Network Capital

Podcast Description:The nuclear family has become the dominant model in much of the world—but was its rise a step forward or a profound social loss?Critics argue that the shift from joint families to nuclear households has led to loneliness, burnout, fragile caregiving systems, and the erosion of intergenerational wisdom. Joint families, they say, offered economic resilience, shared childcare, and a deep sense of belonging.Supporters of the nuclear family, on the other hand, point to greater mobility, privacy, personal freedom, and protection from the toxic hierarchies that can exist in extended households.In this episode, we explore the trade-offs:Has the nuclear family empowered individuals—or left them isolated?Did joint families offer support—or suppress autonomy?Is modern parenting sustainable without shared kin networks?Can we design a third path: community without control?

Private space travel once belonged in the realm of science fiction—but today, celebrities like Katy Perry are booking tickets on Blue Origin, and billionaires are launching rockets. In this episode, Dhruva and Utkarsh explore the growing role of private companies in space exploration and whether the shift away from government-led missions is cause for celebration or concern.They delve into the tension between public and private funding: Should space exploration serve collective scientific goals or market incentives? Is "move fast and break things" the right ethos for a domain where failure can mean catastrophe? And as access to space becomes commercialized, who really benefits?Supporters of private spaceflight argue it accelerates innovation, lowers costs, and inspires a new generation. But critics warn of widening inequalities, neglected public priorities, and the commodification of what many view as a shared human frontier.Beyond rockets and revenue, this conversation grapples with deeper questions of purpose, responsibility, and who gets to write humanity's next chapter among the stars.

In this episode, you will learnWhat is disability and ways in which our society discriminates against people with disabilities What can do about itWays to deconstruct "I am not your inspiration"In The Anti-Ableist Manifesto, Tiffany Yu highlights the myriad ways in which our society discriminates against people with disabilities - and what we can do about it. Foregrounding disabled identities that have too often been rendered invisible, she demonstrates how ending discrimination begins with self-reflection.From recognising biases to understanding microaggressions, The Anti-Ableist Manifesto teaches us how to deconstruct ableism at work, in our communities and within ourselves.

About this PodcastWhat did European missionaries misunderstand about Hinduism when they first arrived in India?How did colonial power and missionary pressure help reshape Hindu identity from within?Could the rise of modern Hindu nationalism be traced back to these early cultural and religious encounters?When European missionaries arrived in India in the sixteenth century, they entered a world both fascinating and bewildering. Hinduism, as they saw it, was a pagan mess: a worship of devils and monsters by a people who burned women alive, performed outlandish rites and fed children to crocodiles. But it quickly became clear that Hindu ‘idolatry' was far more layered and complex than European stereotypes allowed, surprisingly even sharing certain impulses with Christianity.Nonetheless, missionaries became a threatening force as European power grew in India. Western ways of thinking gained further ascendancy during the British Raj: while interest in Hindu thought influenced Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire in Europe, Orientalism and colonial rule pressed Hindus to reimagine their religion. In fact, in resisting foreign authority, they often adopted the missionaries' own tools and strategies. It is this encounter, Manu S. Pillai argues, that has given Hinduism its present shape, also contributing to the birth of an aggressive Hindu nationalism.Gods, Guns and Missionaries surveys these remarkable dynamics with an arresting cast of characters – maharajahs, poets, gun-wielding revolutionaries, politicians, polemicists, philosophers and clergymen. Lucid, ambitious, and provocative, it is at once a political history, an examination of the mutual impact of Hindu culture and Christianity upon each other, and a study of the forces that have prepared the ground for politics in India today. Turning away from simplistic ideas on religious evolution and European imperialism, the past as it appears here is more complicated – and infinitely richer – than previous narratives allow.

Selective admissions have long defined access to elite universities but a number of scholars are challenging this model, arguing that it reinforces privilege and entrenches inequality. In this episode, Dhruva and Utkarsh examine the case for replacing selective admissions with a lottery among qualified applicants. The discussion draws on John Rawls's concept of the veil of ignorance, and Michael Sandel's critique of meritocracy, which highlights how systems of selection often obscure privilege and foster a corrosive hubris among so-called “winners,” who come to believe their success is entirely self-made.Advocates of the lottery system argue that it could democratize access, reduce stress and competition, and promote a more just distribution of opportunity. Critics counter that such a shift risks undermining academic standards, devaluing individual achievement, and replacing one set of biases with another.This conversation goes beyond admissions policy and raises deeper questions about fairness, equity, and justice.

Foreign aid and reparations are terms often used interchangeably, yet they embody distinct principles and purposes. In this episode, we discuss the differences between these concepts, exploring their definitions, the potential risks of conflating them, and the implications of such conflation.Foreign aid typically refers to financial or technical assistance provided by one nation to another, aiming to support economic development, humanitarian needs, or disaster relief. Reparations, however, are compensatory measures acknowledging and addressing historical injustices and systemic exploitation inflicted upon a nation or community. While both involve the transfer of resources, their underlying motivations and intended outcomes differ significantly.Conflating foreign aid with reparations can lead to several risks. It may allow former colonial powers to sidestep genuine accountability by framing aid as a benevolent gesture rather than a responsibility. This conflation can also perpetuate power imbalances, as aid often comes with conditions that may not align with the recipient nation's interests, undermining the reparative intent of acknowledging past wrongs.To illustrate these complexities, we examine the historical and ongoing debates surrounding the United Kingdom's colonial legacy in India. Indian politician and author Shashi Tharoor has been a vocal advocate for recognizing the economic and social damages caused by British colonial rule. In his 2015 speech at the Oxford Union, Tharoor argued that British colonialism led to the systematic deindustrialization and impoverishment of India, asserting that reparations are owed for the exploitation endured. Tharoor's subsequent book, An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India, delves deeper into these issues, providing a comprehensive analysis of the economic exploitation and cultural suppression during colonial rule. He emphasizes that while foreign aid from Britain to India exists, it does not equate to reparations, as it lacks the acknowledgment of historical injustices and is often guided by the donor's strategic interests rather than the recipient's reparative needs.Through these discussions, we aim to shed light on the importance of distinguishing between foreign aid and reparations.

