RUMINATION
type: channel
description: My ramblings on technology, faith, music and life in general..
date: 2025-03-07T21:11:10Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
generator agent: https://wordpress.org/
items: The AI Revolution in Customer-Facing Roles: Where Do We Go From Here?
items: Obsidian & Zettelkasten: Note Taking Evolved
items: Happy Fathers Day, Appa!
items: A Tribute To My Dear Grandfather, Dr. Samuel Krishnamurthy
items: Leadership and Teams: What We Can Learn From India’s Historic Test Series Victory in Australia
items: 2020: A Year Of Change
items: reMarkable 2 – As Close As It Gets To Writing On Paper!
items: Social Media, Personal Brand And Career Success
items: Home Office Makeover: Building An Ergonomic Office Space On A Budget
items: How to use a Sony Alpha or Sony RX100 series camera as a webcam (Mac and PC)

The AI Revolution in Customer-Facing Roles: Where Do We Go From Here?
type: item
creator: George
date: 2025-03-03T18:40:13Z
subject: Uncategorized
subject: AI
subject: AI Transforming GTM
subject: ARR
subject: CSM
subject: customer success
subject: Evolution of GTM
subject: GTM
subject: PE
subject: sales
subject: sales engineering
subject: SC
subject: SE
subject: solutions consulting
subject: solutons engineering
subject: Transformation
description: As Forrester concluded in their 2024 Predictions report: "Organizations that delay AI implementation in customer-facing functions will face a 30% revenue growth gap compared to AI leaders within 36 months – a deficit from which most will never recover." The teams I lead have already begun this transformation journey. We are trying to reimagine our processes from the ground up, and developing the skills that will define the next generation of customer advisors. The post The AI Revolution in Customer-Facing Roles: Where Do We Go From Here? appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: George Kuruvilla | March 2, 2025 | 12 min read The Dawn of a New Era AI has been around a while and it should no longer be a futuristic concept to those of us who’ve kept it at an arms length. It’s fundamentally reshaping how teams operate across the enterprise. As someone who leads customer facing teams that are still quite silo’d, I see both the immense opportunities and inevitable disruption ahead. The Current State: Efficiency Gaps in Customer-Facing Roles Today’s customer-facing teams operate with significant inefficiencies that we’ve simply accepted as “the cost of doing business”: Sales teams spend only 28% of their time actually selling, according to Salesforce research. The rest is consumed by administrative work and preparation. Solution consultants dedicate 15-20 hours preparing for each major demonstration, with 70% of that work being repetitive, according to Forrester. Professional services consultants frequently recreate solutions, with Accenture finding that 68% of custom work contains at least 70% identical components to previous implementations. Customer success managers struggle with proactive risk identification, with Gainsight reporting that traditional methods identify only 30-40% of churn risks early enough for effective intervention. These inefficiencies might have been tolerable in the era of “growth at all costs,” but that era has definitively ended. Macro Economic Realities: Profitability Trumps Growth <img src="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image-3-743x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-5393" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image-3-743x1024.png 743w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image-3-218x300.png 218w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image-3-768x1059.png 768w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image-3.png 811w" sizes="(max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px" /> The economic landscape has shifted dramatically. Investors who once…

