Saturday 4 May 2013

Mu Sigma Review


Mu Sigma: The Insider


This is the truth of a company that is riding the wave of Big Data hype.

This company is seen as the biggest company out of India that has been successful in the nascent field of Big Data Analytics.  While things appear as they should from outside: Fast growing company, a marquee client list, 5 star investors, large employee force and a promising path ahead in the multi-billion dollar Big Data Industry.

The inside story is quite different. The below are facts and experiences gathered from working in this company called Mu Sigma Business Solutions Private Limited based out of Bangalore.

The Employees

The major part of the workforce is fresh engineering graduates from all kinds of colleges around the country. Almost all hires have no work experience (in any industry) and do not have any academic exposure to Analytics.

All of these hires are given a basic training of 3-4 weeks. This training is what is hyped up as “Mu Sigma University”, which is nothing but a pair of training rooms and 4-5 adhoc trainers hired from the market. There are no internal systems or procedures to ensure continuous learning. Neither there is any knowledge management.

After 3-4 weeks of training these new hires are expected to start solving business problems for clients under the guidance of a Manager. As can be expected, most freshers do not have relevant technical, business or language skills.


Due to lack of proper training employees need to work for at least 16-20 hours a day. Employees are expected to work on weekends and holidays. In many teams this is a regular feature without any compensatory off or extra payment. “Office in-time” of employees is tracked and enforced but there is no “out-time”.  It is expected that you will come to office by 9:30 a.m. and leave whenever the work is over (which never does). I still remember the CEO taunting a girl in the lift at 10:00 a.m. for being late (She had been working late previous day and left office after 10:00 p.m.) He told her, “This is Mu Sigma,  that is like the normal time”.
Experience and smart work are not valued. This advertised as that we are “learning” oriented and not “knowing” oriented. This is a gimmick to keep the costs low. Most teams are deliberately kept fresher heavy as they come cheap (Around Rs. 3-4 Lacs per annum). Managers hardly have an opportunity to learn anything from a career advancement perspective as they are always busy doing petty admin work, which should be taken care by systems and procedures.  

Employees are moved randomly between teams. So there is no real knowledge creation within the teams and what you have is a bunch of stressed out people with superficial skills and knowledge. Company sells this stupidity internally by saying that “we do not want you to be in your comfort zone” , while actually it’s a necessity to deal with super high attrition. Such teams rarely deliver any lasting value to its members or the client.

Mu Sigma has come up with a fixed career path scheme wherein there is "No real appraisal for first 2 years for freshers". What it means is that hike and promotion of a fresher are fixed for first 2 years in the company.  This is advertised as a philosophical move, saying that we do not want to judge people initially and give them time to groom. Actually it is a step to arrest high attrition (almost 50%). The incentive of assured promotion, from Business Analyst to Senior Business Analyst, keeps freshers in the company.

Lack of skill, time pressure and absence of adequate infrastructural support, creates an atmosphere of extreme stress. Many new hires start losing their health after joining the company (many become heavy smokers). Fixed career path and lack of skills, leads to tremendous free-rider problem within teams. which in turn causes conflicts. HR managers are not only incompetent in dealing with complex situations, they use such opportunities to push their own agenda. Due to lack of clarity in their roles, HR end up interfering with the workings of the team.  There are no standard HR policies and conflict situations are used to enforce the will of senior management. Middle managers suffer the most and do not have a say in most things.


The Management
I found the management of Mu Sigma highly unethical. They often use dubious means to win clients. Case studies shared with potential clients are often fake.

Many a times Mu Sigma uses concepts and knowledge from the public domain and presents it as its own. Even the senior leadership blatantly steal concepts from published work and presents as their own. Public example of this blatant plagiarism is the product they have released called "MuPDNA". All the concepts are exactly copied from a book called "The McKinsey Way" by ETHAN M. RASIEL. Mu Sigma is not only presenting these concepts as its own but also trying to commercialize them.

Founder is a salesman, so they are good at selling but do not know what to do after the sale.
Professionalism of several senior leaders is questionable. CEO and the other’s from senior leadership often use foul language (Fu**, Chu****) in internal meetings. At least 15 – 20 people from the CEO’s family are deployed in the business. Some of them hold key positions in the company without relevant qualifications. 

Vision statements from senior leadership are nothing but a bunch of management jargon's, stolen or hearsay . There is no real vision for the company, forget about executing it.

The Infrastructure

Most of the senior leadership, barring a few, are general managers. They neither understand Analytics nor the technology/systems required to deliver it. Hence they do not invest in either. Even the business systems required to run day to day business of the company are absent.

Despite getting a spate of investments, Mu Sigma does not have infrastructure in place to handle Big Data. Employees have to put in extra hours, holidays and weekends to make things work.  

Company does not have basic facilities like a telecommunication system, data servers, personal machines etc. This forces employees to use their own resources for everything: Join meetings or be present in office at odd hours, use poor quality free conferencing systems for communicating, spend extra hours due to antiquated equipment.  What’s laughable is old machines/laptops are not replaced even if they are not working properly or are broken.

One thing which attracts young people to Mu Sigma is the onsite opportunities. But make no mistake as going onsite can be the worst thing you can experience in this company. Once you are marked for an onsite assignment, the ordeal starts. You are on your own in getting everything done in India and the new country that you land up in. Life onsite can be worse.  Most onsite guys have to deal with clients with little support of any kind from the company. There is absolute zero infrastructural or training support for onsite employees

Onsite employees are overworked too and they have to deal with this stress alone. I would guess, if you are dead onsite, Mu Sigma won’t know, neither does it care.

The Customers?

I have deliberately kept the customer section in the end because they are most vulnerable as they are paying the money. 

Given the practices followed by Mu Sigma, I think customers lose the most. Even if the young employees somehow manage this exploitation, they can hardly deliver lasting value. If you ask any of the young people working in the company or see Mu Sigma reviews online, most of them will say “Good learning but No life”. All this learning is at the client’s expense as Mu Sigma does not invest in people and systems. Clients can imagine how much real value can be added by Mu Sigma and its inexperienced and stressed out workforce.  

The obvious question then is: why are investors lining up for Mu Sigma and how come it has such an elite client list?  I can see below reasons:
  • Investors care only about profitability. Mu Sigma has kept it costs low by above practices and hence been profitable
  • Widespread use of Data Analytics is still nascent. It’s hard to judge the real value of data and most clients do not yet understand how to deal with Analytics outsourcing and value Analytics work. Mu Sigma takes advantage of this ignorance.
  • Big Data is hyped so much that everyone wants to join the bandwagon, even if they do not understand it well. Mu Sigma is well known and is a cheap alternative. Additionally, unethical practices of Mu Sigma ensure that it appears to be an Analytics service provider that it is not.
  • Big Data Analytics is enjoying the hype that once .com bubble did in 2000. In most companies, what passes as Big Data Analytics is actually Business Intelligence (BI), which has been around for decades.
As a closing note, Mu Sigma hires young, inexperienced, inappropriately skilled people on low salaries. It overworks them and does not provide adequate training. It uses every trick in the book to exploit people and management of the company is arbitrary. 

Even if you discount everything mentioned above and you are lucky enough to manage yourself due to your own initiatives, the rot of the system and senior management will get you and bring you down.

Because Mu Sigma is nothing but a “Modern Sweatshop”.


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See below link for response to comments
http://truthvshype.blogspot.in/2013/09/truth-vs-hype-mu-sigma-review-follow-up.html



463 comments:

  1. I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you're going to innovate.
    Jeff Bezos
    Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jeff_bezos.html#fERKOry1wd4Ervuy.99

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's all in the perception ! #AuthorProbablyIsALazyAss

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And you sir... got fired from Mu Sigma :(

      Delete
    2. http://dataanalyticsandbehaviouralsciences.blogspot.in/

      Multiple grammatical errors in this and wanted to origically post as a comment. There is 4096 character limit. This blog is in response to what you wrote and I hope the word spreads.