Tariffs—taxes on imports—have long been a powerful tool in economic policy, shaping global trade for centuries. But are they always harmful, or can they serve a strategic purpose?In this episode, we trace the history of tariffs from the British East India Company to modern trade disputes between the U.S., China, India, and Europe. William Dalrymple, in The Anarchy, writes about how Britain used tariffs to cripple India's textile industry while strengthening its own, showing how trade policy can be a tool of both economic growth and exploitation.The debate is complex: tariffs can protect domestic industries and address unfair trade practices, but they can also raise consumer prices, stifle innovation, and provoke retaliation. Are there cases where tariffs have strengthened national economies, or do they always come at a cost?Join us as we explore the pros and cons of tariffs, their historical impact, and whether they still have a place in today's interconnected world.

In this debate, we explore the tension between structure and spontaneity, discipline and serendipity, as it plays out in the lives of ambitious professionals.For young professionals navigating packed calendars, hustle culture, and the constant pressure to optimize every minute, the debate is real: Does saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities fuel growth, or does it lead to chaos and burnout? Does strict scheduling drive focus, or does it suffocate the very creativity and innovation that lead to breakthroughs?Gustave Flaubert once said, "Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work." He has a point but is being regular and orderly in life a luxury for most people? Think of young parents or caregivers who need to balance work with many other equally important priorities.Perhaps the answer is a bit of structure and a bit of spontaneity. Tune in to find out.

Elon Musk's $56 billion compensation package from Tesla sparked intense debate and legal scrutiny. Approved in 2018, the performance-based package hinged on Tesla reaching ambitious market and operational milestones. As Tesla's stock price soared beyond expectations, the package's value ballooned to $101.4 billion by 2024. Notably, Musk would have earned nothing had Tesla not achieved these metrics at the time, few could imagine the company's stock crossing $400. Was Musk simply rewarded for creating shareholder value, or does this case highlight deeper concerns about executive compensation?While Musk's package is an extreme example, the broader debate persists. In 2023, CEOs of S&P 500 companies earned an average of $17.7 million, 268 times more than their median employees.In this episode, we explore the ethical and practical implications of capping CEO pay relative to lower-wage workers. Would salary caps promote equity or hinder performance incentives? We turn to the philosophies of Immanuel Kant and John Rawls to examine concepts of justice, fairness, and equity in compensation structures. We also look at historical efforts to tackle income inequality and debate how organizations can balance rewarding leadership with ensuring fair treatment across all levels.

Today it is easier than ever to stay in touch with friends, check out their updates, milestones, and everyday moments even when life gets busy. For those separated by distance, platforms like social media and messaging apps help us remain part of each other's lives. Work friendships often flourish thanks to digital tools, and technology has made possible countless improbable connections, offering opportunities for both straight and LGBTQ relationships that may not have existed offline. But are these digital interactions enough? Are we losing the value of face-to-face time as we begin to see online connections as good enough? In friendships and dating, does the frequency of meeting in person make a difference in relationship depth? And in the world of dating apps, has too much choice made it harder to truly connect? Join us as we explore how technology shapes and sometimes complicates the way we build and maintain meaningful relationships.

Alok Sama was the chief dealmaker at SoftBank, the backer of Arm Holdings, Yahoo, Nvidia, TikTok, Uber, T-Mobile, Alibaba and WeWork. In his first book The Money Trap, Sama discusses the inside story of some of these deals and presents a stranger-than-fiction personal odyssey featuring his experiences alongside SoftBank's iconic founder, Masayoshi Son, a maverick who wants to be remembered as “the crazy guy who bet on the future” and whose mission is “happiness for everyone.” Sama takes us on a wild journey as he consorts with A-list CEOs and heads of state, and negotiates mega-deals on a Gulfstream jet, Son's sanctuary with its exquisite Japanese garden, and a waterside restaurant in the Turkish Riviera—all while contending with a mysterious dark-arts smear campaign that takes a toll on his private life.

Justice delayed is justice denied. Given how much time trials take, the emotional toil, and the reputation damage that comes with it, is it ethical for people to turn to media for justice? This is a question relevant to both prominent celebrities and regular citizens as they figure out appropriate redressal mechanisms in an increasingly connected world. In this episode, we explore whether media trials—where the court of public opinion takes precedence over formal legal proceedings—are morally defensible. Media trials often emerge when people feel the traditional justice system is too slow, inaccessible, or inadequate in addressing wrongdoing. For some, turning to media platforms becomes a way to amplify their voice, shine a spotlight on injustice, and force action where none seemed forthcoming. However, at what cost? We delve into the ethical dilemmas surrounding this phenomenon. Are media trials a necessary evil in holding powerful institutions accountable, or do they undermine the very foundations of a fair trial by influencing public opinion and, potentially, judicial outcomes? How do these trials impact the presumption of innocence, a cornerstone of justice? And, perhaps most importantly, what are the psychological and social consequences for the individuals involved, both accused and accusers? Join us as we question whether the media is a tool for justice—or just another stage for spectacle. This episode challenges you to think deeply about the role of ethics, fairness, and accountability in an increasingly media-driven world.

