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

You might have heard of Sun Bath, Steam Bath, and Mud Bath. Have you heard of Sound Bath?

Dear Friends,

One female cockroach can produce up to 300–400 offspring. A termite colony can reach millions and cause major structural damage in 3–6 months. What do you do immediately? You call pest control, right? Pest control works not just by killing the pest, but by understanding its pattern, access, and ecosystem.

What is the pest for the body today? Stress and Anxiety.

A couple of days back, I was sitting on my balcony. A father, aged 60–70 years, was consoling his daughter, who works in IT. She was complaining about her manager’s pressure, how she was unable to handle the targets, wanted to change her job, etc. The father was saying that changing jobs was not a permanent solution. Make work agreements clear, communicate properly, and avoid hasty decisions, he advised.

At the age of 15 – study pressure, rank pressure.
At the age of 23 – job selection pressure.
At the age of 25 – package pressure.
At the age of 28 – marriage selection pressure.
At the age of 30 – maintaining family expectations while managing company expectations is pressure.
At the age of 50–70 – new medical problems occur.
From the age of 70+ – leading life itself is pressure.

44% of employees globally experience daily workplace stress. Stress-related burnout costs employers over $300 billion annually.

Where does it lead? Again, to more stress.

The loop works like this:
Stress → Poor Sleep → Weakened Immunity → Low Energy & Mood → Increased Anxiety → More Stress.

In our days, if you visited any village, the entire community would sit at the Ramalayam or any temple or spiritual gathering place. Have you ever experienced a one-hour stay next to a temple bell? Temple bells produce long-resonating frequencies, often between 90–120 Hz, which align with the theta brainwave range (associated with deep meditation and relaxation). The reverberation can last up to 7 seconds and is said to activate all seven chakras in the body. The human body is ~70% water, and sound waves can create microscopic vibrations. They reduce muscular tension and calm the nervous system.

Thanks to the pressure, especially in IT and related industries, companies have started offering “Sound Bath Therapy” or “Music Bath Therapy” for wellness. All participants are immersed in sound waves produced by instruments like gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, tuning forks, chimes, or even the human voice. Unlike a music concert, it's not meant to be watched or danced to—it's meant to be absorbed. These therapists are charging a decent amount to give that experience.

In our ancient system—and even today—if you happen to be in a Krishna temple, devotees sing the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. They repeat this mantra with kartals (hand cymbals), mridanga drums, and often a collective voice, continuously for 1–2 hours or more. Repeating a mantra multiple times entrains your mind to a single frequency, reducing distraction, anxiety, and thought clutter. The effect is similar to deep meditation—but with sound as the anchor instead of silence.

Instruments like the veena, violin, or tanpura produce continuous, droning, or resonant notes. I am requesting a few of my relatives to get deep into this kind of work and bring a platform so that people can play and listen in isolation.

Indian wisdom has always been ahead of its time. We lost touch with it for a while and are now rediscovering the same truths in new forms—be it Ayurveda, yoga, chanting, or sustainable living itself.

Are you experiencing this syndrome?

Ravi Saripalle

From Cross-Sector AI to Cross-Species Empathy: Lessons from Fusion AI Summit 2025

Dear Friends,

Over the last two days, I had the opportunity to contribute to the Fusion AI Summit 2025 in two unique capacities:

As a moderator, I led the panel “Cross-Sectoral AI: Driving Innovation and Efficiency Across Industries.”

And as a panel speaker, I joined the discussion on “Building the AI Skilling Ecosystem: Preparing for the Future Workforce.”

My favourite reflection from the stage:

“We don’t need AI that thinks like us—we need AI that understands who we serve.”

Among the many thought-provoking conversations, one unexpected story truly stood out for its depth, humanity, and vision—the way AI is being deployed at Vantara, the 3,000-acre animal rescue and conservation project by Reliance Industries in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

Led by Anant Mukesh Ambani, Vantara is one of the world’s largest and most advanced animal care centers—a sanctuary, hospital, and habitat all in one.

What amazed me was how AI is being used to:

• Track animal health metrics in real time using wearables and computer vision

• Monitor behavioral patterns across rescued species

• Predict disease outbreaks using environmental and biometric signals

It’s a perfect example of AI not replacing humans—but augmenting compassion with precision where veterinarians meet data scientists. Where sensors translate into empathy.

