And now... Trump University!

I registered with the Trump University today, which I had accidentally discovered yesterday. I want to take the entrepreneurship course there. Trump University is using the Learning by Doing method, which is what I am also practicing in the entrepreneurship course I am teaching at a university. Rather than make them read backward-looking textbooks, I want the students to choose their assignments and investigate the future opportunities in their own region.

There are a few things one can learn at the Trump University.

How do you rate on nine success factors on the Trump Success Profile? What do you need to know before buying or selling real estate? Who are the "bottom of the pyramid" and why are they a hot market?

Most of this is old for me, but I am interested in learning how they execute the entrepreneurship course, and I may learn a thing or two. At any rate, it's not bad to learn a little from The Donald. I already found my weak areas on the Trump Success Profile, and though the test is pretty simplistic, it's a good way of red-marking the areas of improvement.

Trump's reality show, "The Apprentice," is already my hot favorite TV show. What I enjoy most is how you can always tell which candidate is going to get fired - and how they could have saved themselves were they able to see themselves objectively. Eerie. There's a reason why people see SUCCESS/FAILURE written on your forehead. And how it's upto you to pull that label off!

Already got a home on Mars in 2076? Tell the MIT'ians...

Time travel has fascinated many of us, and I am not exception. But why hadn't it crossed our mind to invite a future traveler in time back to our home, right now? Amal Dorai of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) thought of just that.

He's invited any one from the future to a Time Traveler Convention - if they have a cure for cancer, a home on Mars, or anything to prove they really are back from the future!

Location: MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) East Campus Courtyard (42:21:36.025 degrees north, 71:05:16.332 degrees west)
Date: Saturday, May 07, 2005
Time: 10 P.M. sharp for the time travelers

I can't wait to hear about any guest who turns up!

Flexibility Key to Retaining Women (HBS Working Knowledge)

I recently negotiated a work-from-home arrangement at my job. This was how I could balance my life and work - and avoid the hectic and tiring commuting routine of Karachi. And this would give me time to focus on things that I love, such as writing this blog!

This, I realized through conversations with friends and through research on the Net, is a common issue with today's economic-participative females. I was surprised to see McKinsey's Quarterly talk about work-life balance, and now here is a Harvard Business School Working Knowledge article. This will help many an organization reconsider their flexibility for females (and for that matter even men in workforce who need more quality time at home).

Happy reading!

In the workplace, employers need to take into account women who take a temporary "off-ramp" from their careers. Here is how to keep them connected to your company. An excerpt from Harvard Business Review.