Teaching, Research, Skills: The New Confusion Matrix in Higher Education

 Dear Friends,

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the AACSB CEO’s Business Schools Meet in New Delhi. Ms. Lily Bi, President and CEO of AACSB, delivered an insightful presentation on the current state of management education and institutional readiness. In my view, these insights are not limited to management alone; they apply to several other domains as well.

Employers are shifting dramatically toward skills-first hiring — a 25% rise globally since 2022 — and 27% of employers have removed degree requirements (SHRM 2025). The top skill gaps identified across undergraduates, postgraduates, and managers include navigating ambiguity, communication skills, and the ability to apply feedback.

The most interesting and insightful data point was about what students value most. Faculty teaching quality is the top contributor (23%). Curriculum relevance to current business trends follows closely (21%). Experiential learning through projects and internships adds strong value (16%). Student community and networking matter significantly (12%). Career services and employability support are equally important (12%). International exposure—exchange programs and global faculty—adds moderate value (7%). Access to technology and AI tools influences learning (5%). Research opportunities contribute modestly (4%).

After understanding these priorities in the age of AI, as a teacher, I am left with new questions.

When institutions depend heavily on student fees, and when we are all living in a consumer-first world, what should be the priorities of a teacher? Undoubtedly, a teacher should be passionate about teaching. A teacher should be a storyteller who meaningfully engages the classroom. A teacher must possess strong conceptual understanding of the subject. They must demonstrate communication skills, classroom management skills, empathy and patience, a student-centred approach, and creativity.

In a small group conversation, we discussed the role of research.

The moot question was: Should a teacher also be a researcher in the age of AI? The underlying assumption is that AI’s intelligence is slowly surpassing human intelligence. Industry and research institutions are also simultaneously conducting significant research and developing advanced solutions.

The teacher’s required skill set is already demanding. If the teacher must also become a researcher (on top of competing with AI’s research capabilities and human researchers), when will they have the time to master those core six teaching skills? A school teacher is never a researcher, but rather a creative engager. Ten years ago, when AI was non-existent, higher education required a teacher-cum-researcher. However, today, do we really need this model, especially when students can independently leverage AI-driven research outputs? Or should the teacher’s role shift towards being a facilitator, motivator, or inspirer with strong application orientation?

This brings us to the big confusion matrix:

·       Many ranking frameworks demand research first.
·       Students demand teaching first.
·       Industry demands skills first.

If institutions don’t solve this puzzle thoughtfully, they may pay a hefty price. Those who solve it will create history. Those who ignore it will remain in history.

Note: These are my personal views.

Ravi Saripalle

The Rise of Artificial Happiness and the Fall of Real Experience

Dear Friends,

In our childhood, we used to dream about upcoming marriage events. We would think about when the celebrations would start, what we would eat, how we would play with all our relatives and friends, and so much more. It was always filled with emotion, action, and drama. I still remember one instance where there was a big emotional drama because upma was not served to one of the guests! In another event, the groom’s procession was stalled just minutes before the thread ceremony because of a demand for a ring. Once the promise was made, the procession resumed! The entire planning, execution, and celebration were no less complex than constructing a 20-storey building!

It was not just about happy occasions — I also had the experience of being one of the four or six people (vaahakas) carrying the body during a funeral procession. That place carries a completely different emotion. Sometimes it is shocking — especially when the deceased is the breadwinner of the family. Sometimes, it is an emotional departure filled with love and affection. And sometimes, it brings a silent sense of relief when the person has been suffering from prolonged pain or disease.

These two types of events are extremes, with many emotional moments in between — birthdays, family gatherings, and more. Each carries its own unique emotion. But why am I bringing this up today?

Recently, there was an interesting article about India’s “Fake Wedding” Party Market Size and Forecast (Coherent Market Insights). It is projected to be USD 12.9 million in 2025, expected to reach USD 175.8 million by 2032. BBC also reported an article titled “The Big Fat 'Fake' Indian Wedding – Gen Z's Latest Party Trend.” “Dazzling lights, glittering outfits, Bollywood hits, lavish food, and an atmosphere soaked in celebration” — all without a bride, groom, priest, or fire sacrifice. No relatives, no rituals, and no tearful farewells!

We once had professional mourners in India, known as Rudaalis. Their role was to publicly express grief — crying, wailing, beating their chests, performing dramatic displays of sorrow on behalf of families. But that was never treated as a business — it was employment born of circumstance. However, thanks to modern lifestyles, high salaries, and excess comfort, Gen Z seems to be moving toward artificial happiness. And when happiness is artificially induced, the chances of delaying real happiness only increase.

In reality, there’s never “perfect happiness” even in a real marriage — it’s filled with responsibilities, tensions, and adjustments. Many young people today do not want that trouble early; they tend to delay or avoid these responsibilities. I don’t say it’s right or wrong, but in my view — each age comes with its own responsibilities and emotions.

My emotional balance at 25 was different from what it is at 50. At 25, we work hard for a job, money, and marriage. At 50, we work hard for our children’s education, their future, and our parents’ care. These are time-tested life sequences, with a few exceptions depending on circumstances. They cannot be outsourced or delayed — they must be experienced.

Though this is my personal view, emotions cannot be commoditized on a full scale. Their value diminishes — especially in the age of AI and robotics. We are inviting robots into our daily lives. Can R.K. Laxman’s “Servants of India” hold relevance today when we invite robots to our homes — Swami, the cook; Anthony, the driver; Shanti, the maid; Ramaswami, the trusted retainer? Can Laxman’s trademark wit and sketches reappear when Midjourney or Perplexity now do this work?

I have been invited by Infosys to speak on this very theme on 28th November 2025.

My topic: “From UX to HX: Designing for the Human Experience in the AI Era.”

What is your view?

Ravi Saripalle

The Unexpected Rewards of Bold Curiosity:A Lesson Beyond the Syllabus

Dear Friends,

Sometimes, our ignorance or innocence brings a lot more courage and ability than formal training ever could. Though I’m not advocating this model, it often brings unexpected value — if our intentions are good and our goals are clear.

