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Bal and Friends at NTU…

Last week was a crazy week! – Firstly, I was in Barcelona for meetings on Monday morning… (thanks to the lovely taxi driver who got me to the office on time!)

Oh… if you’d like to follow my personal journies including lots of travel & food photos, pop over to my instagram account – @mrbalbansal

So that was Monday. Then I came back, and was at the NTU… with a few friends.

That’s right – my friend Shane Matthews (inventor of the Nerf Gun) was over from Atlanta, GA. He was here to give a talk at the Nottingham Trent University… but first, we went to meet the Sheriff of Nottingham.

In the photo above, we have the Sheriff of Nottingham in the middle, Shane and myself, and the Sheriff’s security. We went to Nottingham Castle, had a little look around, posed for some photo’s, gave an interview to Notts TV and Shane signed a few nerf guns.

The main event was Shane talking at the NTU (Nottingham Trent University)… at their Ignite Innovation conference…

They also, kindly let me say a few words…

We also had my friend Leigh, who worked for CIMAGINE, a startup that was sold to SnapChat for $40m…. he shared his views and thoughts on AR…

And then Shane was up… he was brilliant. The audience in the lecture theatre absolutely loved it!

One thing I loved about his talk was the ‘happiness line’. I’ll have to share it with you in another blog post…

So all in all, great event at the NTU. This university is definitely doing the right things for the local community.

And thank you to the love that was shown by folks in the audience..

Then the remainder of the week I was in London, meetings… and a quick attendance for the London Tech Week.

Well, what a busy week… why am I sharing this, because if you have the opportunity to attend local meetings, conferences where they have some interesting people… do so! You can learn so much.

So many folk at the end, were coming up to Shane, asking all sorts of questions… it was great to see that they were motivated and more importantly, had learnt something that they could use in their business or organisation.

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Here’s an idea, cupcake…

I was talking to a colleague, and mentioned to him – need this sooner than you think, I feel we’re losing time and really need to move faster.

His reply… “Bal… you can’t have 9 women to produce a baby in 1 month. It’ll take 1 woman, 9 months… to have a baby”.

Wow! – love it.

It’s true, right? – sometimes we try to rush, do things quicker… all because many of us don’t have patience…. don’t we all want things quicker?

We do.. but there’ll be restrictions. There’ll be ways of doing it. Building a house… we could skip the foundations and start building, but will it be sustainable? – will it stay standing up? For how long?

Things do take time. We all need a little bit of patience.

However, if you can do something and then have iterations in place to improve… then that’s the best scenario.

The key thing is – understand the limitations. Learn the restrictions. And work with them. Plan with them. Cater for them.

This brings me nicely to the project we’re working on… when I was asking for something sooner than it could be built. So I learned and took those dependencies with me…. and developed the plan to incorporate them.

I explained this to a startup i’m working with – things take time, don’t rush them. Like baking a cake… bring it out of the oven too earlier, it’s undercooked and your customer won’t be happy. Leave it in too long… then customer won’t be happy but also… customer might have gone to someone else who’s got it out on time…

Yes. It can be tricky to know when to take the cake out of the oven.

Yes. It can be daunting, as you keep opening the oven door… lose the heat… and have to leave it in loner.

Yes. The competition will also be baking a cake, and may have a better idea of when to take it out.

Yes. The customer will be looking at all bakers. Looking for who’s going to bring out the cake first… and is edible.

Yes. You’ll have a lot of things going on whilst baking the cake….

This is why it’s important to know what to deliver… and when.

Maybe a cupcake might be a good idea… as the first offering. Before you starting working on that 3-tier, wedding cake.

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What’s it like, to have non-human colleagues?

At first, you may laugh at the title of this blog…. well, Bal… I have plenty of them now! – well, I say that… they’re non-human in the manner they don’t do much work! (Insert some laughter emoji).

We joke about our colleagues – often comparing how much work they do…. how much work we do… how much work is expected….

