Make Meaning in Your Company

                Nobody here in this world does not want somehow to succeed, to be known and be expertise in the field that they love. All of us yearn to become what we had always dreamed about at broad daylight. Some wanted to become an artists, singer, educator, musician, inventor, scientists, astronaut, pilot, magician, and businessman or to beat Carlos Slim Helu and his family having a net worth of sixty nine billion dollars of the Telecom to be the richest man in the whole wide world! Who wouldn’t want to?

                What we have in our minds are very powerful. One day your just an ordinary person walking on the subway doing serendipity walks suddenly bumps to something and have thought of an extraordinary idea that you immediately put into action. The next day, you became the great competitor of larger companies in the world. Amazing isn’t it? We can never tell what really would happen tomorrow! One day you are just nobody to anybody, someday you became someone to everybody. Life is full of surprises everyone must be aware of.

It is often told that the key to success is what’s inside your thoughts. Sometimes it is by the way people think of life’s opportunities and possibilities that make an individual as successful as he can be. Sometimes it is in our own way of thinking about the things and what actions are we going to make to pursue those thoughts that we have. Remembering the movie “Pirates of the Silicon Valley”, Steve Jobs was just an ordinary person who did not finish his studies but became successful because of just a simple idea that he simply put into action. Another successful businessman of today’s generation is Guy Kawasaki who is the founder of Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures. I will share to you my reflection concerning his “Art of Start” in making meaning to the company.

                On October 21, 2004, Guy Kawasaki spoke to Stanford University students about making meaning in your company. In the statement that he delivered, he believed that those companies who set out to make positive change in the world are only those who will ultimately be successful someday. He emphasizes that the core and the essence of entrepreneurship is about making meaning as well as making difference.

                Many people especially those who were starting to put up a business and be an entrepreneur thought of it just to make money and become rich. But never did they know that those who only thought of making money for the purpose of doing a business oftentimes are the ones who do not became successful in the near future. They only end up losing more instead of gaining something. As what Guy Kawasaki says, “My naïve and romantic belief is that if you make meaning, you probably make money. If you sell out to make money, you probably not make meaning and you won’t make money.”

His approach in making the company successful is that the goal must be to make meaning. Like doing something because you want to change the world, to make the world a better place and to make meaning or to make differences. You must not set your goal just to make money to be called successful but to make a change to the way people live or to make the world a better living place.

                On his speech, he said that the core of why you start a company must be to make meaning. There are three components of how to make meaning:

1. Increase the quality of life

In increasing the quality of life, each of the company members must be motivated in changing the world to make people more creative and more productive. They must think of a proper solution as to how they can transform the way people live and increase their way of living. Instilling those motivations would keep the company going despite many difficulties that they may come across. But doing so, they would not only help other people but they can also help themselves.  

2. Right a wrong

The very core to right a wrong is to end what is not right. It means that when you notice something is wrong; you must have to have an idea or ways on how to make it right. You must have a mind that has a capability to think that you can solve a problem and you want to solve it. For example, there is a crime or pollution taking all over the place, we can think of a possible solution to solve that particular problem like reporting it to the police or to report it to the administration about the improper segregation of waste that causes pollution or the smoke from vehicles and burning rubbers. Right a wrong means you must have the power to end something that you think is not right not only for you but also for every individual living in this world. Be a part of the solution finder not in the problem maker.

3. Prevent the end of something good

You can end what is not right but you cannot end something if it is good. For example, you saw something that is beautiful before but then it is being ruined and eroded today. You must think of a possible solution on how to bring it back to life.  You must preserve something that is important. Like the mother earth, sometimes people misuse its benefits and abuse it, as a good citizen you must take actions to that so you can preserve its beauty throughout.

If you are starting to put up a company someday, make sure your purpose is to make meaning and have those three mentioned above. You must not only build something for money and only for money itself but you must build something that everyone can benefit and that can change the way people live. It must be something with good reasons not that selfish one. As what Guy Kawasaki says,”If you make meaning, you probably make money. If you sell out to make money, you probably not make meaning and you won’t make money.”  

SONA 2012

Last Monday, July 23, 2012, the president of the Republic of the Philippines received more positive feedbacks in his third State of the Nation Address. Stated there were the improvements and the changes of our nation under his regime that covers the Education, National Defense, Tourism, Health and many more.

In terms of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), he mentioned the Project NOAH, also known as National Operational Assessment of Hazards, a system developed to help mitigate the effects of natural disasters in at-risk area. This technology gives fair warning to Filipinos in order to prepare in every disaster and to avoid it by getting worst. It is accomplished by putting 86 automated rain gauze and 28 water level monitoring sensors in various regions. This project greatly help every individual especially those who were always affected by floods and other disasters. By having this kind of technology in our place, we will never worry that much about how we will cope up and how we can prevent the calamity.

Another area related to the ICT from the address of the president was the increase number of people employed by the BPO also known as the Business Process Outsourcing here in the Philippines. From the 5,000 people in the year 2000, it increases to 638,000 people who were employed by the BPO that contributed 11 billion dollars to the economy. Among the scope of the BPO were the Call Center industry in the Philippines and the Software Development and Animation. If the employment here in the Philippines will increase yearly, the rate of unemployed will decrease, thus making Philippines a poor less country.  

The last thing is the TESDA Specialists Technopreneurship Program that delivered concrete victories. From 5,240 specialists who were earning 562 pesos a day or 11,240 pesos a month which is considered higher than the minimum wage. If this program will continue to strive, more and more Filipinos will never worry about having no job at all.  