In 1999, I had a rare opportunity to attend the GE & Wipro Top Leaders Orientation Session by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. At that time, I was just a fresher with no eligibility to attend such a high-powered leadership session. It all happened due to my mentor’s courtesy — one of the top leaders. I owe him forever because he took a big risk by taking me inside that session. I was seated in the last row, listening intently to Dr. Kalam’s inspiring speech.

I’ve always had a natural instinct to ask the first question during any leader’s Q&A session. Even when I was working at Wipro, I often asked the first question during Azim Premji’s Townhall meetings. Somehow, I used to grab that opportunity, even when thousands of employees were present. In fact, once Premji recognized my face and said, “Let’s give others a chance this time!” Of course, I took that positively — being recognized by such a tall leader was itself an honor. These days, that appetite is slowly reducing as I enter a different age group, with fewer aspirations left to chase.

Coming back to Dr. Kalam’s session — as usual, I asked the first question. The whole leadership team turned toward me, probably surprised at how such an “unknown” young person could be among the leaders! They, of course, had no idea of the real story. Dr. Kalam responded positively to my question. After the session, GE Jack Welch Centre organized a lunch with Dr. Kalam and Azim Premji. At one table, there were only three unoccupied chairs; the rest were filled with leaders. That table was reserved for Abdul Kalam and Azim Premji — two stalwarts of Indian leadership.

Without much hesitation or concern about consequences, I walked up to Dr. Kalam and requested, “Sir, can I sit for a moment with you?” Normally, that would be considered inappropriate. But he, being so humble and gracious, held my hand and asked me to sit next to him. For a few minutes, I found myself at the same table as Azim Premji and Abdul Kalam — what a surreal moment! He asked me what I was doing, and I told him that I had just joined Wipro as a fresher. I said this in front of Premji, without worrying about the consequences. Dr. Kalam laughed broadly, clearly happy about my courage and initiative. He leaned down, opened his bag, took out his book Wings of Fire (which he had authored), personally signed it, and asked me to read it later. Even today, I treasure that copy. Azim Premji also smiled — perhaps recalling my earlier encounters and similar initiatives!

You know what — Wipro never said a single word about why I did that. That is the hallmark of great leadership. In fact, the very next year (2000), Wipro sent me to the U.S. to deploy a system at JP Morgan, New York. Coincidentally, that same year, Wipro rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) — the first Indian IT company to do so, on October 19, 2000. The event was graced by Jack Welch, Azim Premji, former PM I.K. Gujral, NASSCOM’s first president Devang Mehta, Wipro CEO Vivek Paul, Rishad Premji, and many more iconic figures. Once again, my instinct made me attend that bell-ringing ceremony. Surprisingly, Vivek Paul invited me for the photo session along with these leaders. I’ve kept that 25-year-old photo in my blog: https://i2itm.blogspot.com/2025/10/a-rare-opportunity-to-meet-greet.html.

Why am I sharing this story today? Because we conduct many leadership sessions for students, and in every session, the speaker asks, “Any questions?” Yet, I notice that very few students raise their hands. I’ve been observing this for the last 10–15 years, and it’s a real concern.

Asking a question does carry a small risk — it can either affect your reputation or earn you visibility and credibility. But students must take that bold step. In my case, I didn’t have a strong financial background, industry network, or a degree from a prestigious college. For students like me, there was no other option but to take such risks.

Ignorance and innocence — when combined with good intentions — are always a bliss!

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle

A Rare Opportunity to meet & greet Political and Business Leaders

 

Great Leaders or Great Missions — Which Comes First?

Dear Friends,

In 2009, I had a great fortune meeting Steve Ballmer and had an opportunity to ask a question which was recorded on YouTube as well. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUoGKtZwxsI) He was the CEO of Microsoft (2000 to 2014). As of May 2025, his estimated personal wealth is around $151 billion, making him the eighth-richest person in the world.

Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 and became Microsoft's 30th employee and the first business manager hired by Gates. Ballmer joined Microsoft with a salary of $50,000 plus 10% of the profit he generated and no equity. However, Ballmer's profit share started to balloon out of control as Microsoft grew. When Dave Marquardt (investor in Microsoft) suggested that Microsoft reorganize as a corporation instead of a private partnership, he proposed that Ballmer own 8% of the company in exchange for cancelling the profit-sharing model. Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft along with Bill Gates) initially disagreed, but Gates and Allen reached an agreement to give an 8% stake to Ballmer (Wikipedia).

This is called Intrapreneurship (you are an employee but you work like an entrepreneur). Sometimes, you do not need to be an entrepreneur to experience entrepreneurship. Being an intrapreneur, you can still achieve entrepreneurial goals. Another interesting insight was that although as a child he was very shy, as an adult, he became known for his excited stage appearances at Microsoft events. They were widely circulated on the Internet as viral videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WW2JWIv6G8). Now tell me, how many employees can get this recognition and become the 8th richest person on the earth as an intrapreneur?

Similarly, I see another intrapreneur in Chandrasekaran of Tata. He studied in Tamil medium, completed his B.Sc. and Master of Computer Applications (MCA) (no MBA from IIMs or engineering from IITs). He joined TCS in 1987 as a trainee and became CEO by 2009. He is now the first non-Parsi and professional executive to head the Tata Group as Chairman.

Of course, there is no free lunch in this world. You need to relentlessly work smart and hard and also be in the right position at the right time. Not everyone gets that position. A thousand divine actions should support you in the background. Whether you call it good karma, luck, or nature, it has a significant role in creating a career in one’s life.

Having said that, sometimes a bad decision, misguided action, or complacency can cause catastrophic damage to a career. If you see a few leaders like Kay Whitmore (Kodak) – Complacent Vision – caused Kodak to collapse; he ignored the digital camera.Warren Anderson (Union Carbide) – Negligent Oversight of process – killed thousands in the Bhopal  disaster.John Sculley (Apple) – Ego Clash with Steve Jobs (ousted him) – led Apple into decline; fired after a decade.Ken Lay (Enron) – Ethical Collapse – accounting fraud; Enron lost 99.7% value; died before a 30-year sentence.Gerald Ratner (Ratners Group) – Public Disrespect – called his own products “crap”; customers fled; lost business and job.Chen Jiulin (China Aviation Oil) – Speculative Gamble – hid $550M losses; jailed 4 years; destroyed firm credibility.