But let’s be honest – there’ll always be a level of either doubt or suspicion on how much work is actually being done.

 

You can’t treat humans as robots. And there’s various reasons why… from reasons such as, depends on the tasks – and humans provide a better degree of thinking when it comes to particular problems… to, the creativity and passion side of things.

But then, how can you replace your workforce with robots?

It’s those repetitive tasks… like the boxes that need stacking at the end of the production line, doors onto a car on an assembly line…. maybe, it’s those tasks that require a lot of movement, in the same manner, over and over and over again.

Maybe, the way we start is by job-sharing with a robot.

Alibaba… in China, is doing just that. We can’t just suddenly jump to robot’s taking over…. there needs to be levels of introductions. Maybe this is the first step…

That’s right – the Day begins with these robots receiving their instructions in the morning like the employees would.

They do all the hard lifting, moving around… carrying things, etc… whilst the employee stays more or less in the same position and ensuring a) the work being done is right, b) packed correctly or in a certain way, because it contains variability from pack to pack… and c) able to provide further or new instructions to the robots.

So, is this the future?

I think so. In fact, I reckon so. We’ll see more and more manual tasks being completed by robotos. Then as AI (Artifical Intelligence) is ever so evolving… we’ll see some of the tasks that require variation, not needing humans.

Enjoy the time with your current co-worker… not sure, if the robots will laugh at your jokes.

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Sharing my thoughts at NTU…

I used to talk at many conferences… but I’ll be totally honest, I don’t have much time now. Hence why I tend to share a lot of my thoughts on this blog.

However, I’ve been tempted to come and talk with some friends at the Nottingham Trent University on Wednesday 13th June.

That’s right – I did say friends… A good friend of mine, Shane Matthews will be flying in from the States.

For those wondering who Shane Matthews is… well, a) he’s a good friend of mine who resides in Atlanta, GA… b) invented the Nerf Gun and c) has a lab at Georgia Tech where he’s always working on something quite unreal!

Yep… point b), he co-founded/invented the nerf gun!! – It was many many moons ago… he had a few ideas… went through a few iterations… and if I carry on telling the story, I’ll spoil it for those coming to hear him.

Along with Shane, is another friend of mine, Leigh. Leigh Davidson didn’t invent anything… however, he’s one of the most knowledgeable guys around who knows everything there is about Augmented Reality.

So much so… he used to work for an AR startup, which got sold for $40m!!!

He’s a busy chap, but taking time out of this diary to come and talk to folk about AR and his experience.

There’ll also be Andrea, who works for Fujitsu… sharing her thoughts on Account based marketing – as she knows a thing or two about marketing!

So… looks like to be a fabulous event! – I believe there’s a few tickets & spaces remaining… interested in coming? – then register yourself and either  drive up the M1… fly into East Midlands… catch the train to Nottingham… and immerse yourself into what will truly be… a wonderful afternoon.

Oh, here’s a link to the event – https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/events/events/2018/06/ignite-your-innovation go on… ignite, your innovation!

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Bal, what TV should I buy?

I’m often asked… and rightly so, as I’m a bit of a tech person… what TV should I get Bal?

That’s a great question.

My answer used to be, how big is your room… now it’s more like, what is it you want to watch?

Our behaviours are changing… due to technology! –  We’re watching less TV… you probably knew that, right? – we’re watching more YouTube on our tablets, catching up on episodes via our phones and the short video clips via social media channels such as Facebook.

So, what you’re saying is… I don’t need a new TV Bal?

Well… depends how old your current one is… but ignoring that fact, and based on you asking me… I’m going to say Yes. Yes you do. Yes you do need a new TV.

Why?

Well… whilst it’s great watching clips and short videos on your phone or tablet…. Isn’t it great to watch a film every now and again on a larger screen? What about some sports…. maybe a game of football in 4K? If you have sky sports… you could go multi-screen! Flick between matches and games on the same channel!

Now…. Back to your original question… which TV should I get.

Simple.

