Raja's Exocortex

Your Guide to Contacting Me Effectively

Prologue: The Value of Attention

I receive a large volume of communication daily. Following these guidelines really helps me process your message quickly and get back to you with a good answer in a timely manner.

Remember that every message or call takes up the recipient's time and, more importantly, their attention. So, please be thoughtful, understand the value of attention, and consume it sparingly.

Your attention is your most precious resource—guard it fiercely - Naval Ravikant

The "Do Not" List

Before we look at how to connect, let’s cover what to avoid to save us both time:

  1. No Social Media Links: Please do not send links to Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. I do not have accounts on any social media platform and cannot view them. If the content is vital, please include a short text summary of the content.
  2. No "Good Morning" Messages: Please refrain from sending these.
  3. No Forwards: Do not send forwarded messages unless they are specifically useful to me. Please include a text description of what you found interesting and why I should watch it.

Choosing the Right Channel

You can contact me over a voice phone call/SMS, WhatsApp text/voice and email. These different channels serve different purposes. Please select the one that fits the complexity and urgency of your message.

1. Phone Calls (Voice)

  1. When to Call: Use this for urgent matters requiring quick decisions, private discussions needing extended conversation, or sensitive issues like grievances.
  2. Hours: My working hours are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. After 9:00 PM, I reserve time for family and rest.
  3. Emergencies: I am available 24/7 for genuine emergencies and usually sleep with my phone nearby.
  4. Connectivity: If my standard network is down (e.g., I am traveling), please try a WhatsApp Voice call.

2. The "Missed Call" Protocol

If I do not pick up or I reject your call, it usually means I am in a meeting or a situation where I cannot speak. Please follow this specific remedy action:

  1. Immediately send a WhatsApp text. Summarise your reason for calling so I can understand the context and respond via text.
  2. Do NOT leave a WhatsApp voice message. If I could listen to audio, I would have answered your call.
  3. For Emergencies Only: Call again immediately. If you call a second time, I will stop whatever I am doing to answer.

3. WhatsApp Text Messages

  1. Best for: Anything that does not need my immediate attention like routine communication, sharing documents, and non-urgent queries.
  2. Format: Be clear and direct. If you have multiple items, bullet points are highly appreciated.
  3. Single Long Messages: Please reduce the number of messages, send longer messages. Please note that every time a WhatsApp notification is received, it consumes my attention.
  4. If any file may be required for future reference, also send it to me via email. WhatsApp messages are harder to search than emails.

4. WhatsApp Voice Calls

  1. Best for: Discussions when a regular phone call is not possible, such as my phone not reachable.
  2. When I’m travelling overseas, my primary WhatsApp number is always reachable for voice and text messages.
  3. Please see the Missed Call Protocol section for further details.

5. Email

  1. Best for: Formal communication, detailed information, documents, or topics requiring a written record for future reference.
  2. Subject Line: Use a clear and descriptive subject line to help me prioritise.
  3. Response Time: I strive to respond within the same day.
  4. Attachments: Ensure all relevant files are attached and referenced in your message.

WhatsApp Examples

Type a full and complete message in a text editor, review and correct omissions and errors. Then paste it in WhatsApp.

Bad Example

Sending a separate "Good Morning" message and then typing for 3 minutes. This message is totally unactionable.

❌ Good morning sir

The sender has got my attention, now all I can see for the next 3 minutes is "Typing..."

❌ I'm having a backup problem, are you free to meet me today?

Vague description of the problem, no way for me to research or prepare for the meeting

Good Example

Send a single message with 1. the greeting, 2. the reason or meeting agenda, and 3. preferred method to communicate further. This message consumes my attention only once.

✅ Good morning.

On mayna auto backups are failing due to SSH WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED! errors. I think the server has been redeployed and new SSH key needs to be imported into the backup application.

I need 15 minutes from you today on Google Meet.