Transitions and New Beginnings

Start Doing

Search is Good Business for Google but DOING is future!
Welcome back to Running Platform Marketing Life — your weekly dose of endurance, insight, and inspired detours. After a 55+ miles running week that featured long runs, longer thoughts, and some very real hills (both on foot and metaphorically), I'm glad to be back to my long distance running schedule.

This edition reflects that wild mix: Google I/O 2025 trying to redefine your inbox and your imagination, Deeksharambh 2025 welcoming the MBA class of 2027 into a case-rich classroom, And yes — Aru graduated and set off for her own endurance adventure at Arka Mediaworks. A new finish line crossed, a new start line drawn.

As always, whether you're chasing kilometres or clarity, you're right on track. It’s a reminder: whether it’s a case classroom, a trail, or a boardroom, we’re all chasing our next personal best.

Let’s warm up. The week begins now.

DTW

During the Week, at the Annual Google I/O 2025, the message was clear: AI is no longer futuristic—it’s here to work with you. In a keynote filled with demos and product updates, Google unveiled a suite of AI-powered innovations aiming to transform everyday tasks.

Highlights included the new AI Mode in Google Search, Project Mariner—an AI that browses websites, and Project Astra, a low-latency multimodal AI platform. Gemini, Google's flagship AI assistant, is now embedded across Chrome, Gmail, and Search, with Gemini Ultra available via a $249.99/month subscription. Google Meet gains real-time AI translation; Gmail will now write in your tone; and NotebookLM creates TED Talk-style videos from PDFs. AI-powered smart glasses with Samsung, a 3D video calling platform called Beam, and Veo 3—a video generator rivaling OpenAI’s Sora—rounded out the lineup. The overarching theme? Empower users to do more with AI, even as it subtly reshapes how we search, communicate, and create content.

Deeksharambh 2025 at IBS Hyderabad marks the beginning of an exciting and transformative journey for the MBA 2027 batch. Designed as a two weeks induction program, it goes beyond a simple orientation—it aims to help students acclimatise to the institute’s rigorous academic environment, culture, and expectations. One of the cornerstones of this experience is the early exposure to IBS’s 100% case-based teaching methodology, a hallmark of IBS Hyderabad approach to management education.

As part of the induction, I will be engaging with students in two critical ways: through an introduction to the Marketing and Strategy area with my colleagues and via class room sessions on case pedagogy and case discussions. These initial interactions are not just academic primers but foundational experiences that shape students’ perspective and learning habits. The ability to analyze cases, participate in structured discussions, and draw managerial insights is essential for thriving in our curriculum.

For students, the right approach to these sessions is curiosity, openness, and active participation. These aren’t one-way lectures but immersive experiences meant to develop critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills. Engaging with real-world scenarios helps students begin thinking like managers from day one. It’s also an opportunity to build rapport with faculty mentors who will guide them over the next two years.

In essence, Deeksharambh is about laying the groundwork for a successful MBA journey. Students who approach these sessions with sincerity and enthusiasm will find themselves better prepared not just for the classroom but for the business challenges that lie ahead. As Google pivots from helping us search to helping us do, students too must shift from passive learning to active engagement. Deeksharambh is your launchpad—not just to explore answers, but to create impact through action. The case room is your lab; dive in, debate, decide, and do.

This week was momentous for us as we celebrated Aru’s graduation and her transition to world of work with Arka Mediaworks.

At Arka, she plans to explore the intersection of story-telling, use of technology and community engagement. Do send her your blessings and wishes. You can also follow her work and journey through her substack.

OTW

Over the Weekend, we were saddened by passing away of Dr Ram Mohan Rao on Saturday morning.

Prof. M.R. Rao was a towering figure in Indian management education whose influence extended well beyond formal affiliations. At ICFAI Institute for Management Teachers from 2004 onwards, many of us eagerly awaited his insights during public lectures and closed-door interactions at IBS Hyderabad. Though I never worked with him directly, his intellect, humility, and deep commitment to academic excellence left a lasting impression. His ability to blend academic rigour with institutional vision inspired generations of management educators. Prof. Rao’s legacy will continue to shape conversations in classrooms and boardrooms alike. Like Master Oogway in Kung Fu Panda, Prof. M.R. Rao reminded us that greatness comes from within, and true masters teach not just knowledge, but the way of being.

One of my favourite "Kung Fu Panda" offers timeless life lessons. Po's unwavering dedication to following his dreams is inspiring. From a noodle-making panda fantasizing about kung fu, he transforms into a true warrior through sheer perseverance and love for the art. His story reminds us that with passion and hard work, seemingly impossible dreams can become reality. Po's journey in "Kung Fu Panda" is a vivid illustration of imposter syndrome. He's chosen as the Dragon Warrior, a title traditionally reserved for the most skilled and revered martial artists. Yet, Po is a clumsy, overweight panda who works in his father's noodle shop. He consistently doubts his worthiness, believing it was a mistake or a joke. This self-doubt is fueled by the initial skepticism of Master Shifu and the Furious Five, who see only his physical limitations, not his potential.

Finally, Master Oogway's iconic wisdom, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present," emphasizes the importance of living in the present. Dwelling on past failures or future anxieties hinders progress. "Kung Fu Panda" encourages us to embrace the now, learn from each moment, and find our inner peace and strength.
Believe in your inner warrior; your true power lies within.

I Love You

Shailendra