Smart. 4K. TV. That’s all you really need. Size of the TV depends on how big your room is.

Now, whilst I won’t go into specific makes and models… because you get what you pay for. If you want more than the standard 2 HDMI ports…. You’ll have to pay more. If you want something with good quality sound… then you’ll have to pay more.

You want it to be SMART – so it connects to your Internet, and you can watch films via your Netflix or other such account… and there’s so much more you can do (you can still watch those YouTube videos without straining your neck at a 45degree angle downwards.

4K – so the quality is there. There is truly a huge difference between HD and 4K.

Now, this is relevant for today.

I’ve seen 8K and was blown away.

But you don’t need anything like that for the moment.

You can pick up a half decent Smart 4K TV 49” for around the £350 mark.

Yes there’s deals and offers – and you can find them cheaper (you can also find them more expensive) – but that’s the approx. price you should be looking at to pay.

You can go fancy, and get a curved one. Is it worth it – the jury’s out on that one.

You could improve sound by getting a sound bar. I would recommend this. Most new TV’s have an optical port – for you to plug your soundbar into. Fast becoming a home cinema.

So… whilst I was unable to answer your original question of what TV… I hope I’ve provided some guidance… to what… and to how much….

I once bought one of my TV’s when I was shopping at Tesco…. no joke! – I went in to buy some Milk and cookies (essentials for bedtime)… and I saw a TV, at a great price. So, like any normal person, I put my basket down, opened Google… did a quick search on the internet for the best price for that TV… had a quick look at the reviews…. everything seemed fairly positive.. for the price.. and this in-store price was alot cheaper than any on-line price, so I ditched the basket and picked myself a trolley and a TV.

There’s various sites such as – trustedreviews.com and expertreviews.co.uk –  that can show you pro’s and con’s of each latest TV and the Top 10 TV deals.

So, whilst we are watching less TV… it’s still a nice box in the corner… ok, not a box anymore… still a nice flat (or curved) display, in the corner (or on the wall) that will allow you and the family… friends… to come together and enjoy.

It’s not going anywhere fast…. Unlike computers…

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It’s not all about the product… it’s the experience!

This weekend gone…. I was over in Dublin.

Whilst there, I thought I’d visit the local sites. Well, mainly two… The Guinness factory and the home of Jameson.

What I did fast realise – predominantly at the Guinness Storehouse, is how important the whole experience is.

The Storehouse has several floors – with the top one being the Gravity Bar – views all over Dublin. Now, the other 5 odd floors, provide you with an experience.

They tell you the story of Guinness – how it started… what the ingredients are… what’s so important about it… statistics…. advertisements… all of it.

And why is that important… because it builds a lovely experience. Rather then just walking in and having a few drinks, and seeing some nice articles on the wall… this is an impressive experience. Leaves a lasting memory but most importantly.. you leave educated and feeling like an ambassador.

You don’t need to have a huge building, with lots of floors… with immersive material. You can take different approaches.

This I realised with Jameson….

Here… I opted for an experience which involved me sat with a small group of people (about 10)… around a bar… on which had a number of items.

Now… i’m not going to tell you what happened. Neither am I going to tell you what takes place…. because you should really experience it for yourself… what I will say is, a) I absolutely loved it! – b) I walked away with my own blended whisky… and c) Educated on the product…. which made me feel like an ambassador.

Two slightly different experiences. Both absolutely amazing. Leaving each one as an ambassador- which means, I will speak highly of them. Not just the experience but the product also.

This is why… whatever you do, have an experience – that’ll educate and inform  your ambassadors. Doesn’t have to be anything extravagant… there’s small gestures or individual things you could do, to build that experience.

How many brand ambassadors do you have?

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Look at the face…

As you know… I travel a lot. In fact, i’m flying out tomorrow, and next week to Berlin.

