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Charles Assisi

Articles by Charles Assisi

Hero material: Role models are being reimagined, says Charles Assisi

The idea of masculinity is getting an update to reflect the aspirations of Gen-Z males. Our roles, our goals are changing, and so are the people we look up to

In the 2021 retelling of West Side Story (left), the protagonist Tony is a sensitive and vulnerable young man as compared to his macho counterpart in the 1961 version.

lifestyle

Updated on Jul 27, 2023 10:39 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Putting the little things in their place: Life Hacks by Charles Assisi

Even when we know we’re doing it, we can’t seem to peel away from the trivial, to focus on what is vital. I’m now trying a new way out, Assisi says.

Reams have been written about the inexplicable hold that triviality seems to exert on humans; charts have been drawn to represent the urgency of the matter. Above, books by Tom DeMarco, Cyril Parkinson, and Rolf Dobelli; and the Time-Life Grid by Tim Urban.

lifestyle

Updated on Jul 28, 2023 01:03 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Finding peace in a whisper campaign: Life Hacks by Charles Assisi

ASMR videos have gone beyond soft sounds to include roleplay, storytelling. I’m intrigued by the comfort and sense of community they foster among young people.

(From left) Anil Cakmak is an ASMR barber. Gibi talks of “nothing important enough to stay awake for”… “I do love looking at the moon”.

lifestyle

Updated on Jul 27, 2023 11:11 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Can we resist the allure of liquid modernity, asks Charles Assisi

Humans have gone from being pilgrims in search of meaning to tourists in search of excitement. It is time to find a way back, a way to add depth to our days.

Today’s young Indians have known no world except one of ceaseless stimulus. Can they reclaim their focus amid it? The answer to that will determine our collective future. (Shutterstock)

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 04, 2023 09:19 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Without building hardware, India’s tech dreams are just that

To future-proof India’s software technology prowess, why isn’t India thinking as a “hardware product nation” as well?

it’s clear that the Make-in-India narrative has much ground to cover, replete with fractured attempts to get it going. (AP)

technology

Published on Apr 28, 2023 04:17 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Be India, by design

Design must be indigenous. It must be developed for local conditions. But it takes time to understand and appreciate good design

But it takes time to understand and appreciate good design, says Prof Nadkarni. “This is like learning music, or any other form of art, riaz in the only way to master the skills. There are no short cuts.” (SHUTTERSTOCK)

opinion

Updated on Apr 22, 2023 03:37 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Should you put your inner child to bed? Life Hacks by Charles Assisi

Unresolved issues can prompt impulsive and destructive behaviours. It takes effort to let go of the fear that the world will not provide what we need.

Steve Carell as Michael Scott, in The Office (US). Left unresolved for too long, inner-child issues can manifest as extreme immaturity, petulance, a desperation to be liked.

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 03, 2023 02:10 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Stumbling blocks and why UPI has slowed down

While the technology is great, cash is back to being king. What does this mean?

Any payment system must be acceptable across all parts of the value chain. (Shutterstock)

technology

Updated on Mar 31, 2023 05:10 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | How Indian telcos are cracking the 5G challenge

It appears that an altogether different business model may emerge out of India even after the recent hiccups faced by the Adani Group once poised to emerge as a significant player in the enterprise telecom space.

Indian telcos may just show the world how to work with tight-fisted customers and still make money. (Reuters)

opinion

Updated on Mar 25, 2023 05:32 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Why must we fight the good fight? Life Hacks by Charles Assisi

Altruism has always been difficult, so why did humans evolve to make room for it? Perhaps because it would have made us a short-lived species

In every version of himself, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) finds ways, and reasons, to be kind and good. This makes him the emotional pivot of Everything Everywhere All At Once.

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 12, 2023 03:40 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Why SVB is an American problem and needs to remain so

The four-decade-old Silicon Valley Bank imploding has two simple lessons: One, ignore social media and two, one's loss is another's gain. Here's why

SVB loaded up on long-term government bonds when interest rates were much lower at close to 2%. Since then, the interest rates have more than doubled to rein in inflation. (AP)

opinion

Updated on Mar 17, 2023 06:15 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Switching from fight mode: Life Hacks by Charles Assisi

Too many of us set out viewing each day as a fresh challenge, when the real battle is within. Can we find the strength to stay vulnerable?

‘I’m starting to see that the “brave captain on a burning deck” ideal is a hopeless one,’ says Assisi. ‘All our ships will eventually sink. Do we really want to “go down fighting”?’ (Shutterstock)

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 04, 2023 05:07 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Cross-border data transfer needs a whitelist and a blacklist

Public policy professionals suggest all countries be whitelisted. And to create a blacklist only for those countries that India needs to be wary about.

How would anyone know that the data shared is not compromised? (Shutterstock)

opinion

Published on Mar 11, 2023 11:04 AM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | On chips, Make in India may not be the way to go

While the current ‘blockading’ is one of China’s problems and explains the worldwide chip shortage, it is a pointer to what can go wrong with the ‘Make in India’ policy that hinges on an ambitious $300 billion electronics manufacturing goal.

Chips power practically everything in modern electronics and both countries would go to war to control them. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Published on Mar 03, 2023 09:15 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

No buddy knows how it turns out: Life Hacks by Charles Assisi

There are no rules or formal structures that govern friendships. It’s time to rethink how we imagine these bonds as enriching our lives.

An ode to broken friendships, the multiple-BAFTA-winning film The Banshees of Inisherin explores the fragilities of bonds that have run their course.

