If I Gave You 50 Crore

So you want 50 crore? Well I am not exactly giving that out, but definitely telling you what to do when you are posed with this question.

A question that is often asked during interviews - "What would you do if I gave you 50 crore (or an "x" amount which is on the higher side)"


There are many ways to look at it & answer it. There is no right or wrong to this question. All that is required is your presence of mind. The way you answer this gives the interviewer an insight to your hidden personality, how responsible you are and where do you aim to land. It will tell him if you are a calculated risk taker who takes all the facts into consideration or just a simpleton who gets carried away by surprises. If you anticipate & how well are your equipped for the future. These are few of the qualities that every organisation looks at while hiring, specially at management levels. So after reading this am sure you know how to play your marbles. All the best and read on to see one perspective. Below is one of the ways I look at it and its worked wonders for me all the three times I have answered it in different interviews.


The natural & spontaneous thought that comes to a normal persons mind at that point is one of these:

1. I would sit and eat all my life.
2. Why would I work then.
3. I will invest all the money and earn interest and enjoy life.
4. I will go on a life long vacation
5. I would buy this office and interview you (i.e. the interviewer)

and many other such thoughts. If you didn't think of any of these you are not normal. :p Well, the fact is your interviewer is not looking for any of these answers.

Analyse

Didn't this strike you that if he had 50 crore "Why would HE give you?" Wouldn't he keep it for himself. Ok, so the argument for that is, come on its an hypothetical situation and the fact is if he is willing to give you 50 crore he has millions more for himself so don't ponder over it. Just accept it that he is willing to give you the amount, it may be his, his organisations or his father-in-laws. It just doesn't matter.

Now the next question - "Why would he give YOU?" Are you so handsome or a sexy siren that he would blow it all on you. No. Are you a blackmailer then. If that would have been the situation you wouldn't be sitting for an interview nor reading this. You would have many easier ways of getting money, may be even more than what is at stake.

Argue

One of the answers could be "I will INVEST it".Well this could be an apt answer. Now lets argue over it. Just invest would mean many things. Is it the stock exchange, business or something else. 

If your answer is the stock exchange then it shows that you are a lazy person and a nincompoop who hasn't considered the risk factors, which I need not tell you about.

If you say business it denotes that well you have that fire in you to work and toil and earn your bread and butter. This could be a nice answer but then putting all your eggs in the same basket would mean lack of foresight and planning. If the business is hit you are bankrupt and so are the people working below you. 

Now what? Well the next best answer would be "I would invest in a couple of business so as to ensure that if one bombs there are others on which I can fall on". That's a smart one but this shows your selfishness as you are just bothered about your well being and not bothered about your employees or team that slogs for you. There are many people dependent who will be laid off. This inhumane behavior and lack of concern for your team can go against you.

Answer

Well, in that case "I would distribute 4/5th of the amount in 4 different business i.e. 1/5th in each". This leaves you with 1/5th in your hand. This will raise suspicion at to why have you kept 1/5th aside. Are you gonna squander away 10 cr on your self. 

The most apt answer to this can be:

"I would invest 10 cr in 4 different business so as to ensure that all the eggs are not in one basket. The fact that I have kept 10 cr aside is because even though I have planned my actions, looking at the volatile nature of the market I might go wrong somewhere. And hence this sundry amount of 10 cr would help so that I can pump in this amount to revive the business that is getting affected."

Conclusion

The above reply shows that you are not lazy and would like to work, you have planned and are taking calculated risk by not putting all your eggs in one basket. You are not overconfident about never going wrong, hence you have anticipated & have a foresight because of which you have kept aside sufficient funds to pull it off when the need arises. Not to mention that this act of yours is selfless as you want to revive a business and not just run away from your responsibility and just shut it down.

If you have a better answer or an argument pen it down in the comments below. Let everyone benefit from it. Who knows even I could use it the next time and impress my interviewer further. ;)

Celebrity - Death List 2011

Easter Eggs - Google Chrome

Not many are aware of this Easter egg in Google's very own browser Chrome. One of the reasons I am assuming it to be this way could be because this may be something that might have been plugged in quite late - in the later versions. There is one more logo hidden in Google Chrome's. Its a high quality - premium version of the same logo, but GOLDEN.

All you need to do is right click on the Chrome logo and click properties. Once you are on the Google Chromes Properties dialog click on the Change Icon button under the Shortcut tab.

In the Change Icon dialog you’ll find a bunch of  icons. This is where you will see  the golden high-res logo that looks really good. Select it.

If you do not see the logo, please ensure that your chrome is updated to the latest version. Enjoy.

