Venture Funding is Painful, but Necessary

6 May ’15Adib Leave a comment

You hear it everyday, startups receiving funding from Investor XYZ or Venture Capital Firm ABC. It’s like money is being showered upon new businesses, and builds a great deal of excitement and energy which is what makes Silicon Valley the center of innovation, technology and growth.

While receiving venture funding is great, it’s also painful. For the money you gain, you give away a percentage of your company – whether it is in the form of decision making, the total profit you’re generating, or other means of acquisition of income. In addition, executives find it difficult to respond or answer to board members needs and demands, sometimes the demand are against the vision or goal of the executives or founders, which creates internal conflict and leads to stressful work days as the dream you were hoping to build turned into a task – the task of building someone else’s dream.

The alternative to venture fundings are numerous – including receiving paying customers and gradually expanding. That’s what my last startup did.

The chief executive despised the concept of venture funding, and focused on plans that targeted large businesses as customers and receiving large paychecks. The reasoning is that the large paychecks will pay off the lengthy sales cycle, and can provide sufficient funds to sustain operations in the business. Logically, this is a good idea! As a business, you are not in debt, nor do you have to respond to anyone else. In addition, the chief executive knew that our startup had a great partnership with a large network technology firm, and eventually the startup will be acquired for a great fee.

However, as we were waiting, the burn rate started to increase, and we were nosediving towards red. With the field of social media changing and shifting, product development cycles did not evolve fast enough to meet the demands of the customers. In addition, the competitive field became more intense as few competitors received venture funding, and maximized their focus in capturing markets.

That’s the key to venture funding, capturing the largest possible market and establishing your base.

The goal of venture funding enables businesses to scale much more faster than it were possible through customer funding.

In the future, I hope businesses will consider the value of venture funding, and while it is painful to let go of your dreams, it can provide the leverage to create a more solid foundation, and a better path to growth.

The 5 Stages of Job Search

10 Apr ’15Adib Leave a comment

That time in your life where you look for a job…

Searching for a job is a frustrating and tiresome experience.

It all starts with you building your resume (or trying to find where you placed your old resume), writing an eloquent cover letter, and then spending hours on LinkedIn, Monster, Craigslist, and other job directories.

For some of you, you’re lucky enough to do this with a group of friends or colleagues and empower each other, work together, and review each other’s resumes and cover letters to increase the chances of getting an interview and landing a job!

In the course of my job searching experience and helping colleagues and friends, I’ve noticed that there are 5 stages of human experience that people face during this crazy expedition. Let’s dive in!

Stage 1 – Enormous Confidence

You recently graduated from college/university, or you recently quit from a job you didn’t like, or you got laid off, or you’re simply looking for what’s out there.

Whatever’s the case, you know you’re the hot stuff!

Most likely you brushed up your resume, put some glitter on it, and launched it out to every big name firm you’ve ever dreamed of!

You apply to places like Google, Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, Intel, IBM, Tesla Motors, etc.

You know you’ll get it! Right?

I mean, look at that spanking clean resume combined with the MBA-class cover letter! Who can even reject that?

This is exactly what those recruiters over there are looking for!

Sometimes, you may have so much confidence that you even say that you’re looking at other places.

What a recruiter experiences when opening a resume that was built during the “Confidence” stage

That’s until you receive your first set of rejection letters, or two weeks of silence (because, you know, recruiters have no mechanism to inform you that your application was rejected – welcome to the 21st century!).

Recruiters and HR, please please please please use this feature in your email

Stage 2 – The Tactician/Strategist

INCONCIEVABLE!

Rejected? How can this be possible?! Inconceivable!

It’s the third week of job search, and you’re starting to feel slightly defeated, but your pride will never admit defeat!

You notice that you had few spelling errors in your cover letter, including some ridiculous grammatical errors in your resume.

Maybe you had no errors in either your resume or your cover letter – but to apply to all those companies without considering their background, needs and career path isn’t really a great idea.

You start developing strategies.

You write your resume in a way to reflect the needs of the job listed. You start listing your accomplishments and successes.

You even list your personal interests! Hoping it will attract the attention of the recruiter who also enjoys playing the Battlestar Galactica board game.

