Tag Archives: positive business

5 Whys

philosophy, thought provoking, ,


My car will not start. (the problem)

  1. Why? – The battery is dead. (first why)
  2. Why? – The alternator is not functioning. (second why)
  3. Why? – The alternator belt has broken. (third why)
  4. Why? – The alternator belt was well beyond its useful service life and has never been replaced. (fourth why)
  5. Why? – I have not been maintaining my car according to the recommended service schedule. (fifth why, a root cause)

Solution is I will start maintaining my car according to the recommended service schedule. (solution)

Another innovative way to figure out the roots of problems. The 5 Whys is a question-asking method used to explore the cause/effect relationships underlying a particular problem. Ultimately, the goal of applying the 5 Whys method is to determine a root cause of a defect or problem. Toyota Company used this during the evolution of their manufacturing methodologies. Link to the full Wikipedia article here.
Maybe use this in analyzing and finding the root of problems, even in our daily lives, much like how paraphrasing works to keep everyone understand each other.
What do you think? Where can you use this? Throw in your comments at

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Few good things happening in Nepal

environment, , , , , ,

Lately amid all the gloom and pessimism, haven’t been thinking of much of good things happening in Kathmandu (not Nepal, just Kathmandu)

I have absolutely no idea how people’s life is faring in the rest of the country since very rarely the media, the politicians , you or me  care about them : I admit my guilt here).

so here is a positive thing that i am seeing from up-close (and contributing in some of them).

1) “West Seti Hydro is still trying to build a 750 MW hydro-electric project in the remotest part of Nepal (shunned by rest of Nepal) despite the shit that are being thrown at them by greedy politicians, desperate locals, zealot NGO’s and depressed bureaucracy and “not many qualified manpower left now”. Its been nearly what 12 years now they are trying despite all odds.

2) “Entrepreneurs for Nepal” a young group of entrepreneurs, most of them returnees from USA have been meeting every month to help other young entrepreneurs in startup tips. (Here is the facebook group)

3) People like Bijaya Shiwakoti have been helping answer travelers questions that promotes traveling

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positive news media

ideas, positive stories, , , , , , , , , , ,

Is there a niche market for “positive” media in Nepal?

In Nepal, every news (newspaper, online, TV, radio and other media) veers towards negative. Scan the newspapers, turn on your television. You will get plenty of proof. Why? Believe me when I say, it is not because there are not positive stories, personalities or work being done now. There are plenty! but media sanitzes us by feeding us sensationalized news, negative and gossip.

Amidst all this doom and gloom (or so it seems), here is my analysis.  There is a great opportunity for an all positive news” media.  An empowering media which lists current events that are positive and have potential to inspire us .

We could do with more positive stories of:

  1. rags to riches stories of Nepali
  2. social entrepreneurs success and failures
  3. street entrepreneurs of urban centers
  4. risk-takers in different professions
  5. community activists stories
  6. Community successes
  7. discussion transcripts between youths on sociopolitical issues
  8. mentor-ship events
  9. Networking events and fund-raisers.
  10. stories of Nepali uniting with each other on community to international level
  11. adventure stories in Nepal
  12. Nepali traveling in Nepal.

Add more to this list!
A Nepali positive news media anyone ?

Republic ? Nepal ? Gross National Happiness ?

governance, inspiration, , , ,

Today Nepal becomes a Republic (or rather starts on its track.).

My main question is whether as a republic, we will have finally improve our Gross National Happiness, GNH ( and not our GDP, no not that our material wealth progress indicator.).
i.e material and mathematical analysis of GDP are just a small yet important indicator in the grand design of “Real Progress.”

“Happiness indicators” are a bigger analysis/process which needs to be factored in for “real worth-while and sustainable progress”.

I believe our “Gross National Happiness” indicator is going to define our success as a republic, in the coming years, decades.

Few indicators i would personally value to measure Gross National Happiness is:

a) respect ( am I going to respect you enough to not impose my thoughts upon you)

b) tolerance ( How am i going to treat you, if you don’t live the way i feel everyone should live.)

c) trust ( am i going to trust my daughter to my neighbor if i have to go run off to the next city to do an urgent errand)

d) love (will i value my life and be able to love myself.)

mundane points i have

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