Esha Research project - Co-Lead Wanted

So, it has happened. 

I have started a very ambitious research project at Esha and am now realising that one is short on capability. 

This year, we are trying to understand the social and professional integration of blind professionals at the workplace. 

The research is being guided by Dr. Amit Jain, Faculty at SPJIMR, in his personal capacity. 

My role is to execute this research well. 

Help Needed: Someone senior to join as the Head of Corporate Relations for this project. 

What this means: 

A. Get in touch with the employers who have inclusive workspaces (we have this information and will get an introduction to the right person at the organisation.) 

B. Get their approval to participate in the study as an organisation. 

C. Co-ordinate with the research team (me) to schedule the interviews and the research event. (We are doing a free Theater Workshop at each entity to say Thank you. The interviews will happen after the workshop at the venue itself. We have researchers in all cities where we want to conduct this research.) 

D. Ensure that the event completes successfully. If some interviews need to be taken later, ensure that the loop is closed. 

E. Thank the organisation formally for their participation. 

F. When the report is ready, ensure that it reaches everyone who participated in the study. 

Ideal person: 

If you are: 

A. Able to devote about 2-3 hours a day on all working days 

B. Feel the need for good research in the disability space 

C. Want to make connections with corporates, esp stakeholders in the CSR space. 

D. Are good at communicating - both oral and written 

- this should be a good thing to consider. 

Location can be anywhere, so long as the person is able to do good virtual collaboration. 

I expect the role to continue for 2-4 months, depending on the pace of data collection. 

While there is a small honorarium for this role, our means are limited and honorarium would not be the right reason to consider this role. 

Please get in touch! I am at nidhi@clabil.org and 98118 24024 for Whatsapp. 

Startups that work directly with farmers and artisans...

Startups that work directly with farmers and artisans: 

How is it that your products, which come directly from the farmer/artisans are more expensive than similar products that follow a much larger supply chain? 

Answer: We ensure that farmers/artisans get their due in terms of higher prices. 

Ok, then can you transparently put on each price tag how much of this price is going to the farmer/artisan? 

Answer: Errmm....... 

This is not to belittle the work of great startups that are truly trying to make a change. But I have always asked for this transparent pricing, and not received it. Sometimes, the prices are clearly good, and we pick up things. 

But if I am getting Irani mamra for 2400 rs, and you are selling me Gulbandi sized Kashmiri Mamra at 2000 rs, boss, no prize for guessing why the market is hard to develop, no? The customer that buys this kind of produce knows their produce. You have to educate a California almond buyer about Gulbandi and Mamra. But a mamra customer knows their mamra. 

The Small but Ultimate Book of Online Safety - My second book is finally out!

Am so, so happy to share this piece of news. My second book was facing a lot of issues because it was just 40 odd pages. 

Finally, it was released this week! 

 https://www.amazon.in/Small-Ultimate-Book-Online-Safety/dp/B0CZTVY87X

You can't see it, but its there

 

On making a good roti

"If you want to make good rotis, you must knead your dough well." My mother intoned, as mothers usually do, while casually rolling a roti of her. 

There are many stages to making a roti. Three, however, are obvious - knead the dough, roll the roti, and cook it on the stove. I always thought that the last piece determined how well the roti was going to turn out - how well you cook it on the stove. My mother was turning that on its head. 

"What? How? Why?" 

Mom continued smiling. "See this roti on the stove? It has no powdered flour (atta) on it. Which means it won't dry up later as we store it. It also means that we can cook the roti completely, without the loose flour burning on the surface of the roti. 

For that to happen, you should be able to roll the roti without needing too much powdered flour. 

For that to happen, your dough should be well kneaded and fresh. You girls think a round roti is a cosmetic thing. It's not. The dough needs to roll just so - so the roti turns out thin at the edges and thicker near the center.  That's how we get the round shape. When the roti is thick at the center and thin at the edges, you don't end up with raw edges after cooking. 

But that thin at the edges and thick at the center will not happen if you take your rolling pin and use it to torture the dough. Your dough must dance under the pin." 

"And how will the dough do that?" 

"When you are kneading, don't stop after adding a little water and making a small clump of dough. Add a little water and knead it more. And then again, until your atta has absorbed the water and is happy with itself. When it is ready, it will leave the sides of the vessel in which you are kneading it. Then, the dough is ready. Don't store it. Roll it then. And you will find it dancing on the board. Once you knead the dough right, the rest will be effortless." 

She signed off with a smile. 

That was the day I learnt that if you want a good roti, you must knead your dough well, even when it appears as if it is done and doesnt need any more kneading. But once you do that foundational work, the rest is easy. 

 

And one more listing.. at Foyles UK!

 

I periodically google Probe8 to see if there are any reviews, etc. 

And each time, it is such a pleasant surprise to find a new listing by at least one more private book store. 

This time, It is Foyles - one of UK's largest book stores!! 

The other thing that is great is that one gets to know about these amazing book sellers in various parts of the world! 

Probe8 is now listed on Foyles UK. Do get a copy! :) 

Why Gen AI is not ready for monetisation, and won't be for a long time

 Grok is already paid, Chat GPT has a pro version, and Gemini is considering a premium version.

But none of these Big Tech companies is willing to assume any liability for anything incorrect - even blatant lying - churned out by their pro versions.

I think it is wayyy too premature to monetise Gen AI.

Here are three major things that need to be resolved before Gen AI can be monetised:

1. Big Tech has not yet addressed the issue of compensating creators for using their work to train AI. While C2PA now makes it possible for all creators to forever mark their work, Big Tech is not likely to volunteer that it is using any of this work for its personal, commercial use. And copyrighted content they have already used remains unpaid as on date.

2. They have also not addressed another major issue - who owns the copyright to work generated using AI? If the watermarks are anything to go by, Big Tech might start to copyright content generated through its engines.

3. The third thing they have not addressed is liability for abuse - we are aware of deepfakes and their use in crime, of course. But there are other ways to abuse Gen AI. We obviously cannot expect Big Tech to take any responsibility, but then, who does?

Until these issues are resolved, imho, regulators should expressly prohibit monetisation of Gen AI.

There is a concept called "fit for human consumption" - it is a state that a product has to reach before it can be given to humans. Gen AI, imho, has not reached that state yet.