Obsidian & Zettelkasten: Note Taking Evolved
type: item
creator: George
date: 2025-03-01T18:31:43Z
subject: Uncategorized
subject: Digitalnotes
subject: Evernote
subject: Ideation
subject: Notetaking
subject: Notion
subject: Obsidian
subject: Onedrive
subject: Onenote
subject: Organization
subject: Structure
subject: Tasks
subject: Zettelkasten
description: By integrating Zettelkasten's principles with Obsidian’s technical capabilities—especially its formatting shortcuts and plugin ecosystem, you build a dynamic knowledge system that scales with your intellectual journey. The post Obsidian & Zettelkasten: Note Taking Evolved appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: <img src="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/h3bjellr8pkemsr6axku-1024x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-5384" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/h3bjellr8pkemsr6axku.png 1024w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/h3bjellr8pkemsr6axku-300x300.png 300w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/h3bjellr8pkemsr6axku-150x150.png 150w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/h3bjellr8pkemsr6axku-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> I’ve always been a serial note-taker. Whether scribbling during meetings, jotting ideas from books, or dumping random thoughts, I’ve filled countless pages (digital and physical) over the years. But here’s the problem—I could never find anything when I needed it. My notes were like socks in a dryer: always there but impossible to pair. Then I discovered the Zettelkasten method and Obsidian. Skeptical at first , but after a few months of using this combo, my notes feel connected and useful in a totally different sense. Here’s how it clicked for me. What’s Zettelkasten? (And Why I Ditched Folders) Zettelkasten, a German word meaning “slip box,” was pioneered by sociologist Niklas Luhmann. He wrote 70+ books using this method, so I figured, Why not try it? The basics: Fleeting Notes: My messy brain dumps (like Post-its for ideas). Literature Notes: Summaries of books/articles I read. Permanent Notes: Atomic, reusable ideas linked together. No more nested folders! Instead, notes connect like LEGO bricks. For example, my note on “eInk displays” links to “productivity tools” and “digital minimalism.” Over time, these connections spark new ideas—like how Luhmann’s physical cards grew into a research machine. Why Obsidian Feels Like Zettelkasten’s Soulmate I tested Notion, OneNote, Google Keep and other tools first. But Obsidian won me over for five reasons: 1. It’s Just Markdown (No Lock-In) Notes live as simple .md files on my Google …

Happy Fathers Day, Appa!
type: item
creator: George
date: 2024-06-16T02:37:17Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: 2024 has been an exceptionally challenging year for our family. My father has battled Parkinson’s disease for over two decades, and this year, complications arose that affected his well-being. I cherish the ten days I spent with him in the hospital, reflecting on my upbringing. As a father to two young girls, I’ve gained profound… The post Happy Fathers Day, Appa! appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: <img src="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC_8777-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5342" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC_8777-1024x683.jpg 1024w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC_8777-300x200.jpg 300w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC_8777-768x512.jpg 768w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC_8777-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC_8777-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> 2024 has been an exceptionally challenging year for our family. My father has battled Parkinson’s disease for over two decades, and this year, complications arose that affected his well-being. I cherish the ten days I spent with him in the hospital, reflecting on my upbringing. As a father to two young girls, I’ve gained profound appreciation for his influence and the values he instilled in me, both intentionally and subconsciously. In retrospect, appa was never overly demonstrative. The word that best captures our relationship is “respect.” His vast knowledge spans world affairs, finances, his professional domains, and beyond. Even now, his memory astounds me, defying his condition. <img src="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1534943538039-dfff814a-8600-4145-91e0-7da184b312e9-1-1024x724.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5357" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1534943538039-dfff814a-8600-4145-91e0-7da184b312e9-1-1024x724.jpg 1024w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1534943538039-dfff814a-8600-4145-91e0-7da184b312e9-1-300x212.jpg 300w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1534943538039-dfff814a-8600-4145-91e0-7da184b312e9-1-768x543.jpg 768w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1534943538039-dfff814a-8600-4145-91e0-7da184b312e9-1-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024…

