8 Good Reasons To quit your Job Now

1. Your input is disregarded… or

even not wanted.

Everyone has ideas. And everyone loves

when their ideas are taken seriously –

and implemented. The feeling that you’ve

contributed in a special way is incredibly

gratifying.

But when your boss or company shoots

down or even laughs at your ideas, that’s

not only insulting, it's demotivating. And

pretty soon you stop caring.

Life’s too short not to care.

Related: What Should You Tell Your

Employees When Layoffs Are

Imminent? (LinkedIn)

2. You get criticized publicly.

We all need constructive feedback. We all

need a little nudge. We all need to be told

when we can do something better – and

how to do it better.

But we need to be told those things in

private.

Life’s too short to walk around waiting

for the next time you’ll be criticized –

and even humiliated – in front of other

people.

3. You never hear the word,

“Thanks.”

Everyone also needs praise. We all need

to know when we do something well (and

everyone, even poor performers, do some

things well.)

Life’s too short not to be recognized for

the contributions you make.

4. Your boss manages up, not

down.

You know the type: as a leader they

should focus their time and attention on

their direct reports, but they spend all

their time “following” their boss. It seems

like your only job is to contribute to the

greater glory – and advancement – of

your boss.

A great boss knows that if her team

succeeds – and each individual on that

team succeeds – then she will succeed too.

Life’s too short to spend your time

developing your boss’s career at the

expense of your own.

5. You feel like you have no

purpose.

Everyone likes to feel a part of something

bigger. Everyone likes to feel they make

an impact not just on results but also on

the lives of other people.

Life’s too short to go home every day

feeling like you’ve worked… but you

haven’t accomplished anything

meaningful.

6. You feel like a number.

Everyone is replaceable. Everyone,

ultimately, works for a paycheck. But

everyone also wants to work for more

than a paycheck. They want to work with

people they respect admire… and they

want to be respected and admired in

return.

If your boss doesn’t occasionally stop for

a quick discussion about family, an

informal conversation to see if you need

an help, or simply to say a kind word…

then you’re just a cog in a larger

machine.

Life’s too short to only be a cog in a

larger machine.

7. You aren’t even mildly excited to

go to work.

Every job has its downsides. (I’m willing

to bet even Richard Branson has to do a

few things he doesn’t enjoy.) But every

job should also have some fun moments.

Or exciting moments. Or challenging

moments. Or some aspect that makes you

think, “I’m looking forward to doing

that…”

Life’s too short to spend only looking

forward to quitting time.

Related: Branson, Cuban, and Why the

Quality of Advice Matters More than

the Source (LinkedIn)

8. You can’t see a future.

Every job should lead to something:

hopefully a promotion, but if not the

opportunity to take on additional

responsibilities, learn new things, tackle

new challenges… to feel like tomorrow

has the potential to be different – in a

good way – than today.

A decent boss works to improve the

company’s future. A good boss works to

improve her employees’ futures too, even

if – especially if – that might mean some

of those employees will eventually move

on to bigger and better things.

Life’s too short to live without hope.

10 Key Steps to Start a Freelance Business

1. Define Your Goals.

Without clearly defined, easily measurable goals, you're going to have a very difficult time getting to

2. Find a Profitable Niche.

Let’s assume you’re a graphic designer by trade, or you've at least been building your skills with Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop in your free time.where you want to go.

3. Identify Your Target Clients.

Just as important as finding a profitable niche, is attracting the right types of clients for your freelance business.

4. Set Strategic Prices for Your Services.

I've spoken a lot about setting the right prices for your freelance business before you get started.

5. Build a High-Quality Portfolio Website.

Because I'm such a huge advocate of creating a powerful online presence to support starting a freelance business, I brought in an expert, Laurence Bradford, to share all of the essential elements to building a freelance portfolio that wins you high-value clients.

6. Create Examples of What You Can Deliver (on Your Portfolio Site).

You want your website to serve as a destination to demonstrate your expertise.

7. Thoughtfully Choose Your First Clients.

Because you have a very limited amount of time to source new clients (and actually do the work for them) as you start your freelance business, you need to get the most out of the clients you do bring on. Both from a financial and portfolio-building standpoint.

8. Mention Potential Clients in Your Content.

You're going to have a hard time making a name for yourself within your niche, if nobody knows you exist.

9. Learn How to Pitch Yourself.

No matter how skilled you are at your craft, if you want to turn your skills into starting a freelance business, you need to be able to communicate those strengths and convert your conversations into paying clients.

10. Don't Mix Your Day Job Priorities with Freelance Business.

Above all else, it's important to remember that your day job (and sole source of reliable income) is your number one priority.

Battle Of Mobiles

Yu Yureka Note or the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3? Which one’s meant for you?

