Podcasts about Siddhartha

9/19/25: UMass Pres Marty Meehan & MTA Pres Max Page on $, politics & the future. Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa: saving rural hospitals. Amherst Prof Austin Sarat: on freedom (?) of speech today. David Knowles, Jeannine Haas & Jean Koester: “Seeing Violet” in Ashfield. Donnabelle Casis w/ Siddhartha Shah: the Mead's amazing exhibit.

Ashu Garg has backed companies like Databricks, Turing, Cohesity, Jasper, and Eightfold.ai as General Partner at Foundation Capital. Over the years, he's seen multiple waves of innovation but in his words, nothing in the last 45 years comes close to the transformation AI is bringing right now.Ashu discusses how the next wave of AI products will be driven by combining reasoning with reinforcement learning, and cautions every startup building on top of foundation models: that their vendors will also be their competitors.He also talks about how agents are moving from simple copilots to autonomous workers, how the internet itself will have to be reinvented for an agentic world, and what happens when your agent can not only draft emails but also buy plane tickets or make payments on your behalf.We also get into the realities of building AI companies today: why your competitor isn't GPT-5 but GPT-7, where startups can actually outcompete big tech, whether geography still matters, and how relationships and access still shape outcomes in an age that feels completely digital.This is one of the most insightful conversations you'll hear on what it takes to build durable AI companies in this era and where the next generation of billion-dollar startups will come from.0:00- Trailer0:42 – Foundation models as biggest competitor of AI startups4:19 – Agents are visible; reasoning is underneath6:20 – The leap of AI from autonomous to automation9:27 – Why the internet must be reinvented for AI10:49 – What if agents act (and do payments) on your behalf? 13:06 – Is Ashu using agents for himself?13:54 – No tech shift in 45 years compares to today15:38 – Who is accountable for what your agent does?17:57 – Who has advantage: first-time or repeat founders?19:27 – Does geography matter for founders anymore?21:19 – Whose AI will become the user's default?25:44 – Where do startups have an edge in AI?28:25 – How can startups outdo their model providers31:21 – Does distribution still matter in the Agentic era?33:29 – Why experience and access will always matter35:36 – Startups today must compete with GPT-7, not GPT-537:09 – Why Dollars on talent poaching in AI makes sense42:20 – Are only 1,000 people at AI's cutting edge?43:32 – What does Ashu garg look for in a founder?45:15 – How to build more billion-dollar companies?-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

A full founder's arc: starting small, building global SaaS companies from Hyderabad, taking one to IPO, another to a billion-dollar exit, and then choosing to begin again (and again).Kiran Darisi began at Zoho, founding team member of Freshworks at 25, and stayed twelve years till the company went public. Today he is building Atomicwork, reinventing service management in the AI era. Sreedhar Peddineni started with Host Analytics back when SaaS was still called application service provider, went on to create the customer success category with Gainsight, and is now on his third venture with GTM Buddy.In this episode, we talk about what it takes to build companies that last for decades. We discuss how startups can find the “Goldilocks zone”,why smaller teams are creating more value than ever, and the mistakes founders often make when moving from SMB to enterprise.Both founders share how AI is reshaping every layer of SaaS, why it's both eating the pie and expanding it and what's left for entrepreneurs when the biggest AI companies are chasing every vertical.This conversation looks back at some of India's iconic SaaS companies, shares lessons from two decades of building, and looks ahead to the future of SaaS from India.0:00 — Atomicwork x GTM Buddy1:17 — Why They Chose to Be Founders Again8:27 — How to generate pipeline predictability at a startup?16:46 — Becoming Freshworks' Co-Founder at 2519:43 — How Atomicwork Co-Founders Connected & Chose Their Problem23:25 — Building Companies That Last for Decades27:18 — Why Smaller, High-Quality Teams Win30:21 — 1st vs 2nd Founders: What They Get Wrong31:56 — Scaling: SMB → Mid-Market → Enterprise33:36 — Category Creation at Gainsight40:03 — Disrupting vs Expanding Large Categories44:08 — How to Choose the Right Market49:08 — Why Atomicwork Chose This Category53:11 — The 'Goldilocks Zone' for a Startup Category57:11 — Can Salesforce Be Replaced?58:26 — Neon Fund x Atomicwork1:01:27 — Neon Fund x GTM Buddy1:03:44 — If Big AI Goes Everywhere, What's Left for B2B SaaS?1:07:36 — What to Build in the AI Era?1:10:35 — Is AI Expanding the Pie While Eating It?1:17:03 — How Useful Are Custom GPTs for Companies?1:20:34 — Workflows vs AI Workforce-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