Why am I writing this story?

In fact, if you watch my conversation with Steve Ballmer, I asked one simple question –
“Do organizations with successful missions build great leaders, or do great leaders build successful missions?”

What is your viewpoint? I request you to watch the above video for Steve Ballmer’s interesting response!

Ravi Saripalle

The Thin Line Between Efficiency and Emotion or Between Speed and Soul!

Dear Parents,

During my talks at various events, I quote a few inspiring stories. One of them is Usain Bolt. He is an eight-time Olympic gold medallist and the world record holder in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4 × 100 meters relay. He won three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016).

If we look at his personal background, we will feel inspired. His parents ran a local grocery store in a rural area. He suffered from scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that made his right leg 1⁄2 inch (13 mm) shorter than his left. This condition causes an uneven stride, with his left leg remaining on the ground longer than his right and hitting the ground with less force. Having said that, biomechanics researchers have studied, with no firm conclusions, whether this asymmetry has helped or hurt Bolt in his sprinting career.

Bolt fell victim to a fraud scheme, resulting in the disappearance of more than $12 million from his retirement savings account. The account showed a balance of only $12,000, down from its previous $12.8 million. Now 39, Bolt no longer runs due to a ruptured Achilles near his foot. The eight-time Olympic champion admits retirement has made him feel “human” again — even climbing a flight of stairs now leaves him out of breath.

Life is like this. Most of us go through this normal curve, a bell-shaped curve — a humble beginning, arriving here single, reaching a peak in our career or health or assets or family relationships or name or fame, and losing one after another, and leaving the ground again single. Everybody knows this truth, but while acting, we get covered. Anyway, this is philosophy.

Anyway, why did I bring this topic today?

Alphin Masilamany Santha posted a note on his LinkedIn. Beijing recently hosted the first-ever World Humanoid Robot Games. Over 500 humanoid robots from 16 countries competed in events ranging from sprinting and soccer to boxing and medicine sorting. Unitree H1 dominated the track, winning the 1500m in ~6:29. Robots stumbled, sprinted, and even lost limbs mid-race — a true testbed for real-world AI. Boxing matches were played with real seriousness. The interesting part is, the crowd cheered like it was the real Olympics.

While there is technological development, are we also transferring our emotions? Are we transferring our physical energies to machines? This is the moot question.

In our childhood, every Shivaratri, we used to play dramas throughout the night. The preparations for skits, dresses, podiums, team selection, and many more used to start a month before. We used to prepare the skits as if they were an exam. In one play, as drama, and immediately in the next play, as an old grandmother. The whole street used to witness our dramas. Can a video game replace this emotion?

During our childhood, we used to play street cricket. Though I am not a player, teams used to send me as the first opening batsman. I used to be out in the first over itself. However, when I was walking to the ground, the cheer team used to raise slogans as “Boon.” I used to be a little chubby, like David Boon, an Australian cricketer. We were enjoying the experience, but not the real sports analytics.

Maybe we should be able to draw a thin line between productivity and performance, a thin wall between efficiency and emotion. If we aren’t able to draw this line, the young generation becomes a victim of the virtual world. I teach “AI for Business” to my MBA students, but it should be limited to business. It should not encroach on entertainment.

The 0 to 8 age group is the most vulnerable group to this change. We, as parents and teachers, should save them like how the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles are saved across the coastlines.

Ravi Saripalle

Dibba Rotti, Determination, and the DNA of Innovation

Dear Friends,

Have you ever tasted pure coconut chutney ground by Rubbu Rolu, also known as Sil Batta, Ammi Kallu, or stone mortar? Maybe you’ve compared this to a modern grinder at home—you’ll see the difference! Whenever we used to visit our village during childhood, my grandmother would make Dibba Rotti with this coconut chutney. Dibba Rotti or Minapa Rotti is a classic Andhra dish prepared with urad dal and rice ravva batter. The soaked urad dal is ground into a batter and, after some other process (which I don’t fully recall), it is poured into a hot, heavy-bottomed kadai and made into a pancake.

I still remember, she used to prepare this on Sundays. The process started at 9 AM. By afternoon, around 1 PM, she would grind using a stone-made Rubbu Rolu fitted and levelled to the ground. Today, the machine takes just 45 minutes to grind. Back then, it was double the time. You had to sit or squat and move the hand-stone in small circles or back-and-forth ovals over the base stone, continuously feeding the paste back to the center with the other hand. This was equivalent to burning 100–250 kcal—comparable to a moderate-intensity upper-body endurance workout. On a lighter note, what my grandmother did for dosa batter, modern fitness enthusiasts now pay for at a CrossFit class!

Why am I talking about this traditional tool that was once a minimum household crockery?
In 1955, Coimbatore resident P. Sabapathy invented the wet grinder as a wedding gift for his wife, Indrani. Today, the Coimbatore Wet Grinder holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for wet grinders manufactured in Coimbatore and Erode districts. Having a GI means no one else in the world can patent the grinder—the Grinder Belongs to Coimbatore.

In fact, Panasonic filed another Japanese patent (JP2014169818A) in 2014. The world is not stopping. Even if ideas are traditional, they are getting protected through innovation and IP.
In 2010, we ourselves invented a top-attached toothbrush—its bristles could be removed like a blade in a razor to save plastic. The bottom stand was fixed, made from bamboo, and the bristles were crafted from neem and banyan fibers. Unfortunately, we never filed a utility patent. You know what happened? Quip NYC Inc filed a similar patent in 2013 and now sells it on Amazon! The cost of not filing a patent was huge. Of course, my son later obtained a design patent with more sophistication and multi-functionality, but we had already lost the big opportunity.

