Reading?

Should one read? This from someone who spent most of his life reading!

I am not learning anything new from reading and it seems anachronistic to talk about books in polite company. I used to impress, or at least try to, people by mentioning the names of all the great books I had read or was reading (even if I really did not read all of them). Now, everyone at a party avoid me when I mention books....they are plugged into the latest TV shows, movies and music and get all their reading done on a computer

Alas!

-Srinivas Anumolu

Dotcoms

Most startups that I run into forget the one basic question which will determine their fate - what is your marketing strategy? They get excited by some "revolutionary" idea and jump straight into building a killer website, hiring a team, raising money, etc.

No one will hear a tree falling in a forest - no one will come to a website, however great...unless there is a strong marketing effort to get traffic.  And, basically, there are only three ways to get traffic:

1) SEM - you have to have a deep war chest and spend a lot on Google and Yahoo before you even know if it will work!

2) SEO - hard to do in US since all the top spots are taken; easier to do in India - it is a landgrab and good land is still available!!

3) Viral - IMHO, viral just happens and you look like a hero if it does - but you cannot count on it and it is almost impossible to make it happen on your own

That leaves B2B - one deal with a big portal and you are the next Google! This is obviously easier said than done.  And, don't even think of a sales force unless you are selling a high value item that companies need

Now you see why so few startups survive :)

Srini Anumolu

See my other blog too: http://srinivasanumolu.blogspot.com/

How to be a reviewer

The art of reviewing - books or movies or music - is truly an art that is completely ignored in India.  Read the New York Review of Books or the reviews in Atlantic or the New Yorker, for instance, to see what good reviews look like. A recent example is:

 http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200812/twilight-vampires

While the review is about the Twilight series of books, it does not restrict itself to just talking about the book or recounting the story...the reviewer puts a lot of herself into the review - how she loved books as a teenager, what books mean to her and other teenage girls and how the Twilight books are helping teenage girls to deal with their difficult teenage years.  It, thus, gives a broader context to the book while elucidating how the author herself reacted to the book and the series.

A review can be objective and factual and stick to the book/movie/music being reviewed or try to be broader and give a historical and social context.  It can be impersonal or be extremely personal (and give up any false illusion about being objective/scientific) and reflect the reviewer's life history, likes and dislikes and reaction to the book/movie/music being reviewed

I am trying to learn how to do reviews in the broader way and see if I can write good, if not great, reviews.  A small first step is to write brief reviews online, to get started.

There is no reason why we can't have good reviews in India. 

Awesome Travel Blog

I have written a lot about travel and travel blogs. RealTravel is one of the best one that gives valuable travel advice from real travelers. You can discover new places to go and do research about them on this travel blog. Their free Trip Planner helps you plan your travel. You can also share your travel experiences on their travel blog.

Their editors select the best travel stories and deals - making your life easy. Scores of travelers have used their site to find new places to travel, to get more information about their destination and to find terrific deals when they choose a place to visit. RealTravel is definitely the best travel blog on the web.

Cheap hotels in Sydney!

Australia is both a country and a continent. Talk about Down Under and one's imagination starts getting wild about frontiers and unexplored lands. Of course, now Australia is a developed country but the mystique remains. Sydney is the first city that come to mind when one thinks of Australia.

Sydney is a major international tourist destination notable for its beaches twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge . The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets. Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world which reflects its role as a major destination for immigrants to Australia.


I would recommend booking the hotels in Sydney in advance. Tourism is big here and the rooms get full especially in peak tourist seasons. Fortunately, there are a lot of cheap hotels in Sydney. Travel there and enjoy comfortable and enjoyable stay in one of these great cheap Sydney hotels.

Wonderful Travel Blog

Found an interesting travel blog that gives extremely useful tips for traveling. For instance, there is a great post about best airports for shopping. While no one likes waiting for hours in an airport, waiting is more tolerable with wonderful shops and pubs. Not just the usual duty-free shops but useful local shopping and even fashion stores.

There is a good post about France and why travel in France is fun and wonderful. France is one of the most popular country for tourists for its wonderful food, great food, terrific wine, great art and scenic spots. France, especially Paris, is a dream vacation spot for people from all over the world.

Good and affordable accommodations are hard to find. This blog is very useful and informative.

Going to Travel?

Are you going to travel soon? Then, avoid costly hotels and rent affordable apartments instead. Apartment rentals can be found on good sites all around the web.

Hawaii is a popular travel spot. Home to the world’s most active volcano and the world’s tallest sea mountain. Birthplace of surfing and the hula. Former seat of a royal kingdom. Hawaii is one of the youngest geological formations in the world and the youngest state of the union. But perhaps Hawaii’s most unique feature is its Aloha Spirit: the warmth of the people of Hawaii that wonderfully complements the Islands’ perfect temperatures.

There are primarily six major islands to visit in Hawaii: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii’s Big island. You’ll find each island has its own distinct personality and offers its own adventures, activities, and sightseeing opportunities.

The second largest island in Hawaii, Maui, is home to what some believe are the best beaches in the world, as well as Humpback whales who migrate off Maui's shores every winter.

• Wake up early to catch the sunrise atop Haleakala Crater.
• Stroll through historic Lahaina, and learn about Maui's whaling past.
• Drive the long and winding road to Hana for spectacular scenery.