Alternative Mindset & Concept of Job Creation

It has been three weeks since we started our class in Technopreneurship. On our first meeting, we were asked to wander around malls and fast food chains here in Davao City and observe the current processes and the systems used. After days of observing, we must be able to come up with a new technology that we could suggest for the betterment of those establishments. On our second meeting, we watched the movie “Pirates of the Silicon Valley” and reflected on what we had understood and what important thoughts and inspirational ideas we got in the movie. One thought that retains in my mind is that being an entrepreneur is not as easy as what others may think. It has a lot of sacrifices and challenges to take as what Steve Jobs and Bill Gates experienced during those times that they were struggling to be known by everyone. Business also is a great risk that only those brave ones and with courage passed through.

On the following meetings, we took up the lesson about Technopreneurship. During that time, I discover that the word technopreneurship exists. During my high school days, I only knew the word entrepreneur and entrepreneurship but never the word technopreneurship. What is technopreneurship by the way? During our discussions, I learned that technopreneurship obviously came from two words which is the “Technology” and “Entrepreneurship”. According to some books and dictionary.com website, technology refers to the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science and pure science. While entrepreneurship according to the entrepreneur.com refers to the practice of starting new organizations or revitalizing mature organizations, particularly new business generally in response to identified opportunities. It is often a difficult undertaking, as a vast majority of new business fail. To add those two words, technopreneurship simply refers to the entrepreneurship in the field of technology. You can create a business of your skills in programming, designing, networking or even a database administrator.                  

Default Mindset

We also tackle about the default mindset and the alternative mindset. Upon knowing those two terms, I was enlightened and realized that we are the ones who have the will and the power to help the nation, that what we think and what we perceive are the key to a much better society. Most of the people nowadays do have this employee mindset or simply called the default mindset. And there are just these few people who would always go outside box and explore the great challenges of the jungle-like world.   

"Go to school, get good grades, and land in a high-paying job.” This is the default or the employee mindset of most of the society’s living creatures. When we go to school, oftentimes our parents including ourselves do have this default mindset. Parents send their children to school because they want them to learn and excel so that when they would finish their study, they can have those high-paying jobs in the future. But the result of this default mindset may or may not be beneficial. Another is from the schools perspective; those students who graduated with excellence oftentimes were the ones being sought out by companies outside thus making those bigger companies grew even wider. While those average graduates that are not sought by those companies will just be thrown around the city and be employed. As a result, those wider companies will grow even bigger while those who are not will remain. These were the scenarios that our professor discussed to us about having the default mindset.

In the case of Davao City, those IT students who graduated in the University with flying colors are accepted and are now working to larger companies outside Mindanao or even to other countries. Simply because those companies offer bigger salaries compare to the companies offering them here in the city. Due to this scenario, people will immediately grab those opportunity leaving the city with those average graduates that performs only minimal works.  This situation leads to the development of those companies while leaving the city 5 years behind in terms of technological advancements to the other. And this is not so good since we are the ones who mold those young graduates yet others benefit to it. As what the saying goes, ”Tayo ang nagsaing, iba ng kumain.” Unfair as it may seem but this is what is really happening nowadays.

Alternative Mindset

When a problem comes, a solution arrives. Having some negative effects on the default mindset, there exists another mindset called the alternative mindset which states that, “Go to school, get good grades, create own company.” It is also the same that parents will send their children to school, create higher grades but after finishing their courses, will remain to the city and create own company. This mindset leads to a much better society since those excellent graduates will not be working to other companies outside the city instead they will produce their own company, be an employer and help build the nation’s progress. As a result, they can also help the city be more productive in terms of technological advancements. This alternative mindset brought some of the IT professionals within Mindanao who shared their thoughts that resulted to the creation of this so-called SEED curriculum.

As time goes on, our professor also discussed about the SEED model which simply stands for Self Mastery,Environment Friendly, Enterprise Mastery, and Development of Business Plan. The Self Mastery from the word itself refers to how you understand yourself. A self mastered person does not need to have higher IQ or higher EQ and AQ but a person who is whole-brained and knows his own weaknesses and strengths. To be able to know your true weakness and strengths, you can surpass any of the worlds’ difficulties. You can face all of the challenges that may come if and only if you knew yourself very well. Our professor let us discover our EQ/AQ by taking the tests online. To me, it appears that I was average in terms of my emotional quotient. I tend to be good in interpreting, understanding and acting upon emotions. While in my adversity quotient, I tend to deal with the adversity fairly well. Environment friendly on the other hand refers on how you react and generate ideas based on the events happening around you. Idea developed under crisis, trends and may be ideas that pop out your mind during serendipity walks could be one of the foundation to your success someday. An person who mastered his environment are the persons who understands the industry he is in and also be able to see opportunity in every problem that may arise. From the SEED model, one must also have enterprise mastery. In the enterprise mastery, one must have to have skills in management such as planning, organizing, directing and controlling. The last one of the SEED model is the development of the business plan. It includes proposing a business plan, presenting it and then defending it.

Writing or planning a business plan covers larger scope since it has to consider many factors including inner self, environment, management skills, great confidence and bright ideas. As the discussions grew deeper, it I also learned that being a technopreneur is a much better job than just being a salaried employee due to the following reasons:

· A salaried employee has his fixed salary. It would only increase if there are bonuses or if he got promoted while being a technopreneur does not have a fixed salary. Meaning to say, if the business grows, he can have much salary than the boss of a salaried employee has.

· A salaried employee must have to work 8 hours or more a day to complete his salary while a technopreneur may or may not go to office as long as the business is still going.

· A salaried employee can only be promoted if there are vacant positions but a technopreneur can increase his salary by inventing new ideas that would best buy if implemented.

