The coffee costs my 14 bucks (got 2 cups.. one for me another for my girlfriend… ) and yes.. I am perfectly happy with the trade.  I guess this means that I had derived far greater utility from the trade then the 14 SGD, i.e.

Utility(ambience) + Utility(latte)  >> 14 SGD

resulting in a very happy trade.

Then I recalled the times when I would go to the starbucks at fusionopolis (which is really near my office).  I would again buy 2 cups of starbucks cafe latte and bring it back to the office.  However, somehow, that hurts a little.  Paying for coffee to bring back just dun seem to be worth that much.  Being a rational consumer, that probably means that the utility from the trade is just slightly higher than 14 SGD.

Utility(latte) > 14 SGD

Ah.. that is because this time round.. I am no longer consuming the ambience of the place…  Hmmm.. if I am feeling like that, wouldn’t that mean that a lot of other latte lovers will be feeling the pinch too?  I believe a large costs of the latte business lies in the rental of the premises itself.  (I did read an article that the raw materials to make a cup of starbucks coffee costs less than 10 cents…)  So why not:

Offer a lower price for latte take aways?

The latte take aways will have a much lower costs to produce (as it does not consume retail space) and so it will be feasible to be implemented at a lower price.  Consumers will also be happy since they are just paying for what they are consuming, i.e. the latte without the ambience….

The rationale for businesses to bill in the costs of retail space has been around for a long time.

I believe the restaurants charge corkage fees for customers bringing in their wine bottle is because the customers are consuming the valuable retail space while slowly enjoying their wine.  Surely, businesses need to see the other side of things, i.e.

providing a lower price for consumers who do not consume your valuable retail space!

Hmmm.. maybe its time for the remaking of some new rules in the cafe industry. 

Recently, due to my failing memories, I lost my phone.  The result was that I got myself a new android and new iphone.

And I was thinking to myself… why do people need to hail a cab through the traditional phone line?  Surely, it is much more convenient for someone to just whip out their i-phone/g-phone and click on the option to say that they would like to hail a cab and have their whereabouts information effortlessly integrated to the Taxi reservation system?

It is a win-win for both sides.

Consumers.. no longer need to specify their location (as the phone GPs can do the work for them).   They save big on both time and mobile charges.

Taxi Companies … no longer need to spend money on telephone receptionist to handle the calls. The system can automate the entire cab hailing process.

Hey.. in the future, it might even give rise to paid hitch hikers.  I remembered once when the government actually made it mandatory for all cars entering the CBD to have 4 passengers… there was actually a central pick-up point for people to gather.. so that cars with insufficient passengers can just load up these strangers….

Surely, a driver who is on the way to Clementi wouldn’t mind stopping by and picking up a passenger who is going there for a few extra bucks?  Win for the driver (money), Win for the hitch-hiker (cheaper ride) and win for the environment (less CO2)!  A triple win-win-win!

And you know something really strange… the best part of the book is actually the Introduction…

Did a nice mindmap (using a software that costs me a hundred bucks!).. but could not resist the temptation….

One of the useful things I learned is counting to ten.  Boy.. it was effective… to count to 10 before you speak when u are seriously angry.  Served me really well today.  Apparently, this counting to ten kind of trick comes form the US president Thomas Jefferson.  Cool dude.  Really clever.  Bet he must have been an angry man.. to improvise something so useful and practical…

After some hard work… I have also managed to run through chapter 1 of the book and am left with 2 phrases to commit to memory:

Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than a man who conquers cities
Proverbs 16:32

Dear brothers, be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.  For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that god desires
James 19:20

Anyway, I should be writing something like this soon.  I find it exceedingly irritating to keep typing in the small Android keypad to sms my customer.  I need a more efficient messaging platform.

http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/2009/04/23/social-email-campaigns-to-increase-nearly-400-in-2009/

I find it quite interesting, as recently, I was exposed to CNI business school who were willing to pay 1-2k for a solitary blast to eHoteliers database.  I guess.. this shows the importance of a targeted group of clientele.  I think Social Media.. might be the next easy thing to get a targeted group of clientele.  Provide something useful.. and sure.. people should flock there.

Was thinking of Cinema timings and locations.  Why not build a site that allows people to very easily locate the nearest cinema showing their favorite shows?  Currently, the navigation is pretty unfriendly… On top of it, maybe we can leverage on Facebook for dissemination of the app.  The app can also let people review the movies really easily.. and surely.. we would much prefer to read our friends’ reviews over those posted by some crap people. 

Anyway, started getting my intern to GeoCode the cinemas in Singapore….  

Took me maybe 2 minutes just to get something like this…  Man.. what’s so funny…..