In this Episode, you will learn 1. How to think about problems from first-principles 2. Why digital public infrastructure of India could propel the GDP 3. How to build in India for India Deepak and Dipankar embarked upon the mission of democratizing quick commerce in India by launching Kirana Pro, a cutting-edge e-commerce platform that leverages ONDC (Open Network For Digital Commerce) to address systemic challenges in the industry. Having known each other for over a decade, they decided to build a product from ground up and figure out a business model that empowers customers, kirana store owners, delivery agents, and the broader digital public infrastructure of India. Dipankar graduated from IIT Delhi with a bachelors in computer science and is a published machine learning researcher. After that, he built companies and held executive roles in leading unicorns in India. Deepak is a serial entrepreneur who has build and sold companies across India and US.

A crypto entrepreneur bought a banana taped to a wall for several millions. Jaguar launched a widely watched advertisement that confused and irritated the fans. Zomato announced a new position that got 18,000+ applications, even though the selected candidate would have to pay $25,000 to join. In this debate, we analyse the short and long term impact of publicity stunts. Do they work? If yes, under what conditions? When does publicity become toxic? Join the debate to learn more

This American election was a battle of narratives. One side won. Dhruva and Utkarsh debate the key constructs and analyse macro implications. Most media outlets would have you believe that this election was the outcome of a supremely popular candidate vs one who wasn't. That doesn't quite capture the essence. Tune in for a deep dive

Voters often face a dilemma: should they vote based on ideology or pragmatism? This podcast delves into the tension between these two approaches, exploring questions like: What is ideology, and how does it shape our values and worldview? When do pragmatic considerations—those based on practical outcomes and interests—come into conflict with ideological commitments? William Clay once said, “This is quite a game, politics. There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.” By examining real-world examples, historical contexts, and current events, we'll uncover when ideology and pragmatism clash and when they might converge. Join us as we explore the balance between staying true to one's principles and making decisions that reflect the realities of the moment. Whether you're a seasoned political thinker or just starting to engage with these ideas, this podcast will provide insights into how ideology and pragmatism shape the way we vote—and ultimately, the world we live in.

TikTok has over 1 billion users globally. Instagram has 2 billion. If these apps were countries, they would be some of the most highly populated countries in the world. As concerns grow about misinformation, addiction and foreign control of these apps, how should governments respond? Are attempts to ban social media apps, like the Indian government's TikTok ban in 2020, legitimate? These are questions that have political, economic and cultural implications that go much beyond your ability to watch and share cat videos. We dissect the arguments for and against such bans, and consider whether regulation is even possible.

In this episode, we explore the complex intersection of climate change, environmental conservation, and human rights with environmental lawyer and legal scholar Arpitha Kodiveri. While nations of the Global North focus on emissions trading and alternative energy sources, communities in the Global South—especially forest-dwelling communities in India—face life-and-death decisions about natural resource use. Kodiveri, who has worked closely with these communities, shares stories of how they endure the dual threats of aggressive mining and conservation pressures. Yet, amid these challenges, hope emerges through their innovative approaches to forest law, co-governance, and a deep commitment to care and repair. Tune in for a deep dive into how these traditional owners are driving change and reshaping the future of forest governance.

How should this form of representation take place in popular culture? Will this result in role models and inspiration for minorities, or will it create tokenistic and inauthentic portrayals? Will this approach challenge stereotypes, or will it reinforce them? How will this impact the quality of the story?/Can it hinder artistic expression? 

Ashoka University, India's top liberal arts university, charges over a million rupees per year in tuition - three times the yearly income of the average Indian. Williams College, one of America's best-known liberal arts colleges, charges 68,000 dollars per year - more than the average yearly income in the US.  Despite its cost, the popularity of the liberal arts system is growing. Many new universities across the world - such as Krea in India or Ashesi in Ghana- are using the liberal arts model of requiring students to take classes across STEM, social sciences and the humanities and giving them time to decide on their majors. Even universities that require students to pick a major before joining, are increasingly encouraging them to gain skills in other fields.  What role does liberal arts play in the future of education? Should students be required to take classes in a variety of disciplines, or be allowed to focus on the fields they like? And how practical is it to expand the liberal arts model to millions of students across the world? Utkarsh and Dhruva draw on their experiences at universities such as Harvard, Oxford, Ashoka and INSEAD to debate the value of the liberal arts. 

385,000 children are born every day, around the world. Should we be contributing to that? Welcome to a new episode of Arguable, where we dig into the heart of controversial debates and ask the questions others shy away from. Is it ethical to have a child in today's world? Do they truly consent to being born? And when it comes down to it, is life filled with more joy or pain? As we ponder these questions, we explore what it really means to bring a new human into existence and how that decision transforms your life. We'll discuss the differences in how parenthood affects women and men and what we can do to change those dynamics. We'll also consider the environmental and economic footprint of having children and debate the morality of having your own child versus adopting. And, of course, we can't forget about politics and billionaires! We'll dig into US vice presidential candidate JD Vance's controversial comments on "childless cat ladies" and the audacious claim of Telegram's billionaire founder of having fathered 100 children. Join us as we wade through the ethical quagmire of parenthood, gender roles, and societal expectations, and try to find a bit of clarity in the chaos.