      Delete
  3. Mu Sigma's Montessori Approach to talent Management and Developing leaders- recognized in Harvard Business Review Blog

    http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/01/develop_leaders_the_montessori.html


    ReplyDelete
  4. Bullshit!I've worked in Mu Sigma for more than 1 year and I can tell you that this article is bullshit! It's million times better to work here rather than in any IT firm(telling this from bad experiences of close friends in the topmost IT companies).From the perspective of an employee,the work culture demands lot of hard work but that brings immense learning as well which is more important for any ambitious person out there.We care for the client's business way more seriously than what is expected of us-read the client reviews for god's sake!
    Working hours- I have seen many people voluntarily working till late to challenge their brains lot more than a normal person can do on everyday basis.This is why they stand apart and many of them are lured by other companies for very high salaries,with just 1-2 years of Mu Sigma exprnc(that's a bad thing for the company,I must say).There are people working just 8-9 hrs everyday here for months.It depends upon your efficiency and time management skills!
    There is full transparency in the company.We love it.
    I could not have been more satisfied working in any other company in the industry. Mu Sigma is a phenomenon,people associated with it have experienced that,one day it will be clear to all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Question is my friend- how long are you ready to call the company awesome. One day you will realize that someone pays you way better than Mu Sigma,teaches you much more than them (domain knowledge/intellectual skill set) and also gives you time to spend with your parents and other people whom you love.
      It is at best a superb (yup the best) training ground to jump to a better job (at Dell/CapOne) etc. or a good onsite opportunity or an MBA school .2 years is great. But beyond that- probably (it is subjective I understand) - you will be missing out on life if you continue your over worked stint at Mu Sigma.
      Even Mu Sigma doesn't want all of their pyramid base to go stay. Ask a senior management guy. Anaytics services is a $30 per hour business (Rs 36 lacs per year). The best margins are made with freshers (Rs 3 lacs pa).
      And if Mu Sigma was so great at for the whole of your career - why do you see people as bright as or better than you leaving all the time.

      Regards,
      Fellow Ex-Mu Sigman who has worked with captives as well other analytics service providers.

      Delete
    2. I am a former employee of Mu-Sigma and many people have come to me asking me about joining mu sigma and the only thing i tell them is this. "Do you have another option or this the only one?" If this is the only option, then take it otherwise don't even think twice about joining it if you value your life. If you don't value it, you are the perfect person to join it.

      Delete
    3. There are lot better MOOC available online from great companies in Udacity to many great colleges in Coursera as well as there are lot other learning opportunities and all of them is from home.Why do someone need Mu Sigma if it is solely for learning purpose only.

      Delete
  5. Watch here for Mu Sigma Customer Summit Highlights

    http://www.mu-sigma.com/analytics/thought_leadership/videos/musigma-customer-summit2012-highlights.html


    And read below for customers talking about Mu Sigma

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomgroenfeldt/2013/06/03/keybank-moves-to-data-driven-decision-making/

    ReplyDelete
  6. There are close to 1200+ employees and this link has been circulated to almost all.

    Despite this, you can count the number of 'comebacks'.
    #Dothemath

    ReplyDelete
  7. FAIL!
    All bullshit, you must have been a dumb f**k who is not understanding a single word happening out here or who did not understand a word when you were in Mu Sigma.

    #GetaLife

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have been a Mu Sigma employee for over 7.5 years and I felt sad when I read this post. The time I have worked in Mu Sigma has been the phase of my life I am most proud of. It actually hurts to see someone insult my company and the people that I work with. Let me try to stay as factual as possible.

    This article mentions that a major part of our workforce are graduates that we hire from different colleges. Absolutely! What is wrong with that? Our fundamental premise is that the demand for analytics far outstrips the supply and it is important to create this talent to build this industry. If you don’t believe that this model works, you should meet my colleagues who joined us in 2006 and 2007. These people are some of the best problem solvers I have ever seen. They have learned as much in 5-6 years as I had in 10 years. I am thankful that someone hired me for my potential. Regarding the trainers, we have a mix of dedicated trainers and practitioners in MSU. That’s the best way to run an inhouse training facility. In fact a number of our clients find value in training offered by MSU.

    Regarding the working hours… growth is not easy. It requires hard work. I go out to recruit people from campuses across the company and my colleagues and I are direct about the fact that we work hard. And it is worth it.

    Regarding the implication that most people in Mu Sigma are unqualified for the work we do… I disagree! As a company we solve thousands of problems for our customers that give us the confidence we have. At an individual level, we like to challenge ourselves constantly and that’s what makes it exciting. We will always strive to reach higher than where we were last, else none of the great things in history would have been accomplished – flight, man on the moon etc.

    Regarding muPDNA, it does leverage pre-existing concepts but manifests itself in a very unique method and product to represent and solve business problems not done before. Its working well with our clients and they are using it as a benchmark to run their analytical initiatives.

    About the “unethical practices” you talk about. What are they? I have been in Sales at Mu Sigma. We tell our clients where we get our talent from. We show them the training curriculum. We never tout experts to close a sale. We have walked away from many potential deals where we felt we weren’t the right company for the client. If anything, we have learnt that transparency leads to the best possible outcome be it in Sales or in Recruiting.

    Lastly, I don’t want to suggest that we have everything figured out. There are several things that we are still figuring out for ourselves. This is not such a bad thing though. For, if you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t trying hard enough.

    I am happy to speak to anyone about my company. Unlike the blogger who has chosen to remain anonymous, my name is Sriram Thiagarajan and my number is +91-97313-02603. Do call me if you would like to discuss.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An absolute jack a**....Mu sigma fits really well for such a disastrous personality...don't put your number publicly else more than 100 people shall call and abuse u....

      Delete
    2. Fresh update.... this guy has himself left mu sigma...hahahahahahha.....!!

      Delete
    3. I read this post when I joined Mu Sigma. Now its been a while since I quit. Let me tell you something about Unethical policies.

      I was introduced to the Client as en 2 years experienced professional, while actually I was just out of college :P.

      Delete
    4. Even Sriram got fucked over by Dhiraj. He is no longer with the company.

      Delete
    5. LOL what a bunch of fuckers hehe

      Delete
  9. We know who this is. This is not the way to compete. You should build your company positively rather than spreading negativity about Mu Sigma.

    Deepinder @ Mu Sigma

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    Replies
    1. You are not building a company. What you are doing is making a quick buck. With each employee who leaves the company, it gives a bad name and its only a matter of time before the company dies.

      Delete
    2. I thinnk it is published by fractal

      Delete
    3. Can anyone tell me what is happening in Mu Sigma now. Almost of the folks I know are leaving the company or looking out.

      Delete
  10. I do not quite agree with you on most points, my friend. I have been with the company a considerable time for me to give the "inside story". Here are my two cents:

    1) I have been a MSU trainer for the 2 years I have been here. To be honest, I may not be a certified trainer with a degree allowing me to teach college grads. On the other hand, however, I can vouch and say, that all the trainers are subject-exerts and good at what they do. The in-house training according to me is the best in the industry as nothing is better than learning from your peers (ideally, you should have learnt that in college). The trainings are continuously monitored by the MSU team and the feedback shared. When people join teams, they undergo a foundation course designed by each team to make sure the transition from MSU to the team is smooth. As a company, we love to challenge ourselves and push for greater heights..something, I sense you do not like.

    2) We choose to work round the clock because we want to make a difference. No one in the company has or ever will be forced to stay late. If I know I can add value either to the company or to the client's business by staying late for a couple of hours I will do it. Not because I don't have a life (I am more interesting than you ever will, behind that mask) but because I choose to learn and push myself, coz that's something you promised yourself as a kid. Or maybe you did not.

    3) Experience and smart work ARE absolutely valued. I know people who have led teams at the age of 24. Nowhere in the market are you going to get opportunities like this. Why does Mu Sigma trust these bunch of kids? Because they are smart and have proved themselves on the floor. You sound like a jilted lover, maybe the company did not see any value in investing in you.

    4) The management and the leadership team is bunch of guys who love to have fun. I would rather have an open heart-to-heart conversation with one of them (someone who is willing to listen) than with a suit who can only pretend to be all ears. Have you, in the time you were here, ever had a conversation with anyone of them? I know people who are willing to follow Dhiraj blind-folded only because of the trust. I have personally had conversations with most of the leadership team and have only left feeling inspired. And boss, they are humans too. It's a free country. Just like you have the right to put up incorrect facts, they have the right to say whatever they want to.

    5) People smoke because they want to. Period.

    6) The points in between are baseless (about IT etc. Boss, no company is perfect)

    7)"Middle managers suffer the most and do not have a say in most things."
    Believe me, you will never find a company which is willing to listen to every single god-damn crib you can come up with.

    8) Your guess about onsites is incorrect too. Most people have a great time onsite with the exposure. Most of them are young and it's their first outing abroad. They love the client exposure. Did you ever travel onsite for Mu Sigma? Could you provide a few instances that could clear up a few things?

    9) I do not need to talk about the customers. Honestly, there are enough videos of people speaking about us. To come to someone's blog (and that too an anonymous blog) to read about the clients Mu Sigma has is foolish.