At a time when AI is largely discussed in the context of profits, platforms, and productivity, Vantara reminds us that AI can also serve life itself.

One of the most touching stories came from Dr. Madan Dabbeeru (PhD in Cognitive Robotics), who is part of the Vantara effort.

He shared how, through cognitive systems and observational AI, the team discovered how elephants “talk” to each other—from a mother elephant “checking in” with the father about their calf, to entire herds sharing stress signals across long distances.

Even more moving was the story of bears exhibiting suicidal behavior—triggered by digestive pain from being unable to defecate. The solution? Biologists designed a calming behavioural therapy using bananas placed in 8-shaped circles, gradually guiding the bears toward water, restoring both their physical and emotional balance.

These stories reminded me that AI isn’t just about automation—it’s about deeper observation. About translating the language of life.

Maybe it’s time we develop similar AI-powered systems for humans—ones that detect stress, anxiety, or cognitive overload not just through wearables, but through subtle cues in speech, silence, posture, or interaction patterns.

As of 2019, more than 970 million people—1 in 8 globally—were living with a mental health disorder. That number is likely rising as technology accelerates our pace, but not always our peace.

We don’t just need smarter machines—we need more emotionally intelligent systems. Ones that nudge us to pause, breathe, and heal. Because sometimes, the most humane thing AI can do…is remind us to be human.

Ravi Saripalle

Running for Life, Not Just for Food: A Reflection on Purpose

Dear Friends,

This morning, as soon as I woke up, I received a message:

“In a race between a lion and a deer, many times the deer wins because the lion runs for food and the deer runs for its life — the purpose is more than the need.”

Hope you are all aware of these facts. A daily wage laborer from Bihar, Dashrath Manjhi, carved a 110-meter-long path through a mountain using just a hammer and chisel — over 22 years — to ensure no one else would suffer like his wife, who died due to lack of timely medical access. At age 29, Chhonzin Angmo from Himachal Pradesh became the first visually impaired woman to summit Everest on May 19. Losing sight at age eight, she defied medical uncertainty and societal barriers. Her ascent exemplifies how purpose lights the path through the darkest challenges.

Today, the purpose is fading. It should be part of education. Fifteen years ago, when I was part of the startup ideas jury, we used to get grounded ideas like how to improve agricultural productivity and profitability. In recent times, most of the ideas are on travel, how to make better reels, or just to run entertainment goals. The reason is that they are not fighting on Maslow’s Theory (from bottom to top) — Physiological Needs and Safety Needs. The people taking up entrepreneurship competitions are mostly middle-class, upper-middle-class, or rich. Hence, their focus is mostly on Belongingness and Love (relationships, social connection), Esteem (respect, recognition, status), and Self-Actualization (growth, fulfilment). This is the difference. If the bottom of the pyramid takes up entrepreneurship, it is mostly for survival — feeding the stomach for that day or week. They never pitch but simply act. However, many times, they cannot grow beyond a point, except for a few exceptions.

Social and Rural Immersion programs in educational settings are mere tour visits or credit-scoring visits for many of them. As parents, we should also keep a bar on how much we transfer our wealth to our children. We should not build assets for their future comforts. This process hampers their thought process. They cannot think below a certain point. We should provide good education, good food and medication, and, at most, a liveable place, if possible. In my view, beyond a point, if we provide too much, one generation is saved, but in the next two to three generations, they return to the normal stage, except for a few exceptions.

Of course, preaching is easy, but practicing is tough! Sometimes, our attachments and natural instincts do not cooperate. However, consciously, we need to keep this conversation alive at home; otherwise, we are providing a shell without substance. Recently, I was listening to a conversation. A boy got an IIT seat but was unable to pay the ₹1.5 lakh first-year fee. He went from pillar to post to get this ₹1.5 lakh and took a loan for the rest of the three years. His mother’s monthly income was less than ₹10,000. The same boy later qualified for the civil services.

When we don’t have something, we come to know its value in that absence. A few weeks ago, I was having pain in my leg. I was barely able to walk. At that time, I came to know the value of a single nerve connecting my ankle. Personally, I know a boy who is intelligent. Everything was going normally. However, his father suddenly passed away due to a heart attack. His whole educational plan became a big block. All the savings were utilized for medical bills. Now, the boy, on his own, at the age of 17, is trying to join a school, keeping the budget at the center. I am sure he will be most successful, as he is getting a life education, which is the foundation for any college education.