What triggered this topic today? Amit Singh posted an interesting article on LinkedIn. Last week, the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, through orders dated 30.07.2025 and 11.09.2025, decreed suits in favor of Carl Freudenberg KG (the patentee). A public notice was issued by the patentee of the “GALA No Dust Broom” (Patent No. 541962), warning against market players infringing on their patented technology (Hindustan Times, 05 Oct 2025).

Historically, brooms were crafted from twigs. Today, the Indian broom market is estimated at a whopping ₹1,500 crore. Freudenberg Gala Household Products owns this patent. Let’s appreciate their foresight and the act of filing patents for such innovations.

Having said that, we in India aspire to be an innovative nation—let us protect every idea, every thought, and every application. Otherwise, our next generation will end up paying royalties for “pin to peace”! We will continue writing grandma stories… “We used to do things like this…”

– Ravi Saripalle

The Butterfly Struggle: Why Students Must Think Before They Ask AI

Dear Friends,

My father bought a second-hand kid’s cycle during my 6th standard after a lot of persuasion. This cycle was almost in a non-operational condition. We had to repair it and make it run. However, the joy of riding it was uncountable. When I was in 8th standard, again after a lot of negotiation, I inherited my father’s Atlas cycle (1964 model), which I used till my post-graduation. After working for two years, I bought my first second-hand two-wheeler, which I used for another two years before it was abandoned. The initial struggle to get that second-hand bicycle left a deep impression on my mind — so much so that I abandoned my first Maruti 800 (non-AC and non-metallic version) only after 15 years, when it couldn’t move an inch.

What’s the point I’m trying to make? There’s a new issue cropping up in education — called “Metacognitive Laziness.”

An experimental study found that learners using ChatGPT performed better in essay score improvement but did not significantly improve in knowledge gain, transfer, or application. Another experiment showed that when a student struggles through Google searches to find results, their application knowledge tends to be higher compared to when they use ChatGPT and get quick answers.

Recently, I came across a story that perfectly connects to this idea of Metacognitive Laziness.

A student once asked his teacher, “I have read so many books but remember very little. What is the use of reading then?”The teacher didn’t answer. A few days later, he gave the student an old, dirty strainer and said, “Bring me some water from the river.” A strainer is a wire-mesh kitchen filter used to separate liquids from fine solids.

The student tried many times, but the water kept slipping through the holes. Tired and upset, he said, “It’s useless. I couldn’t bring any water.”

The teacher smiled and said, “Look at the strainer.” It was now clean and shining.

“That’s what reading does,” said the teacher. “Even if you don’t remember everything, it still cleans your mind and fills it with new thoughts.”

The point I’m trying to make is that while using GenAI is important for productivity in the working world, we shouldn’t outsource our brain work—especially for students below 20 years of age—to AI. Metacognitive laziness kills our natural application knowledge and makes us handicapped in thinking.

Recently, I experimented with this in one of my classes. When I asked students to do an assignment and allowed GPT usage, many completed it with ease, but the responses were not unique — they were uniform and perfect. Assignments, especially case analyses, should involve creativity and originality.

However, after a few days, I conducted another in-class test with the same set of students using a similar case, but this time in a closed environment without GPT access. I asked them to make their own assumptions and apply their natural understanding of the problem, life experiences, and logic to respond. They had full freedom in defining assumptions and justifying their responses.

Interestingly, in this social experiment, we found that over 35% gave unusual and intuitive responses, and 10% outperformed with their natural analytical flow. About 50% struggled to respond perfectly, but they experienced the struggle of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.

If we repeat this model with those 50% a few more times, I’m confident their responses will align with the original goal of case analysis.

Future education is all about StoEduTain — (Storytelling + Education + Entertainment). If that purpose is missed, the educational train is derailed. https://www.linkedin.com/company/stodutain/about/

– Ravi Saripalle

From Weekly Boy to Falcon Flight: Learning Resilience

Dear Parents

Today morning, while I was walking, I saw a boy around 15 years old dropping milk packets door to door. It was raining and he was totally drenched. I’m sure he gets ready for school after this morning job. I am truly admired by his commitment and striving nature.

During our days, there was a concept of a “weekly boy.” The idea was that every week, a poor or unaffordable boy (mostly male, as I observed) would go to 7 different sponsored houses for lunch—one per day—and this process would repeat every week. Many times, they couldn’t afford dinner. A few of my own relatives went through this process and still completed their education.

Look at the ambiguity in their lives. You couldn’t demand what you wanted. You couldn’t expect timely lunch. You couldn’t expect respect—it all depended on the emotional state of the house on that particular day. You couldn’t even expect a full lunch during month-ends, as sponsors themselves would struggle when rations ran low. You had to drop your ego completely. Many times, sponsors demanded chores in return, and you had to fulfill those obligations regardless of your pain or pleasure. You visited your parents once in a season if you were away from your village. You studied under dim lights if you were lucky—but mostly under kerosene lamps.

In contrast, today’s overprotective parents track their children minute to minute. In spite of this, a few children still make mistakes and depend on parents for everything.

I still remember during my college days, I traveled alone over 1200 km one way—with just one small bag, no mobile phone, less than ₹500 in my pocket, no reservation, changing three trains, standing next to the bathroom in unreserved compartments—just to apply to a few universities across four different states. That pain is imprinted deep in my memory and comes out in different forms when dealing with my students and children. I become emotional when someone misuses their God-given gifts or misuses their opportunities.

In nature, a few are gifted with all three: resources, intelligence, and support. But more than 80% of people don’t get even one of these three. If someone has all three but doesn’t leverage them, it is their loss.

We need to learn from Nature. Just opposite our flat, pigeons live in one corner of a balcony. The owners recently installed a net to prevent them. Still, around 6 o'clock every morning, two pigeons come and try to break in—continuously—for 1 to 2 hours. I’m not sure of the reason, but uncertainty defines the lives of many species.

Look at the Falcon story. This was recently recorded and reported. A female falcon was equipped with a GPS tracker during her journey from South Africa to Finland. She covered approximately 230 km per day, flying in a straight line across African lands until she reached the desert in the north. She then followed the path of the Nile River over Sudan and Egypt, avoiding the Mediterranean Sea. Instead, she crossed Syria and Lebanon and also steered clear of the Black Sea—because if she got thirsty, she wouldn’t be able to drink from it. She continued flying in a straight line and reached Finland after 42 days. This is life for many species.

