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Contents ( 212)
  1. PENGUIN BOOKS DORK
  2. Contents
  3. 1. DISCOVERY
  4. Under the Sink
  5. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  6. 2. DUFRESNE
  7. Robin ‘Einstein’ Varghese’s Diary
  8. 2 April 2006
  9. 4 p.m.
  10. ROBIN WERE GEESE—WIMWI
  11. 3 April 2006
  12. 3 a.m.
  13. 11 a.m.
  14. 2 p.m.
  15. 6 p.m.
  16. 7 p.m.
  17. 10 p.m.
  18. 5 April 2006
  19. 11 a.m.
  20. 2 p.m.
  21. 5 p.m.
  22. 7 p.m.
  23. 6 April 2006
  24. 11 a.m.
  25. 3 p.m.
  26. 7 p.m.
  27. 10 p.m.
  28. 11.24 p.m.
  29. 9 April 2006
  30. 10.23 a.m.
  31. 7 p.m.
  32. 10.55 p.m.
  33. 11.26 p.m.
  34. 10 April 2006
  35. 8 a.m.
  36. 11 April 2006
  37. 11.13 a.m.
  38. 12.15 p.m.
  39. 4.20 p.m.
  40. 6 p.m.
  41. 15 May 2006
  42. 8 p.m.
  43. 11.23 p.m.
  44. 16 May 2006
  45. 7 p.m.
  46. 12.34 a.m.
  47. 17 May 2006
  48. 7.45 a.m.
  49. 7.53 a.m.
  50. 6.15 p.m.
  51. 7 p.m.
  52. 8 p.m.
  53. 8.15 p.m.
  54. 9 p.m.
  55. 9.43 p.m.
  56. 18 May 2006
  57. 10.10 p.m.
  58. 10.34 p.m.
  59. 20 May 2006
  60. 9.46 p.m.
  61. 21 May 2006
  62. 7 p.m.
  63. 22 May 2006
  64. 10.15 p.m.
  65. 23 May 2006
  66. 7 p.m.
  67. 24 May 2006
  68. 8 p.m.
  69. 11 p.m.
  70. 11.23 p.m.
  71. 11.25 p.m.
  72. 25 May 2006
  73. 2 p.m.
  74. 7.43 p.m.
  75. 8.13 p.m.
  76. 9 p.m.
  77. 9.32 p.m.
  78. 26 May 2006
  79. 8.30 p.m.
  80. 27 May 2006
  81. 7.23 p.m.
  82. 9.15 p.m.
  83. 28 May 2006
  84. 6.45 p.m.
  85. 29 May 2006
  86. 11 p.m.
  87. 4 June 2006
  88. 7.15 p.m.
  89. 9.20 p.m.
  90. 5 June 2006
  91. 7.13 p.m.
  92. 3. PANCHATANTRA
  93. 11 August 2006
  94. 11.23 p.m.
  95. 3 a.m.
  96. 3.32 a.m.
  97. 4.20 a.m.
  98. 12 August 2006
  99. 9.20 p.m.
  100. 13 August 2006
  101. 8.25 a.m.
  102. 18 August 2006
  103. 8.50 p.m.
  104. 24 August 2006
  105. 11.12 p.m.
  106. ANALYSIS
  107. PRESENTATION
  108. CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
  109. LEADERSHIP
  110. SUSTAINABLE PROJECT EXECUTION AND DIVERSIFIABILITY
  111. OVERALL
  112. 26 August 2006
  113. 7.38 p.m.
  114. 11.45 p.m.
  115. 27 August 2006
  116. 8.30 p.m.
  117. 28 August 2006
  118. 9.10 p.m.
  119. 11 p.m.
  120. 11.20 p.m.
  121. 3 September 2006
  122. 7 p.m.
  123. 4 September 2006
  124. 8.07 p.m.
  125. 10.20 p.m.
  126. 5 September 2006
  127. 11.09 p.m.
  128. 8 September 2006
  129. 1.02 a.m.
  130. 11 September 2006
  131. 8.02 p.m.
  132. 13 September 2006
  133. 2.16 a.m.
  134. 14 September 2006
  135. 10.35 p.m.
  136. 17 September 2006
  137. 12.14 a.m.
  138. 19 September 2006
  139. 11.15 a.m.
  140. 30 September 2006
  141. 10.30 p.m.
  142. 11.02 p.m.
  143. 4. EOQ
  144. 12 November 2006
  145. 8.20 p.m.
  146. 13 November 2006
  147. 10.23 p.m.
  148. 12.15 a.m.
  149. 14 November 2006
  150. 11.23 p.m.
  151. 12.30 a.m.
  152. 15 November 2006
  153. 8 p.m.
  154. 16 November 2006
  155. 7.40 p.m.
  156. 9 p.m.
  157. 17 November 2006
  158. 8.22 p.m.
  159. 20 November 2006
  160. 7.56 p.m.
  161. 10.20 p.m.
  162. 1 a.m.
  163. 22 November 2006
  164. 9.13 p.m.
  165. 26 November 2006
  166. 10.12 p.m.
  167. 12.05 a.m.
  168. 1.23 a.m.
  169. 27 November 2006
  170. 11.23 p.m.
  171. 12.15 a.m.
  172. 28 November 2006
  173. 9.36 p.m.
  174. 11.20 p.m.
  175. 29 November 2006
  176. 8.32 p.m.
  177. 30 November 2006
  178. 10.03 p.m.
  179. 5. ASSOCIATE???
  180. 11 December 2006
  181. 7.20 p.m.
  182. 13 December 2006
  183. 2.20 a.m.
  184. 15 December 2006
  185. 10.10 p.m.
  186. 20 December 2006
  187. 11.23 p.m.
  188. 22 December 2006
  189. 9.03 p.m.
  190. 24 December 2006
  191. 11.23 p.m.
  192. 3 January 2007
  193. 8.43 p.m.
  194. 4 January 2007
  195. 10.03 p.m.
  196. 3.40 a.m.
  197. 6 January 2007
  198. 2.23 a.m.
  199. 4.15 a.m.
  200. 8 a.m.
  201. 9.14 p.m.
  202. 7 January 2007
  203. 8.15 a.m.
  204. 2.23 p.m.
  205. 10.23 p.m.
  206. 8 January 2007
  207. 11.54 p.m.
  208. 10 January 2007
  209. 11.07 p.m.
  210. 11 January 2007
  211. 12.35 a.m.
  212. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