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 12, 2023 04:07 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | UP(I) and away

When Singapore integrated the Unified Payments Interface this week, there was much to celebrate, for this system moved one more step towards becoming a global payment system.

People now don’t bat an eyelid when sending money to each other on their phones — or for that matter scanning QR codes using apps such as GPay, PayTM or PhonePe. (Mint File Photo)

technology

Published on Feb 24, 2023 07:05 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Some hard truths about emotional chatbots

Last week, when ChatGPT was integrated into search engine Bing, it had an ‘emotional meltdown’, raising key questions: Can AI have a mind of its own? And should AI be brought to the decision-making table?

AI advocates such as Pedro Domingos, a researcher in machine learning, for instance, has, for long made the case that as this domain evolves, algorithms will evolve. (AFP)

technology

Published on Feb 18, 2023 10:19 AM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Sulking won’t help. AIm higher, says Charles Assisi

It’s baffling that educational institutes and workplaces are trying to ban AI language programs. They’re here to stay. That’s good news.

A still from I, Robot (2004). AI has long been feared. That can’t remain our default response.

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 10, 2023 05:28 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Future tense for ‘The Office’

Bob Johansen, a professional futurist, says that as a “technology”, current offices are on the verge of obsolesce.

Bob Johansen has been a futurist for 50 years now so the inevitable question comes up: How often has he got things wrong? “Almost 80% of our predictions have come true.” (Photo Credit: www.iftf.org)

opinion

Updated on Feb 10, 2023 09:09 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | How to disconnect from work (but read the caveat)

With work-from-home blurring the boundaries of office hours, countries are stepping in to help workers disconnect from work. But veterans have one piece of advice: Do this only if you can afford it.

With layoffs happening all over, most people feel caught in a bind and hear two conflicting narratives. The first has it that you do whatever it takes to hold on to your job. The second is that overworking is detrimental to people's mental health. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Updated on Feb 06, 2023 10:42 AM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Deep tech: Where India stands, and what’s at stake

The Cold Wars of the future will be fought over science and technology. Take a peek inside India’s race to catch up, and maybe speed ahead.

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 18, 2023 01:58 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

Is efficiency the wrong answer?: Life Hacks by Charles Assisi

There’s a growing movement in support of slack, which frees a person from ‘time to work’ and ‘time to play’. It’s all time in which to engage with the world

‘Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities... That’s why a bear can rest at ease’: Baloo’s song from the 1967 Disney version of The Jungle Book is also about slack.

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 12, 2023 04:37 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Bloodbath in Silicon Valley and its trickle-down effect

It appears that tech has hit the reset button, with layoffs in several large IT companies. What does this mean?

The chairman of an Indian IT major with a significant presence in the US had some pointers on how it may impact India. (Unsplash)

opinion

Updated on Jan 30, 2023 08:22 AM IST

ByCharles Assisi

What do they know about running, who only of running know

Mumbai Marathon might be a celebration of the spirit of the city but for many enthusiasts, who don’t necessarily make it to the podium, it remains a serious event and they don’t get the attention they deserve

Mumbai, India - Jan. 14, 2023: Participant of Tata Mumbai Marathon, participating Full and Half marathon, getting prepared for upcoming marathon, at Marine Drives, in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, January 14, 2023. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

cities

Published on Jan 14, 2023 11:58 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

How much time do you really have? Map it on a grid with Charles Assisi

New year resolutions are a routine reminder of the good news: We know what we must do to make our lives better. The bad news: We’re wasting time.

‘I turned 50 a few weeks ago. Assum-ing I will live to about 75, I’ve lived over two-thirds of my life,’ says Assisi. Above is this ratio represented on the time-life grid created by Tim Urban.

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 10, 2023 06:09 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Seeking help from digital therapeutics

Applications are now being deployed to treat all kinds of addictions, issues such as Attention Deficit Disorders and mental health issues to include support and rehabilitation

When the mental health argument is extrapolated here, it is a matter of time before such entities underwrite the cost of the app for people who agree to use it. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Updated on Jan 07, 2023 06:32 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | 2023 could well be the year of this Musk-eteer

There is a view that while Musk may be a tech visionary, his competence lies in creating “hardware”. But to build and sustain “software” companies is a different game. The consensus view was that he is a bored, rich man. But bored, rich people aren’t stupid to blow up $44 billion to stay in the news

Contrary to what most people expected, Twitter, hasn’t imploded since the time Musk took over. This, despite Musk letting go of 50% of the company’s workforce in an ugly public spat. (AFP)

opinion

Updated on Dec 31, 2022 06:17 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | The cost of an idea is the courage to break away

While the internet made everything democratic, it also has become a place where the marginal cost of placing an idea or opinion in the public domain is zero

While the writing was on the wall, few were willing to bet against convention. (needpix.com)

opinion

Updated on Dec 25, 2022 01:54 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

To move forward, try going off-track: Life Hacks with Charles Assisi

Step counters, sleep aids, oximeters, heart-rate sensors and fitness metrics will only take you so far. The human body isn’t a machine. So aim for pleasure, not a perfect score.

Scores of year-end wraps and annual activity reports do the rounds in these final days of the year. It helps to remember that we are greater than the sum of our stats. (Shutterstock)

lifestyle

Published on Dec 24, 2022 08:47 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

First Principles | Hold on to jobs for life is dearer

The balance of power has shifted from employees to employers and will be more pronounced next year.

Between the stimulus packages and the start-ups offering gigs with perks such as work-from-home, the Great Resignation was perhaps inevitable. (HT File Photo/Representative Image)

opinion

Published on Dec 17, 2022 08:49 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

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