    To be very honest, I was saddened when I read this post. I am sad not because you chose to blast Mu Sigma left-right-center but because Mu Sigma, as a company, was unable to show you it's strengths, it's positives. No company is perfect dude and believe me not all employees in a company can ever be happy, but if the learning you can get from a company can overpower all the cribs you have, then you have struck gold.

    Feel free to debate on any of the above points. It would have been better if you could have done the same while you were in Mu Sigma, with your manager or someone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuj, heard that you left the company too. What happened?

      Delete
    2. Lol....he must be an Ambiga chamcha :P

      Delete
  11. Empty vessels make more noise!!!

    It is shameful to see someone going to such vile means by posting downright lies about an organization that has contributed to practically everything the person could have learnt in their professional career.

    Personally speaking, I was a fresh graduate when I joined this company about a year ago and I am proud to say that I am at par if not better than most of my counterparts in other companies. Other companies have respect for Mu Sigma and the work that is being done here and if needed I can give you testimonials from people at the top of their respective fields.

    Furthermore, if you have such a huge aversion to working hard, you have made all the wrong decisions in life. We work hard because we want to. We slog the extra hour to ensure that we can face any problem coming our way in the future. I agree I had to burn the midnight oil a time or two, but it only helped me become a better professional and I got every single bit of credit for it.

    It is easy to be anonymous and trash talk behind someone's back but the audacity to falsely accuse an organization that has contributed to your growth is shameful.

    Maybe you are the black sheep in the company and have not been able to live up to the standards being maintained. But, crap talk like this will just make us stronger.

    Sticks and stones may brake my bones but words shall never harm me. Our reputation has already been ascertained by our position in the industry and the huge number of testimonials by the clients working with us. The only harm a fickle, back stabbing person can do is to themselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://dataanalyticsandbehaviouralsciences.blogspot.in/

      I loved my time at Mu Sigma. But by no means was it fair. Don't be so closed to possibilities that you are willing to ruin your ethics. You are the test subject of the Milgram Experiment.

      Delete
  12. There is a blog about microsoft that came out last year

    http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/22/frustration-disappointment-and-apathy-my-years-at-microsoft/

    http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/fired-microsoft-employee-is-mad-but-at-the-wrong-things/6054

    Getting fired is not easy to handle

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  13. U starting a new company in blr?? need any support?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Its really disheartening to read such a blog about a company which has been a bread and butter to my family as well as my career. I understand your frustration. But surely it would have served you and your needs for the duration you have been in MuSigma. Definitely the autheticity of the post needs to be challenged.

    Firstly, the leadership team is really awesome. They have been working hard to get more clients and add value to the client as well as MuSigma.

    Trust me, i dont work more than 9-10 hrs a day except when i have late nite client calls. Company never forces anyone to stay late and contribute. Its individual discretion. Accusing the company unnecessarily is never a good idea. I understand things are a little hectic. But none of us are experts here and individuals choose to stay and learn.

    With just 15 months in MuSigma, i feel so confident to talk to clients and managers from other companies. They are infact surprised that i know so much stuff in just a span of 15 months.

    May be u were not a right fit for a genius company like MuSigma and got hired by mistake. I feel sad for my company.MuSigma anyways deserves the best of the best geniuses around to work and not hypocrites like you. Good that such a weed is out of MuSigma.

    Please no one should follow this post or believe the author of this blog.Its of no value and its all about foolish cribs and highly exaggerated piece of shit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://dataanalyticsandbehaviouralsciences.blogspot.in/

      I completely agree with the writer of this blog. And if you have been in Mu Sigma as long as you say you have, you are either wrong or foolish. In your heart you know how unethical this company is and how in the name of capitalism its a dictatorship. Please as an employee who knows the truth, stop defending what you know to be wrong.
      After reading this you will either realise that you are wrong or you will reject the possibility. For your sake I hope its the former.
      I assure you that I loved my time at Mu Sigma. But the company is rotten at its core and you need to fix it.

      Delete
    2. This Sagar also left the company long back. It almost feels like they write something but really don't mean it

      Delete
  15. So true bro. Full marks for bringing out the truth about how things are. Do you know due to this article Dhiraj has called meeting of all SMs and told them that they should comment on this blog and say the things above, as you know how random can his decisions be that people out of fear of their asses had to say the come-backs they've said as reply. In fact I'm sure that he'll also hold a general meet to tell everyone inside MuSigma to comment and abuse you, but fear not my friend no matter how much they say or do the truth can't be muffled!!

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    Replies
    1. Not only that there will be an owner who will maintain a sheet tracking people who have commented and who haven't. checklist :). It's not long before the company goes down, because dishonesty can take you to only this far. I feel bad for the clients because they are impacted the most.

      Delete
  16. The problem with mu sigma is that they have no respect for their employee and especially BA and SBA. The negative feelings among these group have grown so much that once you step in the office, negative feelings surround you and then it becomes a prob. to work. The worst part of this is that company knows about that and is not doing and will not do anything about it. They know engg are infinite in nos. If one will leave the company, 10 more will come.

    Second problem is that if this company can somehow manage to get back 1 rs from each employee, they will do. Running a Pvt. Ltd requires a big heart

    All the comments above are by Management Team or you can call the big heads of the company. Name me one company where the big heads are not satisfied????? The comment by tpatroit is 100% true. People are being told to go to the link and comment +ve about the company. It is just that BA's and SBA's are frighted hence they are not commenting.

    The only good thing about Mu Sigma is the work. Probably mu sigma is 1st company who hires directly from clgs and that too in masses for a great work.

    If any big head is reading and especially CEO then I would say may be you are doing everything to make your employee satisfied but the efforts you are making are giving no result. The best part and worst part about engg. is that their capability of spreading the word about anything. Mu Sigma got its hype as they targeted engg. but if these engg. start spreading negative words about mu sigma then it will be painful for the company.

    In the end i would say a line to Dhiraj

    I have great respect for you as a founder, but not as a CEO.
    You have struggled and started a great company but you are not managing the way it should be managed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree with your points \m/

      Delete
    2. I can't tell u how much I agree with the last line to Dhiraj

      Delete
    3. Dhiraj has now started a bonded labor policy.
      You CANNOT quit till 3 YEARS after joining. & Notice period is 6 months now.

      Delete
    4. Lol!!!! the mail came on 7th. :P :P

      Delete
  17. Well all the points are not true but most of them are true in most of the teams which everyone should accept!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Of course, this is anonymous, for two main reasons: one, there are multiple people writing this response, two: all of them prefer it this way. Since some people have openly challenged others to debate their points, here is the debate.

    @rahul: On what premise do you say it's a million times better than any IT company? I'd like to know those million people who'd rather work in Mu Sigma than Facebook or Google. There are teams that fudge data to better suit their reports. Once or twice a year there is some "leak" case due to which an audit takes place. Let's not get into the misogyny and chauvinism against young women, who are treated as titillating objects to draw the men to work, and grown into a culture where they believe they walk the ramp everyday at work (naturally, they are allowed to wear whatever they please).

    @anuj:
    1. You being an MSU trainer isn't a statement of its quality. "Experts" at Mu Sigma are a dime a dozen, at what is commonly called half-knowledge. When a person who knows something about computer science is told that a table cannot have a foreign key reference to itself, during training, you know the training is worthless

    2. We know people who'd been placed in CAP for not working late. We also don't understand why someone has to enter at 9:30 and stick around till 9 pm just for a client call

    3. So in your opinion 24 year olds leading teams is "valuing experience"? There are companies where you can become a manager in two years too, if you're looking for such quick-fix pathways

    6. That's not an excuse for shoddy infrastructure and cheap mindset (the AC is switched off if there are no clients, you lose a day's salary if you don't attend their "fun" activities, awards get you a measly 500 bucks, which is equivalent to a 15 year old's pocketmoney, etc)

    9. Mu Sigma's USP is to work quickly and cheap: look at competing RFPs for proof. Clients know that, so they don't really expect great quality. There is nothing wrong in that arrangement, it's business. What's wrong is the glamorous way it's projected to the employees

    @others:
    There was a time when they would actually only hire from NITs, BITS, etc. and had a good bunch of brains inside. Take a look at their current lineup, they hire dozens from the college across the street nobody's ever heard of. Means they need more manpower than brains now: good time to exit.
    If you think talking to clients in 15 months is a big thing, goes to show how inept you are at TALKING, which everybody else except mass engineers manage perfectly well naturally.
    You can see a number of people commenting via OpenIDs now (including this), which should negate your points about this person being the odd one out while everybody else is in utopia.