· A salaried employee may be stuck in his position forever but a technopreneur can always give and bring him to another field in the business.

It only proves that having an alternative mindset or being an employer instead of being an employee may lead every individual to a brighter future not only for himself, but being successful means you also take great part in the progress of your nation. It is hard to take risks and to try something you are not sure of – like planning a business or proposing an idea. But those risks always have a positive outcome – make you a successful person or if not, would make you knowledgeable about your mistakes and make that as an inspiration and learning as you stride for your next journey.  

Concept of Job Creation

 Because many of the IT professionals adapted the alternative mindset, they improvise a special concept of job creation wherein those graduates who are willing to do business but are not capable of funding their first trade will be given a capital as long as their ideas would effectively sell in the market. To attain and sustain the purpose, a technopreneurship ecosystem in the region has to be in place. It is composed of Human Resource, Laws and Policies, Environment, and Financial Resources that is centered to the Techno Ventures. The human resource component is composed of those developers, researchers, financers, and marketing people. While the environmental component are those science parks, incubations centers, and other academic institutions and laws and policies is composed of the intellectual property rights, licensing office and other legal service. Those business investors or those funding agencies belong to the financial component. These are the components that a technology venture must have. Twelve schools as of the moment take part in the implementation of the technopreneurship course in their IT education here in Davao City, among these are the following: Ateneo de Davao University, Brokenshire College, Cor Jesu College, Davao Doctors College, Holy Child School of Davao, Jose Maria College, St. Mary’s College, Interface Computer College, University of Immaculate Concepcion, University of Mindanao, University of the Philippines Mindanao and lastly the University of Southeastern Philippines. I learned also that we have one incubation center located in the Brokenshire College campus that would cater those business ideas of fresh graduate students. But the job creation does not limit only on the fresh graduates or for those students who had finished already their degree course in IT education but it welcomes also those students who have brighter business plans or ideas to offer. As long as those funding agencies agreed upon the business deal, one can be a technopreneur no matter what degree he finished.

                There are these basic facts that I learned from the slide of the module 1.2 in the Basics of Technopreneurship of the SEED model:

· “Businesses starts from ideas, but ideas alone do not make business.”

· “Customers do not buy ideas, they buy products/services.”

· “Customers pay the price, value is what they get.”

· “A marketable product may not result in a viable business.”

· “A studied approach to planning the business is needed.”

· “Entrepreneurship is calculated risk-taking, not foolhardiness.”

It is true that everything starts from a simple idea. When enhanced and developed, it may boost to larger opportunities that leads to one’s success same as what had happened to Steve Jobs journey to his success in developing the Apple Inc. It came from a single chip of idea, but because of his perseverance, that idea was built to a larger building that almost everyone knows about it.

The development of the SEED model or the idea of starting to develop IT companies here in Davao City started five or more years before.  Lucky to say, the plan of the IT professionals does have its positive outcome. One example of which is the development of the IT Park at the Damosa property and the NCCC mall’s IT zone at the fourth floor. We also have a lot of establishments providing free wireless fidelity to their customers.  Also, IT companies here in the city were starting to multiply their number and most of the IT graduates start to develop their own company instead of landing to other places and be an employee. If this will continue to happen, Davao will soon become as progressive as other countries around the world.

Emotional Quotient(EQ) test result

Emotional Quotient(EQ) Test

I took three tests on Emotional Quotent or EQ a while ago expecting that it may come up to different results. But it appears to me that, all the tests that I have taken showed the same conclusion. Among the three of them, I will be sharing to you the result I've had on the first website I visited which is found on this link:       
http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl_eq_quiz_results.htm?cor=70

I am above the average on the test result that I have taken. Based on their interpretation, people resulting to the above average tend to be good at interpreting, understanding, and acting upon emotions. They are usually quite good at dealing with social or emotional conflicts, expressing their feelings, and dealing with emotional situations.

The result presented does not coincide perfectly with what I have known myself. I may be good at interpreting, understanding and acting upon emotions, but it does not happen all the time and it usually depends on any situation. When it comes to dealing with social conflicts and emotional situations as well as expressing feelings, I will say that I am really not good at it or maybe average I think. 

Adversity Quotient(AQ) Test

I took the adversity test using this site :
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/18/news/ss-51010

Based on research, adversity as defined in the merriam-webster.com is a state, condition, or instance or serious or continued difficulty or adverse. It refers to the condition marked by misfortune, calamity or distress. 

I answered eight questions in the test and results showed that I have moderate AQ which means that I deal with the adversity fairly well, however my performance can be enhanced.

3 Idiots

After watching the movie "3 IDIOTS", your reflections on the 3 characters, which one would you choose?

Life is all about listening to your heart and chasing your dreams.

                I, myself really love to watch movies especially those inspiring ones. I have seen hundreds of it yet only a few touched me and made me change the way how I live today. I watched the movie “3 idiots” for the past four years and I truly consider it as the best movie that I have seen. It depicted the life and friendship of the three main characters in the story. It indeed inspires every one of us that learning is not by the rank we have at school but by how we understand things and how we deal with it. You can also achieve something if that something is something that you love not by what others think would be best for you. True achievement comes from those who truly desire what they are doing than those who just want to achieve something because it is what others want them to as well as what others think to be more excellent and professional. We are the ones who own ourselves hence we are the one who should make used of it. That movie also portrays that life is a race you must not be afraid of cause when you start the battle bravely, you will never be afraid in the future no more.