Did you hear any such inspiring stories?

Ravi Saripalle

Is Art of Living Limited to Art of Parenting in the Current Age?

Dear Friends,

When we were children, elders used to say, once you secure good marks in the 10th class, you are almost settled in education. During intermediate, once you get into Engineering or any professional degree, your life is settled. Once that is done, we need to struggle to secure a job that matches the degree. Once a job is secured, marriage takes priority. Once marriage is done, children follow. At this stage, we think we are done with the major achievements of life. However, we soon realize that our real problems start from here. The problems that occurred till that date were only pilot studies!!

Recently, one of my friends called me and expressed his distress over the incident that happened in Meghalaya with a newlywed couple. The internet was stormed with this news. Twenty or thirty years back, parents used to relax once their child's marriage was done, as their job was more or less complete. The role of parenting used to stop there. The rest of life was to relish the good and bad—if health permitted. Otherwise, the focus would shift to managing health-related issues.

Is it the case now? Absolutely not.

The problem starts when children are in the toddler stage. A recent study in India reveals that over 60% of toddlers spend excessive time on screens, exceeding WHO guidelines and potentially hindering brain development. The study found that screens are used to pacify children, free up parents’ time, and allow completion of household chores. Research says it affects mental health and behaviour.

Once they go to school, parents own the academic pressures, social dynamics, and personal struggles. Recently, a mother quit her job—I should say, sacrificed her job—to stay with her son in Kota for IIT coaching. She stayed with the child to support his dream. In our days, these situations were rare. Even if they existed, it was mostly to ensure educational continuity, and that too only if the father had a transferable job. However, today, these academic pressures are not limited to one city, but are present throughout the world. In fact, there has been a disturbing rise in student suicides over the years due to academic pressure.

Once this phase is over and children get a job, the actual problem starts during the marriage process. The ugly and informal “6-6-6 rule” (6 ft height, six-pack abs, 6-figure income) is driving the match-making process. It is not just about male or female; these rules are influencing everyone. Recently, I read about a parent who took an extreme step because they were unable to arrange a suitable match for their daughter.

But the game is not over.

Today, parents are constantly wary of whether marriages will stand the test of time or not. The 2–5 years post-marriage are considered critical; otherwise, the fear of divorce haunts them.

Once this phase is over, parents face financial and medical issues. Earlier, many used to receive pensions. Today, that is not the case. They are worried about their jobs, especially post-50, as they begin to lose productivity. They are expected to sustain themselves until 60 or 65, as responsibilities continue to grow.

Recently, an incident went viral where children sent their aged mother out of her own house. While life expectancy is increasing, various medical issues are impairing mobility in old age. Sometimes, the mental burden they carry is more painful than death itself.

When we sum up the entire life, what is the most difficult phase for an individual when considering both physical and mental burden? It is not during childhood, not during education, not while getting a job, but once you take on responsibilities as a spouse, as a parent, and also as a caregiver to your own parents. The phase of parenting is the most difficult stage of life—without much appreciation.

Which phase of your life is filled with complexity?

Ravi Saripalle

The Neurons Behind Neural Networks: The Human Factor in Meta’s AI Vision

Dear Friends,

Meta has assembled a "Superintelligence" AI team. This dream team is more than just a collection of coders—it’s a convergence of brilliant minds shaped by elite education, relentless curiosity, and psychological depth.

I'm curious about where they studied, what they did, and what kind of skills they possess. Many of them come from institutions like Stanford, Princeton, Tsinghua, and IIT. Their résumés boast stints at OpenAI, DeepMind, and Anthropic. Many began their journeys with research assistant roles and internships at Adobe, Facebook, and Google Brain—developing meta-skills early in their careers.

If I had to summarize their cognitive archetypes, here’s how I would do it:
• The Researcher (e.g., Shengjia Zhao, Stanford PhD): Focused on theoretical purity and experimental control.
• The Builder (e.g., Shuchao Bi, YouTube Shorts co-founder): Driven by execution, systems thinking, and a strong product-to-research feedback loop.
• The Synthesizer (e.g., Huiwen Chang, Google Research + OpenAI): Excels in cross-modal creativity and possesses a design-thinking mindset.

