Structure of a white paper

If you are planning to write a technical white paper the following high level structure may be helpful.

Parts of a paper:

• Title (keep it short!)
• Authors (typically listed in alphabetical order unless some one’s contribution stands out)
• Abstract (shorter version of intro)
• Intro (here is where you do the selling – perhaps the most important section)
  • What is the problem?
  • Why is it important? What are the applications?
  • Why are existing solutions inadequate?
  • What are our key technical contributions?
  • Highlight of experimental results
• Related work (here you compare & differentiate with existing work, try to be comprehensive)
• Model & Problem definition (formal statement of the problem)
• Algo/solution for subproblem 1
• Algo/solution for subproblem 2
• Experimental evaluation
  • Data sets (preferably real-life)
  • Performance metrics (accuracy, execution time)
  • Algo/solutions compared
  • Experimentation platform
  • Performance graphs
• Conclusions
  • Recap of contributions, experimental results
  • Directions for future work
• References
• Appendix (here’s where you put details like proofs of theorems, non-critical but useful reference material) 

Try to fill all these in 10 pages.

We, "the players...."

Writing after a long time...on this blog.Lots of events to mention...

Visits to my teams in Singapore, Jordan. Taiwan and Sunnyvale visits.
Carol joined as our CEO
Ari , our Head of Engg left
Blake joined
PSR left
Org changes. Emerging Markets teams have moved to different teams after reorg. I am going to stay back with my VP heading the Quality Engineering for Yahoos new search strategy..mainly the vertical intent search team. I also need to lead the Locals and Listings Platform QE also. Need to set up a new team. First 90 days book again useful here. Another good news. I got promoted as Director - Quality Engineering.

Communication Tips : How to Answer any questions you face

Recently I attended a training on

• How to ask appropriate questions and
• how to answer questions you face

I really liked the Tip given on how to answer. Our answers to any questions need to be precise and answer what is asked. Don't assume the questioner would have assumed some more questions and don't over answer. Be precise. Please ensure your answers start with any of the following

Precision Answers

1. Yes/No
2. May be
3. I don't know
4. number/name
5. Time
6. Bullet answer

•         single
•         multiple 

Summer Rain an older poem (2000)by Baiju

Summer Rain


When the flowers of my garden
Gasp in the cruel hands of summer,
When dreams and desires
Start withering away in the heat,

When memories boil, I wait,
Like a rain bird searching for
A drop of water and life...
A Gentle kiss of north wind...

Then come the dreams... dry and red
To bleed my silent gentle sleep.
A spider trapping the 'Questions
Of Gargi*' with its killing Net.

The abandoned finger of Ekalavya**,
Children playing on a dry river 'land'...
My love, the gentle breezes are gone...
Come and hug me, We'll wait for the summer rains.

* Gargi - symbol of true questions in vedas. She challenged the sage Yajnavalkya with perturbing questions on the atman (soul).

** Ekalavya - Drona, the Guru demands that Ekalavya turn over his right thumb as a teacher's fee. The loyal Ekalavya cripples himself, and thereby ruins his prospects as an archer, by severing his thumb and giving it to Drona.