Idea 1 - Eco/Econo-Friendly Transport

This idea would drastically reduce pollution and traffic congestion. And. here's the best part.

All the technology required is already available, cost-effective, and widely used. We are all familiar with them, in their own modular way and not one complete solution as what I want to outline.

1. GPS - already a common feature in many countries. TomTom anyone?
2. Networking web sites
3. An Internet-enabled phone/PDA/Notebook

Carpooling is great when you have a small group of people with the same routine traveling to the same destination. What about those instances when you need some more flexibility? Or a random trip you need to make around town for a variety of reasons?

I give you... the HitchHiker 2.X. Of course, there isn't any 1.x (but 2.0 has a nice ring to it). Here's how you get it.

1. Get a GPS service (example, TomTom) in your car).
2. Setup a profile and account with the HH2.x website with a nominal one-time payment.
3. Buy an Internet-enabled phone (GPRS is a common feature)/PDA/Wi-Fi enabled Notebook.

Basic Rule:

If you're going anywhere in your car, your HH 2.x account will be in "Driver Mode". You need to enter your origin and destination. This is only if you're open to other passengers commuting with you.

Scenario: You need to visit the other end of town to buy something.

How-it-Works:

1. Login to your HH 2.x account, go to "Passenger Mode", and submit your origin and destination information.
2. Another individual in the area (or who may be passing by) will receive an alert for a pick-up, if he has logged in with "Driver Mode".
3. The "Driver" gets to see a brief synopsis of your account and decides whether or not to give you a lift.
4. If the driver picks you up and drops you to your destination (which will be along his way), the driver confirms the pickup. You, as a passenger, confirm the ride.
5. Upon confirmation, credits will accumulate the in the driver's account. Similarly, debits take place to your account (against credits you've accumulated as a driver, or bought online just like any other e-commerce transaction).
6. Credits can be redeemed for rides, or cashed out with a small surcharge.

The GPS and user-friendly HH 2.x website will allow drivers and passengers to make themselves visible.

Minimum risk of any crime, since the HH 2.x account is verified against details such as credit card/social security number or any other government-issued ID. The GPS ensures that your location is known at any given time. This minimizes any risk, since the identity of someone harassing you would immediately be known.

Add to that the profile-specific alerts you can choose to receive. For example, an off-duty cop or soldier could choose to ride with anyone. A 25 yr old lady may choose to ride only with other female drivers.

Behavior-based rankings at the end of each ride could fine-tune this further.

Yes, this is very rough, but it's possible. The technology is already out there. It's already being used in small and simpler ways, for example, car-pool systems in an organization's portal.

Let's make a business plan out of this and scope some VC. Let's drive easy.

Monday, 1st September, 2008: 7:15 AM - The Adrenalin Rush

I don't require much coaxing to get out of bed in the morning on a cool fall day. Especially not after several drinks the previous evening.

A simple electric cattle-prod would usually do. Bring spare batteries and charger.
Anyways, lets skip the boring bit. Yes, the adrenalin rush.

Ever had one of those moments where nothing is real, everything is a copy, of a copy, of a copy...damn! That's Fight Club.

Ever had one of those moments where the truth just dawns upon you? When, in a moment, you know your life has purpose, you're not a mere speck in the big scheme of things, and you feel a cosmic connection with the Force/One/Yaweh/God/, and all Chi centres around you. I've rarely had these moments, so, like a midget at a urinal, I was on my toes.

I had one of those moments. It called to me. I heard it's voice. At first, the voice sounded vague and ambiguous. Exactly the type of thing I could convolute some more and make myself sound considerably profound and wise. Then, things became clearer (and my dreams of writing a book vanished). The voice took on a clarity of the type advertised by a reputed Spectacle Lens manufacturer.

It seem to say:

"Saurabh, you promised your most important clients that you would be presenting your ideas on cool sounding Business Consulting and ERP jargon. They're extremely eager to hear what you have to say. And, we're watching your career-graph with considerable interest. I hope you won't let us down."

Here's something many of you may not know about me. When my livelihood (and vital parts of my anatomy) are threatened, I act with a certain tenacity, purpose, and clumsiness only seen in the movies.

In the next 20 mins, I was ready for work. This may sound like a trivial matter. The feat may sound more impressive if I narrate all the activities involved. I am joking about only one of these.

1. Finish making green tea (done in parallel with other activities).
2. The usual bathroom stuff (high-resolution video available on eBay)
3. Pay and kick out the escort twins from last night.
4. Look for my best and rarely worn formal shirt.
5. Iron it and make double-knot on tie.
6. Pull out my nattiest business suit and dive into it.
7. Eat a bowl of cereal, and wish I had done 4 after this
8. Clean up any ant-attracting substance accidentally spilled in the kitchen.
9. Polish formal shoes.
10. Look for charger, phone, wallet, keys, and company ID (either look for it, or undergo invasive security procedures at the reception recorded on high resolution camera).

Still think it's an easy task? Try it, give yourself only 20 mins and tell me how it worked out. Someday, I will make an exercise video out of this.

Right now, I'm still catching my breath.