these interests.

Now, I know that it's improvisation - creating stories and stuff in the moment - it makes me feel alive…

I really enjoy using my imagination and combining it with present moment awareness.

I think my three intersecting passions are improvisation, zen, and writing.

I think that this is where I feel alive and great!

Maybe that is why this blog, despite not having a lot of traffic, has a high rate of subscribers - a  high range of engagement.

I like having conversations - i love present moment thinking - living in the present zen - creating in the present - then the moment is gone.

Like seeing football live - no replay - you see the play, move on!

© 2020 Praveen Puri

No School Buddhism or Zen

If you look at the texts, there are lots of schools of Buddhism and Zen - that's all academic and bookish - it destroys the spirit of zen.

Be like Bankei - the zen master who preached being unborn.  He belonged to no school or sect - he had his own individual unique zen.

Zen is LIFE - in the moment, the day to day, the mundane!

All the texts complicate it and seem like professors pontificating.

It's all simple - focus on having no preferences, concentrate on the present moment, focus on the inter-connectedness of all living things.

Know in your heart that you are not individual, separate from the world.

You are like a flower - sprouted from the Earth.  You live on Earth, then you die and get absorbed. New people continually sprout up to continue the cycle of life.


© 2020 Praveen Puri

No Desires or Expectations


Don't care about the outcome - just operate from the void - go in a frenzy.

Just write or do!  Don't think too much - let it flow out of you.

I'm in ecstasy as I type like crazy - and let the words flow.


© 2020 Praveen Puri

Boom! Let It Go!

What would life  be like if we always improvised - if we always lived life and acted through the void!!

Oh, wow! We'd be free - we would always be in ecstasy!  Can't you see it - just don't censor or plan - just do!

Have no agenda - just let spirit take over and move you - live on your intutition and improvisation - just go with the flow and truly know that you are empty void - just a process.

© 2020 Praveen Puri

I Drank A Clear Glass Of Water

I just drank a cold, clear glass of water - it was so delicious!

Boom! clear zen simplicity


© 2020 Praveen Puri

Saturday, August 15, 2020

The 14 Deadly Sins Of ERP Implementation



I just finished reading David Ogilvie 's book "The 14 Deadly Sins of ERP Implementation". This was one of the best books I've read in a long time!

I think this is a must-read for any CEO or senior executive at a company thinking about implementing an ERP system. As the author keeps stressing: implementingan ERP system is like open-heart surgery and is one of the most critical projects a company will ever do. It's important for senior leaders to be actively involved in the process.

It was a pleasure to read because I could identify with all the issues that the author brought up. It's obvious that, not only has he been in the trenches and experienced all these issues, he also understands their root causes and how to prevent them.

Only about 15% of ERP projects are successfully implemented on time and within the allocated budget. Also, the consequences for a botched implementation are high in terms of money and reputational risk. The wisdom in this book can dramtically improve your odds for success. 

© 2020 Praveen Puri

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Society for the Advancement of Consulting® Press Release


I contributed to this press release from the Society for the Advancement of Consulting® (SAC) on why "Diversification Now is Both Doable and Desirable":

https://consultingsociety.com/resources/press-releases/news_release-8-1-20/

© 2020 Praveen Puri