ONDC's Rise and Red Bull's Reign: Who is to say Dune Part 2 is better than our Memes :)

This month, fasten your seat belts for a rollercoaster ride through ONDC's staggering journey to the 50-million transaction mark and remain buckled up as we zoom into the adrenaline-fueled world of Red Bull's marketing empire.

ONDC Milestones:

Since its launch last year, the ONDC crew has been taking digital retail for a wild ride, clocking in a jaw-dropping 49.79 million transactions. It's like watching a rocket launch, except instead of a spacecraft, it's propelling digital commerce into the stratosphere. The “UPI of e-commerce” is HERE.

ONDC aims to do for e-commerce what email did for communication. Like SMTP unleashed email communication across various platforms (think sending an email from Gmail to Outlook) and HTTP propelled the internet revolution, ONDC enables transactions across multiple retail platforms without needing a proprietary interface. Imagine buying groceries, booking flights, and scheduling spa services all from a single app of your choice, not dictated by the service provider.

And speaking of stratospheres, while mobility apps like Namma Yatri are leading the charge, Food and Beverages are catching up faster than you can say, Jack Robinson. The seller base has ballooned from 8,500 to a mind-boggling 3.8 lakh, with non-mobility sectors joining the party in droves. As crucial players like Paytm, OLA, Snapdeal, and Magicpin jump on board, ONDC spreads faster than gossip in the WhatsApp University cafeteria. March 2024 even saw over 100 monthly orders in 622 cities/districts, proving that ONDC isn't just a platform. It's a digital commerce phenomenon.

ONDC has levelled the playing field for small businesses. In 2024, a survey revealed that 60% of sellers on ONDC are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and their online sales have increased by 40% since joining the network.

The Beckn Protocol underpins ONDC and is like a universal translator for e-commerce platforms, akin to a Rosetta Stone for digital services. It allows apps and digital services to "speak" to each other seamlessly. The Beckn Protocol has become a verb in the tech world. "Just Beckn it!" has become a common phrase among developers when discussing open-source solutions for digital commerce.

Thanks to ONDC and Beckn Protocol, the future might be one where you no longer need to have a dozen apps for different services. A single interface could let you access a marketplace as diverse as the internet itself. Clearing out the app drawer could become the new spring cleaning!

And prevent any FOMO syndrome by reading my article in the Mint about ONDC and Beckn as deliverers of abundance and utopia: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/the-abundance-algorithm-technology-is-re-wiring-economic-prospects-for-all-11713366616480.html?

Red Bull: A Marketing Marvel (with a side of beverage):

An Austrian marketing executive, Dietrich Mateschitz, ventures to Thailand and discovers Krating Daeng, an energy drink concocted by Thai pharmacist Chaleo Yoovidhya. Little did they know, this chance encounter would spark a revolution in the beverage industry, birthing an empire built on adrenaline-fueled experiences and bold marketing games.

1987 was the year Red Bull officially launched, with Mateschitz making it seem fancier and more expensive than other drinks. Soon, it became super popular at extreme sports events and college parties, with its logo seen everywhere.

But wait, there's more! In 1989, Red Bull decided to rev its engines and enter Formula 1 because, apparently, dominating the beverage aisle wasn't thrilling enough. They bought teams like Sauber F1 and Jaguar Racing, slapped the Red Bull Racing label on them, and boom, they were off to the races.?

With Christian Horner calling the shots and Sebastian Vettel burning rubber, they snag four F1 titles in a row. When Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton start dominating the podium, Red Bull counters with Max Verstappen, proving that they're not just in it for the glory; they're here to make history.

Why spend so much on racing? The answer lies in brand exposure and the creation of history. Through Red Bull Racing, Mateschitz not only doubled his investment but also cultivated a legacy that resonates across generations, fostering deep affection among fans worldwide.

Red Bull's influence extends far beyond the racetrack. With soccer teams, esports ventures, and a media empire boasting Red Bull TV, the brand manufactures history across diverse sporting arenas.

And who could forget Felix Baumgartner's breathtaking leap from the edge of space in 2012, a testament to Red Bull's audacity and innovation?

Stop Press—India has its own category-busting energy drink, Rockit. Interestingly, its first-month sales after only launching in Panipat were 4.25 crores. Their competition is the local “Khaini,” not necessarily Red Bull.

And finally, gather around, fellow technophiles! It's time to spill the beans on the freshest app to hit the digital scene: “Airchat” by Naval Ravikant (yes, all of you know who that is). Reviews? Oh, they're as varied as a box of assorted chocolates.?

But let's not rush to judgment just yet:? Is it a game-changer or merely a fleeting fad like Clubhouse? ( who can say)?

On a serious note, who's already onboarded the app, and what's the experience like?

In the grand pantheon of tech geekdom, there are a few rites of passage that one must endure to earn the title of a techie worth their salt. Among these, having "Dune," "3 Body Problem," and "Dark Matter" on your watchlist isn’t just a recommendation—it’s practically a tech commandment.

Firstly, let’s talk about "Dune." If your idea of sand control is managing your inbox's spam, you’re not ready. "Dune" isn’t just about vast deserts and spice; it’s a masterclass in managing complex systems and navigating treacherous environments—skills every techie needs when deciphering the labyrinthine world of legacy code or the mystic realm of client requirements.

Then there's "The Three-Body Problem." If your biggest problem-solving challenge is choosing which pizza topping to order during a late-night coding session, you're not there yet. This series isn't just a sci-fi adventure; it's about predicting the unpredictable and dealing with chaos theory. It is much like handling a software project where the specs keep changing faster than a quantum particle's state.

And finally, "Dark Matter." This isn't just about exploring alternate lives through a quantum lens—it’s about considering all variables and potential outcomes, a daily reality for any developer debugging their way through spaghetti code or a hardware engineer trying to figure out why the gadget that worked perfectly fine in prototyping now refuses to function.

A true techie not only watches these series but draws from them. They see the parallels between Arrakis’ power struggles and office politics, between the unpredictability of alien contact in "The Three-Body Problem" and sudden shifts in tech trends, and between the multiverse of "Dark Matter" and the endless possibilities in coding.

So, are you a true blue techie? Or are you just someone who thinks rebooting is a sufficient fix for everything? Watching these shows is more than entertainment for true tech enthusiasts—it's continuing education. Make sure you’re enrolled!