According to the Wikipedia, 3 idiots (stylized as 3 idiots) was a 2009 Indian comedy film directed by Rajkumar Hirani, with a screenplay by Abhijat Joshi, and produces by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It was loosely adapted from the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. The movie stars were Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R. Madhava, Sharman Joshi, Omi Vaidya, Parikshit Sahni and Boman Irani. Upon release, the film broke all opening box office records in India. It was the highest grossing film in its opening weekend in India and has the highest opening day collections for Bollywood film. For those who have not seen the movie. Better grab a copy now and ready to be amazed and inspired with the story.

               

                The movie 3 idiots may not be perfect but it is a vital, inspiring and life revising cinema that would truly change the way how people react into the impossibilities of life. In a country where students are driven to commit suicide due to their impossible curriculum and those very strict and hard to pleased professors, this movie encourages everyone that hope is more powerful than fear. Maybe cinemas can’t save those who cannot face their problems and end up finishing their lives on earth, but cinemas can sure make you realize that life is really worth living and that problems where never given without solutions. We often wonder why in a case in point we were given those bigger problems when all we did is to strive to be good and worthy. But never did we realized that those problems, trials and consequences were just difficult test so that when we could passed them all, we will become a better person that we could be proud of.  

The story of the movie “3 idiots” started when Farhan Qureshi , Raju Rastogi and Ranchoddas “Rancho” Chanchad shared the same room in the residence of Imperial College of Engineering (ICE) – one of the top engineering schools in the world and one of the most sought out college by millions of students who want to pursue engineering. The three main characters in the anecdote have different perspective in life and chased engineering education because of three different reasons – to pursue his fathers’ wishes over his own wish, to raise his family’s’ fortune and get them out of poverty and simply because of his passion in machines and devices. I admire the three of them because they come to realize in the end that their dream is more powerful than what others think would be better for them. And that dreams can only be achieved if you have the strength and the will to go on. They also proved that their friendship never fades even when they have been apart for years. Only the distance is far but their hearts were still connected.

When millions of sperm cells racing to reach for that single egg cell, Farhan Quereshi were lucky to be the first to reach and was born on the year 1978 at 5:15am. And just a second after he took his first breath, his father together with his family declared him to become an engineer someday particularly a B.Tech Engineer. That time, he said no matter what he would like to pursue someday, being an engineer can never be change and that is because his faith was sealed since the day he was born.

               

                As he grows old and finished his secondary education, no one asked him what he really wants to do someday. He, being an engineer was conserved in the minds and heart of his family. He never got the chance to share to them his dreams and aspirations in life. He entered the Imperial College of Engineering bringing with him the dream of his father.

                In the first part of the story, he was accompanied by Manmohan who later became their friends and companion at some time. He took pictures of the dogs with unique names Kilobyte, Megabyte and Gigabyte. Farhan really loves to take pictures of wildlife animals. He always looks at them with art and beauty and then he meet Raju Rastogi in the room. They became best of friends and shared their problems and aspirations in life together. Farhan in the story really admired Rancho for being the only one who is free from Viru’s nest. He narrated the story of them and their struggles within their years in college. He always looked at him as an inspiration.

               

Farhans’ family sacrificed a lot for the benefit of their only child. They even put their air conditioner inside his room for comfort so that he can study well. They also did not buy a car instead save his extra income for his sons’ education. Since the day he was born, the only thing that matters to his family is to finish his education at the Imperial College of Engineering, get a job and be an employee of one of those leading companies in the world that would give him a salary that can buy a car, built bigger houses and have a rich family – that was the only thing in the mind and heart of his family specially his father.

                 

                Farhan was all the time companion of Rancho, he had great admiration towards him that he always followed what he says. During those times that Professor Viru tested them, he did not go to the other room however helped Rancho to make Raju realized what they wanted them to instill in his mind. But there is one thing that pulled Farhan down and refused to go with his dream – his fear of his one and only father. Being the only child of the family, they wanted him to graduate at the ICE. But when he meet Rancho and became friends with him, he realized that the reason why he is always on the last of the list during exams is that, engineering is not his passion but photography it is. Back when he was still on his early age, photography was really his fervor. He wanted to create those permanent images specifically on wildlife animals. He always had this wonderful skill in taking pictures of animals that Rancho was really amazed of. But due to his fear that his father would not accept what he really wanted to do in the future, he pursued engineering instead of sending those letter to the famous photographer he knew.  

                One thing that I like about Farhans’ character is that in the end of the story, he was able to say to his father his dream and his only happiness. His conquered his fear and tried to make his father understand everything about what he really loves to do. Later on, the laptop that was supposed to be his fathers’ gift was replaced with a camera only for him and his dream. I was really moved to that scene because the family of him finally understands and realized that their sons’ happiness is the most important thing not what others would think or say.

                On the other hand, Raju Rastogi came from a very poor family. Raju’s home reminded them of a 1950’s black and white film. They had one small bed for his paralyzed father, coughing mother and a sister who could not marry because the fiancé is asking for a car dowry and they cannot provide them since their money was just enough for their meal, they have sofas that the springs where popping out and a pail of water dripping 24 hours from their roof. Raju’s life is full of sacrifices, pressures and loneliness. His mother was retired from school and is the one taking good care of their family. Raju being the eldest and the only boy is the one whom the family expected to bring wealth and good fortune to them by enrolling him to the most popular college of machines – Imperial College of Engineering. During his younger days, he was bright, intelligent and was top of the class. But when the time comes that he was given such huge responsibility – to be the one who would bring wealth to his family, it came to the point that the intelligence and confidence turned to fear and pressure. Instead of focusing himself to studying at ease, he was always nervous and fear that he may not fulfill what his family wanted to. He became obsessed in the words of God, worshipping him and even begging for success, luck and good fortune. He even wears a lot of rings that he considers as good luck charms. He depend his future in prayers. Never did he realize that he can never achieved something if he will just pray for it and not working with it.