The game is actually decent…yet I prefer Dominion and Catan

Your cover letter expands further on why you’re interested in the company, and you further expand on some of your successes.

You have search queries pinned down; targeting jobs with specific titles, keywords, the date the job was posted, and even becoming more lenient with salary levels (maybe $150K right off the bat was too high?).

At this point, LinkedIn and Monster became your top visited pages on your Google Chrome homepage!

Jobvite and LinkedIn as my top pages? Shit just got real!

Yet, despite your strategic approach to job search, things don’t go as well as you’ve wished for.

You actually receive emails expressing that you are a great person, but not a great fit.

YOU ACTUALLY RECEIVE A RESPONSE!

But few weeks pass, and you realize you cannot wait any longer…

You really need a job!

Stage 3 – Whatever Works! (Desperation)

At this stage, those who were simply looking around for what’s out there are counting their blessings – they are happy to have a job.

For those who do not have that opportunity, it’s getting bad!

You’ve spent your 4-5 years in college learning something that you thought was valuable.

Maybe you should’ve paid more attention to that Data Structure or Financial Engineering class.

You wished you had a time machine to go back in time and convince yourself not to pursue that art degree.

At this stage, you wish Dr. Who was real and he would show up and take you back in time!

It’s time to humble yourself. Maybe it’s better to start from zero. How about an internship? Or even a co-op?

Your aim is to get your foot at the door, right? Do whatever it takes!

You look through entry-level jobs, even though you have years of experience in your hand.

You attend job fairs, and you’ll notice you’re not the only one at this stage of job search. This is a serious pestilence plaguing the job searchers!

At this stage, you actually care about how many job openings President Barak Obama opened…and for once, you feel the pinch of the unemployment index (you didn’t even know what this meant until a few days ago!).

“Thanks Obama!”

You apply and wait, similar to Stage 1, but you don’t receive a response or feedback. Because it seems from the perspective of recruiters that entry level jobs hardly need any feedback…

It’s now plaguing your soul.

Your pride is crushed, your ego is demolished, and after weeks of trying, you start feeling hopeless.

Stage 4 – Hopelessness

Few months have passed, and you realize it’s hopeless.

You feel that no one is accepting you.

You’re chained to this sense of guilt, disappointment and shame.

“What in the world happened? Am I useless? What’s my purpose?” Those are some of the questions you ask yourself.

At this stage, some give up and simply start watching a lot of TV, maybe Netflix it up, club a lot, or even hide in your home. Some drink, some resort to drugs, some smoke – either way, they seek these things to distance themselves from difficulties.

Among the privileged few, some rely on the support of their spouse, parents, or their savings. Some move into their parents’ home or their friend’s home.

Some, unfortunately, lose their homes, their family, or their life!

It’s a really dark period, and it sucks!

But gradually, you pick up the pieces.

You break free from these self-made chains of despair, self-hate, and sadness!

You start taking few college classes to gain some more experience: Maybe a class in iOS development, fundamentals of design, or even writing!

You might even change your career path completely!

You dedicate a year to exploring your talents!

In the end, you look at the process rather than outcome.

This is where you enter the last stage…

Stage 5 – Detachment and Growth

You’re at the Zen stage.

The results don’t matter, but rather, you focus on the effort and the work you’ve put in.

At this stage, you develop new talents.

You started playing the guitar again, or you joined multiple MeetUp groups and gained further domain knowledge in something you were interested or something completely new, you may have improved your skills, or even explored new exciting talents like 3D modeling.

You initiate your tiny little business – providing professional services to friends, family, or even old co-workers.

You brush up on your resume, you write a very beautiful cover letter, but wherever you apply, you don’t feel attached to it.

BUT GOD DAMN IT HR FOLKS! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PRESS THE REPLY BUTTON AND SAY NO!

You feel detached, you feel light and happy!

You learn that life is a constant process of growth!

Eventually, you will get few interviews. You’ll be cool, comfortable, and content.

Then one day, a wonderful news arrives.

They are asking if you can start on Monday!

To celebrate this joyous moment, you invite your family and friends, and have great time together.