This week is the first in our Off the Cushion and Into the World series. This series came from multiple requests for a course on Buddhist philosophy and psychology, and I wanted to offer this series on the foundational teachings here on the podcast. As the Dalai Lama said, you don't have to be Buddhist to benefit from the teachings of Buddhism! You can use the tools to have less suffering in your life - no matter what your path is. In this first episode of the series, we explore the story of Siddhartha and the trials and tribulations that led to his Awakening; how he was a human who suffered just like us, and therefore how Awakening is something available to all of us. We explore the foundational values of inquiry and debate within Buddhism, and how we need to discover our own path and test things out for ourselves, not relying on blind faith. We also dive into the Three Refuges (aka the 3 Jewels) and why they're essential on our journey, and how to explore our own versions of these refuges.Most of all, you learn how to begin applying these things to this wild and whacky human life.You will learn:// Why we might want to study these teachings in the first place - even if we aren't Buddhist or religious// The story of Siddhartha (later know as Buddha) and why he'd leave a phat pad, buckets of money and a legacy of power // Why Buddhism is so unique in its practice of inquiry, questioning, debate, and no requirements or blind faith. (And why it often works well for atheists and agnostics as well) // The three jewels / refuges and why we need them on our journey// One practice you can try this week to show up with curiosity around your own sources of refuge and resourcing Resources:// Episode 122: Come See for Yourself – Ehipassiko// Episode 136: Freedom to Change Your Mind// Episode 198: WTF Is Enlightenment?// If you're new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You'll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics.// Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can't wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I'd love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

There's a misunderstanding that mindfulness is about suffering. The truth is, mindfulness is about the end of suffering and how to go there. It's optimistic. Given the moment, that seems like something we can all use.  Mindfulness originated with Siddhartha, who became known as the Buddha, which means, “awake.” The Buddha was many things including a phenomenal psychologist, who mapped the mind and then showed how to work with it to cultivate happiness, even in the most difficult of times.Like all maps, the map of mindfulness can be layered on top of other maps, like the map of the legal mind. My question is, what happens when we do that? Let's go back to the very first mindfulness teaching, Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dharma, and back to some early hypotheses about the legal mind. And see how the mapping looks. 

A 14-year journey from bootstrap to scale.Exotel's story is one of India's most remarkable SaaS journeys. Shivakumar Ganesan, started Exotel in 2011, bootstrapping it from the ground up. In 2012, he raised a seed round of ₹2.5 crore, but for the next eight years, the company grew without any external funding. Then came COVID and revenue went from $10M to $5M and what followed were bold strategic moves.3 funding rounds, 2 major acquisitions, and the decision to stay focused on the Indian market despite advice to go global first. Today, Exotel powers calls for delivery executives, cab drivers, and banking relationship managers across the country.In this conversation, Shivku shares what it's like to tackle India's unique AI challenge of building voicebots in 30+ languages, and how automation could reduce contact center jobs by as much as 80%. He talks about the tough transition from serving SMBs to enterprise customers and how he has built a ₹2500 crore+ business without leaving India.If you're interested in B2B companies built from India, this episode is full of insights on timing, reading the market, and creating deep moats in overlooked opportunities.0:00 – Trailer0:42 – Exotel enabling 2 Billion Calls Monthly5:04 – 4 Fundraises & 2 M&A's in 18 Months12:06 – How Acquisitions Affect Company Finances18:11 – Why 90% of M&As Fail22:02 – Why Acquisitions Are Extremely Hard22:59 – How AI Will Change Customer Relations26:46 – How Customer Spending Will Shift with AI29:10 – AI Could Reduce 80% of Jobs30:27 – Where AI Offers Hope31:47 – India's Unique AI Challenges34:60 → Actually 35:00 – Building in India for the US Market38:17 – Why Exotel Didn't Enter the US Market39:49 – Indian SaaS Co's Should Go Public42:50 – The Mega Cycles of Tech Transformation45:37 – Customer Segments: SMBs to Startups to Enterprise56:45 – Find Large Uniquely Indian Markets to Solve59:44 – India's Shift from Price to Quality Is 20 Years Away-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