    Lastly, since Mu Sigma is obsessed with the obscene, you know the saying of how the ones who talk the most about sex are the ones who are getting it the least? It's the same with "innovation". Everybody in Mu Sigma has an enormously bloated head and it hurts their own pride to see others criticise what they've been working hard at, but you should at least see it rationally: how many members in your OWN team know anything in stats beyond interpreting SAS outputs and basic logistic regression? How many know what Big Data actually means, and how to operate on it? How many take hours for a job that should be done in a few minutes? Speaks volumes about your innovative abilities and brain-strength.

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    Replies
    1. Superb content dude. It is just the way they do their business (nothing wrong about it). But to over estimate the utility of Mu Sigma in your career (beyond the initial time frame) will be a mistake.

      Delete
  19. All that is written, i would say is partially correct and partially wrong.
    I would like to mention few points too..

    1) I don't know what the talent management team does. They are seriously a bunch of small brains. Why am i saying that? A business analyst here in musigma with a year and more experience, works for a client in which most of the job is reporting with no new stuff to learn whereas the young ones who are just out of MSU are put into pilots where learning curve is exponential. I don't see a reason behind this. Pilots are very important to musigma and they hand over the responsibility to new ones whereas the old and experienced people sit and do reports.. What a concept..!!!!!

    2) The comment that i saw about Dhiraj being respected as a founder and not as a CEO is true. One good example is the recent change in the attire rules. Fridays used to be casuals in musigma until a year back. A girl didnt come in "proper casual attire" on a friday, A client saw it and despised it. and what the employees get a mail from dhiraj is, from now on fridays wont be casuals. All have to wear formals on fridays. Just because of one girl u revoke the freedom of all, is bullshit. And that too on the other hand, he sends a mail to everyone that he will distribute musigma t-shirts to everyone so that it can be worn on fridays and if that is being respected he will give more "FREEDOM" on fridays. As if he is a dictator and we are his slaves.

    Finally a suggestion, I would like to say that MR. DHIRAJ RAJARAM, You have done a great job by giving engineering grads to be BA's and SBA's but please don't treat them as your slaves. They are the ones who are helping you run your company. without them Musigma is nothing. RESPECT THEM, not for yourself but for the goodwill of a great company called MU-SIGMA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD.

    ReplyDelete
  20. After going through the post , comments and complains which my close once used to make when they were part of mu sigma.I feel the company did grown a lot with the help of hard working and unsatisfied freshers ( excluding the workoholic ppl who dont need work life balance ) .


    ReplyDelete
  21. I agree with the blog. The comments against it are mostly emotional reactions and others are motivated by the seniors from the company. My experience working with this company has been similar.

    ReplyDelete
  22. It's sad to see a company valued at $1B+ is actually driven by highly unsatisfied employees (majority being young folks). I sincerely hope the management takes note of the negatives with higher priority than focusing on increasing the client base and the valuation for the benefit of the VC investors.

    Dhiraj is an alumnus of the prestigious Booth school of business, University of Chicago and the institution expects the highest levels of integrity, honesty and commitment from the alumnus as a way of giving back to the institution and to uphold the image of the school in general. Again, if the way Mu Sigma is run breaches any of the values mentioned above, it is a serious problem for Dhiraj and his team.

    I hope the team at MuSigma finds success the positive way and hope the young minds who haven't had much luck at Musigma were able to find success and peace in their next assignments.

    ReplyDelete
  23. A company meant only for freshers.The disadvantages to its employees turns beneficial and economical for the company. Check glassdoor.....!

    Pros: Excellent learning curve - If I sit by myself and do so may hit and trials, till it fits my customer requirements, ofcourse I'll become a pro in analytics.....but alas i've worked like an a**
    Excellent peer group - They are 90% freshers who are rowing the same boat of hit-n-trial mechanism. Point out a single guy with 3+ experience, u'll find 1 in 100 !
    Another question, why don't people stay for a longer duration of tenure??
    Dedicated leadership group - Quite dedicated in screwing people even if you work your a** off, yes you learn under pressure !!
    Challenging roles to play - What will you do after becoming a manager with 3 years of work ex? An AM in Mu Sigma is considered an ordinary analyst outside (understand that!)....and is supposed to do coding and base level work...
    Good switching options - yes its a good launchpad for other higher paying jobs (the only advantage!)

    Cons: Long working hours - quite obvious in the MSU program with our so called Decision Science practitioners
    Some people are directly pushed into the battle field.....go boy do your best....or leave
    Less pay - Peanuts for employees served in golden dishes...mind you cannot keep the dish....good way of luring youngsters with the bonus funda
    Non employee friendly - managers think themselves to be Hitlers....screw the kids and get the work done....cool way of running a business indeed
    Cost cutting operations - ITPL SEZ hut is a perfect example....They would not hesitate keeping more benches around your bay...to accommodate more people in lesser space
    Wear formals always - Why??........I know you can even make us wear nothing if your client asks that...but boss we are not machines, that you decide our eating/living/bathing/clothing habits

    ReplyDelete
  24. For fresher engineer MU-SIGMA or INFOSYS . Please reply as soon as posssible

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know the facts, you are the best judge. Nobody else can give you a final word on such matters.

      Delete
    2. My say would be join there and work for an year and half and then say f*** o** :P

      Delete

  25. My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!




    courses for business analyst in india

    ReplyDelete
  26. All,
    1) Mu-Sigma does a great job in grooming talent. I am a former alumnus and do not see time and money spent on new employees including those with a lot more wherewithal.

    2) Regarding hiring from pedigreed universities, talent needs to be tapped from where-ever. As some of my close friends from pedigreed Universities themselves have stated, Dhoni is from Ranchi. Jharkhand has never featured in domestic circuits. Would India not pick Dhoni because he is not from a traditional cricketing center?

    Gautham Ramachandran
    ramachandran.gautham@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I am the mother of a 23 year old son who was taken in by mu sigma through campus interview. It is almost 1 1/2 years in mu sigma. he almost works for 16 to 18 hours per day and things haven't changed till date. It is nothing but slavery. I am sure many of us(parents) are much worried about our child's health.Why are they such? Don't they have families back home? Why don't they behave human?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother,what can you expect when it is a lala company and disingenuous ,unethical family company.the CEO Dhiraj himself said-EVEN IF THE .COMPANY CRASHES,I HAVE MADE MY MONEY,I AM SAFE.
      don't they have family back home?check out about it.
      you can fool some people all the time
      you can fool all the people some of the time(mu sigma)
      but ,YOU CANNOT FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.

      Delete
    2. This is to address the mother who brings up her concern about her 23 year old son working 16 - 18 hours. When I was 21, I moved to the US (Thousands of miles away from my family) pursuing my MS working 16 - 18 hour days. It has been more than 10 years and I am still living thousands of miles away.

      Delete
    3. Dude Keep that US crap away... the work culture in India is different... I also live in the US and I know how much I have to work here to earn. But in India, the things are different...

      Delete
    4. Dear Mother, I agree with your concern regarding health of your son. But a bigger concern is that the company would make him an unethical person, there will be no integrity and honesty. There are many examples, what is told to client, what is communicated internally, what is told to investors, whole gimmick - crazy

      Delete
  28. Seems like true.
    Mu-Sigma employees have put up comments in defense and have now disappeared. The best that the admin can do is to remove all the blogs and circulate this article.

    This is what I can say, as one of them is my friend, who is always in office and in stress.

    Mu Sigma looks good from outside but its like a concentration camp for employees. Managers sit and enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  29. All this has really scared me. I was really looking forward to a career in Mu Sigma...and now this. This is really heartbreaking. :(

    ReplyDelete
  30. there is nothing to be scared , who does dhiraj think he is ,SON OF BITCH.do not join you will get a better company and a better life.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Mu Sigma is a company full of assholes. Sad thing is that they think they are super cool and people who are not like them are not smart. I have worked there and there are some smart people but there are many assholes too especially managers. I mean they have got all the hype so they think they are fucking topnotch data specialists.
    Asshole is the only word that comes to my mind. Dhiraj is also getting fatass day by day by sucking blood of young people.
    This company is already on the way to doom. I give it 18 months.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Being a analytics professional, I just wish if things were different. My experience with this company is similar to what has been aptly described by the blogger. I just hope Mu Sigma takes a cue from this blog and improves...