Unicorns! Edtech! Startup bros! Welcome to a new episode of Arguable, where we dive into the world of venture capital and startups and try to separate hype from truth. Seven of the world's eight most highly-valued public companies were once venture capital-based tech startups. Venture capital and technology are eating the world. But what is VC, really? How does it work, and how does it make decisions about which startups to invest in? As we celebrate billion-dollar startups and as venture capitalists become media gurus and pundits, it's time to take a step back and ask some difficult questions. Has the growth of venture capital been good for entrepreneurship and innovation? What are the drawbacks and limitations of venture capital? And what kinds of tech entrepreneurship could we imagine beyond venture capital? Bringing together experience from academia, investment and building businesses of their own, Utkarsh and Dhruva try to understand the future of innovation and startups in India and beyond.

Building Your Category of One with Ex-KKR India CEO Sanjay Nayar Points discussed in the podcast 1. Mental models for shaping the early stages of your career 2. Decision frameworks for making big career transitions 3. Frameworks for investments, the new world order, and India's role in shaping it 4. Insights on work-life integration, family, and a being supportive partner

Welcome to the third episode of "Arguable," where we, Utkarsh and Dhruva, dive into the changing nature and value of work as we know it. We kick things off by dusting off John Maynard Keynes' crystal ball from 1930. Remember when he boldly predicted we'd all be living the 15-hour workweek dream by now? Spoiler alert: we're not. But why? We'll unpack this economic plot twist and why we're still chained to our desks instead of sipping piña coladas on the beach. Fast forward to today, and we're staring down the barrel of a Goldman Sachs report that's got everyone's circuits frying. Three hundred million jobs potentially replaced by AI? That's not just a new industrial revolution; it's a whole new economic dimension! The four most dangerous words used by pundits are, ‘This time it's different.' We follow their cue and explore whether this time it really is different. We're not just talking about machines taking over assembly lines. We're talking about AI potentially writing your next novel, diagnosing your illnesses, or even arguing your court cases. Is this the dawn of a utopian future or the prelude to a jobless dystopia? We navigate the choppy waters between techno-optimism and techno-skepticism, exploring why we should be both thrilled and terrified about our silicon-powered future. Will AI be our loyal sidekick, freeing us up for more creative pursuits? Or will it be the ultimate job thief, leaving us all twiddling our thumbs? Voltaire once said, "Work saves us from three great evils: boredom, vice, and need." Would we still work if AI-induced productivity made work unnecessary? There are reasons to believe we would. That's why we go into the Universal Basic Income debate. Tune in and tell us what you think. Mentioned: 1. Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren: John Maynard Keynes 2. The US labor market is automating and becoming more flexible: Goldman Sachs 3. Can This Country Show Europe How to Compete Again?: The New York Times 4. Passion Economy and the Side Hustle Revolution: Utkarsh Amitabh

In this podcast, we discussed Vishal's new book on the politics of education in India. Education offers a lot of promises, it is considered an engine for social and economic mobility, it promises a path to development, to empowerment, to jobs. But what happens when some of these promises are not upheld? We deep dive into some chapters of Vishal's book and he explains what ‘more' is there to education and how deeply caste, class and gender are tied to this

Welcome to the second episode of "Arguable," where Dhruva Bhat and Utkarsh Amitabh engage in a discussion about the role of universities in political discourse. Between them, Dhruva and Utkarsh have studied at some of India and the world's top universities: Harvard, Oxford, Wharton, INSEAD and Ashoka. They bring their experience in education to the question: should universities take political stances, or should they remain neutral? In this podcast, we talk about the history of protest and political statements at universities, the growing distrust in higher education globally, and the benefits of a bottom-up versus a top-down approach to political discourse. Along the way, we explore the challenges of addressing diversity and inclusion in higher education, debating how universities can balance the need for fairness in admissions with the goal of fostering a diverse academic environment. What does this mean for the future of higher education and its role in society? And how should universities navigate the fine line between political engagement and neutrality? Tune in to this episode of "Arguable" to find out.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of "Arguable," where friends and debate enthusiasts Utkarsh Amitabh and Dhruva Bhat kick off a series designed to challenge your thinking and sharpen your ability to navigate tricky debates. In this episode, they tackle a compelling question: can you achieve more good by earning as much money as possible and donating it, or by choosing a career with a direct impact? Along the way, we dissect the principles of Effective Altruism, explore the power of role models, and analyze the balance between following one's passion and pursuing practicality in career choices. What can the examples of Tesla and Edison tell us about how to make change in the world? What is the role of the arts in doing good? And what does this mean for your life and career? Mentioned: * 80,000 Hours: https://80000hours.org/ * “What “We Owe the Future by Will MacAskill * "The Infinite Game" by Michael Lewis * "How to Be Famous" by Cass Sunstein Utkarsh Amitabh is the founder of Network Capital (networkcapital.tv), one of the world's largest mentorship platforms that empowers 7.5 million school students and 200,000+ young professionals to build meaningful careers. He is a writer at Harvard Business Review and the author of two best-selling books on work. An engineer by training, Utkarsh received his MBA from INSEAD, and is working on a doctorate at the University of Oxford. Dhruva Bhat co-founded and directs Lumiere Education, a company that delivers advanced extracurricular programs to thousands of high school students worldwide. n the past, he has coached the Indian national debate team to win the World Schools Debating Championships. Dhruva graduated from Harvard with an A.B. in economics and from Oxford with a Ph.D. in international development as a Rhodes Scholar.

Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India. In the Monde Selection, one of the most prestigious quality awards in the world for beer, the Cobra range have collectively been awarded a total of 110 Gold medals since 2001, making it one of the most awarded beers in the world. Lord Bilimoria is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, a former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now the University of West London); he was the youngest University Chancellor in the UK when appointed. Karan was a former Senior Non-Executive Director of the Booker Group now TESCO PLC (2007-2016); he is one of the first two visiting entrepreneurs at the University of Cambridge; he is a founding member of the Prime Minister of India's Global Advisory Council. In 2006, Karan Bilimoria was appointed the Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, making him the first ever Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords. In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharti Samman by the President of India. He is an honorary fellow of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and graduated in law from the University of Cambridge. He is also an alumnus through executive education of the Cranfield School of Management, the London Business School and the Harvard Business School. In July 2014, he was installed as the seventh Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, making him the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in Great Britain, and he is the President of the UK Council for International Students Affairs (UKCISA). Since 2017 Lord Bilimoria has been a Bynum Tudor Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. Lord Bilimoria is an Honorary Group Captain in 601 Squadron Royal Air Force. In June 2020, he was appointed President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). In this podcast, we cover - 1. Mental models for creating a new category 2. ⁠Frameworks and principles for building a global brand 3. Leadership lessons from a distinguished career in business and politics

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Blending Creativity Across Disciplines: Puneet shares insights on how her diverse experiences in news writing, advertising, and acting have shaped her approach to storytelling and creativity. She emphasizes the importance of adaptability and continuous learning in the ever-evolving media landscape. 2.⁠ ⁠Discipline and Rigor of Writing: How Puneet finished her book and found a publisher 3.⁠ ⁠Writing with Authenticity: Drawing from her debut novel, Puneet delves into the intricacies of writing with a blend of reflective realism and pop culture. Puneet Sikka is a media professional who has previously worked as a writer in the news and advertising industry. She is also an aspiring actress with performances in theatre, TV and digital commercials, short films as well as a feature film to her name. Puneet studied at the Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi and Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune. Her debut novel, Take No. 2020, is a hybrid of pop culture and realism that combines her lived experience within the entertainment industry and her passion for writing.

David works at the intersection of technology and teams. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Cambridge University. He has worked on the Android team at Google, and managed Facebook's internal videoconferencing and collaboration team. He has also been Head of Engineering at a number of startups, supervising the growth of digital product teams from 10 to 100+ engineers. David is now an independent consultant and owner of Simplified Systems Consulting, helping clients as an Interim VP Engineering. In his spare time he still writes code, and practices contemporary dance. He recently published "Building High Performing Teams", in which he describes his approach to running successful Tech companies. In this podcast, we cover - 1. The art of running a successful tech company with a people first approach 2. Why the most complex technological challenges ultimately are people challenges and how you can resolve them 3. Ways to make big career transitions

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Mental models for figuring out what to do with your life  2. Nuances of career transitions  3. Doubling down on the things you care most about  Dhruva Bhat is an entrepreneur and researcher with extensive experience in educational innovation and international development. He co-founded and directs Lumiere Education, a company that delivers advanced extracurricular programs focusing on research, AI/ML, and professional development to high school students worldwide. Under his leadership, Lumiere has reached over 4,000 students from 70 countries. In the past, he has helped scale India's largest debate education nonprofit, the Indian Schools Debating Society, and coached the Indian national team to win the World Schools Debating Championships.  ​Dhruva graduated from Harvard University with an A.B. in economics, magna cum laude and from Oxford University with a Ph.D. in international development as a Rhodes Scholar. His research on education and entrepreneurship in developing countries has won the Dunlop Prize in Business and Government, the Burke Knapp Travel Grant and the Murray Speight Research Grant. 

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Thinking about your career in phases 2. Figuring out what matters and why 3. Working like a lion: Sprint, rest, repeat  Abhilasha is a graduate of IIT Delhi and Harvard Business School. Over the years she has worked at the intersection of tech and innovation across diverse industries such as digital healthcare, blended education, and consumer tech across Asia and North America.   She was previously the Chief Growth Officer at Open Secret. ​Outside her professional career she is passionate about mentoring college students and young professionals, and advising early stage businesses and non-profit organizations.

Heidi Roizen is a venture capitalist, corporate director and former technology CEO/entrepreneur. Today, Heidi is a partner at leading venture firm Threshold Ventures and serves as a board member for private companies Upside Foods and Polarr in the Threshold portfolio. She is currently also an independent corporate director for Invitation Homes (NYSE:INVH) and Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL). Heidi is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University and leads Stanford's Threshold Venture Fellows Program in the Management Science and Engineering department. At Stanford, Heidi also serves on the advisory councils of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) and Stanford Technology Ventures (STVP). She started her career as co-founder of software company T/Maker and served as its CEO for over a dozen years until its acquisition by Deluxe Corporation. After a year as VP of Worldwide Developer Relations at Apple, Heidi then became a venture capitalist in 1999. She has undergraduate and MBA degrees from Stanford and is the proud mother of two kids and two rescue dogs. In this podcast, we cover - 1. The adventure of building and scaling your business 2. The art of having difficult conversations 3. Nuances of gender dynamics in entrepreneurship 4. Leveraging your social network to advance social good 5. The joy of giving back Read her HBS Case Study: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=26880 Check out her podcast: https://www.threshold.vc/podcast

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Understanding various contributions of one of the most iconic, but understudied leaders of modern India 2. Women in politics during the early years of post independence India 3. ⁠⁠Powerful friendships and fall outs Pallavi Rebbapragada is a journalist and public policy consultant based in Delhi. She started her career at India Today as a features writer and journeyed through Europe, the Middle East and the Far East capturing life and culture in her stories. She then worked with Forbes and Firstpost, at times dipping into the dark depths of the economy of death workers, prison reforms and India's drug crisis. On other days, she interviewed the strongest voices across politics, business and cinema. Her first book, Upon a Bright Red Bench, was assessed at the Yale Writers' Conference in 2014. During her recent stint at the Delhi Vidhan Sabha, she realised that her true passions lay at the cusp of poetry and policy. With empathy and strategy, seeping into ink and onto paper, she wishes to pen the story of her nation's tomorrow.