I remember once when I flew to Atlanta, and at the security immigration control – where they check passports -the officer looked familiar to me, and I thought to myself… was he the one who stamped my passport last time…

Anyhow, I got to the desk… he looks at me and says… “I recognize you…” – “Coca-Cola…right?” – I replied, “Yes, that’s right!… “. He’d recognised me from last time, because we had the conversation about Coca-Cola and how he enjoys it… and also, that i’m a Sikh, born and bred in the UK. He stamped my passport and on my way I went.

There’s Facial Recognition.

Who needs technology, right? 🙂

Well.. we do. We do to speed the process. We do, so we don’t rely on the security guy… or any guy.. or any person… to remember faces. Why not just use a computer?

Exactly…. Technology has evolved alot recently. To where some of our phones can recognize who we are and unlock it…

And so it was announced recently by Ticketmaster – that they’ll have camera’s located on the entrances for venues, so you’re recognized by the camera and automatically lets you in. You don’t need to scan your phone or have a ticket…. your face is your ticket.

Isn’t that great! – The possibilities of facial recognition for companies is ever evolving so they can learn more about their customer base.

If they’re male/female… happy/sad… etc…

And with this data… that’s right, data – you can do a number of things with it. You can react… you can analyse or you can share!

Knowing your customers is very important. You shouldn’t be asking me why.

So what does this mean for the future – well, the possibilities are endless.

I know there are some Audi showrooms that use this technology to recognize who you are… that is sent to an assistant’s ipad – who then pulls up your data, and before you reach the desk, they say…”Hello Mr Smith, welcome to Audi, are you here to service your Audi A4?”

Impressive? – all because of data. And Technology.

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Happy 132nd Birthday….

On May 8th, 1886…. Coca-Cola was first served at Jacobs Pharmacy.

132 yrs old. Today. Let’s be honest… that’s impressive.

It’s impressive because we keep hearing about companies going bust, blaming technology, not adapting… we’ve heard all the Darwin based quotes before.

It all started with with John Pemberton…

I think a number of startups and businesses can learn from the above poster.

1. The What – (what is it?) A drink that is… delicious, exhilarating, refreshing… description is excellent. How would you describe your product in a few words?

2. The How – (do you get it?) – dispensed from the soda water fountain… bottles came later. So how do I get your product/service?

3. The Why – (why should I buy it?) – it delights every palate… (also a Brain Tonic….). So why should I separate from my hard earned money for your product/service?

Anyway… back to the story. 132 years old… and still going strong. And there’s reasons why…. from the change in top management and leadership recently, where the strategy has slightly changed… to introductions of new products and moving drinks which are successful in one area of the world to another…. adaptable is the key word here.

Another key word is Innovation.

Share a Coke with…. how awesome was that? Did you know the idea was first generated and shared in Australia? But everyone was sharing a Coca-Cola around the world.

But going back to this blog post and remembering it’s 132 years ago… when the beverages was first available.

When you look at your organisation, your business, your startup…. how long will it keep going? Are you working short term or long term?

A number of startups fail. Why? – Going too fast?… Not doing it properly? Trying to over-achieve? Stretched goals? Profit in the first year? Expectations too high?

My advice… and my thoughts I’ve shared with a startup recently is… take your time. Evolve… learn… and grow.

As hard it is to appreciate… don’t spend all your time thinking about profit and monies now. Focus on your product, your service and your brand. Get the name out there. And then build on that…

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Are you Failing or a Failure?

 

Last week, I was listening to some great people talk about ‘mindset’. How important it is…. to have the right mindset.

Our brains are programmed in such a way, it can be difficult… or take time to re-programme them. Because our influences… years of thinking in such a way… programme the brain in such a way.

But if you can realise you’re programmed in such a way… you can re-programme. Just like a computer. Just like how you update your mobile phone. You need to update your thinking.

I saw this, and thought it was very powerful…

So what is the difference between failing and being a failure? It comes down to you mindset.

You have to think differently when you are failing.

Easier said than done.

You’ll go through the change curve. However, it’s how you understand the problem. Understand the failure…. let it be clear it’s an event… one moment in time, most importantly… an opportunity to learn from.