Deep inside, you feel happy, rejuvenated, and joyous!

Deep inside, you knew you were the BOSS all along!

Did “Square Order” use my Launch Hackathon idea?

3 Dec ’14Adib 2 Comments

Today, one of my friends shared with me a link. He mentioned that this product, Square’s Order, is very similar to the idea I once shared with him during February 2014. The idea was about a coffee ordering app that utilizes a very simple interface and design to eliminate the hassle of ordering coffee. In addition, it was designed to be very generic so the user could order (nearly) the same coffee regardless of the coffee shop.

This idea was brought to life on Feb 23, 2014 at the Launch Hackathon held in San Francisco. My colleague Asitha de Silva and I spent time building this phone app and placed all our effort to create a simple, yet effective, way of ordering coffee. We also enabled the application to order a coffee on your behalf through the phone using Twilio. You can see the basic idea of our app in the following link:

http://hackathon.launch.co/project/ed12e835e5

Here are screenshots of the application Asitha and I developed:

GetCoffee Interface-1

GetCoffee Interface-2

GetCoffee Interface-3

When the judging time came – our idea was evaluated by Dani Behrendt (Honda Innovation & Strategic Alliances) and Jessica Lessin (Editor-in-Chief of The Information) – we received a mediocre result (6/10). Our judges stated that while our app has a great UI, it wouldn’t be able to penetrate the market.

“Think about reaching out to an independent shop for an early trial just with them. Very cool.”

“Very well designed app and I like how it is platform independent. I worry it is low barrier to entry.”

For Asitha and I, hackathons are a learning experience, and our days moved on.

But things have changed.

After seeing Square’s Order (which was launched in May 2014), I felt a bit uneasy. Are hackathons used as a medium to simply exploit from the ideas and endeavors of its participants? The application looked similar to our platform, including the distribution of the coffee content, the simple design. While it is not a direct reflection (given we only had time to code our app in 24 hours), if we were given the resources and time, we would’ve built something like this:

Square Order Interface

What do you think?

Do you think Square’s App and our app is similar? Do you think hackathons are providing the environment for individuals to create freely?

They say Alchemists Do Not Exist

4 Apr ’14Adib 1 Comment

They say alchemists do not exist.

Scientifically, no one was ever able to transform base metals into noble metals, such as silver and gold. But, there was an alchemist in our midst.

WIth the ingredients of happiness, humor and wisdom, he sparks life. Leading with example, the alchemist inspired many apprentices, even mentors, whom have led and inspired others. I am grateful that he has invited me to accompany him on many trips and occasions to programs and events where he shared his insights on life, love and spirituality. Half-jokingly I would call him ‘Guru’ because of that.

Lasheen was an alchemist. He may have not transformed physical items into silver or gold, but he transformed our hearts and helped us to become joyful and happy beings.

I miss Lasheen Mannayath: I miss him for all that he has done for me and the community, and I hope to become the alchemist he once was, and will forever be.

Friends from the Heart, Forever

8 Jan ’14Adib Leave a comment

Distance is annihilated and prevents not the close and intimate association of two souls that are closely attached in heart even though they may be in two different countries.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 101)

Since mid-November, I was in the United Arab Emirates working on my residency documents. Due to needed government work, I have to stay in the UAE until some of the necessary papers are completed. While being in UAE and working at weird hours to fit the USA schedule, I was hoping to spend some time reflecting on few things and examine my capacities, life and spirit. It was an ideal situation as I was away from all the clutter, noise and distraction of the Silicon Valley market – fighting for innovation, competitive atmosphere, and a limited scope of activity based on mainstream interests. In the mist of all the musing, I thought of a wonderful idea: why not visit my friends in Europe while I’m on this side of the Atlantic Ocean? That idea has lit a powerful engine in my mind, and my blood was rushing so quickly in my body. I didn’t hesitate to reach out to my dear friends immediately and share the news!

I had very little expectation, and packed very light to make my journey as easy as possible. The goal, as stated before, was simply to see my friends. My planned route of travel were London, to Paris, to Munich and finally Kehl; a city that borders France and hugs Straßburg with the famous La Passerelle Mirmam.

