Foggy. Damp and cold. That clammy cold which finds its way through clothes and sticks to your skin. Bangalore feels unusually chilly this morning, too chilly for my morning routine of breakfast and laptop outside at the Leela. The upshot is the dampness might’ve knocked down the pollution a bit.
The sleep gods smiled upon me last night and granted me the gift of 7 hours. While I wouldn’t say I feel amazing, I’m in much better shape than yesterday. All three of us have picked up the same low-grade cold: slightly sore throat, constant post-nasal drip. The jet lag has passed, at least.
Why do I drag my meat body halfway across the planet like this, paying the physical and financial cost? Because there’s no substitute for being in the same room with someone. The hour-long coffee chat with someone in person over coffee seems to forge a stronger bond than any number of videoconferences. Some may not see the value of all that travel and expense for something that is half socializing, but I do. My team and our customers will reap benefits well in excess of the cost, I’m convinced.
That said, I’d love to work on technology that can put us closer to being in the same room without the travel woes. This is one of my VR areas of interest. Applications like Bigscreen VR, Altspace, VRChat, and even Rec Room enable a richer level of togetherness than previously possible. While I don’t think they’ll replace being in the same room with someone anytime soon, they could mean that you don’t need to travel as often.
A colleague I’m traveling with suggests the “India traffic problem” could probably be resolved by painting some more lines and increasing enforcement of traffic laws. I… don’t think that will cut it. (I also don’t think he’s serious, but we’ve used the opportunity for poking fun.) Even if meaningful policies could be put in place, it would take a generation or two to change behavior. Look at how Boston’s Big Dig trained a generation of drivers there.