Let us pray to God for giving us this beautiful life without such stressful complications. Be happy with what we have received in this life. We are all short-lived. Don’t chase after artificial possessions that are temporary—be it beauty, money, position, or even family. At any moment, anything can be taken away.

One of our relatives met with a fatal accident and lost her beautiful face to burns. I’ve witnessed families who were once filthy rich lose everything in business and now struggle for daily bread. I saw CXOs attending calls till evening, and due to a trivial issue beyond their control, being asked to leave the same day. Years of 24x7 commitment were washed away like a flash flood, sweeping away their lavish cars and the foundations of their apartments.

Don’t forget to plan the unplanned!

– Ravi Saripalle

Jobs Then and Now: A Postcard from the Past, A Prompt for the Future

Dear Friends

I am not sure if you experienced this or not, every week we used to wait for Employment News, the flagship journal for job seekers, published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. It started in 1976, used to be referred to as Employment News in English and Hindi (Rozgar Samachar).

I come from a small town named Vizianagaram. It has a fort built by the Maharajas. Besides, there used to be a Pani Puri Chat shop. It was an interesting business model. This guy, named Nagabhushanam, used to paste all employment-related information on a wall. It was not just posters pasted, but he used to run like a mini staffing agency (printed applications, postal cover with target address pasted, photocopy facility, and other key ready-reckoners for a particular job application). All these unemployed aspirants used to apply through the corner and also have a pani puri!! A perfect blend of a business model.

While I am talking about the Pani Puri cart, it reminds me of an Insta post yesterday by Startup Pedia — “At just 22, Nandan turned a ‘weekend cart’ into a ₹3–4 lakh/month streetwear brand in Bangalore. Untamed Streetwear isn’t just clothes — it’s his vision, his vibe, and a growing cultural hub for streetwear lovers.” It is a cart-based fashion startup bringing bold, affordable streetwear to Indian streets.

Anyway, let me come to the topic of today’s story. I used to follow the India Post (those days it was the Indian Postal Service) Assistants. Now they are calling it Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS). It was purely based on 10th Class merit. The expected cutoff is 84 to 95% in the 10th class. I was eligible for this; I used to contemplate applying for this. When IT recruitments began, we used to closely monitor them in the national newspapers; of course, there were a few. They used to run mostly by referral, or you needed to follow them in Bangalore/Hyderabad. Of course, we needed to stand in a long queue to hand over our resume — only to the “Security Guard” during weekends. In rare instances, we used to mail to HRs. Employment News used to be limited to jobs like Computer Operator, Computer Operator (Steno), Computer Operator (Accounts), etc.

From that phase, we transitioned to AI-driven Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). They intelligently screen resumes, match candidates to jobs, reduce bias, and improve the overall candidate experience. In this chaos, yesterday I saw an interesting hiring post on LinkedIn. I am sharing an excerpt of it.

“Meet my all-star team. Time to level up with some fresh talent – because even AIs need humans to hit the ‘deploy’ button without existential dread.

Shoutout to the current squad: ChatGPT: Chief Content Officer,Perplexity: Chief Research Officer,Gamma: Deck Designer,Midjourney: Creative Director,Canva: Carousel Designer,

Veo: Video Editor,Veo 3: Video Maker,Genspark AI: Prompt Engineer,EasyGen: Copywriter.

Now, hiring for open roles: Chief Product Officer (CPO), Chief Software Architect, Coding Engineers: Code like a boss, debug like a therapist, Agentic Expert, Integration Experts. My biggest HR challenge? Keeping these agents from unionizing over server space… and now convincing humans we’re not replacing them.”

Are you ready for the transition?

Ravi Saripalle

From Chai to ChatGPT: The Evolution of Shared Knowledge

Dear Friends

During our childhood days, the most engaging places in the morning or evening times would be the Tea Stalls and Barber shops. People often visit them not just to sip the tea but to listen and participate in the most engaging conversations. They would range from politics to business. Similarly, barber shops used to be hook centres for entertaining discussions, street gossip, and many more!! In these Tea stalls, there would be 3-4 people to make the discussion active. The rest of the visitors keep an eye and lend an ear to them, while scanning through the newspaper. They will not have the ability to overpower those 3-4 debaters, but give them thumbs up with their nods. I hope many of you might have experienced this.

Did you see any such Tea shops and Barber shops now? Did you observe that these Tea shops have transformed into Coffee Clubs? You can observe a few customers silently sitting in one corner of these shops and browsing through their mobiles. Similarly, these Barber shops are transitioning to Salons, in some advanced locations, to unisex salons! What do you observe there? Again, customers are hooked to screens, scrolling through a few reels. Those engaging conversations have become old-fashioned!

In fact, in those days, especially in rural villages, these shops also acted as social cops! They used to enquire like a friendly interrogation — Where are you coming from? Whose house are you visiting? What are you doing? How much salary are you earning and so on? In fact, whenever we used to go to our grandfather’s village, we used to encounter these questions. Surprisingly, by the time we reach our grandfather’s village (we need to cross 2-3 villages on foot or by bullock cart), these cycle peddlers used to share with our grandfather that we were visiting! This is the kind of neural network that runs there. They used to be much more powerful than AI-based artificial neural networks (ANNs) or Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs).

Why am I bringing this conversation up? A recent study (Semrush, June 2025) analysed 150,000 citations across AI outputs from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others — using 5,000+ diverse keywords. Can you guess who is supplying the most information to these LLMs like ChatGPT? You might think Google or Facebook, right? No, surprisingly, 40.1% of citations are coming from Reddit. Next, with Wikipedia 26.3%, YouTube 23.5%, Google 23.3%, StackOverflow 18.7%, etc. As per Steve Nouri, Reddit is now the #1 training source for AI. Reddit isn’t just a forum anymore — it’s the backbone of generative AI.