In this podcast, we cover - 1. The ethics of career choice2. Critical analysis of the structural badness of work3. AI ethics and achievement gaps John Danaher is a lecturer in the Law School. He holds a BCL from University College Cork (2006); an LLM from Trinity College Dublin (2007); and a PhD from University College Cork (2011). He was lecturer in law at Keele University in the UK from 2011 until 2014. He joined NUI Galway in July 2014. John's research focuses on the ethical, legal and social implications of new technologies. He maintains a blog called Philosophical Disquisitions, and produces a podcastwith the same title. He also writes for the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies.Free, open-access pre-prints of his academic papers can be found on Philpapers, Researchgateand Academia. 

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Taking an idea from a side hustle to a thriving business2. Understanding the nuances of content moderation3. How humour and kindness scale Noel is the founder of CurryTraits, a leading private group boasting over 1 million members. With a background in Product Management, Social Media Management, and Community Management, Noel brings a wealth of experience to the table. Additionally, Noel has founded a Social Media Consultancy and has worked for one of Australia's Largest Financial Institutions, further enriching their expertise in the field.

In this podcast, we cover - 1. The parallels between publishing and venture capital 2. The economics of publishing 3. How to get your book published Founder and publisher of Juggernaut Books, Chiki was the founding editor in chief of Random House India and publisher of Penguin India from 2011-15, she is a passionate publisher and all about books. Authors she has worked with include Amitav Ghosh, Vikram Seth, Anita Desai, Arundhati Roy, Twinkle Khanna and Rujuta Diwekar.

These are 10 sure ways to never make progress on anything you truly care about

In this podcast, we cover - 1. ⁠Role of serendipity in building meaningful careers 2.⁠ ⁠Ethical principles toward shaping more inclusive technologies 3.⁠ ⁠Feminist and anti-racist approach to AI Eleanor started her career in financial technology before co-founding an e-commerce company. Now a Senior Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, she maintains her strong interest in commercial concerns and opportunities in AI by working to bridge the gap between industry in academia in AI Ethics. She runs a team that is building the world's first free auditing online tool that allows companies to meet the EU AI act's obligations - which have been enriched with feminist and antiracist principles. She previously explored what AI ethics currently means to AI engineers at a major tech multinational the size of Meta. Her advisory work in the AI Ethics space also includes the UN Data Science & Ethics Group's 'Applied Ethics Toolkit'. On this site you can learn more about her past and present projects, media appearances, and publications. She has an international dual degree PhD from the University of Bologna and the University of Granada, where she was an Early Stage Researcher for the EU Horizon 2020 ETN-ITN-Marie Curie Project “GRACE” (Gender and Cultures of Equality in Europe). She has made two short films about science fiction utopias and dystopias, and co-created a feminist quotation-generating App called 'Quotidian'.  

TN Hari is an advisor and sounding board to numerous young entrepreneurs and startups. He is also a Strategic Advisor at ‘Fundamentum', which is a homegrown growth phase VC fund set up by Nandan Nilekani and Sanjeev Aggarwal. Hari was the former HR at BigBasket. ​He has studied at IIT & IIM and worked at an executive level with multiple start- ups/scale-ups and has been through four successful exits in different industries (Daksh, Virtusa, Amba Research, TaxiForSure). ​His passion is in scaling organizations through clear thinking and relentless execution. He writes regularly on LinkedIn. LinkedIn identified him as the one of the Top Voices in India for three years in a row (2016, 2017, and 2018). ​He has Co-authored three books. The last two books were “Cut the Crap and Jargon – Lessons from the Startup Trenches” was published by Penguin; and “Cutting the Gordian Knot – India's Quest for Prosperity” was published by Bloomsbury.

In this podcast, we discuss 1.⁠ ⁠Why reading matters and how it shapes our world view 2.⁠ ⁠How to read when one is flooded with content from all sides 3.⁠ ⁠What learning across disciplines looks like Professor Anamika teaches literatures in English at the University of Delhi Her doctoral thesis is on the reception of John Donne across the ages. She has published extensively also in the areas of Translating Studies and Gender Justice. Besides 8 volumes of cricitism, she has published 7 well received novels in Hindi. Three of her novels, Dus Dware ka Peenjara, Aienasaz and Trin Dhari Oat have won national awards and have been staged as major stage productions. In 2020 she received the Sahitya Akademi Award for her poetry collection” Tokri Mein Digant”Poems from her other poetry collections “ Anushtup”, “ Khurduri Hatheliyan”,” Doob - Dhan”, “ Pani Ko Sab Yaad Tha”, “ Band Raston Ka Safar” etc are prescribed at different Universities and have been rendered into languages such as Malayalam, Marathi, Bangla, Punjabi, Oriya, Kannad, Korean, Russian and English. She herself is an avid translator and also the founder editor of a bilingual journal called Pashyantee. Her essays on womanist discourse in Hindi too have been translated into many languages and she herself has translated the works of Rilke, Neruda, Doris Lessing, Octavio Paz, and fellow women poets extensively. Her major English publications include Transplanting British Poetry in Indian Classrooms, Donne Criticism Down the Ages, Post-War Women Poets: Treatment of Love and Death, Feminist Poetics: Where Kingfishers Catch Fire, Translating Racial Memory, Weaving a Nation: Proto-Feminist Writing in Hindi and Urdu . This is her recent book - https://www.amazon.com/Trin-Dhari-Ot-Anamika/dp/9355183917