    ReplyDelete
  33. First things first, half of the people who commented above in favour of Mu Sigma have themselves left the company. How ironic is that Mu Sigma is publishing articles on retaining your data scientists while they are the ones with the highest attrition rate in the industry, while no one else stands even close. http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/comment/how-to-keep-your-big-data-scientists-145078

    I have been at Mu Sigma, and they kind of atmosphere that is harnessed within the company is self complacent, which makes you feel significant coz the things you do are much hyped about by publishing and sharing articles(half of which are published by Mu Sigma itself) Once you get out of the company you realize the disgusting side of the self complacent environment and its fallacy.

    They pay the lowest in the industry, have the lowest of the employee satisfaction, the stringent of the working condition, the longest of the working hours and the worse of the middle management.
    What else gets left out?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi all
    My son recently joined Mu Sigma !! Though I think if a fresher is getting pressure to work hard in the beginning of his carrier, nothing wrong in that, rather it helps to be a better professional. But certainly, with such strains one can not work longer in a company.
    Kindly suggest me, if he has to continue in this company? Right now he has an offer from Infosys too. Should I tell him to switch? Is the experience in Mu Sigma is counted in IT companies?
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Probably Yes! You Should. Its a big pain to to work there

      Delete
    2. Experience in mu sigma is valued everywhere...........

      Delete
    3. I suggest not to shift to Infosys or other IT companies (unless he genuinely has an interest). But get out of Mu Sigma as soon as he completes one year, he'll get other analytics opportunities in companies like Fractal or AbsolutData

      Delete
  35. Whatever written in the article is 100 % true ..!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. if u dont like ..leave it..there r lot of companies..if u hv the skill,attiude...u hop companies as u like..:D

    ReplyDelete
  37. After working in mu sigma is there is a opportunity to switch to a good companies????

    ReplyDelete
  38. Ignore this article...People lack of caliber only can complain.

    ReplyDelete
  39. work is too hectic...........u will miss life..........

    ReplyDelete
  40. I am a final year student and i preparing for campus , mu sigma coming in my college in next month but i don't want to prepare for company like that

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep.. n ask ur frnz also nt to sit fr this. They'll be doomed

      Delete
  41. Mu Sigma and its founders practice rampant plagiarism with him putting his names on articles and excluding those who did.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I have applied for the position of manager there, let us whether I will get selected or not.

    And on the structure of the organization, I have been an entrepreneur for 9 months, and all I can say is that some people in the organization actually want to have power with them, some want to delegate it or know how to organize the people.

    Unfortunately, the population of India is huge and compared to such a vast amount of number, the resources and opportunities are less, hence, lot of people tend to work extra hard, and this gives the organization to extract the extra work on a meager amount. Though I never tried to do this, because, I know how to do work, as I used to write code.

    But I believe that it is high time that Indian industry looks at a structure and proper development plan, because, it is not the person, but the thoughts which must be cherished.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahahha.. seriously... they wll treat u like shit.. may be once u go there ull get to kno.. n then u can join the club...

      Delete
    2. Your choice of name makes me to believe that you are not going to get in. They are looking for Spiderman!

      Delete
  43. This place is so shitty .I work at it right now. The worst time of my life .I have cried and been sleepless for weeks .So happy that I decided early to leave this fckn place .Good riddance .Don't go here ever .show offs retards ..make you work till 12 in night and want to come at 9 sharp .No life , no emotions , robotic sick place .

    ReplyDelete
  44. Don't ever work here . Don't ever .If you want to have zero social life ..cheap dirt salary ..attitude full people ..and a company with fragile illogical foundation , and a fucking attitude full CEO, come here .Worked at this place for 6 months and quit .

    ReplyDelete
  45. The worst phase of my life.I have lost faith in life. Feel like suiciding with the workload pressure .I will now start a business startup .I will complaint about this company evrywhre.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please do so. People have such big misconceptions about the company

      Delete
  46. Your posts is really helpful for me.Thanks for your wonderful post. I am very happy to read your post.

    Big Data Training in Chennai

    ReplyDelete
  47. Why are all these things written post leaving the company? If the blogger felt it so strongly, he should have been in the company and tried to change...there is a problem but you cannot solve the problem by staying away from it...what surprises me is not the opinion but the vindictive language...please let MS be what it is...I am an ex Mu Sigman and though I might have things going right or wrong in Mu Sigma, I have no right to say anything since I am no more in Mu Sigma..so peace people...it is a billion dollar company and it is that which makes me believe that even we can do it and may be better from what we have learnt "not to do"...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sir, you can't imagine how much I've tried to change the system, being in the company. I've been here for just over a year, but have had several meetings with the head of HR and one meeting with the founder, to communicate these messages in a strong but polite way, but trust me, they don't give a damn about the employees. I really believe that one can change the system from within, but that is JUST NOT POSSIBLE here. They are running an army boarding school, not a company

      Delete
  48. Was going for the off campus in mumbai on 19th and 20th for mu sigma.Now I think it's better to prepare for Bank PO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. good idea mate ,run from this company, thats all i can say. All the guys who speak in favor of the mu sigma in this post are the douche bags that the author is referring to .

      Delete
  49. What they do and what the company advertise , it is diametrically opposite.salary is too less compared to life style in Bangalore, even some of new entrants are supported financially by their parents.
    HR policy is not clearly apprised to candidates . Even it is one of 500 fortunes companies, still the fortunes of new entrants are not taken care of by the company.

    ReplyDelete
  50. SORRY, THIS ARTICLE IS A LIE.
    People in Mu Sigma were so kind and helpful that I still miss it years later. Even though I hated it that time it has been the best place I've worked in. People there were cool enough to hang out with and I don't recall anyone who could be called under-educated (I'm from NIT Trichy, which is not that bad).

    I don't know how the author got that 'inside' story, but s/he has got it totally WRONG.

    If you want to get any idea of what happens inside you should probably ask someone who has at least BEEN INSIDE the company, for better or worse.

    Do the Math.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neo - Go do the ALS challenge. Maybe the ice cold water will wake you up. Looks like you're the one who doesn't belong to the company!

      Delete
    2. Neo, most of the folks talking here are ex-mu sigman, as they called out in the comments. your suggestion about talking to someone inside the company doesn't have any meaning. if you read the comments carefully, there are a lot of references to internal happenings of the company. that implies that the people have worked there. do a test yourself..go pick up any ex-musigman randomly from linkedin, ask him how the company is. you will know what I am talking about. dude, information is available to all these days. this company will shut down soon because with dishonest leadership things can't run long

      Delete
  51. mu-shit . shit culture. will kill you with work. salary is shittier.

    ReplyDelete
  52. I agree to a good extent with this article. Some of the people who have said that this article is shit have been made to write so by the management. And the others are dogs who have no problem in selling their ass off to Mu Sigma for peanuts.

    ReplyDelete
  53. I don't know whether this article is true or not. But I want to share what my younger brother faced in this company.
    Something that recently happened with his batch of freshers at Mu Sigma. These guys, while hiring (June 2013) promised giving the joining within 2 months (Aug 2013) but delayed it to 8 months (feb 2014), giving an excuse that their office wasn't ready. Then, when 170 of these freshers joined in Feb, they told them that their annual bonus- 1.2 lakh, will be delayed by another year, coz they pay out the bonus only in Jan, to freshers who complete minimum 1 year. Because they gave the joining so late (in Feb), by next Jan the freshers will have 11 months of experience, instead of a year, without any fault of theirs.
    For these people, the promotion and salary hike are also delayed by 6 months, due to late joining.
    Nothing out of all this was informed to the freshers before they joined. The compensation document was also ambiguous, and showed the annual bonus as actually annual.
    Do you think this is a fair policy, or sheer exploitation?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the founder should be mobbed and public should ask him whether he has basic honesty. what you said is right. I've known him for years.

      Delete
  54. This company has no ethics. Higher managements are eccentrics, no guidelines , run by bull-shit managers.
    sucking the blood of young engineers.By doing media hype, company can not go long.
    Nowadays no structured training.

    ReplyDelete
  55. The company is full of fucking mangers.They simply come into office and wandering without any goal.Attrition is too high, HR never think off why the young engineers are leaving with a short span of 5-6 months.
    Pay package is totally hazy, deprive the freshers like anything. Is it way to run the company? Except delivery department (where working hours having no limit), other departments are good for nothing. Mentors do not have capability to teach the subordinates, simply enjoying .In short, it is full of ass-holes.

    ReplyDelete
  56. I have gotten a job here, expected to join in September 2015.
    I have a few questions which I'd like answers to:-

    1) the in-time should be 9.30 a.m. and is tracked for weekdays for sure..
    but when there is work on weekends, is anything deducted if you come after 9.30?