On December 23rd, I sat on the plane leaving from Dubai to London. It was a surreal journey, and I was slightly nervous: It has been a while since I’ve last seen my friends, and most of my interactions with them have been through the Internet. I was not sure for a second whether this was a good idea. I landed in Heathrow, went through the passport check, and my first encounter of seeing my friend has completely changed my mind.

It was only during the summer that I have studied about the definition of true friendship. True friendship encompasses the qualities that help one grow and prosper, both spiritually and physically, through mutual support, encouragement and channeling hope, energy and inspiration to one another. Those qualities were found in the heart of those friends who have hosted my during my short trip to Europe. Those are the friends that made Europe feel like home. And every departure from their region or home felt like being homesick. Homesick not because I miss UAE, or USA, but homesick because I will truly miss those beautiful friends.

Despite the pouring rain of London, the lousy restaurant service and train service in France, and the ridiculous Winterpause of German stores – none of them have changed my mind of the countries and cities I’ve visited. For me, the cities and towns that I’ve visited carry the memory of the compassion, love, kindness, and generosity of my hosts and friends.

To the wonderful hosts, friends and family that have made my Winter journey and reflection beautiful and illuminating:

Thank you so much, and I love you all dearly.

The Forum – Nature and Universal Law

5 Mar ’13Adib Leave a comment

Introduction

Every other week, I hold a gathering in my house called “The Forum.” The purpose of my gathering is to engage in dialog and consultation on developing the framework of action with the goal of promoting the betterment of mankind.

The gathering revolves around the Abdu’l-Baha’s “Some Answered Questions” because I felt the topics were rich with meaning, approached the matter with logic, and conveyed the message in the spirit of learning.

Even though this may seem like a deepening session, the gathering is open to all to gain a better understanding on the Teachings of the Baha’i Faith, and underlining the universal purpose that humanity has in this world.

Nature and Universal Law

To understand the basic principles of existence, Abdu’l-Baha explains what natures consists of, and how nature is governed by conditions that allows it to grow, expand and live. In Some Answered Questions, Abdu’l-Baha states:

“Nature is that condition, that reality, which in appearance consists in life and death, or, in other words, in the composition and decomposition of all things. This Nature is subjected to an absolute organization, to determined laws, to a complete order and a finished design, from which it will never depart—to such a degree, indeed, that if you look carefully and with keen sight, from the smallest invisible atom up to such large bodies of the world of existence as the globe of the sun or the other great stars and luminous spheres, whether you regard their arrangement, their composition, their form or their movement, you will find that all are in the highest degree of organization and are under one law from which they will never depart.”

Abdu’l-Baha’s definition of nature, and the things the nature is influenced by, resonates very well with a concept in the field of Physics regarding string theory; a sub-quark element that is responsible for all the forces that a mass is influenced by (weak, strong, and electromagnetic). Edward Whitten, a renowned Theoretical Physicist at Princeton University, can the following statement about superstring theory, which is a derivative of string theory:

“Superstring theories provide a framework in which the force of gravity may be united with the other three forces in nature: the weak, electromagnetic and strong forces. Recent progress has shown that the most promising superstring theories follow from a single theory. For the last generation, physicists have studied five string theories and one close cousin. Recently it has become clear that these five or six theories are different limiting cases of one theory which, though still scarcely understood, is the candidate for superunification of the forces of nature.”

Humanity is a part of Nature; however, what distinguishes humans from other bodies, organisms and elements on the earth is the fact that humans are intelligent beings that are able to promote the progress of their community and society; break the barriers of knowledge through innovation, experience and discovery. Abdu’l-Baha explains further:

“But when you look at Nature itself, you see that it has no intelligence, no will. For instance, the nature of fire is to burn; it burns without will or intelligence. The nature of water is fluidity; it flows without will or intelligence. The nature of the sun is radiance; it shines without will or intelligence. The nature of vapor is to ascend; it ascends without will or intelligence. Thus it is clear that the natural movements of all things are compelled; there are no voluntary movements except those of animals and, above all, those of man. Man is able to resist and to oppose Nature because he discovers the constitution of things, and through this he commands the forces of Nature; all the inventions he has made are due to his discovery of the constitution of things. For example, he invented the telegraph, which is the means of communication between the East and the West. It is evident, then, that man rules over Nature.”

