Chakshu Arora | Food for thought, Beyond the NOISE.

Is one question which i have been asked multiple times over the last few months. Be it a professional event or a family gathering, this question just popped up.

Perhaps it’s the increasing grey hair which might have let people think this person might know :). Nevertheless i tried to answer the question as best as i could but i could sense the awkwardness after the conversation.
It didn’t made sense to me either. :(

Off lately i got some time to retrospect, how could i have answered this differently? What if my own kids (who are 10 and 11 now) ask the very same question in some years?

Over the past few decades and most recently in current decade, things have change so fast in the technology space, that their is no blue print one can follow.

Earlier one could follow the age old advice, do this (read high school), then that(read college), then that(job <-> MBA) and life will be good. (PS : Good life != Fulfilled life, more on this in some other blog.)

Here is how i would have answered the question now.

1. Stay curious and Dare to be in as many wrong room’s as you can.

In the current age of AI the only differential factor Homo sapiens are left with as compared to machines is Curiosity. To be able to ask questions, to reason and to think form the unique perspective only you can bring to the table. It should be your biggest asset in current age.

By being curious you can learn where to add value. When almost every thing is on the verge to be commoditized the only differential is the Value addition you can bring to the table. & how can one add value? read #2.

I personally believe, you are the average of 5 people you surround yourselve with. If you happen to surround yourselves with ppl. who have all the bad habbit’s you can you think off. You can see see yourself going the downward spiral. I am not saying to leave all your friends and so. Just make sure you are in enough different rooms or company so you now which one is good for you.

If you are the smartest person in the room than you are in the wrong room.

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2. One of the greatest thinker and thought leader or our times, have rightly said that:

You will not be replaced by AI but a person who is better then you using AI tools. – Tony Robbins.

Here are some ways one can stay ahead the curve and add value to any give problem.

• Pattern recognization – is the ability to find patterns in the all fundamental macro/micro level happening in the society we live in.
  
  For eg. agricultural revolution which happened over Millenia ago was nothing but pattern recognition from some wise men/women. When our very old ancestors found out that are seasonality to earth i.e Spring, Summers, Autumn, Winters and repeat.
  
  When they recognize the pattern that a crop sowed in Spring, cared for in summers, Harvested in Autumn and preserved in Winter will go a long way in saving them from daily hunt and survival needs. It changed the history of humanity and ushered food abundance age.
  
• Pattern utilization is the next thing one should be good at to succeed. The pattern you recognized should be utilized in order to add value to the problem which exists.
  
  Everything is cyclical in nature. what goes up, comes down. At the end of agricultural revolution and start of industrial age the pattern emerging was the needs to have more food for the growing population and needs for scaled production of goods and services. Thus onset of industrial revolution.
  
• Pattern creation. The first thing one learns when learning a musical instrument for eg. acoustic guitar is some finger exercises, followed by notes practice, then chords and different scales etc.
  
  Once you have mastered these skill you start by copying other music style and their compositions.
  Then comes a time when experience meets skills. With enough hours of practice you take the next step and start making your own compositions.
  
  Off course you might be fail 1 or 100 time but the end result makes you the G.O.A.T.
  The Moats you create will be so difficult for everyone to cross over.

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3. Cathedral thinking. The story goes that in early 19th century, a college in Oxford university had a big problem with the structure of its old cathedral. The massive oak pillars which was supporting the whole dining room got rotted. If nothing was done, there was a risk of whole building collapsing.

The head of university raised SOS and the main forrester of the university was summoned. He calmly entered the room, totally aware of the problem and said: ”The architecture who designed the building was totally aware that one day in future the oak might get rotted and planted a Oak tree forest of same type nearby.” This is called future planning or cathedral thinking. Planning and thinking ahead 500 years in time, helped save the cathedral.

Since everything is cyclical, the GOAT products or solutions one is building by value addition ought to change one day. The only solution is to have Cathedral thinking in back of your head.

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These are the top 3 things which comes to my mind, i would share with anyone asking me ‘‘How to navigate the current uncertain times of AI?” & to my kids, if they ever think i am wise enough and ask me this question.

How would you have answered this? Do share.

//Love & Peace,
Until next time,
Chakshu Arora.