These individuals work on complex topics like multi-agent systems, human-AI alignment, and interpretability—fields that require not just logic, but also empathy.

For example:
• Shuchao Bi transitioned from Zhejiang University to graduate work at UC Berkeley, blending mathematical depth with real-world impact at YouTube and OpenAI.
• Shengjia Zhao and Huiwen Chang, both Tsinghua alumni, pursued doctoral research at Stanford and Princeton, exemplifying the Yao Class tradition of academic brilliance.
• Jiahui Yu, a prodigy from USTC’s School of the Gifted Young, earned a PhD at UIUC, specializing in computer vision and generative models.
• Trapit Bansal, trained in India’s IIT system, sharpened his machine learning focus at UMass Amherst, balancing theoretical clarity with application.
• Shuyao Bi, who moved from Shanghai Jiao Tong University to Carnegie Mellon, showcases the practical backbone of real-time systems engineering.

You might be wondering, what’s the story for today?

About 4–5 years ago, in one of my talks, I mentioned that the world will eventually have only five types of jobs:
1. Entrepreneur
2. AI Trainer/Tuner
3. Prompt Engineer (including Agents and Agentic AI)
4. Design Thinker
5. AI General User (many existing jobs fall under this category—e.g., personalized content curation like reels)

It now seems that investments and talent are aligning in this direction.

If we map qualities and skills to these five types:
• Entrepreneur – Risk appetite and a problem-solving mindset through product or service innovation
• AI Trainer/Tuner – Mathematical and statistical intelligence, computational power, broad domain understanding, and mastery of algorithms
• Prompt Engineer – Use-case orientation and the ability to apply AI in real-world contexts
• Design Thinker – Empathy combined with experiential innovation (balancing business affordability, human desirability, and technical feasibility)
• AI User – Anyone who uses AI tools in daily life (e.g., customized content, virtual assistants, etc.)

Every student should reflect on their own strengths and align with one of these types during their UG/PG journey. Doing so can enhance both employability and sustainability in their career.

Which type are you?

Ravi Saripalle

Why Your Quiet Colleague Might Be the Most Influential?

Dear Friends,

We all share a popular belief — myself included — that people who are widely known must be great. Traditionally, we tend to think that if many people know you, you are popular and therefore successful. Most of us think this way. Do you?

If someone has a lot of followers on Instagram or Facebook, we often consider them influential. Do you agree with this statement? Initially, I did — but eventually, I realized I was mistaken. It turns out that assumption may not be entirely true. A compelling article challenges this theory.

Science Advances (a journal with an impact factor of 11.7) published a fascinating study that asks a fundamental question: “Who is more popular — the one with the most followers or the one with deep network knowledge?” Let me explain with an example.

Imagine two of your colleagues. One is outgoing and seems to have influence with senior management. The other is more reserved but has a strong grasp of the internal system — who knows whom, who trusts whom, and so on. Who would you consider more influential?

According to the article:
• Highest number of followers = popularity
• Deep understanding of social connections = influence

Popularity may open doors, but social insight helps you build the house.

So how did they prove this?

The study tracked 187 first-year university students over an academic year to understand how individuals gain social influence. The researchers discovered that those who ultimately became the most influential were not the ones with the most friends, but those who had early and accurate insight into how their peers were connected — the overall structure of the social network. Simply knowing many people, or being aware of individual friendships, did not predict influence. As the network stabilized over time, these insightful individuals further deepened their understanding of social ties.

When I reflect on this, it makes perfect sense. In fact, this is at the heart of marketing, isn’t it?

At Wipro, we had the concept of Hunters and Farmers in our sales structure. The hunter’s job was to identify new leads, while the farmer would deepen engagement within an existing account to generate more revenue. In both roles, success depended on influence — specifically, understanding the customer's internal network and knowing who the decision-makers were. It was never about how many people you knew, but how well you understood the ecosystem and managed relationships.

Sales and marketing can't be taught entirely in a classroom. You learn the fundamentals through instruction, yes — but true learning happens on the field.

On a lighter note, in the old days, almost every family had that one aunt or uncle who knew everything about everyone — who was getting married, who had health problems, what the latest gossip was. That person was the “hub” of the family network. Ironically, many of those uncles and aunts are now lost in Instagram reels and slowly losing their influencer status!