Abdu’l-Baha’s proof of intelligence is also agreed upon not only by scientists, but also laureates, other religious bodies, and scientists. Reflecting on two short quotes that relay such understanding:

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”

– F. Scott Fitzgerald (author of The Great Gatsby)

“The senses, they say, are great. Greater than the senses is the mind, greater than the mind is intelligence but greater than the intelligence is He.”

– Bhagavad Gita (Sacred Hindu Scripture)

It is clear and evident that humanity has reigned over Nature since the start of time. However, the greater question that arises is what intelligence developed Nature? For anything that has been created, whether an atom or a mountain, an intelligent source is needed. In the realm of science, we utilize the basis that it is through chance and chaos that such a wonder was achieved. Yet, even numbers show elegance and uniformity that it cannot merely be chance, but a very well calibrated design, a design that enables us, and Nature, to live and foster. Abdu’l-Baha sheds light on this matter:

“Now, when you behold in existence such organizations, arrangements and laws, can you say that all these are the effect of Nature, though Nature has neither intelligence nor perception? If not, it becomes evident that this Nature, which has neither perception nor intelligence, is in the grasp of Almighty God, Who is the Ruler of the world of Nature; whatever He wishes, He causes Nature to manifest.
One of the things which has appeared in the world of existence, and which is one of the requirements of Nature, is human life. Considered from this point of view man is the branch; nature is the root. Then can the will and the intelligence, and the perfections which exist in the branch, be absent in the root? It is said that Nature in its own essence is in the grasp of the power of God, Who is the Eternal Almighty One: He holds Nature within accurate regulations and laws, and rules over it.”

In addition to the clear and logical message presented here by Abdu’l-Baha, I decided to venture online and find out if any other figures and entities from the past have shed light on this idea. And it was amazing for me to see the universal agreement, spoken in different tones and languages, to describe what Abdu’l-Baha mentioned about what governs Nature, and of the essence of God.

To clarify, God is not merely a man in the sky, nor an entity to which we can comprehend and grasp. It is best to consider it as an Intelligent being that is beyond our realm of comprehension, yet present. A better example of this is the value and concept of infinity, which is beyond the realm of comprehension in our mind. However, it provides the answer to missing links and questions in Mathematics, especially in mathematical series.

Among some of the individuals who have discussed this matter include Max Planck, where he shares a fundamental message in the realm of Quantum Mechanics:

“As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.”

Derived from the lecture, ‘Das Wesen der Materie’ [The Essence/Nature/Character of Matter], Florence, Italy (1944). Archiv zur Geschichte der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Abt. Va, Rep. 11 Planck, Nr. 1797.

Previous religious Holy Writings, from Quran and Bhagavad Gita, gave their interpretation of Intelligence and essence of God:

It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that ye may give thanks.

– The Quran, Surat Al Nahl (The Bee), verse 78

When a man puts away all the desires of his mind, O Partha (Arjuna), and when his spirit is content in itself, then he is called stable in intelligence.

– Bhagavad Gita (Sacred Hindu Scripture)

And finally, Isaac Newton, in the Untitled Treatise on Revelation, under “Rules for interpreting the words and language in Scripture”, which was one of Newton’s writings and research dedicated to understanding and how to correctly interpret the Writings of Bible, states in Rule 9:

“It is the perfection of God’s works that they are all done with the greatest simplicity. He is the God of order and not of confusion. And therefore as they would understand the frame of the world must endeavor to reduce their knowledge to all possible simplicity, so must it be in seeking to understand these visions.”

The Elegant System: Neither Capitalism or Communism

31 Jan ’13Adib Leave a comment

Whether communism, or capitalism, both systems are flawed and unsuitable for this time and age. It is time for a new Keynes, Marshall and Adam Smith influential economist to develop a new, global model.