               

 I consider Raju Rastogi to be the weaker among the three of them. Simply because he was the one who had greater duty. When he was tested by Professor Viru to change rooms because of an instance that he may not passed the exam if he continued to join with Rancho, he did not insist and decided to move on. No matter what convincing words the two of them shared to him, he still went to Silencer’s room. The dream of becoming a successful person someday is what he is really fighting for.

                Whenever there is a test, Raju always prayed for better results for him to pass the exams. He even had these rings for luck. He was always afraid of the future. He had always this fear of what the upcoming events would be for him. He always feared of the negative possibilities. That was the thing that I do not like about Rajus’ character in the movie. But even in his negative way of thinking and dealing with things, he remained true to his friends and his family. Professor Viru being the wet blanket in the story again tested the conscience of Raju and makes a choice between his family and his dear friend. That was the hardest decision he could ever make in his entire life – to choose whether he would be the one to be expelled in the school and return home with nothing or to let Rancho suffer all the consequences and be barred in the school instead of him. But for some reasons, he could not let his parent or his friend to suffer all the consequences. He cannot choose among the two since both of them made him a better person. Both of them helped him to become who he is. So, he jumped off the building due to frustrations.

                For around two months of being paralyzed, Raju realized what he don’t have that he must have to have. He had finally found the answers to all his questions and doubts of himself. After his long rest in the hospital, he became the person they never thought he would be. He became stronger and feared nothing. He even removed his rings of luck because he had finally freed himself to his old character.

               

            Even though Raju started at Imperial College of Engineering as weak and incapable person, at least in the end he went out to the college strong and started to stand on his own feet. He was able to understand that problems and trials in life where never given without solutions if you have the strength and the courage to go on.  

Being the main of the main characters in the story, I did not find it hard to choose him among the three of them. Ranchhoddas Chanchad or simply called “Rancho” first appear in the story when a tradition is made at the college wherein freshmen were required to put their pants down as a sign of respect for the seniors. Rancho did not follow instead run away and move to his room. The senior was so angry and warned him that he would pee on his door. Upon hearing those words and when the senior student attempted to do what he said, Rancho immediately connects meter stick and spoon together and then connects them to an electric current causing penile electrocution of the senior. Since then, he was considered to be an extraordinary student.

After that incident, Rancho became known in the campus for his astonishing attitude and spirit towards dealing with other people as well as his way of understanding to learning things around. There was a time when he encounters a professor because he defined machine on a layman’s term. His professor was not impressed but was surprised to hear the other student to define it according to what the books says. Rancho defended himself but ended being thrown outside of the classroom. But he was not really affected as to what had happened. Every time he was sent out, he goes to classes on higher year levels where he absorbs advanced information. And that was the first thing I admired about him. He never quits on learning even though people always see it in a negative way instead he continued to learn and did not mind what people would say as long as what is in his heart is true and precise.  

               

There was also an instance when the three of them were so hungry and saw a wedding party from afar. They decided to go along with other people so that they can eat a bunch of foods but unfortunately, they meet the daughter of their professor and were caught. During that time, Rancho gives advice to Pia – daughter of Professor Viru when he observe the way her fiancé would treat her and that is the second thing that I like about his character. Being able to know a person by just observing the way they act. They met also for the second time around, and during that time, Pia discovered her feelings towards him as well as with Rancho developing a special kind of feeling towards her.

I adore Ranchos’ character a lot because he had all this inspiring and amazing temperament. Honest, kind, lovable, strong, optimistic that inspires every one he would meet. But most of all, he had been a true friend. He made sacrifices especially for his two associates. When Raju was hospitalized because of his attempt to jump off the building, Rancho was the one who did all the efforts just to wake him up. He told him all the possible lies he could invent just to alert the sleeping friend and after two months – his sacrifices was all worth it. He became the role model and the motivator of his friends and colleagues. He was the one who made them successful to follow with their dreams and fear nothing. And also to believe that impossible is just a word and you can just change that in a blink of an eye if you believe.   I also admire Rachos’ character because though he had all the positive things and be hailed as the top or the brightest of them all, he had never been so boastful about it instead made it as an inspiration to everybody.

He also came from a very poor family wherein his parents were just a servant of the wealthy ones. But because of his rich mind, he was chosen to use the name of the son of his employer and was able to study at the Imperial College of Engineering. His passion and perseverance put him to a position wherein no one can attain. He was able to be on the top of the class and awarded as the most excellent student. The pen that Professor Viru had kept for years was given to him due to his superb behavior and intelligence. Rancho being that one of a kind person remained down to earth. When he finished his college education, he did not go abroad or be employed by a company instead he became a teacher so that he can share what he had to those little ones for free.

When I was watching the movie, I cried a lot not because it was a sad movie but because it touches my heart for all the things that each and everyone did for each other. All their sacrifices, insecurities and fear were all cast away just because they believe in what they can. It is true that you can be of your greatest happiness if what you are doing coincide with what you really want. If this movie would be viewed by millions of people around, no matter what religion, dialect or tradition they have, it will surely inspire them to have hope instead of fear. Because only hope can defeat no matter how big or small your fear is. And what matters most is what you have learned and what you have become because of that.

           Aal izz Well !

Technology Innovations in Fast Food Chains

The term "technology" as defined by the Wikipedia is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures. Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species' ability to control and adapt to their natural environments. 