Advanced tips while buying a second hand car

So you have finally made up your mind to go in for a second hand car. Congratulations :) However before you continue reading any further I'd advise you to go through the Basic Tips first so that this makes some sense.

1.       Roll on Test

a.       Bottom End Grunt

                                                               i.            Steps: Put car in 3rd gear – slow down to 20kmph and then accelerate to 80kmph. Keep accelerator pressed down completely.

                                                             ii.            Checks - The car should accelerate cleanly. There should be no unexpected jerks, loss of power.

                                                            iii.            Problems – Poor fuel metering, air cleaner clogged, engine not in tune.

                                                           iv.            Interpretation: Poor maintenance, car has not been taken care of properly – regular services may not have been carried out.

b.      Mid Range:

                                                               i.       Steps: Put car in 4th gear – slow down to 40kmph then accelerate to 100. Keep accelerator pressed down completely.

                                                             ii.      Checks – The car should accelerate cleanly. There should be no unexpected jerks, loss of power.

                                                            iii.      Problems - Poor fuel metering, air cleaner clogged, engine not in tune, Valves noise

                                                           iv.      Interpretation - Poor maintenance, car has not been taken care of properly – regular services may not have been carried out.

2.       Clutch Condition:

a.       Clutch Slippage: Clutch should not feel hard

                                                               i.      Steps: Depress clutch. Put car in reverse. Ensure there is no traffic or obstruction behind. Increase revs to 3500. Dump clutch. Stop after 3 – 4 seconds. OR Put car in first gear drive slowly till engine rpm is in mid range. Then accelerate hard all the way up to the top.

                                                             ii.      Checks: If car does not accelerate in keeping with revs then there may be clutch slippage. Some slippage will occur due to spinning wheels. Other than that the car should accelerate properly.

                                                            iii.       Problems: Clutch plate could be worn. Clutch might need setting.

3.       Gearbox

a.       Shifting

                                                               i.      Steps: Accelerate hard in first gear and quickly shift to second. Try down shifting from third to second as well.

                                                             ii.      Checks: Does the gear shift without baulking? Does it make a grinding sound? Does it slip out when under load.

                                                            iii.      Problems: This could be a problem with the synchromesh, or the gear lock.

                                                           iv.      Interpretation: Depends on the life of the vehicle, but by and large this means that the vehicle has been used roughly and maintenance has not been in keeping with the usage.

b.       Auto’ box – Planetary

                                                               i.      Steps: accelerate

4.       Steering

a.       Joints

                                                               i.      Steps: Go to a place where you can make constant radius turns. Drive slowly, put the car in first. Turn the steering wheel completely to the right and accelerate. Keep increasing speed for a couple of rounds. Do the same for the other side.

                                                             ii.      Checks: Listen for any knocking or clicking sounds.

                                                            iii.      Problem: The constant velocity joints could be worn. This is a rare occurrence in modern day cars. For most modern day cars this will be a rare occurrence since CV joints are fairly durable as long as the boot is not torn. Check for boot replacement or

                                                           iv.      Interpretation: Car has been driven for well over 40,000kms to get this kind of a problem. And it hasn’t been cared for. Replacing and servicing joints is fairly expensive.

5.        Engine Bay Inspection

Open the hood. Look for hood release latch, do not grope for it. Each car’s will be different. Ensure stay is securely on.

a.       Internal parts

                                                               i.      Using flashlight look at cams, valve springs, rockers.

                                                             ii.      They should be shiny and metallic

                                                            iii.      Coating of thick oil is a sign of poor maintenance and possible problems

                                                           iv.      Uneven wear is also not a good sign

Engine oil Condition

                                                               i.      Remove oil dipstick. Take oil between index finger and thumb.

                                                             ii.      Colour –

1.       It should not be dark black. Most oils will look dark after a few 100kms. But that is alright.

2.       Golden colour is a sign of fresh oil

a.       Viscosity

                                                               i.      Is it too thick?

1.       The oils should feel slick

2.       It should not feel watery

b.      Levels

                                                               i.      Wipe dipstick with cloth.

                                                             ii.      Reinsert completely into slot.

                                                            iii.      Pull out slowly

                                                           iv.      The oil line should be between the markings

c.      Particles

                                                               i.      Oil can have sediments

                                                             ii.      Oil can have metal particles

Brake Oil

                                                               i.      Open Master cylinder reservoir

                                                             ii.      Remove filter net

                                                            iii.      Check bottom of container for dirt

                                                           iv.      Check levels with markings on container

Power steering oil

                                                               i.      Open container

                                                             ii.      Check for sediments, dirt

                                                            iii.      Check for levels on container

1.       Note: in some cars like the Honda City and Maruti Swift – the steering assist is electrical so there won’t be any power steering oil.