    2) is there a gym, table-tennis table in the company?
    if yes, are we allowed to use it whenever we want to?

    3) is food provided? or food coupons?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. - Yes there is work on weekends and holidays and lots of it
      - Not sure about other things but does it really matter in a decision to join a company?

      Delete
    2. No idea about time tracking. Read the comments and the article.

      i happened to tour their building and saw a few guys with table tennis rackets in the 10th floor where the canteen is. I found it hilarious that they serve non-vegetarian food item which is egg and no other. If you are a non-vegetarian, good luck :P

      i've noticed employees using food coupons.

      No idea about gym.

      Delete
  57. Please do not join this company. I am begging you guys.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Another cheap incident that happened in the company which will actually show how stingy and stupid the company is. All the employees got their Christmas cakes for this year, but they also deducted money from their accnt for giving out these cakes... How stupid and cheap Mu Sugma is !! woaaaakkkk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its not deducted for the cake boss....its a part of Karnataka state law - LWF (Labour Welfare Fund)...Every employee in the state pays Rs 6 per year.

      Delete
    2. someoone told you that company has deducted money for cakes and you trusted him/her... more so.. you were so confident that you posted on net... beta i dont know if you are adult or know that there is something called as law in this country which is applicable on employer/company.. and what all are the implication of law and all that....trust me you dont work for muneem....please join a competitor of the mentioned company... trust me...

      Delete
  59. On Saturdays and Sundays and public holidays(the supposed holidays) is money deducted from your salary if your in-time is after 9.30

    ReplyDelete
  60. seems like after leaving the company somebody was soo free that he started a blog..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't know about the blogger but you still seem to be a slave in the company

      Delete
  61. truth VS hype.. i was thinking you would have evaluated many companies.. but its only about one company... i dont know if blogger has worked in many companies or this was the only company he worked with.. as per my understanding you work with any xyz or ABC or Mu Sigma.. story will be same.. its not your dad's company.. and will not become your company... you go there to work.. finish your job and come home.. done... thats all... your career is not for one year or 5 year.. you work till the age of 50-55... what happens in one year doesnot mean that will happen in your career of 30 years... and you guys need to chill and move on

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't quite agree with that. Your idea of job seems to be a dispassionate manner of dealing with your job. But the company you are seemingly defending here would demand much more from you. Also, I would love to finish my job and go home, but that ain't an option in this company :) . I think you should shoot for a sarkari naukri...

      Delete
  62. http://indianlawcases.com/Act-Indian.Penal.Code,1860-1966

    ReplyDelete
  63. All I can say after working here is that everything written in this article is very true.

    It is not easy to work in such an environment, so think a hundred times before joining.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Everything written here is true. Be prepared to compromise on ethics and deal with thugs if you join at senior levels. They will show the carrot of stocks but will use every trick in the book to rip you off your vested stock including threats and intimidation.

    ReplyDelete
  65. I will be joining this company this year. I tell you the truth, I was really excited because I always wanted to join analytics field looking at the growth. But after reading all this blog and comments I am shit scared.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In case you haven't joined this company, please do not go ahead, it's beter you prepare for off campus or go with some other company. You'll definitely thank me later if you do so.

      Delete
  66. Actually this company is going to visit our campus and I am preparing for this.But now I am really confused.Can any one suggest me some ideas??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Simple. Do not waste your time preparing to go to hell. No body does that, after knowing that they wil land in hell. Spread the word. I am an ex mu sigman. Trust me, everything written here is true. It's no more the same company. Do not go for this and ask your collegemates as well not to go for it. There are many other good companies, in fact anything would be better than this nothing. It's truly equivalent to nothing and just a piece of shit

      Delete
  67. Perfectly written. Each word is true here. I joined this company last year, even after reading this blog. And I regret big time. Trust me guys, it's exactly what it is written here.
    I did not believe in things written here, I thought probably some one would have had a bad experience and wrote this. But trust me, all the employees there think the same. It's one hell. You have to plan and plot to quit. Coz they wont let you go that easily, it's like one trap set for you.. I am trying to spread this as much as possible, trying to stop people from not making the same mistake that I did. I have circulated it in my college, you guys do the same. Trust me, its HELL HELL HELL.. people treat you like shit there, they do not care whether you are sick or you have family emergencies. They just want to you to be there and slog your ass off. This company should be shut down for so much torture. Don't know why people are not talking about it. Dhiraj rajaram is one hell of a jackass and a big time miser.

    DO NOT JOIN THIS COMPANY, I DID THAT MISTAKE LAST YEAR, YOU DON'T PLEASE..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am about to join Mu sigma . I always loved stats . Therefore i went for an off campus drive, fought my way through hundreds of prospective candidates and finally got an offer from the company. The first thing i read on quora about the company is this!! -_- -_- . Now don't tell me to "GO SAVE YOURSELF" . I dont mind working 12 hrs everyday or to stretch 18 hrs once in a while , but 18-20 hours EVERYDAY ??...you must be kidding me right !!

      Delete
  68. joining this july. :( scared shitless

    ReplyDelete
  69. Good luck.. you can try looking for other off campus jobs.. or if you're lucky enough, you might get decent team / ppl to work with . Which is very rare though.. all the best..
    however if you still have some chance of not joining, do not join.. beware of ppl there..

    ReplyDelete
  70. Kudos Dude for writing such a crisp blog highlighting the stupidity that is prevailing in this company.

    ReplyDelete
  71. This blog is totally true. Also, They will try to screw you out of your annual bonus by telling you to leave or threatening to fire you just before your 1 year in the company is due.

    ReplyDelete
  72. As an employee who has been part of the system for close to 6 years, let me make a few points clear

    (Please note, that I am not part of Key Guys or any of the senior leadership team yet and I am not being coerced into typing this response by anyone here)

    1. Workload at mu sigma is heavy, but if are smart, you will find a way to finish it quickly and not spend more than 10 hours in office. I have had days of spending 12-14 hours in office and weekends as well. But these were isolated incidents (for a week or two at max.. ) as I was always determined to find more efficient ways to get the job done and leave early

    2. 95% of the People who stay 12-14 hours/day in office are those who take 1 hour lunch breaks, multiple coffee and cigarette breaks which stops the flow of your work and causes inefficiency. Their actual time of productive work will not exceed 10 hours on any given day

    3. Leadership team is not a bunch of bullies. I have had multiple interactions and conflicts with people on that group and I have never felt that I was disrespected or insulted.

    4. If people just read this article and stop joining Mu Sigma, then it will be a mistake. I also believe that people who crib are those who think they are superstar employees but they are not. They need to evaluate their own work better and think if they deserve better opportunities or not. There will be cases where the manager screws up and doesn't give opportunities. But the cases where analysts are not deserving outnumber the cases where manager screws up. I have seen cases of managers being fired for not being good at their job and same with analysts.

    5. If there is a criticism, it is that managers over the last 2 years have learnt to expect mediocrity among new recruits and that is not good for the organization

    6. I do not know who the author is (personally, don't care as well). But this company has given me and people like me opportunities to experience a life that is beyond what most people do in organizations like IBM, Accenture etc. For that I will always be grateful to Mu Sigma

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am about to start my stint at Mu sigma. I really love the idea of solving business problems with the use of stats and good technology platforms . That is the reason i attended the placement drive in the first place. I think i made a mistake reading so many articles on quora about the company, because now i am really scared. 12-13 hours a day is common for any fresher , because it takes some pain to study something new...but did the author say 18 hours everyday o_O . I mean so u get 6 hours for food+sleep+traffic block at blore ....how is this even possible !! I really want to prepare for CAT exam . Kindly advice me ! :( :( , because i know the work experience at MS is going to help me get into a good Bschool .

      Delete
    2. Thank you. Definitely helped me :)

      Delete
    3. I hope you do join and figure out for yourself whether you have what it takes to succeed :)

      Delete
    4. What it takes is to compromise on your integrity and ethics and be a part of a mini Enron in making.

      Delete
    5. Jaikishen you were probably one of the luckiest lot..

      Here is my experience of 4 years:
      1. I have worked from 8 in the morning till 1-2AM for 4 continuous months, some of the days without lunch or junks from wending machine. Dinner at cafeteria (which again should be quick coz you've to attend the onsite call at 10 PM)
      2. one hour lunch point - covered in my point 1. And it's not just who while away their time in office. It's even the managers who start judging you if you leave before leaving the team, even when you've genuine reasons. ANd many teams have had sleepless nights for 2-3 weeks (stayed everyday at work..)
      3. Hahahahahhahahahhahahh What else can I say.. 6 years speaking
      4. definitely not a mistake. SO many ppl will not say the same thing for nothing. So much hatred for Mu Sigma is not just for nothing.