As what the golden rules says, “Time is Gold”. And so, people nowadays always find a better solution on how to minimize the time of work by inventing equipments that would help them do their task easily.  It is also true that the uncontrollable growth of machinery these days made a great impact in the lives and works of many people especially on the advanced countries. As the clock continues to strike, more and more creations start to develop. 

We had our Technopreneurship class last Monday and we were asked to make a documentation based on our observation of the facilities and the occurring system of some of the well-known fast food chains. And by looking around and observing, we were committed to make a documentation of the technology innovation that we could suggest to improve their service.

Fast food chains are the establishment where you can order food at minimal time. There were lots of fast food chains here in Davao City. Some of the recognized are McDonalds, Greenwich, and KFC that is usually found along downtown and some were inside shopping malls.

Whenever I and my sister would go to some fast food chains especially during break hours, it is always a tiring task to stand and fall in line just to order the food that we want to eat. There were also times when we were so hungry but we had to endure it for us to order and so our stomach will be filled. After ordering, we would wait for a couple of minutes for the food to be processed and sometimes we were given a number because our order will be available after 10-20 minutes. Isn’t it tiring to fall in line and wait again? Of course, it is! It would also be so boring if you don’t have something to view or to read while waiting for your order. This kind of system would waste so much of your time.  

Another scenario also was when I find it hard to order the meal that I really want. And because the line was long, I would just order what I usually eat instead of looking for something new because I don’t want to make the others wait for me to finished ordering knowing also that waiting was really a very strenuous task.

As I was meditating and thought about how can I improve the system of those fast food chains, I came up to the idea of having a dual-purpose digital menu attached on the table.

This dual-purpose digital menu is a kind of a touch screen galaxy tab-like structure built inside the tables of all these fast food chains. This device would be very useful for a fast food chain like the McDonalds that is being visited by most of the students and workers. Instead of falling in line along the counter section, a certain buyer would just go to his desired table and an attached digital menu system will be the one he would communicate to buy a certain food or to order a meal. This dual-purpose digital menu will have its unique number or certain address wherein the crew would know what table did that order came from.

 In using the digital menu device, the user would just touch the image of his meal and the quantity of it. By doing so, he can select what he wants to eat without bothering other people.  Also he can think thoroughly on what he really wants to have. He could not waste his time as well as the time of other people. When he is finish ordering, the total amount of the food will be seen so that he can prepare the money beforehand and then he would touch the OK afterwards. Upon clicking the button, the kitchen people will then prepare his order as soon as possible. And when the order is ready to be served, the customer would also pay immediately the costs of his meal to the crew.

This will aid the people as well as the staff of the establishment because it would lessen their work and would also minimize the waiting moment of the customer that was allotted before whenever they will be on the line.

            Another thing about the fast food chain system is the scenario wherein we have to look for the available seats. This problem occurs mostly in Greenwich at Gaisano Mall because that branch was always loaded with people thus making it hard for you to look for vacant chairs during break hours. Having that kind of experience, I came up to the idea of having a seat availability and digital directory monitor. This type of device aims to inform the customer how many tables were available and the seating capacity for it. Also it has a digital directory wherein you can click the vacant tables and a graphical location of it will be shown. This will actually help every individual by saving their time and efforts looking for a table and aside from that, you can easily find the vacant chairs and table inside by using the directory feature of it. This system could also minimize the crowd inside the establishment.

            Another scenario that I and my friends experienced is when we were eating at the McDonalds near Victoria Plaza Mall. Most of the time, we would order French fries and we love to dip it with lots of ketchup. But there were instances when the attendant would just give us a piece of it for every order. And we find it so tiring to call for a crew to have more. So I thought of a machine that would generate a ketchup, tissue and straws. When we want to have more ketchup, we would just click the ketchup button and then it goes out. When we want to have straws, we would just press its button as well as with the tissue and they would just pop up. This way, we can enjoy our foods and would less the hassle and time going to the crew to get some.

            Having new technologies nowadays is beneficial most of the time to every individual. It saves time, effort as well as money.  But discovering and inventing new technologies also affects greatly the way people live their lives. It affects the way they communicate, share, work and go on with their day to day habits. Nevertheless, it would always be our choice how we live up our own.

Reflection to the movie "Pirates of the Silicon Valley"

1.            What are the factors that contributed to the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a Technopreneur?

Success comes if there is persistence and determination onto something that you wanted to attain. It usually happens to those people who do not know the words “give up” and “failure”. The ones who always set in mind that everything happens for a reason and that their dreams were never built without them having the will of achieving it. Most of the prominent citizens in modern century did not achieve something without experiencing failures. As what Confucius says, “Our greatest glory is not in ever falling but in rising every time we fall”.

The movie Pirates of the Silicon Valley depicted the life and works of the two famous and remarkable persons in the field of computer technology: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Steve Jobs being a designer, inventor and a co-founder chairman of the Apple Inc. was also a man being desired and looked upon by so many people not only in the business industry but also among the students and aspiring inventors of new technologies. He was a man of great honor and pride during those times of victory in his era. He never gave up to the things that he love that made him put into the place where he is today. Who would have thought that a dropped out student, stubborn man, and a drug user would be in the road of success and became legendary? How did it happen? What are the factors that contributed to his success and failures? Scroll down your mouse and you will find out.

There were lots of great things that lead to the achievement of Steve Jobs. First is that he loves what he is doing or simply he has an enthusiasm in his field of being an inventor and computer technopreneur. One cannot attain something when one doesn’t love that something. Because sometimes you just have to have that little inspiration for you to move on and strive harder. Steve Jobs even at times when he was younger; he never gets tired of exploring, learning and discovering new things from pieces of scratch. He always thought that small things always have a greater impact when it is studied and concealed. As what his friend Steve Wozniak (who soon became the co-founder of Apple) says, “Steve always saw things differently”. Though there were so many times that he had been rejected and experienced failures, he never once gave up on the things that he loved to do. His enthusiasm pushed him to become innovative and creative. It also became his bloodstream that keeps him alive and continues to move on.

