Kshana

If you do not have an asset-heavy marketing page(s) that can be separated from your core application, you can stop reading further. A month or so ago, my MVP for Count us in , an online invitation web-app was ready for release but the landing page was light and thus aesthetically barebones. Google Analytics data and feedback from users showed that users were coming in but a large percentage were not making it past the landing page. It looked like the next step was to create a beautiful landing page build trust and engagement. But, these would require large images and possibly large js/css libraries, which were not required for my core-app. Meteor packages most of your assets into your web-app and delivers it to the requesting browser. This creates the amazing fast, snappy experience that you are used to with Meteor apps. However, that increases the initial load time. Further, more connections to the Meteor app. means more Meteor server-load — which impacts your core a...

Elon musk made the argument that there is 1 in a billion chance that we are not in a simulation here . The probability logic he used seems incorrect to me. Consider the following two scenarios: You have one blue ball (akin to reality). Then, you create a billion red balls (akin to simulations). After that, you mix them up and randomly select a ball. The likelihood that you selected the blue ball is 1 in 1 billion. This is true. Now, Let’s assume that there is one ball. It doesn’t really know whether it’s truly blue or red (let’s also assume that only those two possibilities exist, the ball cannot be any other color besides red or blue). Absent any other data, it’s difficult to assign any probability to the ball being red or blue . Now, the one ball turns sentient and decides to produce a billion red balls. What is the likelihood that the the one ball is actually red? Still hard to say. Producing the red balls doesn’t change the likelihood of it’s own existential colo...

Alan Wurtzel, head of NBC Universal’s research team, suggested yesterday that broadcast networks need not worry about Netflix, considering “Jessica Jones”, the latest Netflix original show, had only 4.8 million average viewers per episode. Even if this is true, it’s important to note that the absolute number of viewer should matter less for Netflix. Why? And what then should Netflix be looking at? The answer is: Revenue per month per episode.  Let me explain. Let’s assume I really like “Jessica Jones” (JJ) and other superhero-type TV Shows. So, I pay Netflix $9/month and watch an episode every week (and that’s all I do). In this, intentionally exaggerated and hypothetical, scenario — I am paying Netflix ~$2.25/episode. If 4.8 million people are doing exactly this — Netflix can reasonably account that it’s revenue from each JJ episode is $10.8M ($2.25*4.8 million). Significantly more than $3.33M it cost them to make it (based on  this  story). This also impli...

Additional Tips Cab Fares: Staying in Century Plaza - a cab ride should be less than CAD $12 to any of the locations. Chinese Garden was the farthest and it was between CAD $10-12. Mass Transit: Skytrain tickets will work in buses for a transfer (I believe up-to 90 minutes after purchase). Foreign Exchange Transaction Fee: Check your Credit Card to see which ones do not charge a foreign exchange transaction fee. These are between 1-3% and can quickly add-up if your card levies one. Foreign Exchange Rate : You want the best exchange rate possible so try different cards and log-in to your account the next day to understand what exchange rate was provided by your credit-card company. I tried multiple cards (AmEx, Chase Visa and Citi Mastercard) and all had fair, and about the same, exchange rates. Credit Card: Also, inform your credit card company that you will be traveling. Initially, my Chase card did not work here. Mobile Phone: If you are traveling from the U.S.A. and hav...

Day Two - Evening: Chinese Garden The Chinese Garden is unique in that it's one of two gardens in North America that was designed using materials from China and Chinese artisans. This was about 30m walk from our hotel, exhausting after a full day in Granville Island. A cab ride is CAD $10-$12. During Fall season, the last tour is at 4:30 PM (full schedule  here ). Aim to catch the last tour - which is included in the entry fee. We ended up missing this - but most people and guide books recommend the in-person tour highly. Tip:  If you do miss the last tour, then plan on going in at 5:30 since the ticket is half-price then and 30m is sufficient to do a self-guided tour, which is what we did. Also plan on spending 20m or so in the adjacent park, which is free for public. Head back to your Hotel.

Day Two - Morning: Granville Island Granville Island has this amazing enclosed  Farmer's Market, a good kids play place and a street with artists and art-studios . We left around 10:30 AM for Granville Island, which was a very short walk and then a short boat ride from hotel. The round-trip boat ride costs ~$5 / adult and it's 5-7m. We reached there around 11:00 AM. If you are traveling with children, check out Kid's place first. There, they have an enclosed slide and play area where for $10, you get a day entry for kids to play. When you check-in, the child and you receive a matching token number. They'll let the children in through the singly entry/exit door and won't let them out until you come back with the matching token number. Also, they allow multiple entries throughout the day. Do plan around lunch and children's toilet breaks. The Kid's palace play area allows you to explore the island by yourself, and the children to enjoy play...

Day One - Evening: Canada Place We returned the bike and walked back to the hotel. We were in our room a little before 4PM. We rested (and watched Kung-fu Panda) until about 5:30 PM and then left for Canada Place. This is about a 20m walk from the hotel. In my mind, the picture above that I took from Canada Place is symbolic of Vancouver - a modern, beautiful building on the backdrop of a calm ocean and rugged mountain. A small human settlement against a vast and serene natural landscape. If you had the time and the inclination, I think it would be a great experience to have dinner at the edge of Canada place as pictured in this video - especially if there's live music as there was in the video I took below. We just walked over, stood for a bit and had dinner at the Subway nearby. Then we walked on Canada place - a pier that displays part of Canada's history, culture and ethos. They also have a Virtual Tour upstairs which seemed very interesting - but at $20...