At that moment I knew, in every molecule of my being, that this woman was going to be the woman of my life. Among others if you know what I mean.

I came back home just ten minutes ago. I feel exhausted but happier than I have ever been.

Finally, dear Diary, Einstein has made ASSOCIATE.

But please excuse me now. I really must go and charge my new BlackBerry.

What an amazing few months at Dufresne. Wow! You seriously can’t make this stuff up you know, Diary.

Transcript of Robin Varghese’s interview with Sonali Mukherjee of CNBC taped in the CNBC studio in Mumbai on 10 January 2007. Complete version before editing.

Sonali Mukherjee: Good evening and welcome to another edition of Young Turks. This week we have with us a rising star in the Indian management consulting industry. After a leaked voicemail recording that became an Internet sensation, Robin Varghese of Dufresne Partners is now considered by many to be a new kind of management guru. In his blog Amitabh Bachchan called Varghese the ‘true authentic voice of the Indian business professional’. Ladies and gentlemen, Robin Varghese. Hi Robin, welcome to our show.

Robin Varghese: Oh, it’s wonderful to be with you, Sonali. I have always enjoyed watching you on TV. You look absolutely awesome. Wow …

SM: Thank you so much, Robin. Or should we call you by your business school nickname ‘Einstein’? (Laughs)

RV: (Laughs loudly) Oh Sonali! (Reaches over and pats her knee) I had no idea you guys knew that! That’s some great research. But let’s keep this interview really informal.

SM: So I’ll just call you Robin then …

RV: No, no, just chill. You should just be informal and call me Einstein. All my friends do.

SM: Oh … okay … So tell me, Einstein, you were a little-known management consultant working for Dufresne Partners just weeks ago. Today you are considered by many to be a management guru. How have you been coping with this transformation?

RV: Well, obviously I was never as famous as Shah Rukh Khan or Mohanlal till just now. But I always had a reputation amongst members of the MBA and consulting communities. So I am not entirely new to fame. No major issues adjusting.

SM: And does it ever go to your head at all? Can being in the national spotlight make you arrogant?

RV: That is a great question, Sonali. I am glad you asked this. Because in our society it is sometimes a crime to be honest about your own abilities. For instance, I know that when it comes to management consulting or strategic thinking I may have superior skills compared to most other people. But it’s not like I go around telling everyone, whenever I get a chance, that I have pretty awesome consulting and strategizing skills. THAT would be arrogance. I like to think I am very modest and actually quite reclusive about my above par business thinking and implementation abilities. I try not to talk about it.