What does this mean for Builders, Brands, and Founders? Conversations > Content! Authority is being redefined (Not by domain age). A 20,000-word blog post has no significance, but Active Reddit threads, Engaging X posts, and YouTube explainer videos make all the difference. Trust is being crowdsourced. Community is your new homepage!!
 

Will there be any impact on the UX strategy of product and services companies? Yes, definitely! When we were studying RDBMS (Relational Database Management Systems), information was arranged in rows and columns! For many years, storing an image in the database was a luxury until object databases came. Today, your PDF document, your reel, or your picture on a webpage are all considered as database feeds for your LLMs.

Did you observe any other changes?

Ravi Saripalle

The Shifting Faces of Friendship and Enmity: Ancient Lessons for Modern World

Dear Friends

In recent times, the global discourse on geopolitics has shown us that international relations are fluid—what may seem like rivalry today could become collaboration tomorrow.

I know a family with 3 children. One of them was brilliant, one was Medicare, and another was hopeless. Parents did not have any hopes for the hopeless boy. Time grew, but there was no change in the attitude. At the end of life, the first two who were well settled were unable to extend help to their parents. They deserted them. However, the one who they were ignorant came to the rescue in the end. Now, do we determine who is right? The first impressions in childhood or the last impressions in late life? This is a complex situation, right?

Understanding one biological family with its own connecting genes becomes tough, what to speak of countries and their national priorities? Building a long-term policy is always tough. We may not be able to comment on such subtle issues. We see a few statements aired on the news channels and form an opinion on the leaders. However, if a 195-column matrix report (number of countries on the earth vs one country mapping) is before the leader, how can one make an easy decision? Any decision will have a huge impact. Their job is not that easy. Let us respect. They make decisions based on current National priorities.

In history, we saw the Chandragupta Maurya & Seleucus Nicator episode. Chandragupta defeated Seleucus’s forces, and later, Seleucus gave his daughter in marriage to Chandragupta. In modern history, we have umpteen examples of such conflicts between Nations, especially during world wars and post-war wars. A friend at a time became a foe later, and vice versa.

What is the right solution at any point? Follow Scriptures! They teach us what Dharma and Adharma are. The Mahabharata is one such great scripture that explains these complex relationships.

Karna and Pandavas - Own Brothers- different sides of the war

Arjuna and Drona- Best Teacher-Student Relationship- different sides of the war

Dronacharya and Drupad - In their youth, friends – Later bitter rivalry- different sides of the war

Bhisma- Great-grandfather for both the Pandavas and Kauravas. Blessed Yudhishthira, wishing for his victory-- different sides of the war.

Yuyutsu, the half-brother of the Kauravas, was raised among the Kauravas. Before the war began, Yuyutsu openly defected to the Pandava side, choosing to support righteousness over his family of origin.

Ashwatthama grew up with the Pandavas, who were his father’s students- different sides of the war

Śalya was Nakula and Sahadeva’s maternal uncle, by blood. Yet, through Duryodhana’s cunning hospitality trick, he was bound to support the Kauravas.

Śakuni & Kauravas-At one level, he was their “uncle” and advisor, seemingly protective of Duryodhana. But in truth, his hatred of Hastināpura made him orchestrate their downfall.

Dhṛtarāṣṭra & Pāṇḍavas: As their uncle and king, he often expressed affection. Yet his blind love for Duryodhana made him do injustices against them. However, during the old age (post-Kauravas period), Pandavas took care of him.

Karna & Bhīṣma: Bhishma was refusing to fight alongside him, but within the same army.

Vidura & Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Vidura was Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s half-brother. Yet, it makes him feel like an outsider in the same family.

Jayadratha & Pāṇḍavas: Jayadratha married Duryodhana’s sister. Earlier, in spite of attempting to abduct Draupadī, the Pāṇḍavas spared his life. Later, he became the cause of Abhimanyu’s death.

Kṛpācārya & Pāṇḍavas: As a guru, he instructed them with affection. But bound by his loyalty to Hastināpura-- different sides of the war

What is the right solution? Depend on the Lord and scriptural application, whosoever we believe, regardless of religion. In the Pandavas' case, they were dependent on Lord Krishna and the teachings of the Bhagavat Gita. We need to pray that Leaders get that intelligence, and after that, just believe in their actions, as we don’t know what is right and wrong!!

Ravi Saripalle

Four Types of Professionals: Where Do You Belong?

 Dear Friends,

Recently, the photo of Alejandro Navarro went viral. He was a devoted math teacher from Texas. He rushed to the hospital with a severe health crisis. He brought his laptop and charger along with him. From his ICU bed, he spent his last moments grading papers—making sure every student’s work was completed and no one was left behind. The next day, he passed away.

However, many such dedicated teachers go unnoticed. Having said that, a few teachers spoil the spirit with their ill attitude. Often, teachers are shown as comedians in many movies, and that impression is carried among some students. Generally, the true value of a teacher is unnoticed as the student encounters teachers during childhood/adolescence. During this age, they wouldn’t have major responsibilities. Often this phase is carried away with fun and ambiguity, and they do not recognize the value of the teacher. By the time the student realizes this fact, there are no teachers mapped. In the process, many times, the teacher also loses purpose and motivation due to this non-recognition by their students. On top of this, in current times, the teaching profession has become commercialized. Revenue generation and recognition have become core motivational factors.

Where are those great teachers like Sujit Chattopadhyay? He is fondly known as the Two Rupees Teacher. In 2021, he was awarded the Padma Shri. After retiring in 2004 at the age of 60, he was concerned about how he would spend his days in retirement. Three girls, who had travelled 20 kilometres barefoot, arrived at his house one day, requesting him to teach them. This humble beginning has now grown to enrol more than 350 children.

Being a teacher myself, sometimes I feel I am also trapped. I hail from a teacher’s family. My great-grandfather and maternal grandfather were Sanskrit teachers. My paternal grandfather, my parents, and my sister were teachers. Later, my spouse left an IT job and became a teacher. With this background, I also quit my IT job in 2010 and joined teaching with a specific purpose in mind. I was able to spend almost a year without salary. The fire in my belly was intact. However, when funds started drying, I could not sustain that fire and committed to a day job for salary—of course in teaching. Having said that, I did not lose the purpose, but it got diluted with different professional and family responsibilities and was often tagged with certain limitations. In those circumstances, you are no more labelled as a Mission Teacher.