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Frameworks for combining impact with profitability to build a mission driven business 2. The early days of building ReNew: the journey of finding early believers and operating in a ‘blue ocean' 3. Nuances of nurturing talent and championing gender and diversity Vaishali Nigam Sinha is the Chair for ReNew Foundation and Chief Sustainability Officer for ReNew Power, which is India's largest renewable energy IPP (Independent Power Producer). A strong advocate of equal participation of women in economic activities, Vaishali is also passionate about Climate Change, Women's Entrepreneurship and Leadership. She has been a speaker at international forums like the California Governor's Global Climate Action Summit, Clinton Global Initiative and United Nations Global Compact Network.  Vaishali is deeply engaged with industry bodies, think tanks and educational institutions. She is a member of the Governing Council of the UN Global Compact Network, India (GCNI) and Chairperson of their Gender Committee; Chairperson – South Asian Women In Energy (SAWIE); Co – Chair of CII Indian Women Network and Woman Empowerment Committee. Vaishali is on the Advisory Board for Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai and is a member of the Governing Council of the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women. She also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air (CERCA) at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.Vaishali was felicitated for her outstanding contribution towards woman empowerment by CSR Journal in July 2019, and also recognized as being amongst India's Top 25 Impactful CSR Leaders by the India CSR Network in April 2019. CEO Today magazine has conferred the Business Woman of the Year Award 2019 on her for her achievements and leadership of women in business. Vaishali has completed the Owners and Presidents Management Program from Harvard Business School and has a Masters in Public Policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, where she was an American Association of University Women (AAUW) scholar. 

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Frameworks for effective leadership in an uncertain and volatile world 2. Personal insights on the idea of ‘success' and ‘feeling successful' 3. The art of identifying and navigating important points of ‘inflection' Sharath is the Globally Recognised Authority on Leadership at Inflection Moments. He is an acclaimed Advisor, Facilitator & Author supporting Leaders and Organisations to Futureproof Success.  He supports a wide range of organisations to safely navigate their Inflection Moments & futureproof success, through an innovative Guided Journey process. These include pre-eminent global corporations (e.g. L'Oreal, Shopify, Adecco), public sector organisations (e.g. the UK's NHS & Parliament), non-profits (e.g. Teach for All, Ashoka), growth businesses (e.g. JKS Restaurants) and venture funds (e.g. within the Omidyar Group).  Sharath teaches Leadership at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.  Sharath's groundbreaking first book "Intrinsic" received widespread acclaim from fellow authors Dan Heath and Nir Eyal, to former Prime Ministers.

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Lessons in grit: balancing personal responsibilities with professional goals through a difficult medical diagnosis 2. Frameworks for understanding risk and regret: how to know you're making the ‘right' decision 3. Zero involuntary churn: building teams that work Pascal Uffer is the co-founder of Boostbar alongside some of the industry's brightest minds. In 2020 he started his entrepreneurial journey that transformed his startup into one of the fastest-growing enterprises, amassing a remarkable CHF 15 million in revenue and fostering a team of over 100 professionals.In an extraordinary turn of events, Pascal's entrepreneurial success faced an unexpected challenge 15 months into the venture when he received a terminal cancer diagnosis (NSCLC stage 4b). Miraculously overcoming this formidable obstacle, Pascal attributes his survival to the advances of modern medicine and an extraordinary stroke of luck.Before his foray into the startup landscape, Pascal Uffer's career spanned four continents. He brought his expertise as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, delved into private equity with KKR, and assumed the role of Group COO at the multinational corporation Selecta. Pascal holds academic credentials, including an engineering degree and an MBA from INSEAD.Outside the professional arena, Pascal is deeply passionate about skiing and the outdoors. As a proud husband and father, he finds fulfillment in his family life, sharing joyous moments with his seven-year-old daughter, Adele, and his six-year-old son, Leon.

In this podcast, we cover - 1. The art and science of forming multi-dimensional careers: nuances of achievement 2. Frameworks for understanding change as a philosopher 3. Frameworks for analysing achievement in the automated workspace Sven Nyholm is a Professor of the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence at LMU Munich and the Principal Investigator for AI Ethics at the Munich Center for Machine Learning. Much of his recent work has been about the impact of emerging technologies on our opportunities to live meaningful lives, have meaningful relationships, and do meaningful work. He is particularly interested in how life in the contemporary world – with technologies like robots and artificial intelligence – affects traditional ideas about ethics and our human self-understanding. Nyholm's publications include Revisiting Kant's Universal Law and Humanity Formulas (De Gruyter, 2015), Humans and Robots: Ethics, Agency, and Anthropomorphism (Rowman & Littlefield International, 2020) and This is Technology Ethics: An Introduction (Wiley-Blackwell, 2023).

In this podcast we cover - 1. The increasing importance of liberal arts in a world with rising automation 2. The role of mentors and building an ‘entrepreneurial mindset' 3. The ‘Personal Journey Map' and the importance of the ‘startup of you' Priyank Narayan Founding Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Ashoka University, a leading liberal arts university. He started his career with IBM. He has been an entrepreneur for many years before joining Ashoka University. Priyank teaches courses on Design Thinking, Innovation Management, and Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset. He is a guest faculty member at IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad, HEC Paris, and Naropa Fellowship, Leh. An MBA from the Asian Institute of Management, Manila, Priyank has also studied at IIM Ahmedabad. He has completed executive education programmes at Harvard Business School and Singularity University, California. He holds a PhD from the Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi. Mukesh Sud An engineer from IIT Delhi, he founded several small-scale industries involved in abrasive blasting and thermal sprayed coatings. Mukesh began his academic career in the US at Augustana College (2006-09), after which he was a tenured faculty member at the Dolan School of Business, Fairfield University (2009-15). Mukesh is a visiting faculty at Ashoka University, Delhi NCR, and the Naropa Fellowship at Leh. At IIM Ahmedabad he conducts executive education programmes on 'Design Thinking' and 'Creating Entrepreneurial Organizations'. He is on FICCI's Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Committee.