So, let me ask you:

Are you popular, or are you an influencer in your family or social network?

Ravi Saripalle

Instinct to Survive: Lessons from a Trapped Tiger

Dear Friends,

Can you imagine a situation where you and your deadliest enemy both got placed in the same coupe in a first-class railway bogie? You both have to travel for 3 days. What would be your immediate reaction? Will you look at each other’s faces? Will you quarrel? Or will you go to the extent of fighting each other? Or do you both ignore each other until you reach your destination? Definitely, it is the most uncomfortable situation, right?

In such a situation, what if you are offered some good food by your neighbour? Will you eat happily, burying the rivalry or suspicion? Or eat with hesitation? Or reject it totally? Unless we experience such a situation, we may not be able to answer correctly.

However, animals behave differently. A few days back, a little bird got stuck on our balcony. It was barely able to fly. At a distance, the mother kept watching but couldn’t enter due to the parapet wall. It took a while. My son prepared a decent enclosure and started feeding it. Surprisingly, it did not eat, despite being given the right food. It was also unable to make any sound. After some time, he took the enclosure to the garden and dropped her near a plant, guarding her from predators. Suddenly, a few of her relatives came and pushed her forcefully. She gained confidence and flew away with them.

You might be wondering — what is so great about this story?

Recently, an incident took place in Kadukkkachiy in Idukki, Kerala. A tiger and a dog were stuck in a pit at a cardamom plantation (The Hindu). Everybody wondered why the tiger did not kill the dog — after all, they were barely a foot apart in a 10-ft-deep pit. It was an easy prey for the tiger. A DFO and a wildlife expert revealed something new. Normally, tigers do not attack or ambush inside traps. When dogs chase tigers, the tiger usually escapes. Generally, we think the other way around. However, experts say, “Instinct was to survive, not to kill.” This is animal dharma.

Many life lessons and management theories can be drawn from this. Today, the whole world is experiencing various phenomena — wars, famine, natural disasters, health outbreaks, human trafficking, slavery, and many more unwanted and undesired conditions. A few are man-made, while a few are natural. We can avoid man-made disasters and collaboratively and collectively handle natural ones.

What is one lesson we can learn from these tigers? The instinct is to survive, not to kill. We are all people trapped on this big planet. Maybe we need the same instinct — to survive. I’m sure everyone will have their own reason. At least, we can reduce the friction. Human life is so short. We send best wishes to family members, greet each other — and within hours, we’re not sure whether we’ll return safely or not. In the process, we build great dreams, make big claims, and create all kinds of noise. But where is the guarantee that our claim will be fulfilled in our own eyes?

Nature’s lessons are always great. They teach us philosophy, science, engineering, architecture, and much more. I think some universities should start a bachelor’s program exclusively on “Bachelor's in Nature Understanding.” It should be a transdisciplinary subject covering all philosophies.

What does your instinct say?

Ravi Saripalle

From Memes to Meaning: A Reflection on Change, Grief, and Generational Shifts

Dear Friends,

A couple of days ago, I came across a meme: A grandfather is on life support, with the oxygen cylinder plugged into an electrical socket. Next to him, his grandson is playing a video game. The grandfather says, “I know how this will end — one of my grandkids will unplug my life support to charge their phone.”

It made me smile — it’s humorous on the surface, but also carries a profound message. It's not just about choosing a phone over a grandparent's life. It reflects how deeply our world and behaviours have shifted — subtly, yet significantly.

Last night, my two-wheeler broke down about 25 KM from home, around 9:30 PM. With limited options, I had to leave the vehicle by the roadside. By the time it was past 10 PM, transportation was scarce. Eventually, I caught a city bus. In front of me sat two boys (they seemed like brothers), engrossed in a video game. Their parents were seated farther away. I vaguely heard the elder boy say, “Bro, keep 40 rupees and kill that character.” I couldn’t tell if it was part of the game or something else, but their instincts were not sounding right. Persistent exposure to such narratives may lead to different behaviour.

That moment reminded me of another experience from a couple of months ago. I was at a hospital, helping a well-wisher with a non-emergency matter. While near the emergency ward, I witnessed something that deeply moved me.

A young painter, perhaps 25–30 years old, had fallen while working and was rushed in. Tragically, he was declared dead on arrival. He was the sole breadwinner for his family — a mother, a wife, and two young children.

