A Captivating Tale in Four Sentences, Perfectly Penned with Storytelling Essence! Tough to Mimic, Simply Cherish the Magic!

Dear Readers

In this short video, I am going to share the most revered and captivating story of the Ramayana in four sentences, beautifully described in the Sundara Kanda.

These four sentences contain perfect storytelling techniques. Every Author should learn this astounding storytelling technique.

However, here are the Rules before you listen to this!!

ü Let us not look at this from a religious perspective.

ü Don’t judge my singing or Telugu-speaking skills, as I am neither a singer nor perfect in the language, but I am trying to elevate the essence of the beautiful narration of this historic Vedic story in four short sentences!

ü All glories to the author!

ü Now, listen to the song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Ll0micArc

Thank you for your patience in listening to this 2-minute video.

Ravi Saripalle 

Rubik’s Cube Celebrates its 50th Anniversary, and So Do I This Year, but I'm Unfit to Solve It? Decoding the Mindset Needed to Solve this Multi-Coloured STEM Toy!

 Dear Friends and Students,

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Rubik’s Cube (1974). Ernő Rubik, a Hungarian architecture professor, created a prototype of a three-dimensional cube. In the years following, he used it to teach his students about three-dimensional spaces and patterns. In fact, he patented this Magic Cube (renamed the Rubik’s Cube) in 1975.

It is believed that it develops visual memory and hand-eye coordination as solvers learn more algorithms and instantly identify what works (The Hindu, 16-06-24). In 1982, someone solved it in 22.95 seconds. In 2017, sales touched $250 million. In 2021, the Canadian children’s entertainment company Spin Master acquired Rubik’s. In 2023, Max Park set a new single-solve world record with an astonishing time of 3.13 seconds – a long way from the 22.95-second solve 40 years prior (rubiks.com).

Can you imagine the magnanimous possibilities it has today? If one Rubik’s Cube has more than 43 quintillion possibilities and millions of Rubik’s Cubes are sold and solved every year, multiply that by 50 years, and you have... so many possibilities!

Let us decode the mindset needed to solve this. If one is good at Group Theory, and understands algorithms (sequences of steps), Pattern Recognition, Spatial Reasoning, and Logical Problem-Solving, they are best fit to solve them.

Recently, I published a simplified Career Planning Framework called the “4H-Smart Framework.” I wish this framework is used in future Skill Census projects of various governments:

1. Head-Smart (More IQ and reasonable EQ, SQ (Social), AQ (Adversity Quotient)) - Good for Research/Head-driven Jobs

2. Heart-Smart (Reasonable IQ and better EQ, SQ, AQ) - Good for Management/Business/Administration Jobs

3.     Hands-Smart (Reasonable IQ-EQ-SQ-AQ) - Good for Skill-oriented Jobs

4.  Heel-Smart (More PQ (Physical Quotient), reasonable IQ-EQ-SQ-AQ) - Good for Physical energy-driven jobs

Definitely, I am neither Head-Smart nor Heel-Smart. I might fall between Heart-Smart and Hands-Smart. Solving a Rubik’s Cube is a Head-Smart job!

Another interesting aspect of the Rubik’s Cube is that a professor/teacher designed this product, patented it, made millions, and now receives royalties! This is definitely an encouragement for the teaching fraternity!

However, we, being Indians, have not monetized multiple games we developed! Snakes and Ladders originated in ancient India as Moksha Patam (karma and kama, or destiny and desire). Similarly, precursors to chess originated in India, as chaturaṅga, a battle formation mentioned in the Indian Vedic history- Mahabharata. However, we did not patent these games!

Do you know/can design any more games that can be remembered after centuries?

Ravi Saripalle

Co-Founders of a Startup! Who can be the best example to inspire you when you are on the fence or in a serious dilemma about starting your own startup?

 Dear Friends and Students,

Before reading this, take a moment to look at the picture below. Did your heartbeat rate increase? As you know, "free solo" ascents, which involve scaling massive rock walls without ropes or safety gear, are considered one of the most dangerous feats in all of sports.

Alex Honnold is known for his daring free solo climbs, an extreme example of choosing the "tough way." Jimmy Chin, a photographer and filmmaker, often documents such challenging feats. Their collaboration on the documentary "Free Solo" highlights the allure of pushing boundaries.

Honnold's free solo ascent of the 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park was captured in the 2018 Oscar-winning documentary. In his interview, he says, “I don’t need to practice. It’s not that I’m gifted. Free soloing just forces me to focus naturally. It’s a by-product of being on a wall without ropes.” He emphasizes physical training and route mapping over improvisation to avoid unnecessary risks. He prepares more emotionally than by using multiple techniques, reading books on psychology. Like a chess grandmaster who can memorize the board after just a glimpse, Honnold remembers various patterns and sequences on every cliff (HBR, 2021).

Why do I refer to this example when you are in a serious dilemma about starting a new startup? Even with a complete viability or needs analysis, there are still chances of failure. One geopolitical issue, one cyclone, one irregularity without your involvement, smart copying of your idea by a competitor, your own health risk, one new regulation by the state—all these can derail your plans. Hence, out of 100 startups, maybe only one will see the light of day.

What really works? The Dopamine Effect! The brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, when we overcome a challenge. This can create a positive feedback loop that motivates us to seek out more challenges. Nobody talks about it, but in most cases, this is the real fuel!

Of course, your entire business model should be appealing, but unless someone has this kind of drive, it is not easy to start a startup in the current context. I appeal to all stakeholders to provide a safety net for individuals who fail in their respective startups. Parents should encourage their children, and girls and boys should not see this as a taboo for marriage alliances (nowadays, prospects discourage those taking such risks). Investors should not be too calculative on returns. The government should fund such risky projects without many hindrances. Students should prefer working in a startup environment rather than mature companies, at least for some time in their careers.

I am not writing as a storyteller! I experienced it—leaving a cozy job, experimenting with an idea, and failing, but catching the safety net. Of course, everything should not be seen from a financial gain perspective! Maybe I did not gain much, but I got an opportunity to teach and preach as Teacher!

Are you ready for a startup Free-Solo?

Ravi Saripalle

Drawing parallels between theater, performance, acting, and startups

 Dear Friends

Yesterday I was invited to an event called, Theatre Insights for Startups! organized jointly by WHISTLE THEATRE and THiNK-Hanger.  Mr. Devendranath Sankaranarayanan, Actor, Faculty, Performance Researcher, Theatre practitioner, and acting coach has been invited to the discussion. Initially, I thought about how there would be a connection between Theatre Performance and Startup Performance!!

Drawing parallels between theater, performance, acting, and startups involves identifying the core elements common to both fields. The following concepts were found to be common for both!

Storytelling, Presentation and Presence,  Improvisation and Adaptability, Collaboration and Teamwork, Audience Engagement, Risk and Innovation, and Emotional Connection

Interesting Session!

Ravi Saripalle