That was the time I realized the difference between Drifter Teacher, Mechanic Teacher, Dreamer Teacher, and Mission Teacher. Let me give the definitions.

• X–Axis (horizontal): Inspiration/Dedication (Left = Low Dedication, Right = High Dedication).
• Y–Axis (vertical): Purpose (Bottom = Low, Top = High).

Then the 2x2 matrix would be:

• Bottom Left (Low Purpose, Low Dedication): Drifter Teacher (neither committed nor purposeful).
• Bottom Right (Low Purpose, High Dedication): Mechanic Teacher (hardworking but without deeper vision).
• Top Left (High Purpose, Low Dedication): Dreamer Teacher (inspired but inconsistent in practice).
• Top Right (High Purpose, High Dedication): Mission Teacher (ideal blend, teaching with meaning and effort, without expecting any results—name, fame, money).

When we aspire for growth in terms of recognition, salary, and promotion, we can never be called Mission Teachers. They should be by-products. A few reach this level. My maternal grandfather was a Mission Teacher. However, I rate the rest of my family members to the level of Mechanical Teachers. Given good health and minimum self-sustenance, I aspire to attempt once again and retest in the future. Of course, we are all bound to fulfil certain family responsibilities. Otherwise, the same world would categorize them as Mission Teachers but irresponsible towards family.

It is not just limited to teaching; the same matrix is applicable to every profession. Honestly, which category do you belong to? Self-reflect.

Ravi Saripalle

Hallucination is Not a Bug, It’s a Feature: Lessons for AI and Humanity

Dear Friends,

Recently, I was watching a documentary on Makoko AKA, Lagos, also known as the Venice of Nigeria—the largest floating slum in Africa. This is a floating village. Long back, we visited Kerala, stayed in a floating cottage and boathouse on the Kochi backwaters, and earlier at the Alleppey backwaters. The purpose there was to recreate in nature. However, the Makoko scene is completely different. I was astonished and amused to witness their life on the waters. It is surrounded by dirty sewage water. People commute using boats, and a few children were swimming in those waters. Constant fear (natural calamities, epidemics, and neighborhood issues) haunts people. In contrast, just opposite this slum, we can witness Lagos city—the largest urban agglomeration in Nigeria and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.

Now, what is today’s story? Let’s contemplate the learning & thinking process of kids who grow up in rich conditions versus slum conditions. If you ask them the same question: What are you most scared of?

• A rich kid may respond (of course, not all of them): “Monsters under the bed, using public transportation, or losing power & internet.”

• A slum kid may respond (again, not all): “Demolition of their temporary shelter by the government, floods, hunger, or fights in the neighborhood.”

If a rich kid sees the slum kid’s answer, it causes amusement, and vice versa. There is nothing wrong or right here.

However, there is a huge uproar when it comes to AI responding to a few questions differently. After all, an AI model is like a child. What you feed, how you train—it comes out. Having said that, it is causing huge financial damage to the AI model owners. A human learns year after year and makes decisions. If it goes wrong, we accept it and say “human error.” But we are not giving sufficient time to AI to learn. If it says something wrong, we immediately call it a hallucination. (Dictionary meaning: a sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch that a person believes to be real but is not real.)

A Vectara study found that even the best models still make things up at least 0.7% of the time. According to allaboutai.com, these “hallucinations” caused $67.4 billion in damages globally in 2024.

We all need to understand: Hallucination is NOT A BUG. It is A FEATURE. That is how AI understands and responds—like any average human being’s response. Let’s not misunderstand it. Future jobs will include AI Human Reviewers—teaching AI specific lessons on domains and issues, and reducing hallucination. Later, AI Tutors will comprehensively teach humans! This is going to be a new cycle.

Today, The Hindu published an editorial: “Set the guardrails for AI use in courtrooms.” This was in the context of a recent case where an AI transcription tool repeatedly transcribed the claimant’s name, “Noel”, as “no.” If AI cites a paper—Journal of Applied AI, Vol. 12, 2019—that does not exist, we need to help AI understand the issue. If you ask AI, “What’s the capital of Brazil?” and it confidently replies “Buenos Aires” instead of Brasília, we need to teach the AI. These hallucination scenarios are to be patiently resolved with AI.

In the 1990s, we hired many manual testers to catch software bugs. Over time, manual testers started vanishing, and the era of test automation began. Now the same manual tester is coming back in a new avatar called an AI Human Reviewer. Their job is to catch and correct hallucinations before they reach users.

Human judgment and AI hallucination will always exist. They change from time to time, context to context, data to data, and many more factors. When we accept human judgment in the form of human error or rational decision, the same should apply to hallucination as well. Let’s accept it.

The ultimate solution forever would be to develop AI systems with a Human in the Loop. Fully autonomous systems are not practical for humanity (especially in the Indian context). And a human race without technological aid would also push us back to a primitive state. Both radical scenarios are not good for society.

Wishing policy makers balance this act—especially in the Indian context—with 56 million rich (>30L), 432 million middle class (5L to 30L), 732 million aspirers (1.25L to 5L), and 196 million destitutes (<1.25L) (2021 data). A Bharat AI Policy should cater to these levels, and AI training data should represent these four classes.

Ravi Saripalle

The ₹-Cost of the Tilted Head— How Neck Pain Leads to GDP Pain?

Dear Friends,

I asked Siddharth to draw a concept for today’s article. In our casual conversation, he was talking about a particular artist who drew various people’s pictures across the world while they were doing their respective chores (walking, eating, chatting, shopping, etc.), watching a mobile in their hand. Later, he chopped their hands in his pictures and grouped them on one canvas, showing how their heads tilted down irrespective of their chore.

This tilting is not just a head pose/neck-down issue, but it is becoming an economic pose-down! Let me dive deep into the statistics. However, a few numbers are assumptions. I am drawing some derivations for discussion purposes, but a few may not be true figures.