Klaus, Johannes www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Klaus, Johannes www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Klaus, Johannes www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

We're going inside Hermann Hesse's timeless classic, 'Siddhartha,' with Bro. Jonathan Kopel as our guide. We'll explore Siddhartha's journey of self-discovery, examining themes of enlightenment, the search for truth, and the nature of wisdom. Through the lens of Masonic philosophy, we'll uncover the symbolic parallels between Siddhartha's path and the ancient teachings of the Craft. Discover how the river of life, the pursuit of knowledge, and the importance of inner experience resonate with both Hesse's narrative and the principles of Freemasonry.Show notes: Join us on Patreon. Start your FREE seven day trial to the Craftsmen Online Podcast and get instant access to our bonus content! Whether it's a one time donation or you become a Patreon Subscriber, we appreciate your support.Visit the Craftsmen Online website to learn more about our next Reading Room event, New York Masonic History and our Masonic Education blog!Follow the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Spotify.Subscribe to the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow Craftsmen Online on YouTube, hit subscribe and get notified the next time we go LIVE with a podcast recording!Yes, we're on Tik Tok and Instagram.Get our latest announcements and important updates in your inbox with the Craftsmen Online Newsletter.Email the host, RW Michael Arce! Yes, we will read your email and may even reach out to be a guest on a future episode.Sponsor offer: Don't forget to use the promo code CRAFTSMEN to receive free shipping with your first order from Bricks Masons!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/craftsmen-online-podcast--4822031/support.

The software that powers 25% of India's e-commerce transactions, processes a billion orders each year, and in 2025 alone fulfilled 20 million quick-commerce orders: Unicommerce sits at the core of India's digital retail ecosystem. It is one of the few SaaS companies from India to go public, doing so after nearly a decade of steady growth without fresh primary capital until its IPO in 2024.In this episode of The Neon Show, we sit down with Kapil Makhija, CEO of Unicommerce, the company quietly running India's $60B E-retail market (set to hit $2 Trillion in the next two decades). The conversation goes beyond the company's journey to unpack how perceptions of Indian SaaS customers are changing: from the old belief that they “don't pay” to a more nuanced reality where they value communication, support expectations, and long-term relationships define success.We also look ahead to the future of SaaS in India: from the impact of AI, to the challenges of scaling from zero to $100M, to the balance between pricing and value, and identifying the sectors most ready for building large SaaS companies.This episode is for anyone curious about the story of SaaS in India, from how it is being built, scaled & the opportunities ahead.00:00 – Trailer01:15 – India makes you product-ready & pressure-tested03:45 – GTM: India doesn't reward size, it rewards focus05:00 – Joining Unicommerce the week Snapdeal acquired it10:10 – Digital-first brands vs. traditional brands12:36 – Why Excel and manual ops were the real competition?14:25 – The acquisition of Shipway17:02 – How will the company achieve 1000 Cr Revenue?19:40 – How the decision to go public was made23:40 – Success in SaaS isn't sign-ups, it's retention29:31 – The myth that Indian customers don't pay33:30 – Do Indian customers want Enterprise support but SMB pricing?36:40 – The impact of AI on SaaS39:10 – Founder vs. CEO: Is there a difference?47:29 – White spaces in e-commerce waiting to be built50:35 – Q-commerce vs. E-commerce: where are brands betting?52:07 – How SaaS companies decide if they're IPO-ready?55:10 – Can India build billion-dollar SaaS companies at home?58:15 – How long does the 0 → $100M journey really take?01:01:15 – How to build a ₹100 Cr SaaS company today?01:09:53 – Are pricing advantages in SaaS sustainable?01:12:22 – How much do brands actually spend on tech?-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

Wer bin ich? Wer will ich sein? Diese Fragen stellen sich wahrscheinlich viele Leute in ihren Zwanzigern. Und genau darum geht es auch in dem Buch "Siddhartha" von Hermann Hesse. Toni Mertens hat das Buch gelesen - sie nimmt euch und uns wieder mit auf ihre Lesereise.