Coolant Check

                                                                     i.                        Levels

1.       Match liquid level with markings on container

                                                                   ii.                        Condition

1.       Anti-freeze will be mixed with water, but proportion should be correct. A light green/ blue colour means low mix

a.       A proper mix will look dark and thick

2.       Look for traces of oil in the coolant – this will be seen as a light haze on top of the coolant

a.       Check same at radiator cap

Engine Leakages

                                                               i.      Oil leakages at the head

                                                             ii.      Oil leakage at sump

                                                            iii.      Oil leakage – others

Signs of rebuild

                                                               i.      You will be able to find the gasket maker at the joins between the two planes.

Disclaimer: These are just my thoughts and that I will not be responsible for any incorrect decision taken by you or any irreparable loss caused by following these tips. I still suggest you take a second opinion from a professional mechanic.

Basic tips while buying a second hand car

There are many who prefer a second hand car as their 1st one. This can be due to quite a few reasons. Primary ones being budget constrains, still a learner and hence just to get your hands set and be a confident driver before going in for a new one or moving out in sometime and no one to take care of the vehicle while you are gone.

I personally feel these two things are better to be first hand, one - Wife, two - Vehicle. However there are a few friends who think otherwise. According to them its better to gain experience from the experienced. ;) And hence writing this in two parts - Basic tips and Advanced tips, for the benefit of those friends and all you out there looking for a second hand car.

Just because its a second hand car it doesn't mean you pick up any piece of scrap in the name of a car. Cmon its your hard earned money that you will be paying. Isn't it. Well if that wouldn't be the case you wouldn't be going in for a second hand car or for that matter reading this in the 1st place. Not that you are a car freak and just want to know all about car care and stuff. So not wasting any more time here we get started.

Basic Tips


A. General

1. Walk around the car to check its level. If it sags to one side, it may have some broken springs or a serious suspension problem.
2. Press each corner of the car. If the car keeps on bouncing up and down beyond once or at the most twice, it means the shock absorbers need replacement.

B. Check the tyres throughly.

1. If the odometer shows low reading and the tyres are new, it may mean the odometer has been tempered.
2. Check to ensure that all the tyres including the spare one, are of the same brand, size and type
3. Check the tread depth. If less than 1.5 mm of tread depth is left, if would mean the tyres have to be replaced.
4. Look for the year of manufacture of the tyre - for new cars it should match teh manufacture year of the car
5. Look for any scuffing, cracks or bulges on the sidewalls. Also inspect each rim edge ot look for any dents or cracks. A heavy dent may mean misalignment or damaged suspension.

C. Body

1. Check the condition of the body. Look in particular for an scratches, dents and rust. A careful look at the paint colour and finish would reveal whether the car had any accident and was repainted. A repainted body, howsoever carefully done, cannot duplicate the texture and finish of the factory’s baked-on paint. Even a good repaint job which may even be glossier than the original shine, may not weather the same for long.
   
2. Look for clues of body repair on the hood, trunk lid and the door sills. In case of repaint, there may be signs of ‘overspray’ or paint spray on the rubberseals around the body openings. A magnet may also come in handy to detect a hidden patched up dent on the body (of course, not on a fibre glass body). The dents are usually filled up with an epoxy body filler which is nonconducting. So the magnet will not stick on such an area of the body.
   
3. Apart from accidental damage, it is also important to detect any rusting on the body; and if over looked, the same may prove very costly. In particular, look for blistered paint or rust spots around the wheel wells, the sheet metal below the doors and the bottoms of the doors. Flashlight may be used to look on the inner side of the wheels.

D. Interiors

1. Seats: Check all the seats. They should not sag and all the adjustments should be in working order. In case of a car with the odometer showing low reading. Upholstery should not be badly worn out. Check in particular, the driver’s seat. Make sure that along with steering column and wheel adjustments, you can have a good driving position.
   
2. Pedal rubbers: A fair indication of use is given by the condition of rubber on the clutch, accelerator and brake pedals. A lower wear of rubbers would mean that the car has done less mileage. A badly worn out clutch pedal rubber may also mean that the driver has been in the habit of riding the clutch, putting a strain on it, causing the clutch lining to wear excessively.
   