By the time he had succeeded to put together the Apples Inc., he was fired at his own company for his wrong treatment to the workers. But that incident did not stop him from the enthusiasm that he had in learning and discovering the secret of every piece of art. And also because of his enthusiasm, he was held back to the company to work again and develop the Apple NeXT.

Second thing is that Steve has a strong spirit. He believes that everything happens according to his plan. Though he did not finish his college degree, he did not stay as a dog astray instead continues in discovering things around also with the help of his friend Steve Wozniak. There were times when their works were being rejected but that doesn’t stop him from doing it again and again and presenting it to people. And because of his strong personality, his success story became legendary that every individual looked upon and searched for.

Steve Jobs is also a competitor. He considers the IBM as his main competition even at his early days as a technopreneur. He considers it as his enemy. His friend Steve Wozniak once said, “I used to think maybe Steve was born obsessed with wiping out IBM”. He being so competitive leads him to pursue what he is doing and elaborate more what he already has. He even cut his beard to be presentable so that he can sell those mini computers they invented.

Fourth is that Steve is very good in persuasion, opportunistic and is very tricky. He persuaded the Xerox guys to show them all their incredible stuff that they developed and trick them so that they can get the mouse for the benefit of the computer that they were currently developing. He said that they have to think themselves as an artist. As what Picasso said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal”. And with his great tongue of persuasion, they got what they wanted to have that resulted to their great honor and big success.

On the other hand, Jobs did not reach the success stage without failures. One of the factors that failed him is by the way he treated his workers. He never let them sleep without finishing something and always telling them to have loyalty in their jobs. There was one of his employees who were still up for 52 hours. Imagine that? Martial Law really exists in their company. He never let them nap for just a while until he was not satisfied with their works. He mentions also that some of his workers worked even more than 90 hours a week.

Being the owner of the company, he was really abusive, tearing people down and throwing tantrums. There was a scene on the movie that he is being punched by his worker because he was shouting at him telling him to finished something but that person could no longer think because he was so tired to reflect and defend the unfinished design. Even Steve Wozniak who was a friend of him from the start resigned in the Apple because he did not understand the way Jobs handles everything.  That the latter had turned his own company into two camps: having his Macintosh group against the Apple II people.

Because of his being so violent among his people, he was fired by his own company he built with hardships and sweat. That was the hardest thing that ever happened to him. But somehow, it doesn’t stop him from being innovative on the things that he already loved. Because of this, he was held back to his own company.

Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 and died on October 5, 2011. Within these years of existence here on earth, his works and achievement will never be forgotten thus be remembered and will become a seed for a much better technology in the nearer future.

How do you see yourself as a Technopreneur?

Let us first discuss everything about technopreneurship and the qualities that a technopreneur must have. Technopreneurship came from two different words, technology and entrepreneur. Defined by Wikipedia.org, the word technology is the making, modification, usage and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, methods of organization to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal or perform a specific function. While entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur or "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods".

According to Rajesh Shakya on his blog about technopreneurship, he defines a technopreneur as a technology savvy, creative, innovative, dynamic, dares to be different and take the unexplored path, and very passionate about their work. They take challenges and strive to lead their life with greater success. They don’t fear to fail. They take failure as a learning experience, a stimulator to look things differently and stride for next challenge. Technopreneurs continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy.

Famous technopreneurs that are being desired and honored by most successful technopreneur wannabes were Steve Jobs known for the Apple Inc. and Bill Gates who popularized Microsoft. These two people were considered to be the most successful technopreneurs of the modern time. Bill Gates once became the wealthiest man in the world while Steve Jobs who owns the Apple Inc. was well known for his innovations such as the iPod which is mostly the carried gadgets by young population of today’s time.

When I first read the question, I really find it hard to answer because of the reason that I really don’t see myself in the business industry. I truly did not think of myself as a technopreneur or a businesswoman. We don’t sell something at home and my parents don’t have a business. My grandmother and some of my relatives do have their own businesses but that doesn’t concern me anymore.  I live in a life thinking I would be doing something what others want me to do when I would finished my college degree. All I imagined in the future for me to work on is a company where I am an employee that sits on my own desk doing office stuffs who go home after office hours then back again for tomorrows work. Not an employer or someone who manages, plan, boss around and decides for the success of the company.

Based on research and on the Basics of Technopreneurship module 1.2, the characteristics of being a technopreneur are hardworking, self-confident, builds for the future, profit-oriented, goal-oriented, persistent, copes with failures, responds to feedbacks, demonstrates initiative, willingness to listen, sets own standards, copes with uncertainty, committed, builds on strengths, reliable and has integrity and last but not the least is a risk taker.

Having thought and read about it, I never really see myself as a technopreneur now. I don’t have all of the qualities nor shall I say I have some but majority of the qualities stated above are not inculcated in me. When I was younger, I am usually the shy type girl and speak only when asked. I don’t usually mingle around with people, play with them, share thoughts and ideas as well as persuade them to buy something that I have. Never in my life I was engage in selling products or other things related to entrepreneurship. As I reach college, I decided to take the course Information Technology having in mind that it was just a simple path since it only tackles about computer and all that typing and editing videos and making presentations and all other stuffs. But neither did I know that it was not only about video editing and encoding text but it was merely all about how did those editing features came from, how did that websites developed and what are the codes behind those software that we enjoyed using. Information Technology was also considered to be one of the hardest courses among all the courses in the University of Southeastern Philippines.