There were times when we were introduced to the tiny 3-inch touchscreen smartphones and everyone seemed to be excited. Later followed larger devices with 4 and 5 inch displays, and we were like, “Oh man! That’s huge.” But, that doesn’t stop there. Smartphone manufacturers plan to offer you something that’s much larger.

In this article, we examine 2 phablet sporting a display that’s well beyond 5 inches – the recently announced Yu Yureka Note and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. 

Let’s compare the two and find out which is best for you:

Specifications	Yu Yureka Note	Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
Display	6 inch IPS LCD	5.5 inch IPS LCD
Operating System	Android 5.1.1	Android 5.0.2
Processor	1.5 GHz Octa-core	1.8 GHz Octa-core
RAM	3 GB RAM	2GB / 3GB
Primary Camera	13 MP	16 MP
Secondary Camera	8 MP	5 MP
Internal Storage	16 GB	16 GB / 32 GB
Battery	4000 mAh	4050 mAh
Price	INR 13499 approx	INR 11999 approx

No doubt, we have seen a few phablets in the past flaunting a mammoth 6-inch display. Some of these include the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual  , Oppo R7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Mega 2  to name a few. However, the new Yureka Note by Yu Televentures packs in some more powerful features than those seen in the previously launched phablets.

While the Yureka Note sports a 6-inch display, the Redmi Note 3 is slightly smaller at 5.5 inch. But, that’s not too much of a difference, is it? No matter which one you pick, you’ll definitely have a hard time pushing it down your pocket.

Both devices come loaded with Android lollipop. There is no word yet on whether the devices will receive an Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. But, there’s definitely nothing wrong with hoping for the best.

Although the duo houses an Octa-core processor Cortex-A53, the one found in the Redmi Note 3 is clocked at a slightly higher speed of 1.8 GHz compared to Yureka with 1.5 GHz. The Yureka Note features a 3 GB RAMwhile the Redmi offers you 2 options with a 2GB and a 3GB RAM.Those who often go click click… may want to pick the Redmi Note 3 that features an impressive 13 MP primary camera. However, if video calling andselfies are your top priorities, the Yureka Note would be a good choice.

Yureka Note comes with an internal storage capacity of 16 GB, which is extendable up to 128 GB. However, the Redmi Note 3 is available in 2 variants – 16 GB and 32 GB. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t offer an option to extend the storage capacity, which is truly surprising. At least, 64 GB of extendable storage would have been a good idea. So, in terms of storage, the Yureka Note takes the lead.Finally, a powerful battery promises you a desirable amount of talk-time. The Yureka Note and the Redmi Note 3  come with a powerful 4000 mAhand a 4050 mAh battery respectively. Final Verdict:Well, in terms of features, they both seem to be standing just a few inches away from each other – not much of a difference to highlight. But, if you are looking for a handset that’s just ‘Huge’, go for the Yu Yureka Note. Pick the Xiaomi Note 3 if a good camera is on your mind.

Facebook cover

Cover Story #4

How Facebook Started

Mark Zuckerberg meets a computer

His father, although not an engineer, was an early computer enthusiast. Running a dental office he had a vision that computers would change the way people communicate. But for the time being he used them for taking scanning people’s mouths. At age 10 Mark was bored with school. His father noticed and introduced him to his Altair computer. Together they wrote a program that connected the computer at home with the computer in the office. They called it “ZuckNet.” It alerted doctor Z, as he is known, when a patient arrived. It worked better than having the receptionist yell, “Patient here!”

Mark Zuckerberg starts hacking

Mark quickly learned everything his father knew about computers. He started studying with a tutor. Then he started taking a college class in computer science while still in middle school. He read books. But he really started learning to code when he transferred to a private school where he met a programming whiz kid  Adam D’Angelo. Together they started hacking. They made an artificially intelligent music player that learned the user’s music taste. Soon Microsoft found out about it and offered money and a job. Zuckerberg was not interested.

There is a running theme in how Mark Zuckerberg started. He would be offered millions and even billions at least 11 times since then, and every time he walked away. He might have a bigger plan every time.

__________

Most of the facts in the timeline are based on David Kirkpatrick’s book  The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World.

After watching The Social Network, I wanted to find out how truthful that account of Facebook’s creation was. I turned to the books. Among all Facebook related books The Facebook Effect stands out as the only account where the famously elusive Mark Zuckerberg talked to the author and pulled back the curtain on some of the processes inside.
In the first half of the book you learn the troubled, and sometimes chaotic, history of Facebook’s creation. We learn that Mark Zuckerberg used the time he saved from not attending classes to create the first version of the website. He also used the site to help himself pass an art history class by posting pictures of paintings and asking classmates to post notes next to each. Soon after Facebook was launched, Zuckerberg realized he needed help. His roommate  Dustin Moskovitz became the person who woke up every morning fearful that competing websites were going to speard to other colleges – this fear fueled the fast expansion of the early Facebook. Zuckerberg, pragmatic as he was, rewarded Moskovitz with giving him more equity.
The book doesn’t worship Zuckerberg, pointing out his unusual social ways on many occasions. Still, the athor attempts to show what makes Zuckerberg work: how he makes decisions about his company, and what sort of people he surrounds himself with.