3. Start and idling: Start the engine to verify whether it is hard to start from cold. Let it idle and note whether the idling is smooth
   
4. Instruments and controls: Operate every switch, button and lever to make sure that each one is working. Lock and unlock each door and operate all the windows. In case of sunroof, check up its working also. Press the horn switch to check up the same and try all the interior lights.
   
5. Temperature: Turn on the air conditioning and make sure the same blows cold. Check up the heater to see that it gives out hot air.

E. Inspecting the Trunk

A careful inspection of the car trunks may indicate water leaks, particularly if it smells musty or the carpet feels wet. Lift the carpet to check up for any water leak or rusting. The condition of the spare wheel and the tyre thereon should also be checked carefully.

F. Inspecting the bottom

1. If you are doing the inspection at the place where the car is usually parked, a careful look on the ground below till tell you whether any oil, coolant or fuel is leaking from the car. Otherwise, you will have to look at the car bottom.
   
2. Spread the old blanket you brought along, on the ground underneath the car. Look for any oil drops, other oily leaks or green coolant. Use your flashlight.
   
3. Inspect carefully the boots of the constant velocity joints. In case the rubber boots are split and grease is leaking. It indicates that these C-V joints shall be required to be replaced in the near future and that is quite costly.
   
4. Cheek up the residue at the tail pipe which should normally be dry and grey. A black and greasy residue indicates that the oil is being burnt in the engine. Heavy rusting on the exhaust pipe would mean that the same will have to be replaced soon.

G. 6 Step -Test drive

If the overall result of the above steps is positive. You should go for a test drive. which should last for about 20 to 30 minutes so as to be sure about certain systems.e.g.the cooling,heating and air conditioning.

1. After making various adjustments, fasten the seat belt and see that the drive seat is comfortable and first you well, that you are at a minimum distance of 250mm from the steering wheel and can still operate various pedals and other controls on the panel and all the displays are convenient to see.
   
2. Start the engine and let it idle. The engine Should idle smoothly without surging. Meanwhile turn the steering wheel to and fro to cheek whether there is any backlash present.
   
3. Start driving the car. It should accelerate from standstill without hesitating. The car should be able be able to cope up with the highway traffic without excessive gear shifting. There must be sufficient free play at the clutch pedal, the absence of which may indicate excessive wear of the clutch plate and hence the need to replace the clutch soon.
   
4. At a constant moderate speed on a smooth road, there should not be noticeable vibrations. Then drive the car on a bumpy road at about 50 kmph. There should not be many rattles or squeaks. Excessive bouncing and hopping may indicate suspension problems. In case the steering wheel shakes at highway speed, there may be problem of misalignment or wheel balance or both. Either of these can be easily remedied.
   
5. For testing brakes go to some empty stretch. Increase the speed to about 70 kmph and apply the brakes hard.The car must stop straight, quickly, without pulling to any side. Moreover applying the brakes should not require excessive effort. Try this braking a number of items to see that the car stops perfectly each time.
   
6. Stop the car on the roadside. Press the brake pedal continuously for at least 30 seconds. The pedal should not sink down or feel spongy. If it does, a leak is indicted in the braking system.

Well so everything seems to be fine, buy the vehicle. :) Would like to thank my friend whose a professional & has worked for Autocar India for helping me compile these tips. 

If you are satisfied with these, good. If not then stay tuned for my next post coming shortly on the Advanced Tips. 

Disclaimer:  These are just my thoughts and that I will not be responsible for any incorrect decision taken by you or any irreparable loss caused by following these tips. I still suggest you take a second opinion from a professional mechanic.

Ten Things You Should Never Say To Your Woman

I came across a interesting hash tag #TenThingsYouShouldNeverSayToYourWoman on twitter.

Here are the #TenThingsYouShouldNeverSayToYourWoman suggested by @Viisshhh who apparently is also the creator of some scandalizing hash tags. After this he is gonna spam me with DM's abusing me to his hearts content. Hope you don't block me. ;)

Okay so getting back to the apt  #TenThingsYouShouldNeverSayToYourWoman:

1. You’re over-reacting!
   
   
2. You’re not being logical!
   
   
3. Who put that idea in your head, your mother? [Love this one :)]
   
   
4. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.
   
   
5. “The other guys’ wives/girlfriends are cool with it.
   
   
6. After everything that I’ve done for you?
   
   
7. You didn’t used to be this way.
   
   
8. You’ll feel differently tomorrow.
   
   
9. You always < random shit > OR You never < random shit >
   
   
10. You’re missing the point.

Feel free to tweet him with your feedback if this has worked for you or helped say your ass. ;) If you have any keep them flowing in the comments. Enjoy.

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