Soon, relatives, neighbors, and friends began arriving. It was heartbreaking. The family, with very limited resources, struggled even to cover basic hospital expenses. I watched as people emptied their pockets — pulling out coins and small bills. Even with all that, it wasn’t enough. Some went out in search of additional help, while others sat silently through the night outside the hospital.

What stayed with me, however, was this small yet powerful detail: While the adults mourned — the mother, in particular, was inconsolable — the young children were given mobile phones to keep them occupied. They quietly played games. I’m not here to say whether that was right or wrong. But I did notice the contrast.

A few decades ago, in such a moment, children might have been taken aside, told to sit quietly, or even asked to pray. Today, the instinct is to distract, not reflect.

It brought back a memory from my own childhood. In October 1984, my maternal grandfather passed away in our village, 30–40 KM from Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. He had a cow he loved dearly. That day, the cow cried — all day. Tears were visible in her eyes. Perhaps it was her way of mourning — an expression of love in a language we often fail to understand.

Even today, I rarely get tears in my eyes, even during intense moments. But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel, or that my heart is hard. I'm not trying to draw exact parallels between these stories, but there’s a certain disconnect we can sense between generations.

Honestly, I don't know why I chose to share this story today. It wasn’t planned. But two pairs of children, a single meme, and a string of memories prompted me to write.

I’m not here to judge what’s right or wrong. Times are changing. So are our tools, habits, and ways of expressing emotion. We’ll likely see many more such memes in the future.

Let’s just hope they remain memes — not reality.

Ravi Saripalle

From Shelter to Showcase: The Evolution of Construction Costs

 Dear Friends,

A couple of days back, I was reading a post on “Thumb Rule for Construction Cost Wise %.” It said: Cement – 16.4%, Sand – 12.3%, Aggregates – 7.4%, Steel – 24.6%, Painting – 4.1%, Tiles – 8%, Bricks – 4.4%, Windows – 3%, Doors – 3.4%, Plumbing – 5.5%, Electrical – 6.8%, Sanitary – 4.1%.

Let’s assume we aspire to live in a 1200 sq. ft flat at ₹5,000 per sq. ft. That’s ₹60 lakhs. Cement itself would cost around ₹10 lakhs, sand around ₹8 lakhs, steel ₹15 lakhs, and sanitary fittings about ₹2.5 lakhs!

Thirty years ago, we lived in a 200–300 sq. ft house with two rooms. One of the rooms served as a kitchen in the morning and became a guest room at night! Families back then weren’t nuclear—grandparents were part of the household. On average, we hosted 2–3 guests every month, staying for a week. When we said “door,” it meant just the main door facing the road! The rest were partitions. “Sanitary” meant only an Indian-style toilet. There was no concept of a washbasin.

As for furniture, we had one Godrej almirah and 3–4 chairs. No dining table! Privacy was a luxury. The background music while preparing for life-changing competitive exams was the inevitable household cacophony of an elderly grandmother, her standard rumblings, occasional scoldings, and emotional outbursts. But the number of life lessons we learned was immense.

Fast forward to my early career phase—living in a 64 sq. ft room in Bangalore as a bachelor. We could afford a better space, but all of us in that phase shared the same aspirations. We were still growing, still dreaming of a better life for our future families. Back then, we were called misers. But who could understand our hearts? That compromise may not be appreciated now, but I feel deeply content about the responsibility I showed back then.

Looking back today, I can say we are living in luxury compared to those days. Aspirations have changed. Lifestyles have transformed. Given a choice, I don’t think I could return to those old living conditions—unless God’s will demands it.

Recently, while visiting Mumbai, I passed through a slum. Watching the lives there was heart-wrenching. It made me realize: we may not feel we are living in luxury, but in comparison, we are. And maybe—just maybe—we’re occupying a space that could have been someone else’s comfort.

Somewhere I read that in 1959, the LIC Building in Mumbai was constructed at ₹70 per sq. ft. In 2002, an independent house in Chennai could be built at ₹300–₹500 per sq. ft. Today, in most metros, a premium tier-1 apartment costs around ₹5,000–₹6,000 per sq. ft.

Construction today is no longer just about shelter—it’s a statement. But with every additional tile and steel rod, we’re also shaping future costs: both personal and planetary.

