In India, you're so used to asking for directions from people, Maps seemed unnecessary.

And in all the years I've driven to places, there was always the auto stand, the corner store or helpful pedestrians.

It's hard to find roads without people in India. There's someone to show you the way and sometimes, they'll go out of their way to help.

The directions may be confusing and imprecise but well-intentioned.

People want to be helpful even when they don't have a clue.

My first experience of using Maps was to find the entrance exam centre for my son in Pondicherry, a city we were not familiar with.

I was highly skeptical that it would actually show the correct way in the glorious mess of India's road names and roundabouts.

Now, an Indian voice guides you but at the time, it was obviously American. And the voice had a tough time with the street names, and it was amusing to hear the stumbles.

But we got the gist of the directions.

When we were guided through a narrow left and then led to the correct centre well in time, I became a fan.

What's better than being told 'You have arrived...'?

The significance of Blue ticks

Does your Twitter account have a Blue tick next to your name?

It doesn't? Tch. Tch.

Amazing how it's taken on several meanings and status connotations within the last few years.

Verified profiles have become sought after

Facebook also has the blue tick to verify your profile. But it does not have the same Twitter swagger for unknown reasons.

Why is a simple sign like this open to interpretation and misinterpretation?

The moment a differentiator is created, people want to get it for themselves.

Works in practically every category.

Double Blue ticks are another signal on WhatsApp.

Tells the sender you've seen a message.

A simple notification becomes increasingly complex through interpretation.

Some people don't want to admit they have seen the message, so they block off the signal. Allows for deniability later.

The other signal people block is 'Last seen'. It's a frequent flash point between parents and kids.

Kids don't like to be tracked. But parents want to know. And that sets up points of conflict.

Status, subterfuge, conflict. Any signal is open to layered interpretation.

It does not matter what the feature or the notification is. Once it can be interpreted, it changes.

Non-verbal cues take over and dominate.

There are singers. And there's Karaoke.

One of the great things about Karaoke is its inclusivity.

It doesn't matter of you don't know the difference between C Sharp and B Flat.

Or if the composition is based on Raag Yaman or Kalyani.

It allows you to sing off key, off pitch and still have a great time.

Karaoke literally means 'empty orchestra'

And what started off in bars and clubs has now grown to include reunions, weddings and anniversaries.

It originated in Japan and grown to have a market value of over $5700 million globally.

Not bad for the rest of us who can't hold a note beyond a point.

This includes the song systems, equipment and tracks that have steadily made inroads and probably stolen some market share from that evergreen Indian activity - Antakshris

You can buy entire sets of the background music of popular numbers and keep expanding the collection.

It has birthed apps like Smule which cater to the breed of talented 'bathroom singers'

May be they aren't pros but they can still dazzle their own class of Boomers or Millennials.

For a brief while, bask in the stardom that great singers take for granted.

And build a captivating acquaintance with soulful melodies.

Every week, I'll plant a few ideas in your mind on branding, behavior and markets. Triggers for your thoughts. Spread the word to your friends. All you have to do is click the link and enter an email address.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideascape.substack.com