A Tribute To My Dear Grandfather, Dr. Samuel Krishnamurthy
type: item
creator: George
date: 2022-01-07T23:06:23Z
subject: Uncategorized
subject: Dr.Samuel Krishnamurty
subject: Grandfather
subject: Memory
subject: Sam Villa
subject: Tribute
description: From a very early age, I shared a special bond with my appacha. I clung to him and idolized him. He was ever-present in my life and always made me feel immensely loved. When I reflect on my childhood, most of my fondest memories have him in them. I spent almost every vacation with him… The post A Tribute To My Dear Grandfather, Dr. Samuel Krishnamurthy appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: <img src="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1534943943392-aba812f9-6534-4251-aace-e8bb93928fad-1024x683.jpg" alt="" data-id="5309" data-link="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/?attachment_id=5309" class="wp-image-5309" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1534943943392-aba812f9-6534-4251-aace-e8bb93928fad-1024x683.jpg 1024w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1534943943392-aba812f9-6534-4251-aace-e8bb93928fad-300x200.jpg 300w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1534943943392-aba812f9-6534-4251-aace-e8bb93928fad-768x512.jpg 768w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1534943943392-aba812f9-6534-4251-aace-e8bb93928fad-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1534943943392-aba812f9-6534-4251-aace-e8bb93928fad-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img src="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1535097797665-565c19ed-532c-4ed1-a6d3-4e18c03c3d2a-01-963x1024.jpeg" alt="" data-id="5310" data-link="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/?attachment_id=5310" class="wp-image-5310" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1535097797665-565c19ed-532c-4ed1-a6d3-4e18c03c3d2a-01-963x1024.jpeg 963w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1535097797665-565c19ed-532c-4ed1-a6d3-4e18c03c3d2a-01-282x300.jpeg 282w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1535097797665-565c19ed-532c-4ed1-a6d3-4e18c03c3d2a-01-768x817.jpeg 768w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1535097797665-565c19ed-532c-4ed1-a6d3-4e18c03c3d2a-01.jpeg 1278w" sizes="(max-width: 963px) 100vw, 963px" /> <img src="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1535819453948-d3eabf18-59cf-4adf-acf0-6df27f6fe8a6-683x1024.jpg" alt="" data-id="5311" data-link="https://blog.gkuruvilla.org/?attachment_id=5311" class="wp-image-5311" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/153…

Leadership and Teams: What We Can Learn From India’s Historic Test Series Victory in Australia
type: item
creator: George
date: 2021-01-19T22:22:29Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Cricket is a religion in India that over a billion people follow, and I am no exception. Yesterday, cricket fans around the world witnessed something truly historic, with India defeating the hosts, Australia in a 4 game test series. This is just the second time India has ever won a test series in Australia and… The post Leadership and Teams: What We Can Learn From India’s Historic Test Series Victory in Australia appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: <img src="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/india-1024x622.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5279" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/india-1024x622.jpg 1024w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/india-300x182.jpg 300w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/india-768x467.jpg 768w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/india-1536x933.jpg 1536w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/india.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Cricket is a religion in India that over a billion people follow, and I am no exception. Yesterday, cricket fans around the world witnessed something truly historic, with India defeating the hosts, Australia in a 4 game test series. This is just the second time India has ever won a test series in Australia and also the first time Australia lost at the Gabba (Brisbane) since 1988. Needless to say, all of India is celebrating this remarkable accomplishment. I was up at 2:30 am watching every moment and captured this video, and I think the commentator said it best: “India win the test, they win the series, they win the hearts and minds of cricket fans all over the world. Test cricket’s heart is beating hard and it’s beating true. One of the greatest sporting performances ever seen on Australian soil. They were down, they were out and India have risen, and they’ve held on to the Border-Gavaskar trophy in a truly epic series.“ While the series win is awe inspiring for a number of reasons, I wanted to capture the lessons we can all learn from this remarkable team. Failure – A Necessary Step In Defining Your Destiny Failure can be a stepping stone to success, provided you approach it with the right attitude and learn from your mistakes. India suffered a historic loss in the first test, including their lowest innings score EVER. All the pundits had ruled them out and many felt that Australia would win the series 4-0. However they p…

2020: A Year Of Change
type: item
creator: George
date: 2020-12-31T21:52:32Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Just like many of you, 2020 was a challenging and at the same time, a transformative year for me. I had the opportunity to step back and take a look at my life and make some much needed changes, some that I did not even realize was needed due to the rapid pace at which… The post 2020: A Year Of Change appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: Just like many of you, 2020 was a challenging and at the same time, a transformative year for me. I had the opportunity to step back and take a look at my life and make some much needed changes, some that I did not even realize was needed due to the rapid pace at which I have been living in the past. I wanted to take an opportunity to reflect on some of these changes and lessons. Regular Self Assessment Is Key To Leading A Value Centric Life Most of us don’t lead a balanced life. We’d like to believe we do and when asked about how we spend time, we paint this picture of a balanced life focused on our core values. However in reality, there is a huge disconnect between what we say and what we do. And to fix this disconnect, self assessment is a critical component. It starts by really honing in on what we consider our core value buckets, documenting these value buckets and then being honest with ourselves and constantly assessing how we are faring against our value buckets. Evaluating whether we are spending our time in a manner that aligns with our values and priorities. Thanks to some of the down time this year, I realized that I certainly was not leading a balanced life and needed to make some much needed changes. Don’t Underestimate The Importance Of Sleep and Exercise In prior years, I averaged between 4-6 hours of sleep most nights. I thought 4 hours was generally enough for my body, catching up on the third or fourth night. All the travel did not help the cause either. In 2020, I made a conscious effort to average 6-7 hours every night. I also exercised at least three times a week (treadmill mostly). What a difference its made! As a diabetic, I have struggled in the past to keep my A1C in check, and these two changes have helped me reduce my values. I feel a lot better in general. Don’t Take Your Family For Granted. Be PRESENT While I knew, that my kids were not fans of me travelling, I didn’t quite comprehend how much it impacted them. Even when I was home, I w…