Observations

There are three solid observations:

No human is perfect, thus immoral and irrational matters occur.
Neither system will work at all given the foundation of both systems, which assumes humans are rational and morally sound.
Both systems assume the outside world is in a constant state that we can assume to be ideal, and that the foreign relations are stable. Reality is that the world is more random. Like a nth sided dice, where “n” is the different factors that affect the world beyond borders: Nature, education, wealth, resources, politics…etc

Despite the popular idea in the West to decentralize all institutions, Government has an important role to play in the development of economic standards of a nation. Government is needed for any case, regardless of any system. But I’ll leave that to some PoliSci genius to identify a new form of administration that breaks away from the Greek Senate system that is old and outdated, or the British Parliamentary system, which is like a massive party rather than a governing body.

Given such observations, it is evident proves that neither system is valid for this time and age given the infrastructure and foundation present. A better model requires to be devised the focuses on empowering and encouraging people to act morally and rationally; leading to the development of economic standard and transforming society to practice trade and economics effectively and efficiently. So far, we have a system that gives people negative points (black points in driver’s license, three-strike law, criminal records…etc). Therefore, the question holds, why not create a reward system?

My opinion is to develop a new economic model that encompasses a global perspective on things, while standing on the foundation of resolving economic problems through moral initiatives and endeavors.

International Trade in Classical Models vs. Reality

Capitalism and Communist Economics express matters in a microeconomic scale limited to a single nation. And when International Trade is integrated to this matter, it focuses strictly on scenarios and events that occur at the port of the local nation of which the microeconomic principles are in play. Based on such assumption, the model limits the transaction to a system that extends as far as the borders of the nation, and anything beyond that border is considered “ideal” or “in constant state”.

Therefore, in an ideal scenario, Capitalist nations should work strictly in promoting their own interest and the Communist nation follow the same suit, too. These measures/ideologies are introduced in the form of tariffs, quotas, trade barriers, or even embargos (extreme case).

In the realm of Economics, Noble Prize winners Heckscher and Ohlin introduced Heckscher-Ohlin Theory, which explains how two countries can get greater gains from trading with each other if they have different resources. This model is independent of Communism/Capitalistic model. Even though this model only focuses on resources, it is a good step forward to proving the foundation of how unity in trade is the key to progress. In 2000’s, Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz paved way to the power and benefit of globalization, and breaking the barriers of Capitalism and Communism by supporting more freedom in trade, more transparency, and great equivalency (this is like a mix of capitalism and communism if you think about it).

Anyhow, utilizing the latest information we gained from the new wave of Economics, and merging the growing field of Behavioral Economics, I think we are capable of providing a solution.

Role of Government

In Economics, the government’s duty is to ensure fair play of businesses in the field. Their task is to provide protection, guidance, and assistance when in need. Small businesses strive through Small Business Incentives provided by the government to grow and develop, while corporations have their rights protected by the legal clause given by government (such as patents). And in return, of course, government needs income through taxes and what not to maintain such complex legal and judicial system. But you already know this 😉

As for government controlling business, I can think of three ways:

1) Protection Against Monopoly: The traditional biological rule is survival of the fittest, and so the weakest company will die off in the cut throat market. I don’t support this model of thinking, but this is the current environment. Let’s assume the battle goes on until one company survives. Based on microeconomic principle, a monopolist can abuse its position to get the most profit from individuals. Not to mention, making it extremely difficult for new businesses to arise. And so far, this isn’t limited to Monopoly, but we can also say Oligopolies and Duopolies are as bad, too. Government limits such practice to protect people from such abuse.

2) Free rider problem: In the context of businesses, suppose there is a street, on which 25 people live, and which suffers from a litter problem. A weekly street-cleaning service would cost $2,500 annually. Suppose that each person is able and willing to pay $100 or more for the service. However, it is possible that some people on the street will refuse to pay, anticipating that the service will be undertaken regardless. It is possible that if enough people refuse to pay, the service will not be hired; an example of market failure. This is where the government has to step in and mitigate this problem, since again, people are extremely irrational.

