Chai Musings

Today, May 15th is the Teacher’s Day (Día del Maestro) in Mexico. A day to celebrate educators around the country. From the parents, the first teachers, to the teachers in the schools, colleges, professional life, every one of them leaves a mark.

I want to take the opportunity today to thank Daniel Elizalde, who has been an incredible mentor and a teacher. He is a champion everyone should want to have to root for them. He helped me have a deeper understanding of the Internet of Things (IoT) industry. He pushed me to start my blog and share my experiences. Whether it is to share a career update or discuss an issue, Daniel has always been there. He has proved, time and again, that a phone call or an email away isn’t just an expression. 

I still remember the first time I met Daniel wanting to discuss a range of topics. The list included a variety of issues related to the IoT industry, Product Management frameworks for IoT, and building a successful IoT program that he taught at Stanford. He was patient and went through each of those topics meticulously explaining his journey. I will never forget the thoughtful exchange with Daniel. Not only did he focus on answering all my questions but also ensuring that I left with a deeper understanding of the topics discussed. Like a real teacher, he even gave me some homework to do afterward. And checked-in a few weeks later to see how I was doing.  

While diplomas mark the formal end of education, the learning never really stops. In professional life, irrespective of the years spent, there is always something new to learn or to hone what you already know. I consider myself fortunate and privileged to have mentors such as Daniel to tap in to for brainstorming and guidance. Every exchange has been a positive, guiding influence and am very thankful for that.

Happy Teacher’s Day, Daniel!

PS: I would be remiss if I did not thank Rich Mironov, my mentor-in-residence, who introduced me to Daniel. Forever grateful.

COVID-19 is taking a toll on human lives. As of today, there are ~251K confirmed deaths around the world (~70K in the United States alone). Surreal, unprecedented, unimaginable are words being used to describe the situation unfolding right in front of our eyes.

While only a third of 2020 is in the books, it has been quite a year already. We have almost forgotten about the deadly fires in Australia, the locust infestation in parts of Africa, and the devastating floods in Brazil as we deal with the outbreak of a pandemic whose impact is going to be far-reaching.

Those who survive the disease but succumb to the financial aftermath will feel the trembles for years to come. As of May 1st, over 30 million, yes, over 30 million people have filed for unemployment. Out of a job, many have not been able to pay their rent. More are struggling to bring food to the table. And an increasing number are going to, if not already, miss their healthcare coverage. The situation is stark and may none of your loved experience this.

However, many around you are already going through this hardship right now. And everyone can do something about it. Here are a few pointers to help. The only cost you need to incur is time.

Connect and Engage: Take the time now to connect or reconnect with people in your network and beyond. An email here and a phone call there to someone you have not spoken to in some time will go a long way. Allow them to share their life and open up a little to share yours. These times are an excellent opportunity to connect at a human level.

Be Responsive: When others reach out, be responsive, be present. It takes a lot of courage for a human being to set their ego aside and extend an offer to reconnect with someone they may have lost touch with in the past. Reciprocation makes that angst go away rather fast. It does not mean you have to drop everything and connect unless the situation demands that. It just means acknowledging the receipt until a more in-depth exchange can take place.

Skip Judgment: Judging someone for their actions requires questioning the motives. The basis of this lies in distrust. Skip all of that. Start from a place of trust and give people a chance. It will allow you to have a meaningful conversation.

“May the force be with you” has been used to give each other hope, sense of power, and further the belief that one can do whatever they set their mind to. We are all going through a turbulent time in one way or another. All of us need that extra strength and energy to see through this.

May the force be with us all.

I celebrated my running anniversary this weekend by running in the 408k-Race to the Row. Achieving this milestone alongside Arjun, who was with me last year as well made it special.

Running consistently for a year isn’t a big deal for most people, but it is for me. I went from a sedentary lifestyle in 2017 to turn it around in 2018 and be able to log over 450 miles of running in 2019. The year of running saw me move from just under 12 minutes a mile to ~8-9 minutes a mile. The feeling of competing with myself freed me from all pressures.

To ensure I do not quit, I gave myself simple goals. Instead of trying to do too much, I focused on being consistent, and it helped me not to get hurt.

With 12 races under my belt in 2019, I feel comfortable in thinking of myself as a runner. While running is a part of life now, if someone had told me in 2017 that I’ll be signing up for races around the BayArea in 2020, I’d laughed them off. And here I am now, not only signing myself up but also urging others to join me.

So, if you are new to running, please find some pointers hereunder that might help you.

Get out, get going: The first step is to get out there and get running. Pace, distance, stop-and-go does not matter. Find your groove – music, the trail, the route, a friend, a run club – whatever gets you going, do that. Some folks like to mix it up; I am a creature of habit. Again, do what feels right for you.

Don’t give up: Pretty much everything that can come in the way, will. Stay focused, make running; make yourself a priority. Start with a smaller duration and distance. Push yourself to finish that regularly. In the first 2-3 months, you will discover “new” muscles, which will wreak havoc with your brain and test your grit. 

Don’t give up. Don’t quit.

Remember, “Most people give up when they’re about to achieve success.”

Celebrate: When you achieve your goals, small or large – run for a week, a month, a distance, a time – celebrate. I even marked the experience of buying new running shoes. It signified that I had worn them off. Be thankful, feel lucky, rejoice in the discovery of your own body. It is more than the keeper of our brain, its a paradise of our soul. That we are able-bodied to run is a blessing in itself and celebration-worthy. 

If you want a partner to run a mile, a 5k, or a 10k in the BayArea, contact me – I’d love to be a tiny part of your journey.

Most importantly, enjoy the journey. Good Luck!

PS: Making a special memory on the rare palindrome date (02/02/2020) is noteworthy too. Arjun and I were disappointed later in the day when 49ers didn’t finish the job. Onwards..