Another thing is that in no way did it come to my mind that being in the Information Technology field it would touch as well on the business part or the technopreneurship. We watched the film “Pirates of the Silicon Valley” last Monday, July 2, 2012. The movie depicted the story of the two most promising technopreneurs, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates of Apple Inc. and Microsoft. Being an entrepreneur requires passion, persistence and determination. And the two of them show great enthusiasm thus making them a successor in technology business. Due to these two stars, we were at comfort today by using their well-developed products and inventions.

Going back to the question, how can I see myself as a technopreneur? I consider that being an entrepreneur you have to have those strong skills and positive thinking for you to surpass every up and down as well as creative and innovative mind to make simple things become great ones. If given the responsibility of being a technopreneur someday, first is that I would have to developed all those qualities described in the module of the “Basics of Technopreneuship” in order for me to cope up with the ever changing world of business. I must develop my self-confidence so that I can face bigger people as well as bigger challenges ahead. I must learn the techniques, strategies and procedures on how to excel in the industry. And lastly, being in the business industry, I must have the skill of being creative at all types. Though I am not that business oriented person but when time comes and I will become one, I will try to do whatever it takes to outshine and be productive in this industry. As a technopreneur, I see myself as a positive thinker that would always bear in mind that all things happen with its purpose and that failure is just a part of the game, not the end of it.

 Would you take the same career path as Steve Jobs took? Why or why not?

Who would ever think that a person who never got the chance to graduate a degree course would end up famous and billionaire? Steve Jobs is popularly known to be the founder and developer of the Apple Inc. in which I consider to be the prime of all the existing technologies today. He was admired by most of the people for his huge success in the field of technopreneurship. At young age, he already turned simple things to great ones that welcome the world to the modern era of technology. Due to his passion, persistence and determination, he became the man he never thought he would be, the man having the immense honor and pride and the one behind every Apple device used by most of the young generations at the present time. Since the day of his first success even until now that he has departed to life, he was still being looked upon by millions of people for his development and innovations for the Apple Inc.

We can never really tell what a person would become someday at some point at some time. That the word success is only for those who are willing to take risks, those who fear nothing and for those who believe in the power of their universe. Those people who never thought failure as an end of their journey on the other hand a lesson to go on to the next level and strive harder. People who never looked themselves down because there is only one thing in their mind – everyone is unique and people have different ways to perceive reality.  

After watching the movie entitled “Pirates of the Silicon Valley”, I was as inspired as I am to the life of Steve Jobs as he became what he is now from the days he was just starting to develop small things into something bigger. At the beginning of his journey, he was just a simple boy having different way of thinking about life who discovered incredible thing that leads to his achievement. But, being a successor, he did not became what he is today without those failures, rejections, problems and heartaches. He experienced the worst pain in his life when he was fired from the company that he built with sweat, tears, hardships and sorrows. However, those things were taken by him as an inspiration to pull him up once again and go on and on.

I admire Steve Jobs for being so passionate of his line. As what the Albert Schweitzer saying goes, “If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” And that is the reason why he became what he is today. He has also the courage and strength to do things on his own way never minding the negative comments and feedbacks of some who did not recognize what he is capable of. 

            Seeing the movie, of course I admire only his determination and persistence to achieve his goal but not the way how he treated people around him. He was arrogant and abusive to his workers that he even let them keep wide awake for 52 hours. Isn’t that cruel? Steve was way back then also very competitive. Yet, his competitiveness leads to a positive and negative outcome. On the positive way, it pursues him to become very innovative and tries to conquer what the IBM has. Nevertheless, his competitiveness and his eagerness to see competition also lead to the resignation of his friend Steve Wozniak. IBM being his competitor, there were even instances that he did not hire someone just because he was part of the IBM Company before.

            We all know that nobody is perfect and everyone has its flaws. As a person, one of the things that I don’t like about Steve is that he did not recognize the child of his girlfriend as her daughter. He even yelled at her saying that it wasn’t her daughter and that he didn’t trust whatever she says. But, even though he did not accept her as her daughter, he insisted to his girlfriend to give her the name Lisa whatever it takes. Around the time his daughter was born, Jobs unveiled his next computer which he named, ‘The Lisa’.

            Another thing that I don’t like about him is his attitude towards his co-workers. Even though he is the boss, he must not act like one so that communication would be harmonious between them that may result to a better output. He was even hit by his employee for he was yelling at him because he can’t find a finished product.

            Steve was also out-smarted by Bill Gates when the latter joined his company. Due to the persuasive tongue of Bill Gates, he made Steve said the word ‘yes’ confirming him being part of the company. Steve at time has given his full trust and confidence not knowing that Bill had some other plans aside from it.   

            Other than having those attitudes, he was changed when he was fired by the CEO John Sculley shortly after his birthday toast. Though he was not in the company anymore, he continued to do what he has been doing and returned to Apple after his acquisition of NeXT Computer.

Knowing the life of Steve Jobs inspires many aspiring citizens including me to strive harder and to never give up on learning and innovating things. Because no one can ever tell, what a person may be someday. That the dumbest person might become the wealthiest man? That a dropped out college boy may become one of the aspiring person someday? Everybody wants to achieve something in the future. Steve Jobs being a great successor in business, who wouldn’t want to take the same path as what he took? But for me, I would take a different path. Maybe I will follow his attitude of being passionate, persistent and risk-taker but never his bad side. I will learn from his experiences and maybe someday I will be like him. It’s never wrong in dreaming the impossible. It is our own will and power that would change it the other way around.