Indulging in Perfection

Vasu Reddy from Chicago
26 October 2005

I have been imagining how I can be perfect? Before the readers go on to imagine what is this guy talking about, being perfect, I still haven’t thought of what I am going to be qualified to be perfect in. So, while indulging in imagination of how I can be perfect, some potential possibility of perfection.

While people, actions, companies and things can strive for perfection, we the humans will always be human, and perhaps never perfect. Here is my take on some fine examples of things that can be close to striving to do as well as they can.

My friend last week said that Infosys, Wipro, Satyam and Tata are all brokers and did not add any value to the Indian system. My friend is a computer guy and came to the USA in the new entrants who are the information technology bunch. Me being an old guy contemplated a response, and I did contemplate for several days before I responded to him. I don’t think these companies are perfect nor they are close to being perfect. They certainly have added great wealth to their owners, created better employment for thousands of people, created export markets for abundant human resources of India, make huge profits, by and large remain focused on making money, creating expanded employment, bringing Indian IT to the world. I have no experience of working in these companies, but they seem to be continuously expanding employment, profits and Indian profile. I hope they continue to be global citizens and create vast employment opportunities, and eventually develop indigenous products that will power the world. I recently read that the Indian chip will power the new Boeing Dreamliner and Airbus next generation aircraft. Makes me proud to be an Indian. I admire Bill Gates and Microsoft, but I know people criticize Bill and Windows constantly. But can we imagine anyone else in near term duplicating what Bill’s Microsoft has done to the world? It is admirable, because of its sheer magnitude and the impact it made on the computing world. Indian IT companies and other services companies are at an advantage due to abundant talent, cost of people, government support and envy of the other industries. These Indian IT giants along with other Indian services companies can develop long term plans to enhance the outlook of their employees, create sustainable employment, develop global habits, become responsible global citizens and perhaps try to continue to perfect their internal processes to be good companies that respect customers, employees and shareholders. They may never be perfect but can continuously evolve to become better and better in managing money and people.

I got up from an afternoon nap, and on the television saw Chiranjeevi dancing. My mind immediately told me that I could never dance like him, even for a minute. I thought about individual talents and aspirations to be perfect. It is probably impossible to be perfect with any one aspect of our being. I am sure we all try and imagine becoming perfect. I like Amitabh Bacchan, and I really have to admit that he is the only actor I always liked since I was a kid. I think he tires hard and works very hard even in this sixties, and perhaps more productive with his career today than he was 30 years ago. Do you guys remember Sam Pitroda, the man who spent endless years in the 80s and 90s working to impress the magic of technology on the Indian markets? Sam is still preaching his IT mantra, but many in his mission to force rapid technology changes also shunned him. I personally worked with many Indian technocrats who were involved with the Rao government, and they were excellent listeners who embraced change as a habit. Very little is spoken of the Rao government and its contributions to the Indian economic advancement, especially after Rao was no longer in power. I believe a great number of participants in Rao’s government including the current PM Man Mohan Singh, were forward thinking people who made many changes to Indian economy possible with their forward thinking. For me it is difficult to imagine the progress with Indian markets without the changes accepted by the Rao government, which till today continue to benefit the Indians globally.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have been my guys (gentlemen) who I personally look up, and I read everything I can find about them. Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway are the companies they run, and the results of these companies are great measures of value creations for their shareholders for sustained periods. Perhaps one way of looking at perfection is to improve oneself on a continuous basis. I am hoping the Indian services companies will start to look at management and market models that will emulate the models of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway; they are in my opinion excellent companies to emulate. I am sure our readers will have their own models for emulation and will find their own exemplary role models. I am certain each one of us will have great role models of people and companies we admire.

To dream to be a perfectionist is perfect. Its good to keep evolving into a better being. People and companies, governments and politicians, should strive for betterment, and continue to strive to be perfect. One last thing on being perfect is that it is to remember that we are human and only can strive for perfection, as someone else will think of doing things better, and we will continue to chase the dream of perfection. The chase to be perfect will continue.