reMarkable 2 – As Close As It Gets To Writing On Paper!
type: item
creator: George
date: 2020-12-13T02:24:06Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: I’ve always been one who likes to write things down in order to grasp what is being shared. I’m always scribbling, whether it be meetings, reading a book, watching a webinar etc. However, I’ve always had two issues related to note taking. First, its always hard to find information when I most need it. Second,… The post reMarkable 2 – As Close As It Gets To Writing On Paper! appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: I’ve always been one who likes to write things down in order to grasp what is being shared. I’m always scribbling, whether it be meetings, reading a book, watching a webinar etc. However, I’ve always had two issues related to note taking. First, its always hard to find information when I most need it. Second, I would prefer to have the content digitized in order to leverage the information whenever and wherever I need it. With this in mind, over the years, I’ve been trying to leverage touch screen laptops and tablets (both iOS and Android) to try and find the perfect paper and pen replacement. But I always fell short. I’ve been following the eInk tablet market for a while now and was extremely excited when the reMarkable tablet released a few years back. Back then I was skeptical about it being a v1 product (product features, writing latency, apps) and could not justify the price. So when the reMarkable2 was announced, I was super excited and all over it. I ordered my tablet back in September and received it about a week back. And based on my experience so far, I think I’ve finally found the replacement for a traditional notebook. In this post, I’ll try to explain why. The Design As part my preorder, I purchased the tablet, a polymer book folio (you also have the option to go with a leather folio or a polymer sleeve), and the marker plus which has the eraser (as compared to the standard marker which lacks the eraser). First thing I noticed when I received the shipment was the packaging and minimalistic design. Very apple like and appealing. The build quality of the tablet and the marker are excellent. It’s extremely slim (0.19 inches) and feels perfect when holding with one hand. The tablet has a 10.3 inch display and 226 DPI which I believe are the same as the original reMarkable tab. The folio is magnetic and the tab snaps in. While writing, the sleeve can be folded. The marker plus is just the right weight and feels like a high end pen in your hands. The marker i…

Social Media, Personal Brand And Career Success
type: item
creator: George
date: 2020-08-13T14:31:21Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: I was recently interviewed by my peer Sara Baker on a podcast as part of “Career Month” at Citrix. The topic of the conversation was Personal brand and how it can lead to career success. We covered a lot of topics including what defines your brand, building a brand, importance of social selling, the do’s… The post Social Media, Personal Brand And Career Success appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: I was recently interviewed by my peer Sara Baker on a podcast as part of “Career Month” at Citrix. The topic of the conversation was Personal brand and how it can lead to career success. We covered a lot of topics including what defines your brand, building a brand, importance of social selling, the do’s and don’ts when it comes to social media and a lot more. I want to thank Sara for this wonderful opportunity and for making this whole experience enjoyable. Here is the recording. Would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed. gkuruvilla · Personal Branding Podcast Featuring George Kuruvilla (Career Dev Month @ Citrix) gkuruvilla · NindiyaRe_Featuring Dipro Chakraborty.wav The post Social Media, Personal Brand And Career Success appeared first on RUMINATION.