In this podcast, we discuss - 1. Frameworks for building businesses with customer delight & a three-side market place 2. Insights on the passion economy, small & medium size business, and the future of content 3. Lessons on resilience, leadership and evaluating businesses. Amita holds the position of Co-founder and CEO at Playback, a pioneering interactive video platform designed to assist businesses in fostering customer engagement and enriching their brand storytelling. She spent over a decade on Wall Street and in management consulting. She also has a notable presence in the tech sector, with a focus on strategy, operations, and IPO.​ Amita's compelling global narrative unfolds across five countries. She was born in India, raised in Jersey City, pursued studies abroad in London, earned her MBA in France and Singapore, and contributed to digital innovation in the Middle East - Saudi Arabia/UAE. Her exploration has taken her to 65 countries and counting.​ Passionate about making a significant impact, Amita is dedicated to building and scaling businesses that touch millions of lives. She channels her energy into transforming impact-focused ideas into tangible and actionable business initiatives. Additionally, she is committed to mentoring women and underrepresented founders.​Amita has developed a set of strengths, including being a creative problem solver, a strategic visionary, possessing insatiable curiosity, being a thoughtful communicator, and maintaining a growth mindset.​ Outside the professional realm, Amita finds joy in various activities. She embraces an active lifestyle through strength training, hiking, yoga, and meditation. Her reading interests span business books, biographies, and historical fiction. Furthermore, she immerses herself in the vibrant art scene of New York City.

In this podcast we cover - 1. Key geo-political trends in 2024 to look out for 2. The repercussions of diminishing US leadership and rising new non-state actors 3. Frameworks for thinking about optimism, technology and a new social contract. Dr Maha Hosain Aziz is a professor and author in global risk and future trends based at NYU's MA International Relations Program, leading the annual global risk prediction project with Wikistrat, the world's first geopolitical crowdsourced consultancy; she is a risk expert on the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Complex Risk and speaks to audiences globally on her research. She has written a trilogy of books including seven-time award-winning bestseller Future World Order (2020) plus sequels Global Spring (2024) and 10 Shock Events By 2030 (2024). She also created ten-time award-winning VR/AR political comic book The Global Kid (2021) with edtech partner Musemio, drew the seven-time award-winning original (2016) and is working on Evolution (2024) – a comic book about global extremism partly created by generative AI. Dr Aziz has donated a % of all of her book and comic profits to important causes, including vaccine equality via the WHO, Pakistani flood relief via The Citizens Foundation and the Abid Aziz Fund for Syrian refugee youth via charity Peace & Sport. She is a global citizen with strong Pakistani Muslim roots who grew up in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe and the US, studying at Brown (BA), Columbia (MA) and the London School of Economics (MSc, PhD). You can connect with her on her LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/drmahahosainazizThe Time Article - https://time.com/6550584/5-shock-events-world-future-essay/Our Future World Order - http://www.futureworldorder.org/

Mark-Anthony Falzon is a social anthropologist. He is a professor at the University of Malta and a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge. His books include Cosmopolitan Connections (Oxford, 2005), Multi-Sited Ethnography (Ashgate, 2009), The Examined Life (2019), The University of Malta (2020) and Birds of Passage (Berghahn, 2020). His book examines the social and cultural infrastructure that sustains Sindhi business and its trade networks. It provides a rich historical context to the narrative by tracing the origin of Sindhi trade to the annexation of Sindh in 1843, when it was incorporated into an expanding global economy. The book also locates Sindhi business within the dynamics of the contemporary Indian diaspora and features several success stories both from India and outside. Furthermore, it emphasizes the commercial inventiveness, spatial mobility, and adaptability of Sindhis—-the qualities crucial to building successful cosmopolitan businesses. The book features an arresting introduction by best-selling author and commentator, Gurcharan Das.

Anirudh Suri is a venture capitalist, technology entrepreneur and policy advisor. He is the managing partner of India Internet Fund, a US and India-based technology venture capital fund, and author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations (HarperCollins, 2022). Previously, he worked with the Government of India in Delhi, McKinsey and Co. in New York, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC, and Goldman Sachs in London. ​Anirudh completed his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. He studied Economics and International Relations at the London School of Economics and Haverford College. He has served on the global board of the Harvard Alumni Association and was the president of the Harvard Club of India from 2017–19.

In this pathbreaking work, Shrayana Bhattacharya maps the economic and personal trajectories--the jobs, desires, prayers, love affairs and rivalries--of a diverse group of women. Divided by class but united in fandom, they remain steadfast in their search for intimacy, independence and fun. Embracing Hindi film idol Shah Rukh Khan allows them a small respite from an oppressive culture, a fillip to their fantasies of a friendlier masculinity in Indian men. Most struggle to find the freedom-or income-to follow their favourite actor. Bobbing along in this stream of multiple lives for more than a decade-from Manju's boredom in 'rurban' Rampur and Gold's anger at having to compete with Western women for male attention in Delhi's nightclubs, to Zahira's break from domestic abuse in Ahmedabad-Bhattacharya gleans the details on what Indian women think about men, money, movies, beauty, helplessness, agency and love. A most unusual and compelling book on the female gaze, this is the story of how women have experienced post-liberalization India.