I’ve done plenty of things in my life – at the time, my mind said… i’m a failure. But quickly… as time passes… I realise, it was just a moment.

For example… I was at Kodak, and I was on a project. We had to bring a new manufacturing line, that wrapped boxes from Bologna, Italy. My job was to ship some samples over to the factory to make sure we could test it in Italy, before it got shipped over.

So, I did as I was told… got some samples, shipped them over, with the correct address, marked for my attention. I even rang the factory, told them these samples are coming and to leave them to one side… they said sure (in Italian).

We got there… and this was my first work trip abroad.

Got to the factory… all excited… my boss asks, where’s the samples? – i’ll get them. I ask the factory manager, bring the samples over. He says, what samples?

At that moment… time stood still.

“The ones I told you about.. that were arriving”….. he stood there looking at me. “Oh, we didn’t receive any”. To my amazement… “what?! – and you didn’t tell me?!”

So at this point, i’m stood, in Italy, with my boss, on my first work trip, first major project… and I’ve failed. I’m a Failure.

I explained it to my boss… he was a really nice guy. He said, let’s figure this out… let’s trace them and where they could be.

Which we did, they were held at the local postal sorting office… needed a signature. So we sent someone, got it signed and in the afternoon, the samples were with us.

I learnt a couple of valuable lessons.

Believe you me… never have I let that same mistake occur again.

 

So.. remember about your mindset. How you’re thinking…

We’ll always make mistakes. But the key thing is to learn from them. It’s a temporary moment in life.

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A Million at 16….

I thought, it’s been a while since I’ve shared with you a good questions and answers interview.

So, I decided to reach out to someone young… someone rich… someone who’s made it… and someone who’s really helping others. I suppose, most importantly, someone you can learn from.

Dhillan Bhardwaj.

Started a clothing brand when he was 16. Making a million within a very short space of time. Had superstars such as Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and many more reach out to him…

So, I decided to ask him a few questions…. Enjoy!

  1. When you were younger, did you think you would be so successful? – and who has been your biggest influence on your journey?

When i was younger i was already told i would be working for the family. of which i didn’t enjoy at all. It was car mechanics, cleaning, just boring shit that i don’t think i really wanted to do for the rest of my life. So no i didn’t think i would be anywhere near successful with my own self. My influences were nobody, nobody knew what to do when i had the idea, clothing isn’t anyone’s strength in my family so they were pretty lost with it all lol. But my mum and dad used to guide me and advise me, most of the time i probably didn’t listen but i think it’s ok to break the rules.. sometimes. Oh and my sister was everything to me, my 4 sisters Kd. Rickee, Nikki & Monica helped me when i reached my peak when i started. 

  1. What do you think is your biggest threat? 

Myself, my mental mind is my biggest threat. I try and think positive as much as i can, be nice to everyone,always have good vibes. It takes a second to think or do something wrong and then everything is left in your hands. People assume other brands threaten me in the industry, but i don’t have time to think about other people. i stay in my own lane and do me, im way to busy to think about what someone is doing. I know for sure i have inspired a huge amount of start up brands because they use my ideas and designs. But they won’t credit me, i dont mind i just think with that kind of attitude, don’t expect to go far.

  1. How has technology helped you and your brand grow? 

When i started it was amazing, it was free to use. but now you have to make Facebook etc for your posts to be seen by everyone who follows you, which is shit because people can’t afford to do that which is why a few brands fail. SOCIAL media is everything to a start up brand.  

  1. If starting again, what would you do differently? 

nothing. if i made changes maybe i wouldn’t be where i am today. 

  1. For all those, who look up to you… and want to learn from you… what is the one bit of advice you would provide them with?

you’re gonna get rubbish days, weeks maybe months. Don’t let that stop you from reaching your goal. It takes alot of time. Stick with it and success will come your way. 

Wow!… what a guy. Hope you enjoyed it… and are able to take some of the great insights that were shared!…. For me, it’s the last one. Stick with it and success will come…