Home Office Makeover: Building An Ergonomic Office Space On A Budget
type: item
creator: George
date: 2020-05-25T23:55:24Z
subject: Technology
description: My “home office” happens to be in the basement which is also my man cave. Pre COVID19, on the days that I was not travelling, I used to spend over 12 hours in the basement, and most of that time planted in my home office. However I had never really paid attention to ergonomics. I… The post Home Office Makeover: Building An Ergonomic Office Space On A Budget appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: My “home office” happens to be in the basement which is also my man cave. Pre COVID19, on the days that I was not travelling, I used to spend over 12 hours in the basement, and most of that time planted in my home office. However I had never really paid attention to ergonomics. I just pieced together the furniture and equipment over 13 years. Earlier this year, the lack of attention to ergonomics finally caught up. I developed cervical radiculitis which I attribute greatly to improper posture, all the travel and reading in bed. It resulted in severe shoulder pain and numbness in my left arm. Needless to say, I was pretty miserable for a couple of months and was on pain killers and had to undergo physical therapy. The one positive aspect out of this experience is that I finally decided to make a few changes, one of which was to update my home office. I shared a picture of my setup on LinkedIn and it garnered a lot of interest. I fielded a lot of questions about my setup. This is why I decided to write this post in the hope that I can help others who are dealing with similar issues, especially now with all of us working from home. THE DESK The first and perhaps the most important change that I wanted to make was to invest in a sit stand desk. For those of us who spend 8-12 hours in front of a computer, this makes a HUGE difference as it forces you to stand and move about. Fortunately, there are so many options. To me, the main decision criteria were the following: Reasonably priced Reliable with good warranty Dark surface (preferably real wood) Large surface (72×30) With these criteria in mind, I looked at a number of vendors including the Uplift desk, Autonomous desk, Vari Desk, Jarvis desk, New Heights XT etc. This post on btod does a great job comparing the pros and the cons of the various desks. In the end, I decided to go with the Uplift desk with a rubberwoood surface. I liked that they had a wide variety of large surfaces including real wood at a reasonable pri…

How to use a Sony Alpha or Sony RX100 series camera as a webcam (Mac and PC)
type: item
creator: George
date: 2020-05-07T03:06:57Z
subject: Technology
subject: camtwist
subject: configure sony camera as webcam
subject: goto
subject: gotomeeting
subject: mac
subject: obs studio
subject: rx100
subject: skype
subject: sony
subject: virtual webcam
subject: windows
subject: zoom
description: With all the talk lately about Canon releasing updates to enable their cameras to be used as webcams, I decided to venture on a science experiment. I have a Sony RX-100 IV, an absolutely amazing camera that is just sitting idle. So decided to try and figure out whats involved in getting it to work… The post How to use a Sony Alpha or Sony RX100 series camera as a webcam (Mac and PC) appeared first on RUMINATION.
encoded: <img src="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-23-1024x546.png" alt="" class="wp-image-4900" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-23-1024x546.png 1024w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-23-300x160.png 300w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-23-768x409.png 768w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-23.png 1385w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> With all the talk lately about Canon releasing updates to enable their cameras to be used as webcams, I decided to venture on a science experiment. I have a Sony RX-100 IV, an absolutely amazing camera that is just sitting idle. So decided to try and figure out whats involved in getting it to work as a webcam, and I was able to get it to work on both Windows and Mac. Here is how I got it done: Tools Needed Windows Micro USB Cable OBS Studio found here Sony Imaging Edge Desktop Suite found here OBS Virtual Cam found here Mac Micro USB Cable Camtwist Virtualcam software found here Sony Imaging Edge Desktop Suite found here Configuring The Camera Before connecting the camera to your PC or MAC, go to settings and under Tools, make sure “USB Connection” is set to “PC Remote”. Also when you connect the camera to the computer, make sure you set the camera to “manual” mode for the RX100. I noticed that if its set to any other mode, Live View will not work. You can change the mode once you kick off Live View in manual mode. Configuration on Windows Before you get started, make sure you install Sony Imaging Edge Desktop and the Remote app within the suite. Install OBS Studio. <img src="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-3-1024x989.png" alt="" class="wp-image-4876" srcset="http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-3-1024x989.png 1024w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-3-300x290.png 300w, http://blog.gkuruvilla.org/wp-content/uplo…