This is the challenge for designers—in an age of climate crisis and housing shortages, minimalist, modular, and eco-conscious designs may well be the true architectural innovation we need.

Finally, are we building dreams—or just buying into trends? I must admit, I too fell into this trap.

Ravi Saripalle

Is the “Anting” Philosophy Gaining Ground in Education?

Dear Friends,

A few days ago, we were invited by one of the country’s established and well-regarded deemed universities to conduct an orientation session for a newly designed academic program. Parents from various states attended and actively raised their questions and concerns. The university’s management responded to every query with patience and without prejudice.

While a strong institutional brand carries weight, today, no progressive educational institution can afford to leave any stone unturned. The landscape of education is shifting dramatically across institutions, whether it’s Harvard, IITs, or other reputed centres of learning.

For instance, when IIT Madras launched its BSc in Data Science program, it held multiple orientation sessions before admissions. A decade ago, such efforts were rare. Back then, the brand alone was enough to attract students. Today, things have changed. Students and parents are increasingly concerned not only about academic prospects but also about quality of life—campus experience, living conditions, and co-living environments.

In the past, it wasn’t unusual for four or five students to share a bathroom. That was never questioned. Today, the preference for fewer roommates and private or semi-private amenities has become a deciding factor in course selection. Institutions are tuning into these voices and are transforming—be it infrastructure, faculty mindset, course design, or evaluation methodologies.

This ongoing transformation can be likened to a process known in nature as "Anting."

When a crow feels unwell, it seeks out an anthill. It spreads its wings and remains still, allowing ants to crawl through its feathers. The ants release formic acid, a natural antiseptic that eliminates bacteria, fungi, and parasites. This self-healing behavior is not unique to crows—it’s observed in many bird species. No vet, no synthetic medicine—just instinct and nature’s pharmacy at work.
In many ways, educational institutions are undergoing their own anting process—a phase of introspection, healing, and transformation. If they don’t, they risk being consumed by internal “parasites.”

So, what are these parasites?

• A faculty member who resists adapting to new methods, cultures, or tools becomes a drag on institutional progress.

• An institution that clings to outdated philosophies from the 1990s or 2000s without evolving risks irrelevance.

• Neglecting infrastructure or failing to adopt modern platforms and systems is not just stagnation—it’s regression.

The anting process may be temporarily uncomfortable, just as it might be for the crow, but its benefits are long-lasting. Constructive criticism within institutions is often mistaken as a personal attack. In reality, it is a call to awaken, to become more aware, and to evolve.

And let’s not limit this philosophy to institutions alone. Anting applies to our homes, our lives, and even our personal growth.

Are you experiencing your Anting process?

Ravi Saripalle

The Right Shift of Merit: The Lost Bell Curve

Dear Friends,

This is the season of results. From as early as 5th standard, both students and parents are preoccupied—not about passing or failing, nor about third, second, or even first class—but about the race for 90%+ and 9.0+ CGPAs.

I still remember my own 10th-grade results. In those days, the results came in a special newspaper edition. Pages filled with roll numbers, neatly categorized: third class, second class, and first class. I’m not sure if it was a confidence issue or a competence issue, but we would start by nervously checking the third-class list, then second, and finally, with bated breath, the first-class section. But the most suspenseful category of all was the "WITHHELD" section—a kind of academic Trishanku Swarga. Neither passed nor failed. Caught between suspicion of malpractice or a technical error. Pure suspense!

But oh, the joy of simply passing back then! After my intermediate (Plus 2), my father sent a telegram with just two words: First Class. I was on vacation in Chhattisgarh with no phone, no easy communication, and no reserved travel. My cousin helped me catch a ride on a steam engine (literally sitting next to the driver) to Raipur, then I took a passenger train to reach Vizianagaram. For that entire journey, I was basking in those two words: First Class. I also owe a small thanks to my classmate, Dr. Ravi Sankar (now Professor at IIT Madras), whose roll number was next to mine. Both names are alike. His math help made a real difference.
Where is that kind of joy now?

A few days ago, I came across a post by Dr. Madhuri Parti. She writes:

“Students scoring 95%, even 96%, are anxious, dissatisfied, and in some cases — battling depression. What changed? In 2024 alone, over 2.4 lakh Class 10 students scored above 90%. Over 2.2 lakh Class 12 students crossed that same mark. On paper, it looks like a nation of academic brilliance. But the reality is far more complex — and troubling. When 90% becomes average, we erode the value of genuine understanding. The dignity of skilled work. The joy of learning for life, not just exams.”