      Any other company would be better than sulking here

      Delete
  73. I am about to start my stint at Mu sigma. I really love the idea of solving business problems with the use of stats and good technology platforms . That is the reason i attended the placement drive in the first place. I think i made a mistake reading so many articles on quora about the company, because now i am really scared. 12-13 hours a day is common for any fresher , because it takes some pain to study something new...but did the author say 18 hours everyday o_O . I mean so u get 6 hours for food+sleep+traffic block at blore ....how is this even possible !! I really want to prepare for CAT exam . Kindly advice me ! :( :( , because i know the work experience at MS is going to help me get into a good Bschool .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go say that to Dhiraj
      HAhahahahah

      Delete
    2. Do connect with real people at the company. I work there too, and it is does not resemble what you describe.

      Delete
  74. My cousin is about to start his career in this firm. Is there any way he could switch to another project that requires less hours if he finds the stringent schedule very hard to cope up with? I find it hard to believe that employees have no say in a company that has such good reviews from their clients.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Firstly, there arent any such projects. Each project has it's own phase, sometimes it has lighter times, but mostly it's stringent.
      So if he goes and asks for such a project, this is what they'll say. How do you know that this project might not have long hours, coz that can't be predicted and it's the same case everywhere

      By chance, if there is such a project, they'll say, if I change it for you, then everyone will ask for such changes, Whom all do we address.. Which is fair enough, right.. Nobody would want to work day in day night weekdays weekends except for some ass lickers in the company ;)

      Delete
    2. weekends are off in mu sigma rit!!

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  75. Looks like lot of senior people are leaving this place. What is happening?

    http://www.livemint.com/Companies/JnUrQ3gfIzMkuGquXz9RYM/Mu-Sigma-managing-director-quits-to-join-Sequoia-Capital.html

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  76. I am about to join Mu sigma this august. I am absolutely perplexed seeing this blog. I have another offer at hand with a much lower LPA from a service based firm . I am from a lower middle class family and i really would want to ask the author the truth . I need to support myself as i do not want to trouble my parents anymore. So kindly tell me the actual facts because i cannot quit after entering the job. Are the working hours honestly more than 12-13hours everyday? Or is just during the project delivery time as it is in the case of any other IT firm? Please tell me .

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  77. I can't comment on what is right in mu-sigma and what is wrong but surely I can say if you wok in any IT firm, then it is same every where.
    I have over 9 years of experience and have worked in 5 different IT companies and have been to US for 2 years, every where, more or less environment is same. It completely depends upon person to person. It completely depends upon, if you are managing work or wok is managing you. In this career span I have seen people who keep complaining about the work load vs time, they use to work for 16 - 18 hours a day but still feel short of hours and on other hand there are smart ass, who use to finish same amount of work in less than 9 hours. They come by 11 am and leave office by 8 PM they only concentrate on their work while in office and then there are others who come by 10 AM and keep working till 8 PM and even when they are home they login to work with onshore and they keep doing this till 2 AM in the morning. Their typical day at work looks like ....10 AM entry in office ----talking with colleagues for half an hour--then go for tea for half an hour-get settled till 12 PM-look at mails-by 1 PM go for lunch- back by 2.30 PM - do some work- 4 PM tea time - back by 4.30 - do some work - 6 PM snacks time- do some work - 8 PM leave for home...10 PM login from home and call it night at 2 AM.
    Now who is responsible for this life, is it company or employe and then say that there is too much of work load and no personal life.
    I'm not denying on some points written by blogger, yes there are companies who make you work, irrespective of your attitude towards work. If I would be in such a company, I will say Thank You very much for what you have given me and I will call it a quit.
    No one has tied my hands or pointed a gun at me to stay in such a company.
    If I can't afford working under some one else, then I would rather start a company then hunting for a good one which satisfies my wok style.

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  78. Mu Sigma senior management does not know anything about analytics. They are plagirisers who put their names on work done by others and publish. Ask Dhiraj about this in an open, flat culture and see how he responds. He talks about philosophy, death, birth but not one analytics topic of interest.

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  79. The company has recently set the trap of giving 5 Lacs as bonus..without stating the terms & conditions. The terms were mailed to all@mu sigma. So check with the employees to understand the exact terms & conditions. It states, You'll have to stay for 3 years , if you leave before that you'll have to pay back the 5 L.. & staying 3 years is like a torture. very few % of people stay for more than a year. It's not only this.. NOTICE PERIOD has been increased to 6 MONTHS. :O Seriously!
    The only reason why people use to join Mu Sigma despite knowing the difficult work hours & work load was, they could quit anytime and there wasn't any bonded labor. Mu Sigma took that away!
    So think before getting in the deep shit

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  80. Adding fuel to the fire is their amended offer letter to the new entrants which stipulates a six month notice in case one wants to resign and leave . If you do not give a notice of six months you will be penalised . I wonder what kind of penalty they will lay down . Do they intend to hire bonded labourers ? This will force a reconsideration whether to join or not !!

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  81. The penalty is in case you give the notice less than 6 but more than 4 months, you have to pay back 6.5 lac and if you give notice less than 4 months, its an insane number- 10 lac. Got the mail yesterday. Feeling cheated after the words that the advance is as a gratitude. Its like we would be paying to work for them the entire time. Company will reap profits and we will be left poorer than we started. Also 86000 people have been given offer letters this year so its going to be a buffalo herd in the company and the residential areas. Pleass dont join the company now. Even after so much negativity I was willing to give it a shot, solely because of the options it opens after I leave. But now its just outright exploitation.Sadly, I wont join now.

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    Replies
    1. 86,000 ? What were you smoking? I think ur dumber than the company itself!

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  82. Please BOYCOTT MU SIGMA.. If there's a forum where we all can gather and start boycotting?
    I am planning to speak to my placement office soon along with all the people who got paced in Mu Sigma. This is a sheer dictatorship. Let's boycott. #boycottMuSigma #MuSigmaScam

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  83. Mu Sigma is the ISIS of the Analytics world.

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  84. Yes, we must BOYCOTT MU SIGMA...Its clear cheating

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  85. Mu Sigma's end is quite near. It's not doing well. All the good ppl have quit. & are quitting. Most of the onsites are joining the clients and spreading the exact fact about mu sigma (which is quite clearly stated in this blog). This blog is quite famous here, many clients have read this and they pity the Mu Sigma employees, they make fun of Mu sigma along with the employees. Just imaging the state.

    The regional heads and managers are the biggest jerk possible on earth. Very lazy and nonsense types who do not know anything about analytics, they just know how to lick their DLs ass.

    very few ppl who are worthy of respect here: Sayan being one of them. The most reasonable person here. Rest of the guys are just random to the max.

    Whoever is reading this blog and comment, please contact ex employees to know the inside story. This blog was written years back, the situation has worsen to the max.

    Dont make the mistake of thinking about this company, the fall is here. It's going to be doomed soon.. pretty soon. There are inside stories going on.. JUST WAIT FOR A WHILE TO HEAR THEM. its all hush hush.. The truth is about to be disclosed. Mu Sigma is doomed. and so are it's employees.
    Act before it's too late. Quit before it's too late.

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  86. Very True. Karma is a bitch. The assholes in management deserve to be doomed. The inside stories ought to be shared. Current employees plz come forward and share your stories to keep this blog alive. Some people are good like Sayan who do not fall into politics.

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  87. Which one is better, to work for MuSigma or for TCS/Capgemini?

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  88. Is it the worst company in the world ?
    Maybe not
    This post seems to be a manifestation of anger alot of us felt while working there .. Some of it is true and some emotional outburst .. But yes as a fresher one has very limited options sadly . with advent of new companies people would have options (hopefully)

    All this bullshit about staying in the. Company and making things right is delusional shit . if you ever talk about the unethical practices within company forums rest assured you will be sidelined forever

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  89. Dhiraj rajaram is rich and thought ahead of his times
    But that doesn't mean he is not a prick .on our induction he said you will all be looking ugly in next 1-2 yrs coz I will make you work so much. now what kind of saddist attitude is this
    So I applaud the publisher of this blog
    Trying to get back just a bit as the blog is already viral :D
    One thing I can testify to is the unethical practices . billing 2 people when only 1 is working on a project
    Hiding attrition from clients and sending people to US to work on B1 visas is pretty common
    Well.one can argue that alot of other Indian companies do that too

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  90. Mu Sigma used to consistently hire people in the US and send them to India under the pretext of training them just to pay them lower salaries. Many of them were kept there for periods much longer than earlier stated in the documentation. Dhiraj is lucky he is not facing multiple pay related law-suits in addition to blatant visa violations. This is an organization that has scant respect for any moral or legal obligations.