The 21st century has shattered old assumptions about diplomacy.Relationships between nations are no longer guided by ideology or morality, but driven by pragmatism and national interest.This week, former diplomat Rajiv Sikri who served 36 years in the Indian Foreign Service, offers a deep dive into how global power dynamics are shifting. We discuss why the United States still remains the only true great power, yet its tariff policies are reshaping global trade and forcing countries like India to rethink their strategies. And explores how the Russia–Ukraine conflict has reshaped security and political choices. For India, Russia remains a vital partner, while Europe has chosen to cut ties despite its heavy dependence on Russian energy and Britain continues to commit billions to Ukraine even with its own economy struggling. Rajiv also examines China's growing alignment with Pakistan and what this means for India's long-term security and economic positioning. Rajiv also argues that a future global conflict may not involve every country, but rather regional conflicts with worldwide consequences.This episode provides a clear-eyed analysis of global diplomacy; its complexities, evolving alignments, and the choices India faces in navigating an increasingly multipolar world.0:00 – Why US remains the world's true great power3:35 – Has the WTO collapsed?5:23 – How US Tariffs have destabilised the world7:12 – Can India become an Agri-exporter?11:32 – Why Trump puts the MAGA base first13:21 – The Russia-Ukraine war explained22:24 – Diplomatic relationships are no longer based on ideology25:22 – Why Europe cutting ties with Russia may backfire27:52 – Why Britain funds Ukraine despite its weak economy29:57 – Did Operation Sindhoor reveal open Chinese support to Pakistan?33:32 – What China risks from India's rise?37:24 – Why morality doesn't exist in global politics38:30 – Will China's attitude towards India change?39:28 – How China dominates global manufacturing44:40 – Why global investors should bet on India49:20 – Israel's War Acts53:17 – How will WW3 actually be?56:07 – Can the world create an organisation not dominated by the West?59:29 – Why India must act cold-blooded in its national interest1:01:13 – Are India's global moves headed in the right direction?1:03:43 – Lessons from 36 years as a diplomat-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

A inteligência artificial pode melhorar os tratamentos oncológicos? A especialista Leonor Matos e Rui Maria Pêgo olham para o futuro e tentam antecipar as respostas da Ciência.O cancro afeta mais de 20 milhões de pessoas por ano e é uma das principais causas de morte, em todo o mundo. E os números não páram de crescer. Com os olhos postos no futuro, médicos e investigadores procuram, cada vez mais, soluções inovadoras na abordagem da doença.Leonor Matos percorre a evolução dos tratamentos, desde a descoberta da radioterapia de Marie Curie e do conceito de ‘bala mágica' de Paul Ehrlich, o pai da quimioterapia, até à revolução da oncologia de precisão, nos anos 90. A conversa explora avanços recentes, como a imunoterapia – distinguida com o Prémio Nobel em 2018 –, o alcance da biópsia líquida ou o impacto crescente da Inteligência Artificial no diagnóstico e personalização dos tratamentos. Neste que é o último de quatro episódios dedicados ao cancro, a dupla destaca ainda a importância dos ensaios clínicos e do apoio à investigação científica, apontando as respostas e desafios que existem em Portugal no acesso à inovação.Assista a este episódio do [IN]Pertinente e descubra que o futuro já começou.REFERÊNCIAS E LINKS ÚTEISMukherjee, Siddhartha, «O Imperador de Todos os Males - Uma biografia do cancro» (Bertrand Editora, 2012) «Inovação e Investigação em Portugal», União Europeia White Paper «Inteligência Artificial na Saúde em Portugal, Regulamentação, Impactos e Perspetivas de Futuro» (Fevereiro, 2025) Projeto «Cinderella» «Zavatar Project»  «A.I. Inteligência Artificial» (Steven Spielberg, 2001)«Living Proof, Experiência de Uma Vida» (Dan Ireland, 2008)BIOSLEONOR MATOSMédica oncologista e investigadora, trabalha na Fundação Champalimaud, onde se dedica ao tratamento do Cancro de Mama, integrando também o grupo de investigação em qualidade de vida e exercício físico. É assistente convidada e orientadora de alunos do mestrado em Exercício e Saúde da Faculdade de Motricidade Humana. Lidera ensaios clínicos na área do cancro de mama.RUI MARIA PÊGOTem 36 anos, 17 deles passados entre a rádio, o teatro e a televisão. Licenciado em História pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, e mestre em Fine Arts in Professional Acting pela Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Já apresentou programas nos três canais generalistas de televisão, é autor da série satírica «Filho da Mãe» (Canal Q, 2015),  e está hoje na Rádio Comercial, com o podcast «Debaixo da Língua».