All told, the book and the movie are worlds apart. While the movie  The Social Networkpaints a compelling picture of a sociopath who got lucky, the book shows the actions and people that actually lead to Facebook’s rise, such as Zuckerberg crying on the bathroom floor of a restaurant

Cover Story #3

How Gates Started Microsoft

Bill Gates’s father was a lawyer. A very successful one. His mother a teacher. Reading business magazines in middle school, Bill Jr. had a different dream – to open a company. You could say that’s how he started – with a childish dream. Many kids have dreams, though. How was he different?

How Bill Gates  Started To Hack

Next, Bill Gates saw a computer at 13. The school he went to bought one machine and a teletype. He paid for the time to use it. When money ran out, he hacked into the computer to use it for free. Then he got banned by the school. Then the school realized he had a rare skill so they asked him to use the computer and help them find bugs. He started to be a hacker.

Bill Gates believes he can improve the way he thinks in general. He suggests and himself practices “brain rules” from the eponymous book by John Medina. The rules explain how the brain works from musical memory to the ability to play baseball.

Since this is an infographic blog, I should mentioned that Bill Gates, is specifically concerned about the trend to distort facts and data with infographics. To spot visual lie and learn what statistics actually say he recommends a very old but spot-on book  How To Lie With Statistics.

Started to Hustle

Next, Bill scored 1590 out of 1600 on SAT. He went to Harvard. Only to find himself unsure about where to start – as a pre-law major or as something else? ReadingPopular Mechanics one day in college he read an ad about a new computer. He called them to say that he wrote a programming language for it. (He hadn’t.) He asked if they might buy it. He hadn’t even started to write the language. But, he started to be a hustler. And, yes, the computer company was very interested in buying.

Being a Workaholic

Next Bill sat down with his friend Paul from high school, and the two wrote that programming language that he talked about on the phone. Bill wrote 50% of the code, using Harvard’s computers. Bill coded all day long, slept at the computer, woke up and picked up programming exactly where he left off. Bill started to be a workaholic.

Being a Copyright Guru

When they were done, Bill flew to New Mexico to show this new language he had written called BASIC. The computer company bought it for $3,000. But Bill kept the copyright. Did he somehow know it would be worth a lot in the future? So he started to be a copyright guru.

Started to Visualize the Future

Five years later IBM knocked on Bill’s door to see if he had written an operating system they could buy. Bill hadn’t. But he said, “Yes.” Real quick, he found an operating system from another person in Seattle and bought it. With the copyright. Then he sold it to IBM. For a lot more. This was DOS. And without copyright – they never asked for it. “Who would pay for software?” they reasoned. It’s the hardware that people are after. Bill saw the opportunity to make people pay for software. Bill started to see the future. He was now a visionary.

Bill Gates Started to Be a Perfectionist

Then  Steve Jobs showed up. He wanted Bill to write new software that was visual. Programs like Excel and Words. Programs that looked human. Bill got down to work. Jobs thought Bill’s team’s product was tasteless, but Bill kept at it. He got better and better until he got really good. Bill started to be a perfectionist.

Being a Visual Thinker

But Bill was not going to spend his life working on Jobs’ brilliant ideas. Ideas, after all, are worthless until executed. Plus, Jobs’ ideas were stolen anyway. And so it was fair game to do the same. Bill remembered where he saw this idea of visual interfaces – it was Xerox. And now he wanted to create a visual operating system of his own. He called it Windows. He started to be a visual thinker.

Being a Tough Cookie

When Jobs heard about Windows, he went ballistic. He lashed out at Bill calling him down to Cupertino. In front of ten Apple employees Jobs accused Gates for robbing Apple. Bill listened calmly and replied that Jobs stole the idea just as he did himself. Bill started to be a tough cookie.

When Windows launched, Bill visualized a world where every home had a computer, and that computer was running Windows. Bill started to become very rich. And as his vision materialized, by 39 he became the richest man in the world.

__________

Most facts in the timeline are based on bio from Bill Gate’s website and Walter Isacson’s book  The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution.

This book is not entirely about Bill Gates.. but the book do have in depth story about how Bill Gates start microsoft.
The Innovators is Walter Isaacson’s revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens.

Bill Gates has not written a book laying out exactly how he built Microsoft. He gave no easily applicable recipes in the books that he did write. Still. We know that from early childhood Bill Gates has been reading an extraordinary number of books, a habit he contunues to have to this day. So when he says that some book ais a favorite of his, is comes from a large sample. Among all business books he has read, Gates singled out a classic old book that lays bare the inner workings of Wall Street Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street.