3) Promoting National Interest: Sometimes, government control a business to push their own agenda, and this is visible in the field of agriculture and technology. For example, military/defense industry receives far greater funding than any other industry due to US government’s interest. As in terms of trade, the United States places trade restrictions on foreign fruits and goods not only because of environmental problem, but also to eliminate the competition of food within the United States and promote farming in the USA (otherwise, who the hell would farm. It’s very expensive to farm, which explains the need for subsidy). However, if utilized properly, this method can assist the government to focus on matters that are in great need of attention, such as encouraging medical research, developing new industries, transforming older methodologies and leading a progressive civilization.

Whatever it may be, In the end, I just wish to see myself going forward with innovative ideas and not feel afraid to let go of old models if it is deemed broken. And I feel that we are there, and we can all accomplish great things.

Looking forward to your insight and comments, and feel free to share your thoughts, too.

Dispelling the Myth: Firearm is more dangerous than Drunk Driving

19 Dec ’12Adib Leave a comment

After seeing all this debate about gun control and comparing it to drunk driving, I decided to find the facts out for myself. If there is a strong principle that I advocate whole-heartedly, it is this:

Independent investigation of Truth

And so, I set out to investigate the numbers on my own using the sources available to me by the Department of Justice and Center for Disease Control.

Result

More people die or get injured by Firearms annually than drunk driving. According the the Bureau of Justice statistics for period of 2005-2010, the average annual death/injury/terrorization by firearm is 155,250 victims (Source: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/vvcs9310.pdf – Page 7, Table 9)

According to Center for Disease Control, the 2010 statistics alone for drunk driving lead to death of 10,228 in 2010 alone (source: http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/Impaired_Driving/data.html)

For both cases, further control and regulation reduced deaths in each scenario.

Myth: Busted

Extra: Mental Health and Gun Violence

Data about Mental Health vs. Non-Mental Health that committed crime:

According to the Bureau of Justice, nearly 1 in 5 violent crimes are done by someone considered mentally unstable (whether psychological, drug based, or alcohol). Based on 2006 research, they found:

“Female inmates had higher rates of mental health problems than male inmates—in state prisons, 73 percent of females and 55 percent of males; in federal prisons, 61 percent of females and 44 percent of males; and in local jails, 75 percent of females and 63 percent of males.”

The cause behind such mental problems are:

“When compared with other inmates and probationers, the mentally ill inmates and probationers reported higher rates of prior physical and sexual abuse and higher rates of alcohol and drug abuse by a parent or guardian while they were growing up. Among mentally ill state prisoners, nearly a third of men and three-quarters of the women said they had been physically or sexually abused in the past. More than 40 percent of the mentally ill inmates said their parents had abused alcohol or drugs. More than half said a parent, brother or sister had also been in prison or jail.”

And finally, to dispel the firearm matter when it comes to mental health:

“Use of a weapon did not vary by mental health status

Convicted violent offenders who had a mental health problem were as likely as those without to have used a weapon during the offense (table 9). An estimated 37% of both State prisoners who had a mental problem and those without said they had used a weapon during the offense. By specific type of weapon, among convicted violent offenders in State prisons who had a mental health problem, slightly less than a quarter (24%) had used a firearm, while a tenth (10%) had used a knife or sharp object.”

Source: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/mhppji.pdf

Gun Control Economics

14 Dec ’12Adib Leave a comment

Today, twenty children and six adults were killed in a shooting in Newton, Connecticut [BBC Link]. Among the killed was the killer, who took away his life after committing his massacre. In 2012 alone, there has been four mass shootings. Among them include the shooting in a mall in Oregon, in a movie theater in Colorado and a Sikh temple in Colorado. Despite the numbers of death caused by guns, there are few who are adamant to bring the gun control issue up.

Before I resume, I would like to state that I am completely against guns, as I find its purpose is to kill. A purpose that lacks any moral and logical foundation, and is poison to our community and society. A human invention that has led to the death of people all across the world.

Gun Control – The Challenge

As mentioned before, there are individuals in our society who are adamant and unwilling to let go of certain opinions that promote and endorse the distribution of weapons to society under the banner of defense and freedom. Whenever the issue of Gun Control arises, those who advocate for it face many challenges. Among such challenges include: Lobby groups such as the NRA, the 18th Century Amendment in the United States Constitution, and lack of education and awareness by the public. Based on those factors, utilization of a legal policy to minimize gun usage, or implement gun control, through law alone is insufficient. Therefore, a different method should be utilized to address this matter.

