I write this from the Plush; huge and amazing campus of Infosys Bangalore where TED India 2009 is being hosted.
Before I even start with this post; let it be known that I love TED and have been watching TED videos for three years. Being at a TED is an experience any creative mind should indulge in and I would highly recommend TED to anyone who as I say - aspires to make small or big dents in the universe.
TED India; much like all other TEDs was an amazing experience.
I have been blown away with the hospitality; arrangements and the insightful talks.
But this post isn't about reporting TED events or doing a shameless plug for TED.
This series of posts; dear reader; is about 'entertaining' a few thoughts that whisked through my weirdly-different mind during the last two days spent at TED India. It is also about sharing, raising and discussing a few of my very own personal questions and perspectives that I carry back with me; besides the amazing things that I learnt from TED India speakers, fellows and participants.
May The Best Man Win.
If you happened to be at TED India one of the things that you would have found striking is the amount of conversations and talks around; India, Indian Culture, How India is different from the west, How Indian infrastructure is growing; how corruption in India works; how the Indian poor are being helped by Indian NGO's and how nothing in India is perfect but in spite of that things still 'work'.
The amount of discussions and content around the whole mechanics of how India works; what India is up to and how India is coming up; in TED-India were fascinating; but if I can be brutally honest here; they were also a little overwhelming.
Put simply; by about the evening of second day; as I saw almost every speaker and participant touch the topic of 'India' and how it works; I was starting to miss talks which touch universal problems like happiness; education; drawing inspiration and many more like it in a rather fascinating and engaging way . What was also happening by then; was that a few question were starting to find their way through my mind:
- Were the TED India speakers and even we (me included) as TED-India participants spending just way too much time on understanding the differences that are either going to pretty much automatically find a way to co-exist or are going to be wiped off in a matter of few years?
- Are we not rapidly moving towards a world where the best of efforts and products cross the dip; stand the test of time and eventually survive; irrespective of the country that they originate from?
- Are we not already in a world that is so mind-blowingly fair that just one rule stands - may the best man, woman, organization, thing or effort, win.
No seriously.
Before you knit your brows at the questions; and go on the defensive; consider this:
If you happen to be the best social worker out there; you will figure out a way to help those who most need your help; irrespective of the country that they belong to.
If you are the best architect; you will find a way to build the best of the buildings that people find fascinating.
If you are the best musician; you will find a way to touch people's heart with your music in a way that moves them.
If you are the best software developer; you dear reader; will find ways to build the most remarkable software out there.
So the next time you see me at a cafe; I do not care if it is in India or California; lets get together and talk about insights that makes you the best whatever-it-is-that-you-are. If you are not the best let us exchange ideas, thoughts and experiences about what can; as professionals; make us; the best at whatever-it-is-that-we-do.
Everything else; is just details.
May the best man, woman, organization, idea or product win.
Now; tell me what makes you the best? If you are not there yet; how are you working towards getting there? What have you learnt from your failures so far?
I will take what applies to me. As an educated man I will try my best to filter the inapplicable and entertain your thoughts without accepting them.
I do not care where you are from; where you are located or how amazingly different we are. Seriously.
Go ahead. Start the conversation.
I am listening.
Are you?
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