Greek Complexity

Investment in Vriti

I'm happy to announce the recent closing of a Series B funding round in Vriti Infocom Private Limited.

The Indian education space is red-hot with several companies receiving funding or being acquired in the past year or so. See this for some stats. (We ourselves recently achieved an IPO of Ambow Education, one of our Chinese investees.)

Most of the companies I've heard of in India either provide training services or sell boxes/software. I'd like to think that Vriti is one of the few that provides a third leg to this story. It's a young company with a dynamic team that has already achieved some impressive milestones. I'll try to share more info as we continue to develop.

Do we have enough apps yet?

Escape on two wheels

My friend Joycelyn asked me recently what I think about when I'm cycling. My reply was prosaic and not worth repeating. But a recent article in the FT's Weekend edition expressed it perfectly. Quote:

The tarmac has turned sticky in the heat. Sweat stings my eyes and yet I’m shivering. My stomach lurches, my head spins, my teeth chatter. Following a train of thought becomes impossible, as if each idea were too tired to pass the baton to the next. So my mind empties, until I’m aware of nothing but the need to maintain the slow rhythm of the pedals, to keep grinding uphill until I reach the next hairpin.

[...]

At each hairpin, there is momentary relief as the road levels off slightly, before the next upward ramp reveals itself. It would be easy to panic, especially as we are soon overtaken by a woman jogging, but we stay calm and simply submit to the next 90 minutes of pain. Cyclists love to talk in philosophical terms about such moments – of the opportunity to “find yourself” on the road. Perhaps this is true, but as I near the summit I understand that for me, this is simply the perfect escape: you are so utterly absorbed in the challenge that all daily worries simply vanish. And the beer at the top is pretty good, too.

The road to hell (and the Tour de France)

An old interview with David Marshall

I just discovered this but his thoughts remain relevant today. Which speaks of our progress or lack thereof.

THINK HAPPINESS: Meeting David Marshall In 1994

Some quotes:

If every year we have more death sentences, how can you say death sentence is a deterrent? If it were, there should be less death sentences.

You talk of Asian values. I only know two Asian values and, I wish someone would really pinpoint them instead of pontificating ponderously in humbug and hypocrisy.

I’d like them to also understand that justice is a meld of law and humanity. Law and humanity; decency in concepts; if we administer law by the soulless logic of the computer, we aren’t on our road to progress.

For me, the punishment must not fit the crime, the punishment must fit the criminal and the punishment must fit the needs of society.

Our society has no soul, no passion, no real intellect. No civility. Too true. But, hang on, we can mandate these into being! Anyone for a Get Soul Movement?