Economics of Gun Control

Given the delicate situation, the medium I suggest to mitigate gun related crimes is through economic penalization and economic reward. How would it work? Let’s start with the fist of law:

Economic Penalty

At every crime scene, it is easy to determine the weapon and bullet used that inflicted injury or death of a person. With every casualty, whether death or injury, the institutions supplying such weapons and bullets will be penalized significantly. A good example can be as follows:

27 people died in this incident, with over 100 bullets were shot during the killing spree. For each casualty, it’s a $500,000 per body and for each bullet it is $1000/each bullet fired. The total would be $13.5 Million for deaths alone, and over $100,000 for just bullets alone.

The disadvantage of such process that I’m sure will arise in Congress is the value of life. Can life be really worth $500,000? How do we determine the potential capacity lost? It is a very sensitive subject, but it requires to be addressed.

The proceeds of such financial penalty will be devoted for the families who have lost their loved ones, the medical attention they need, and for the emergency team that have devoted their time and efforts to bring calm and peace to their community.

The increase in the cost will provide a pinch to the gun suppliers and producers. Promoting for the push for stricter rules to be implemented to minimize losses and finding an optimum point where cost and benefit balances (unfortunately, I don’t think gun organization view humans as beings but rather as an economic resource to which they wish to sell guns to).

Economic Benefit

The benefits that will be provided for a company whose weapons are not found in crime scenes, or have minimized the number of their weapons in the market, is getting better access to gun bids for government defense contracts, gaining a better stature in the public light. That’s about it. No monetary benefit or discount. The goal is to enstill a better sense of community and human nature in those institutions to view each casualty as a loss for the community, and the world.

This may be need to be revised, but it is a proposal I would like the world to know of, and I hope it is for the best.

In the meantime, I would like to share this prayer for the children who have passed away today in the world:

“That beloved child addresseth thee from the hidden world: ‘O thou kind Mother, thank divine Providence that I have been freed from a small and gloomy cage and, like the birds of the meadows, have soared to the divine world—a world which is spacious, illumined, and ever gay and jubilant. Therefore, lament not, O Mother, and be not grieved; I am not of the lost, nor have I been obliterated and destroyed. I have shaken off the mortal form and have raised my banner in this spiritual world. Following this separation is everlasting companionship. Thou shalt find me in the heaven of the Lord, immersed in an ocean of light.’”

-‘Abdu’l-Baha

Halloween Experiment – Risk Tolerance of Children

1 Nov ’12Adib Leave a comment

This Halloween I decided to be creative. It is a Wednesday, the Giants are celebrating because they won, and I have nothing better and cannot do much because of work. It finally dawned on me that it is Halloween; a day where children with their parents come knocking at your door to get a bite of that sweet tasty chocolate or candy you have in store.

I decided to conduct an experiment!

While I was doing my work, I realized what a wonderful opportunity it is to have those volunteers be part of my little experiment to test their behavior. There are many research in the world regarding behavior of customers and consumers when deciding on what risks to take. However, what about risk tolerance of kids. Are kids more risk tolerant than their adult counterparts? Do they even know what risk means? I can’t express how excited I was!

The following is the PowerPoint presentation of my experiment, and I hope to create a template in the future so we can test this experiment across the globe.

California Prop Analysis

Approving new State Senate districts drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission
If the new districts are rejected, the State Senate district boundary lines will be adjusted by officials supervised by the California Supreme Court
State Senate districts are revised every 10 years following the federal census

Selecting No Means…

None of the items in Yes will happen

The Tape

22 Oct ’12Adib Leave a comment

You miss someone so much as to wish your heart was made of water to forget and shift away;

staying up late to not sleep so you won’t dream of her, either.

You pray it’s just another tape that got accidentally played;

your mind scrambles around to catch the mischievous trigger.

It’ll be just fine, it’ll be alright.

And as time clocks away, things will get better.