Ashok Atluri founded Zen Technologies in 1993, bootstrapping from Hyderabad at a time when India was importing 70% of its defence equipment and private players contributed just 5% of procurements. It took Zen five years to win its first contract from the Indian Army in 1998.Today, the company builds simulators and anti-drone systems, and has grown its market cap from ₹40 crore to over ₹13,000 crore.Ashok shares that India needs to make it easier for private, self-funded R&D companies to succeed in defense tech and why the focus should be in building technology with India's own IP. We also discuss the policy shifts he has seen in India's defense tech over the last 32 years, and how policies like IDDM and Make-II have reshaped India's defense manufacturing.This is an episode with a founder who has spent over three decades turning India's defence technology from an import-dependent sector into one that can build defense tech with its own IP.0:00  – Trailer  1:18  – Why entering defense tech must be easier  8:48  – Building simulators for the army  10:53 – Zen's entry into anti-drone systems  12:26 – 400x growth in 12 years  13:41 – Policy shifts in defense tech  15:42 – How Indian-owned IP can transform defense?  19:24 – How big is India's defense simulations market?  22:06 – From ₹60 Cr to ₹930 Cr in 4 years  25:27 – How are simulations built for future weapons?  29:15 – India's defense budget (foreign tech vs. local tech)  30:23 – The entry barriers in the 1990s and even today  31:43 – Is doing business with the government harder for some sectors?  36:06 – Surviving 32 years being financially conservative  37:29 – How Indian government is pushing exports in defense tech  40:35 – Zen's anti-drone systems used in Operation Sindhoor  42:31 – Will there be an India–China conflict?  43:15 – Where does China stand in defense tech?  44:08 – How India should back its wealth creators  49:12 – Policies that are enabling Indian defence companies today  49:37 – Parrikar's influence on private sector role in defense tech-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

I've never understood how enlightenment can excuse someone who walks away from his family the day after his son was born, without even telling anyone,   This is what Siddhartha did when he began his journey to oneness. Perhaps it's about expanding Universal Love, but that wouldn't compensate for the pain he caused his wife, Princess Yasodhara.   There's a big difference between men and women, and fortunately for her, the other women in her family and the palace held her close with their love.   The two authors, Janet Surrey and Samuel Shem, have written "The Buddha's Wife", about this story, imagining how she was helped. It's also about the ensuing journey of the family in light of Buddha's fame and spiritual restrictions.

This episode is brought to you by www.thebikeaffair.comIf you are in search of a one-stop destination that caters to all your cycling needs, our today's sponsor, The Bike Affair, is the perfect place to check out! With over 14 years of experience, The Bike Affair has established itself as a trusted source offering honest advice and exceptional service. They are offering a special treat for the listeners of this podcast. You can enjoy a 10% discount on your first order by using the code 'BIKEYVENKY' on their website. Visit their bike store in Hyderabad or shop online by using the link www.thebikeaffair.com In this episode I talk to Siddhartha Gadekar. Siddhartha is a cyclist who found a passion for ski-mountaineering. He went from learning to ski to winning gold and silver at Khelo India Winter games in a matter of months. In this episode he shares his experience of cycling, bike packing, failing at Silk Road Mountain Race and how that lead him to ski-mountaineering! It is super inspiring to hear his story of going from a newbie at the sport to winning against some of the best in the country.00:00:00 Intro00:03:28 The Evolution of a cyclist00:08:10 Memorable Racing Experiences00:10:26 Nutrition and Strategy in racing00:13:02 Transitioning to Ultra Cycling00:15:35 The Birth of TerraFit00:18:00 Exploring Trail Running00:20:22 The allure of Bikepacking and Mountaineering00:35:24 Exploring the Silk Road Mountain Race00:39:59 The challenges o High-altitude cycling00:45:08 Lessons from Quitting the race00:51:37 The Transition to Ski Mountaineering01:04:17 Competing in Ski Mountaineering events01:07:53 Journey to Kazakhstan: Training and Preparation01:08:32 Khelo India Winter Games: Overcoming Challenges01:10:53 Competing against the best: The landscape of Ski-Mountaineering01:12:58 The Thrill of Competition: Sprint and Vertical races01:18:35 Unexpected Success: Medals and recognition01:31:32 Future aspirations: Competing internationally01:36:56 Words of Wisdom: Finding your passion

