Category Archives: 1-By Laksh

All these articles are from Laksh’s desk

1-By Laksh, Books, Etc.

All Marketers are Liars

Seth Godin’s new book is about telling good and authentic lies, that are framed in accordance to to the prospective customer’s worldviews.

Stories let us lie to ourselves. And those lies satisfy our desires. It’s the story, not the good or the service you actually sell, that pleases the customer.

Seth Godin makes a strong case for story telling and defends the marketers who tell stories/lies that customers tell themselves.

The book would have been even better, if it did not try to trivialise or ignore the old marketing ideas. For instance, market research helps to know more about the worldview, which is the very foundation of Seth Godin’s work. And, it is not a 100% online world yet, the customers today still notice the ad jingles and the huge billboards on the freeway. (Remember the recent Google’s hiring campaign?)

Despite these reservations, Seth Godin comes with a thought-stirring effort. A good read for anyone who is attempting to sell. And if you go by him– Don’t hard-sell, tell an authentic story instead.

1-By Laksh, Books

Being Digital

In the information and entertainment industries, bits and atoms often are confused. Is the publisher of a book in the information delivery business (bits) or in the manufacturing business (atoms)? The historical answer is both, but that will change rapidly as information appliances become more ubiquitous and user-friendly. Right now it is hard, but not impossible, to compete with the qualities of a printed book.

In 1995, Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the MIT Media Lab, published “Being Digital,” a manifesto of musings and predictions for the digital age. His main thesis is information moving from the realm of atoms (physical matter) to that of bits (the digital ether) has profound implications on how people work and play.

“User in control” is a consistent thread throughout Negroponte’s book.

Two small sections in the book are particularly insightful: “Place Without Space” and “Being Home and Abroad at the Same Time.” They describe separating physical location from identity. Location independence comes from the power to access the network from anywhere. Once you have access to the network, you have access to communications, media, applications, family, friends, colleagues, and customers. Enter Wi-Fi (define), and access is further separated from wires, making it possible to “jack in” just by being in the proximity of a hotspot.

Most of his predictions have come good in over a decade’s time. It’s a good time to revisit ‘Being Digital’ and explore the possibility ‘being virtual’ in our lives and business.

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1-By Laksh, ET, Etc., TV

Remembering Jeremy Brett


He (Jeremy Brett) literally took that show on his
shoulders – it was extraordinary watching him work.
To say that it ultimately killed him is probably too strong
a judgement, but it certainly took an enormous toll out
of him. He is, undoubtedly, the definitive Holmes, and I
think it will be very difficult for anybody to top him. The
series was geared to being accurate as far as the original
stories were concerned, and his portrayal of Holmes had
all the nuances you find in the books – the manic bits, the
quiet bits and the drug-taking.
Peter Haining

Jeremy Brett added something to the character of Holmes
that no one else whom I have seen has done: He brought a
sense of humor to the part. And he and David Burke and
Edward Hardwicke let us know that this Holmes was very
good friends with John Watson. I think that Sherlock Holmes
badly needed this sort of treatment. Conan Doyle never
intended Holmes to be taken as seriously as some
Sherlockians take him.
Nancy Beiman

May 22nd is the birth anniversary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
the man who introduced the most popular inhabitant of
Baker Street in London–Sherlock Holmes. And, the biggest
tribute one could pay him is to remember’Sherlock Holmes’
and the man who played him the best–Jeremy Brett.

In a lot of ways, Jeremy Brett was a departure from the rest
who played it on stage.

The medium of television brought in several new dimensions
to Doyle’s work, almost impossible in theatre. When it was
Jeremy Brett’s time on TV, the medium evolved, and producers
had all the crafts of film making at their disposal, to make the
canvass richer and the story telling even more exciting. And
Jeremy Brett knew how to exploit all of it to his advantage.

He gave his best to the camere. Let it be his brooding when
the case is in progress, or his frustration when he is idle, or
his impishness when he is on a trail, he pulls it off like no
other. And just when you thought Holmes is too good to be
real, he brings to the fore his eccentric and probably a tad
darker side of Holmes.

Jeremy Brett though starred in several movies, could not
match his potrayal of Holmes.

Interestingly, Mr.Holmes loomed large on his writer and the
actor who played his role. They could never come out of their
engagement with Mr.Holmes, much to the delight of their fans.

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