Author: dineth

  • Attributing value to teams in large organizations

    Attributing value to teams in large organizations

    In a large tech company, there are layers and layers of teams that contribute to the success of a product or service offered. Many of these layers tend to only have indirect impact on customers. Teams that have a direct relationship with customers tend to have a lot of power. They bear the burden of…

  • A litmus test for strategy

    A litmus test for strategy

    Recently, I was questioning why I felt uneasy about some strategy talks I’ve been having with my peers. While something felt off, I was unable to articulate the why. Things didn’t come together till my friend, Scott Horn, threw in this great heuristic. It is a wonderful litmus test if you are thinking strategically about…

  • Product development is like…

    Product development is like…

    …driving a car. Sometimes, the path is clear. You can see far ahead. You can go fast.Other times, the road is windy. You have to take it slow.Some roads lead nowhere. Some are shortcuts. What’s important is to keep the destination in mind.And enjoy the ride.

  • Looking for inspiration for illustrating a short story

    First things first… I can’t attempt to make a graphic novel, no matter how short, without understanding what great looks like. Enrolled in the city library to explore its graphic novel selection. Some ideas I captured from Hilda… Use of colours to convey level on intensity/anger Conveying vastness Action sequences from multiple perspectives DC Comics…

  • Learning to draw through rapid visualisation

    Learning to draw through rapid visualisation

    ​I’ve started to do some research on techniques to do sketches and drawings on my iPad. Running through lots of YouTubes like this one: One of the interesting things about Procreate is its ability to draw in layers. All artists use techniques like this whether through tracing or letting oil paint dry layer at a…

  • Time for a non-programming hobby

    By the time 2018 ended, I was feeling really tired and demotivated. I spent a lot of my time slaving away at a computer from start to end on most days. I do believe that I achieved a lot during this period. However, this seemed to have come at the expense of personal relationships and…

  • Do “basics” well

    Do “basics” well

    High performing teams are about interperson chemistry that is built on a foundation of the “basics”. Take sports for example. Learning to play a sport require you to learn the rules and develop basic skills to play. For soccer, it would be passing, tackling, lobbing and shooting. When you join a team, there’s drills, runs…

  • Japan is amazing

    Japan is amazing

    It has been a long 1 ½ years as you can tell from the lack of my writing here. I poured all my effort into some very exciting work at Expedia. I needed a break. So my wife and I took 3 weeks off to visit Japan for the first time. It turned out to…

  • This year, everything should go “Touch-first”

    This year, everything should go “Touch-first”

    Happy 2017! I’ve been considering buying an iPad Pro. I’ve always felt that the iPad is an “in-between” device that can’t fit my life well. But there is proof that the desktop is getting… deprecated. Here’s a good article from The Verge that talks about it. Is it time to transition over? By the end…