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  91. Our team in musigma used to leave by 2 am and there was this senior manager in the team who leaves everyday at 6 pm and came in at 8 and one day he just blasted whole of our team because we were not there by 8am . even when we told him that we were working till 2am in the morning he dint seem to give a shit

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    Replies
    1. Here I want to talk about a senior manager in the company called raghu . he is known for harassing employees and even abusing them using crass Hindi abusive words . I personally know 6-7 people who went to HR to complain about this and nothing happened . even from iits some.of the worst talent comes here . mostly reserved category students

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  92. Ha ha ha... He does not care of anyone.He has made his wife the CEO... today i celebrate with ice cream.

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    Replies
    1. Another dynasty in the making... It happens only in India from politics to Bollywood to corporate world...excellence can fuck itself...

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  93. And what is so interesting is Dhiraj has mailed the whole organization an emotional mail saying I love you at least 4-5 times to announce this news. He thinks people will not realise his cunningness. In a way, people too are stupid to work for that asshole.

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  94. Dhiraj you fuck. You are not a Data Scientist and have never been one. Neither is your wife. You made a lot of money (congrats on that) by effectively making the lives of so called data scientists that you love so dearly. We do not care about your personal family bull shit because you did not care about any of us. I hope you never come back to India.

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  95. Well, karma is a bitch. He will get his due.
    I am out of Mu Sigma for more than a year now Good Riddance.
    Can current Mu sigmans post here the current state of affairs. It will be good for the world to know.

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  96. Correction to the earlier post. Dhiraj made a lot of money for himself. He did not make the lives of many data scientists though. He screwed over many close to him multiple times. DONT TRUST HIM OR THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH HIM.

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  97. Current state is more and more confusion. Revenues are not growing, clients are leaving, people are leaving, coming up with yet another new set of rules, new org structure. I am sure the so called leaders don't have a clue on what's happening/going to happen. Those associated with him dont know they would get fucked one day by him. They deserve it. If they were smart, they would leave by now. He is full of himself, he does not give a shit about anyone else.

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  98. "So much hatred for Mu Sigma is not just for nothing" great point. They screwed around with people even during/after their exit. Many people who joined competition and clients are waiting for their turn to give it back. I've not seen people developing such hatred anywhere, something must be seriously wrong with Mu Sigma's expectations

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  99. Now he has again started his public intellectual masturbation. His recent post titled 'Time to Untrue is Tending to Zero' is again redressing of concepts from books like AntiFragile. He calls it his own creation called Antifacts. Saying things like magnitude of change and rate of change both are increasing and using sine waves to show it. What a good way to dupe people.

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  100. One of the early investors sued him for low balling growth prospects of the firm. I am not surprised. I won't be surprised even if current investors or one of the clients sue him to for wrong practices. Only thing that's surprising is why it took 4+ years for that early investor to realize he was cheated- something more must be going on..this company is going to go down in another 12-18 months

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  101. Heard that there are serious developments in the company. Top guys are moving out??!

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  102. This is the latest:
    1. Dhiraj & Ambiga to separate/divorce.
    2. Goutham Ekollu, Aditya K, Nandini S have quit. Many more top leaders to quit in the coming days.
    3. Dhiraj is gearing up with renewed focus for Mu Sigma 2.0

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  103. Holy Shit!! This is news...
    Isnt Goutham Made COO lately.. Wondering why he quit..

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  104. Is this separation news confirmed? what will be the impact on company.
    Current guys please update.

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  105. Ha ha ha. I hope Dhiraj and his croonies rot in jail getting sexually abused by criminals in a U.S. jail.

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  106. Dhiraj fired Ambiga as CEO. This news isnt out yet. And these Mu Sigma folks are happily sharing the post that Ambiga is featured in Forbes as a top CEO. She was CEO for a month. Lol.
    BTW dhiraj and Ambiga separated coz Dhiraj was having an affair.

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  107. This cant be right. At least there should be some news in media if the CEO is changed. Can MuSigmans confirm this news please. It should come out as it is. Also details of alleged affair of Mr. Dhiraj..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arnab Goswami is looking into it. Stay tuned!!!

      Delete
  108. Ambiga is a nice person. Intelligent, compassionate and sensible. She interviewed me for MuSigma and I was optimistic about my stay there but unfortunately I had an asshole manager who was good for nothing. So I had to leave the company. Similarly Dhiraj is an asshole overall and I feel sorry for Ambiga...

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  109. Haha This was supposed to happen . Till when will his evil deeds be hidden. Mu Sigma's first investor has filed a case on Dhiraj for cheating and manipulating the results. Probably that's one of the reasons why so many from the leadership team have quit.

    Well, we now have to see, how it goes. Most of the old folks in the leadership team have left. Dhiraj wants people who'll lick his ass.. jerk..

    & yes, very good point. So much hatred for mu sigma is not just for nothing..

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  110. I am currently working for Mu Sigma and the above news is completely true. Dhiraj fired a top leadership member because he retaliated to Dhiraj firing Ambiga. As soon as he fired Gautham, the rest of the leadership team quit. Dhiraj doesn't want this news to get out, obviously coz it'll show the world how big of an asshole he is.
    And yes, the entire reason why he shifted to the US was because he was having an affair.
    The leadership team that quit, plan to start a new company.

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  111. Wao.. Then this news should come out.. More MuSigmans should come forward and talk about this so this asshole stop duping people and companies.. BTW Ambiga might be having a significant stake in the company. Wonder what will happen... I worked with Goutham btw.. he is an asshole in himself.. served him right in a way...

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  112. I heard that there is no DL left in offshore except for Sayan. Every single DL quit. Guys in Mu Sigma its time for you to pack your bags don't wait till the ship completely sinks.

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    Replies
    1. Seems like a Bollywood movie plot. The unfolding of events, if true, seem too fast and dramatic. Could all this be to weaken the case against him in the US Court and all these people will return in due course? It's juvenile to bring down a highly valuable company over an affair, which Ambiga and Dhiraj have significant stake in and have been building since 15 years.

      Delete
    2. Dhiraj has told employees in recent meetings that there has been discord in his marriage for a long while. His personal situation aside, it is well known he treats his employees like crap. The recent wave of people who quit had those who had given the company their all. Whether they quit because of the "affair" or the divorce or something else, it will be very hard for the company to cope with these losses (over 10 top level managers in one go). This has been hushed up in the media so far but things are looking bad.

      Delete
  113. This is true. Dhiraj with his philandering ways has fucked Mu Sigma. This ship has too many holes and no one to plug them from sinking. Success got to that mofo!

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  114. Clearly MuSigma has a tight control over media. One could hardly see any negative news about it in media except perhaps for the investor and visa case. Probably because of the clout of Sequoia..

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  115. If Dhiraj is back to being CEO, why the hell news is not in media..??

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  116. Go visit Mu Sigma website. 'Out team' section is removed

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    Replies
    1. Exactly... I noticed it too since 2 days back..

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    2. that section has been gone for months now .. since they all started dropping out like flies!

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  117. Company in firefighting mode... Trying hard to retain top management...

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  118. If Ambiga is fired, then Why is she still being shown as member of the board? Is this new confirmed?

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  119. Mu Sigma leadership in 2015 and now: https://www.anony.ws/image/JOsD

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  120. Awsome.. Good work...

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  121. Looks like Krishna, Deepinder, Gopi and Sayan are still not done licking Dhiraj's ass!!

    Goutham, Anuj and Aditya are assholes in themselves...I am sure if they come up with another company .... it will be another Mu Sigma !!

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  122. It's interesting how only this blog seems to be reporting this news .. and no other media have picked this up. It's an Indian Unicorn .. the only one celebrated as having a woman chief .. wouldn't it be appetizing news for the media? this is trouble in paradise .. the story that they love ... is this real?

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  123. Dhiraj affair? Not believable!! I mean i respected him as he was honest about being a family guy! I am SHOCKED! Wondering who the girl is!

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    Replies
    1. Yoga teacher in the States.

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  124. Ex-Mu Sigman in the Bay Area. Yoga teacher is a rumor.

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    Replies
    1. ex musigman currently in deloitte in bay area

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    2. Do you know the name?

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  125. There is only one name pops up when I do LinkedIN search with that criteria.

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