We Should Reinvent the Wheel!

It has been already done. Why do you want to reinvent the wheel?
Why did Google reinvent the search engine when it was already invented by Yahoo! and likes?
What was the need to keep reinventing the first wheel humans made in primitive times?
Because someone has already done it, am I wasting my time doing it again? My way?
Innovation
--> Necessity is the mother of invention.
--> Change is the only constant.
--> Different times, different needs.
--> We can always do better.
--> It is human to invent and reinvent.
Reinventing the wheel is evolution.
If I have to believe Darwin's Theory of Evolution, nature has constantly reinvented herself, and will continue to do so. If I am a product of evolution, I will also continue to reinvent. Hate me if you don't like me.
Why do your thoughts keep changing? Aren't you supposed to have been created and finished once for all?
If we never reinvented, for example, we would still have the age-old mechanical computers or vaccum tube computers which would stop working every few minutes because some screw came off or some tube got fried.
So you mean that we have achieved perfection? No scope for further improvement?

Managing a Software Development Team

Software development is difficult
--> Complex
--> Changeable
--> Invisible
--> Conform
Software Development is Creative Work
Map is the Destination - Design is Construction
People
--> Hiring
--> Training
--> Skills (Soft and Hard)
Processes
--> Freedom and Control
--> Flexibility - Do What Works?
--> Agile, Predictive, Prescriptive?
Manager
--> Traits, Personality, Character
--> Technical Leadership
--> People Management
--> Extent of Supervision/Freedom
--> "Herding Cats?"
Tools
--> Silver Bullet?
--> Are Costly Tools Required?

Be Reborn or Live Longer?

Fighting against diseases.

Accidentally creating new diseases - AIDS, Mad Cow.

Longer lifespan --> longer old age --> bigger population of old depending on young productive population.

Nature's control mechanism - floods, earthquakes, famines, epidemics, global warming.

Spiritual evolution.

Vegetarianism

The Food Chain.
Man's position and role in the Universal Food Chain.
Closer to source, better the feed quality.
Accumulation of pesticides and toxins as ones goes up the food chain.
Economics of Vegetarian food and meat production.
Human body suitable for meat?
Benefits of Vegetarianism Vs. Meat-eating.
--> Health, Economic, Spiritual, etc.

Rain Water Harvesting

Yet to start!

Energy Crisis

Global Ecosystem severly damaged due to reckless indusrialization and deforestation.
Oil! Oil! Oil!
Too much dependence on fossil fuels.
What's the alternative?

Skills a Software Engineer Must Have

Let's start from the beginning -- nursery!
What do we teach in schools?
How are students "graded"?
Memory is king!
Use Brain as storage space.
Rigid teaching methodology.
What do children like to learn, and how?
Creativity
Analytical Thinking
Independent Approach
Observation
Making Mistakes & Learning
Communication & Presentation Skills

The Indian IT Industry

History of growth, some statistics.
Business Model - Low-cost High-volume, bodyshopping.
Talent Availability in India
--> Why Engineering is a popular choice? Social reasons?
--> What kind of people join IT industry?
--> How come non-IT trained folks dream of joining IT?
Manager -- feudal lord -- poor skills -- higher status!
Why everyone wants to become a Manager in the end?
IT Companies Hiring Strategy
--> Hire best available talent in India, put to worst use!
--> Large-scale hiring -- in 1000s
What kind of work is done here? The Roadside-Mechanic Analogy.
Indian Education System
--> Importance to memory
--> Producing minds which are more like storage space than an analytical thinker.
The Human Resources Department
--> Dysfunctional
--> Farmer Analogy