Maintaining a Balanced View: My Thoughts on Public Figures
In the current political climate, it's easy for discussions about public figures to become polarized. My aim with this blog is to explore ideas and share insights, and that includes offering balanced perspectives on various personalities, even when those perspectives might run contrary to popular narratives. Sometimes, simply acknowledging a positive contribution can be seen as taking a side, but my intention for this year at least is to remain as politically neutral as possible, focusing on policy and impact rather than partisan alignment. As I have indicated, this is not really a traditional blog at all but rather a site for my A.I. experiments. Think of it as me using Blogger to store some content that I think is particularly useful to keep around or opinions that I want to put out there on the Internet.
For instance, I've shared some positive observations about Donald Trump in recent posts. It's important to understand that this isn't an endorsement of every action or policy, but rather an acknowledgment of specific aspects I found noteworthy. I am not at all saying that this is a summary of my opinions of Trump's administration. Rather, owing to the current political climate, I am choosing to be rather quiet about some of my opinions where they can be easily found and analyzed. I have posted numerous critiques of Trump's government policies elsewhere. I just don't want to tell you where. I mostly want to avoid making enemies right now, and that is mostly because that is how I have often operated about politics in India when I lived in the U.S. Now, I am simply applying the same logic to American politics, since I now live in India.
Here’s how Gemini, the AI, summarized some of my comments on this topic:
Gemini's Summary of My Reflections on Public Figures
Reflections on Public Figures and Geopolitics ("Grokking" Trump)
- "Grokking" Concept: Anand introduces the concept of "grokking" (from Robert Heinlein) to explain his intuitive understanding of certain public figures, notably Donald Trump and Elon Musk. This provides a framework for his analysis of their actions and motivations.
- Trump's Diplomacy (India-Pakistan): He consistently praises Trump's role in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, emphasizing Trump's pragmatism and a desire for peace, and lamenting the lack of a "thank you" from the Indian establishment.
- Trump's Resilience: He expresses admiration for Trump's "stately resilience" through various challenges and his ability to "reason with" him on international issues.
- Vivek Ramaswamy: Anand respects Ramaswamy for his "clarity, audacity, and willingness to speak into uncomfortable spaces."
- Focus on Policy, Not Politics: Despite discussing political figures, Anand states his focus is on policy, aiming to avoid making enemies and emphasizing empathy and understanding in interactions.
- Economic Views (Dalio and Tariffs): He echoes Ray Dalio's warnings about Trump's tariffs, aligning with the idea that they are a "terrible political instrument" and an "incredibly" bad idea from an economic perspective (referencing Ricardo's Theory of Comparative Advantage). This is a point where he explicitly disagrees with a policy action by Trump, even while "grokking" him.
While Gemini's summary is not inaccurate, it's also worth noting that it doesn't capture the full breadth of my views. As many of you know from past posts on certain WhatsApp Groups, I've offered numerous critiques and observations on various political and economic matters pertaining to the Trump administration. However, in the current political environment, I'm choosing to be somewhat circumspect about what I share regarding the current government where it may be easily found. My primary goal remains to foster dialogue around innovation and impactful ideas.
The Future of CRM: Accessible and AI-Powered
On a completely different note, is a small app I am building as an experiment in the area of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). I truly believe that reasonably good CRM systems can be built for very little cost. The real game-changer comes when we integrate Generative AI (GenAI) capabilities. One can build small versions of useful CRM apps even for personal use. (Imagine CRMs that don't just track interactions but also intelligently draft follow-up emails, summarize meeting notes, or even suggest proactive engagement strategies based on past conversations.)
This isn't just about saving time; it's about making sophisticated relationship management accessible to everyone. Both large companies and individuals stand to benefit immensely from these advancements, transforming how they connect and collaborate. The CRM system can even be run with a lot of manual help from ChatGPT.
I hope this clarifies my approach and some of my recent discussions. As always, I welcome your thoughts and engagement on these topics via email.