Why Does It Take So Long To Be Unsubscribed From Mailing Lists?

(This post is a slightly edited version of my answer to the above Quora question.) In my company, we run many email newsletter campaigns for customers and ourselves. We rarely get unsubscribe requests, as you can see from the following exhibit. On the rare occasion that somebody wants us to stop sending them our future email … Read more

Dealmakers Trump Economists In Predicting The Impact Of Tariffs

To: editet@timesgroup.com Subject: Alternative to Dollar Trump | Letter to the Editor Dear Editor of Economic Times: This has reference to op-ed entitled Alternative to Dollar Trump by T. K. Arun in Economic Times. Most economists says tariff is paid by the consumer. Some economists say it’s paid by the supplier. As a career sales … Read more

Ten Things They Didn’t Tell You About Trump Tariffs

This blog does not get into politics but tariffs have significant impact on business in general and sales and marketing in particular, hence this exception. Tariffs on imports has been a major plank on which Donald Trump ran for President of the United States. Unlike many political candidates who forget about campaign promises after assuming … Read more

Output Versus Outcome Based Model

During the recently concluded NASSCOM Technology & Leadership Forum 2025 conclave held in Mumbai, the OGs of Indian IT industry noted that the time is ripe for the industry to pivot to Output-based Model. I shared this article on LinkedIn (and X fka Twitter) with the following comment: “Output-based Model” is correct. Kudos to Indian … Read more

Globalization – Good or Bad?

Any discussion of globalization and its impact on a country needs to recognize that a nation comprises both producers and consumers. Producers are businesses. Consumers are J6P (Joe Six Pack or Jane Six Pack aka common man / woman). While import of cheap goods from China might cripple American manufacturers, it is a positive for … Read more

Why Calculating ROI for Software Is Harder Than You Think

Every now and then, somebody will question ROI metrics reported by B2B tech vendors. Let’s take the following LinkedIn post for example: Tech vendors’ use of the term “ROI” is maddening. Two recent (ROI claims) triggered this rant. “Did you know that financial services firms that use Salesfarce achieve a 188% ROI?” Really? EVERY ONE … Read more

The Zero Sum Game Myth: When Bubbles Are Good

1 + (-1) = 0. Traders look at the 1 at the start of the equation and treat trading as a profitable activity. Engineers look at the 0 at the end of the equation and dismiss trading as a zero sum game. John Maynard Keynes won the Nobel Prize in Economics for proposing digging a … Read more

DeepSeek – Engineering Innovation Or Financial Jugglery?

When consumers are asked to pay for some product or service, they think twice about whether to consume it. There’s a cognitive overhead in all decisions but the one involved in micropayments is acute because it’s more mentally taxing to decide whether or not to spend, say, $0.10 to read an article than the $0.10 … Read more

Debunking the “Hidden Cost” Myth: When Free Is Really Free

Whenever they hear that something is free, some find it fashionable to remark that “there’s no free lunch” or “you’re paying in a different way”. In other words, these people insinuate that there’s always a “hidden cost” behind free products and services. On the face of it, their counterpoint seems to be right. After all, … Read more

Why Do Banks Partner With Visa When They Can Create Their Own Credit Card?

(This post is a slightly edited version of my answer to the above Quora question.) Banks have created a plethora of products like checking account, savings account, mortgage, High Frequency Trading, Structured Finance Products, and so on. What’s one more? Therefore, the OP’s question prima facie makes a lot of sense. In fact, back in the … Read more