Explodingtopics.com

published a few stats recently on this issue. Globally, in 2025, people spend approximately 6 hours and 40 minutes of screen time per day. Daily screen time has increased by over 30 minutes per day since 2013. Almost half (49%) of 0- to 2-year-olds interact with smartphones. Gen Z averages around 9 hours of screen time per day. Here is the rate of change between average screen time in 2023 and 2024 for select countries: India’s change in screen time increased by 22 minutes in one year itself.

I was doing simple math on how it is an economic issue. Here are my assumptions and numbers.

Total smartphone users — 71,20,00,000 (people) — Estimated India smartphone users (~2025).

Employed ratio: 53% — Assume the share of the population that is employed.

Reels watchers’ fraction: 25% — Assumed share of people watching 1 h/day.

Average hourly wage: 101.50 (₹/hour).

However, when they watch these reels, they get some entertainment as well. Assume 20% of that 1 hour is the value credited back. This is a productivity gain value.

However, most of them watch at night (assuming 30%), and they get fatigued the next day, which impacts productivity the next day. I took fatigue hours as 0.16 (hours/day). This is productivity loss.

It also strains the eye. Assuming 18% of them need an extra eye exam, and the eye exam costs 500 rupees. This is an economic cost.

However, platform owners like Insta/Facebook get some ad revenue. Assume Ad Revenue Per Hour: 0.29 (₹/hour) — gross monetization per hour of social attention. Having said that, assume the creator’s share of ad revenue is 25% (share).

However, assume 50% of non-employed watchers are students; for them, it is learning loss and future opportunity loss, hence it is future economic loss. It means assuming a displacement rate of study time of 1 hour/day.

In between, I took many more assumptions, a lot of math, and finally arrived at a number. Of course, I am not that great in math accuracy (assume a few mathematical errors and approximations); however, it is a whopping figure!! I am showing here how big the loss is!!

Employed net cost/productivity loss/opportunity cost (annual): ₹3.669 trillion ≈ ₹3,66,869 crore;

Students’ human-capital loss (annual-equivalent): ₹0.146 trillion ≈ ₹14,586 crore;

Total annual impact (Employed + Students): ₹3.815 trillion (≈ 3.815 lakh crore)!! This is an economic loss of 1 hour of waste utilization without any learning from the content.

Mind-boggling number!! ~96% of the loss is workplace productivity/health; ~4% comes from students’ future-earnings erosion (annualized).

What is it for companies? What is it for schools and parents?

Company: At this scale, even a 1% productivity improvement against the habit is worth ~₹36,800 crore/yr nationally.

Parents: Replace 15 minutes/day of your ward’s time.

Platforms/Regulators: Expand bedtime prompts and session-length frictions; boost rev-share for positive learning content.

Ravi Saripalle

Water Is the Real Currency: Time for a Virtual Water Economy

Dear Friends,

 

I am not a researcher or an economist, but as an inspiration, we published a concept and idea on “The Need for a Virtual Water Currency and Virtual Water Trading System across all Countries” in the context of industrial products. This concept was first published in the Water Supply Journal in 2015 (https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2015.047) and later, in a more mature and specific form, in the Water Policy Journal in 2022 (https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2022.285).

 

You might be wondering why I am sharing this now. The relevance of a Virtual Water Currency and Virtual Water Trading System is more visible today than ever before, particularly in the context of current geopolitics. Whether it is orange or oil, importing or exporting any product involves water usage — from the mining or cultivation stage of raw materials to the final product on the shelf. The total water consumed by a product or service is called virtual water.

 

To give perspective: the virtual water content of rice ranges from 2,500–3,000 liters per kilogram; a single cup of coffee requires 130–140 liters; one pair of jeans, 7,500–10,000 liters; and a smartphone, about 12,000 liters. In industry, the water footprint is often measured per dollar of value added — meaning, “How much water does an economy use to produce USD 1 worth of industrial goods or services?” Globally, this averages 80 liters per USD of industrial product, ~100 L/USD in the U.S., and only 20–25 L/USD in India. If these numbers are incorrect, my sincere apologies due to my limited data access. I am trying to present a context rather than numbers.

 

In our paper, we proposed introducing a Virtual Water Currency alongside existing currencies like the dollar or rupee. Such a currency could help drive sustainability discussions and guide decisions so that we can pass on a livable planet to the next generation. In our second paper, we recommended creating an international Virtual Water–Based Trading System using blockchain to ensure transparency and principle-driven trade.

 

For example, if a smartphone has 100 components sourced from different countries, the assembler could check (via an immutable blockchain record) which components have the lowest virtual water content and highest quality, and choose to import those. Over time, this would build Virtual Water Consciousness among countries and manufacturers.

 

A simple policy or protocol can be defined based on historical evidence and future predictions — but I understand it’s not easy to design such rules, whether for a country, an organization, or an individual. I deliberately put the word “a” in quotes earlier because even a single letter in policy language can change the law and future interpretation. This is why governments and think tanks must be given time and respect for the complexity of their work, instead of facing emotional criticism.

 

To illustrate, you may have seen the Times of India article yesterday — “No income tax for son who sold late mother’s flat for ₹1.45 crore to buy seven houses; how a minor language error helped him”. Before the 2014 amendment, Section 54’s phrase “a residential house” was interpreted by courts to allow long-term capital gains exemption for multiple residential properties, not just one. In this case, the Bombay High Court ruled that his purchase of seven row houses in 1995 qualified for full exemption, as the restriction to “one” house applied only prospectively from AY 2015–16. This demonstrates how a single word in tax law — “a” or “one” — can significantly affect rights.

 

Similarly, we must think about virtual water in our import/export and production decisions, not based on emotions, but on the physical limits of Mother Earth. Readily accessible freshwater for humans, animals, and ecosystems is less than 1% of all freshwater — roughly 0.007% of Earth’s total water. Already, 2 billion people live in water-stressed areas.

 

What is your Virtual Water Consciousness?

 

Ravi Saripalle