How true.

As teachers, we’re encouraged to follow the bell curve model while grading. It’s designed to standardize results across large classes, and to prevent grade inflation or deflation. It assumes that a normal distribution exists—and tries to fit everyone into it.
But reality rarely conforms to theory. When most of the class scores above 90%, trying to fit grades into a bell curve can feel unfair. High-performing students may still get pushed down the grade ladder—not because of their competence, but because of the statistical mold we’re forced to apply. No one feels good in the end.

Initially, I believed this was an India-specific problem. But it’s not. China, the U.S., and even European systems face the same challenge. In machine learning terms, it’s like an overfitted model—excellent results on the training data, but poor generalization to real-world scenarios.

We’re creating excellent academic pathways for higher education, but failing to build flexible, skill-based routes that cater to the socio-physical-psychological uniqueness of individuals.
And then there's the meme making rounds:

“This generation’s marks are like: 99.4, 99.5, 99.8, 99.9.
In our times, we only used to get fever like this.”

Maybe it's time we asked ourselves: Are we chasing the right kind of merit?

Ravi Saripalle

The Numbers Didn’t Reveal the Truth—Empathetic Observation Did

Dear Friends,

Over the past two weeks, I had the opportunity to speak about Design Thinking with diverse groups—from enthusiastic school kids in Hyderabad to a dedicated faculty team at Gayatri Vidya Parishad. Today, I had the pleasure of addressing members of the CMA Association (The Institute of Cost Accountants of India, Visakhapatnam Chapter) on the topic “Design Thinking for CMAs.”

In fields like medicine or consumer products, explaining Design Thinking is relatively straightforward. It’s a human-centered approach to experiential innovation—where human centeredness means empathy, and experiential innovation is the confluence of desirability, affordability, and technical feasibility.

But how do we explain Design Thinking in the context of Cost & Management Accountancy? I shared two stories to illustrate. Here’s the first:

Story 1:
A leading pharmaceutical distributor in Andhra Pradesh experienced a steady decline in net margins—despite increasing sales volumes. The finance team dove deep into the P&L, comparing year-over-year costs, vendor discounts, and pricing models. They adjusted overhead allocations, renegotiated logistics contracts, and even restructured sales incentives. But the problem persisted.

Enter Sudha (a fictional character), the company’s CMA—and more importantly, a Design Thinker at heart. She knew the numbers only told part of the story.

Sudha decided to look beyond the reports. She visited major pharmacies the company supplied to. She spoke to doctors—both those prescribing the products and those who weren’t. She interviewed patients about their experiences. She listened to store managers about ordering delays and invoicing issues. She even shadowed the warehouse dispatch team for a day.
What she uncovered surprised everyone.

Sales reps were being incentivized to push slow-moving, high-margin drugs to meet monthly targets. This resulted in high return volumes from pharmacies, which drove up reverse logistics costs. The manual reconciliation process for returned stock led to delays, missed credits, and write-offs. Pharmacies began favoring rival distributors who offered more flexible, responsive systems.

None of this had shown up in the reports.

The real issue wasn’t pricing—it was a broken user experience across the supply chain.

While AI could detect anomalies in the P&L, it was Sudha’s empathetic observations, interviews, and field visits that revealed the underlying problems. That’s the beginning of the Design Thinking approach.

I’ll share the second story in another letter—but it focuses on the idea of upholding trust.

Today, fraud control isn’t just about detection—it’s about designing trust.

When you’re a design thinker or designing a banking product, you face four possible outcomes:

1. You correctly flag a fraudulent transaction (your duty as a banker).
2. You wrongly flag a legitimate transaction as fraud (a failure of empathy—imagine a customer in a hospital being denied a transaction for surgery, or a traveler stranded because they couldn’t book a ticket).
3. You correctly allow a legitimate transaction (also your duty).
4. You wrongly allow a fraudulent transaction (potentially enabling illegal activities).

In short, while AI automates detection, design thinkers elevate prevention—by designing systems grounded in empathy, trust, and user understanding.

Let’s design that trust.

Ravi Saripalle