Klaus, Johannes www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Klaus, Johannes www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Klaus, Johannes www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

From idea to IPO and beyond. What does it take to back a company for nearly two decades?There are no written rules to navigate one of the most important relationships in a startup. One between a founder and an investor.This episode is an inside look at how one of India's longest founder-investor relationships was built and tested, between Yashish Dahiya (Policybazaar) and Sanjeev Bikhchandani (Info Edge).In 2008, a ₹20 crore cheque was signed for 49 percent of the company, based solely on a powerpoint idea.What followed were regulatory challenges, shifting business models, new investors on-board, and moments of disagreement. But through 17 years, six funding rounds, and an IPO, they stayed aligned.These are two entrepreneurs who built their first ventures a decade apart; Sanjeev in 1997, Yashish in 2008 and have seen the Indian startup ecosystem evolve from the ground up.If you are building or funding startups this conversation will resonate with you for its honesty and give takeaways for your own journey.0:00 – Infoedge Ventures X Policybazaar1:08 – Sanjeev's first memories of Yashish before Policybazaar5:33 – Pitching of the Policybazaar idea 11:08 – How Info Edge almost didn't invest in Policybazaar15:56 – What shaped Yashish as Founder & Sanjeev as Investor25:14 – How the founder–investor bond evolved 27:08 – The Boardroom Dynamics at Policybazaar31:08 – Moments of Disagreement: ₹840 Cr raised, ₹700 Cr still in the bank34:38 – What makes an investor-founder relationship work?46:02 – What We've Learned after 17 years of building together49:03 – How India can build Long-term founder-investor bonds-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

The global strategy consulting market stands at $39.5 billion, with Asia commanding $9.1 billion. India contributes just $1.09 billion. This is despite having the talent; Indians run global back-offices for McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, and other consultancies. Yet, India continues to outsource strategy to the Big 4.Sanjeev Sanyal, PM Modi's Economic Advisor joins us to break this down.We discuss the factors helping and hindering India's growth opportunities. Sanjeev has long worked on improving the process reforms with the belief that this country needs small reforms that will bring huge impact.We also discuss AI, with a policymaker who strongly believes unregulated AI will be catastrophic. Sanjeev shares his opinions on what could be the government's approach to regulation, with acceptance of the limited predictability of future with AI.If you want to understand India from a policymaker's eye this episode is for you.0:00- Trailer0:55 – Why India Needs Many Small Reforms2:50 – Was WFH Technically Illegal Until 2000?3:57 – India as the GCC Capital for the world7:02 – How did India go from filing 6,000 to 1 Lakh Patents?13:45 – Why India Can't build Its Own Big 4+317:40 – When professional bodies in India don't work together21:05 – What happens when branding is banned?24:08 – Restrictions That need to stay27:11 – How India's IT Sector Grew Without a Governing Body30:06 – Are we risking catastrophic failure with Unregulated AI?36:10 – Can We Regulate AI Like the Stock Market?41:39 – Why India Must Shut down Population Control47:10 – Will AI Replace Lawyers and Accountants?49:14 – What India Isn't Ready For?51:31 – India as a historically risk taking nation54:31 – Why are professional bodies holding onto protection?56:55 – The Business Culture Problem in Kolkata58:32 – Sanjeev's Work in Agroforestry-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

This episode is not just about Kerala; it is about how a state with limited land, strict environmental regulations, and a long history of outmigration is approaching investment and growth.Kerala is a small, densely populated state with limited land to spare, not the typical site for industrial expansion. Yet it's taking a distinct approach to building a knowledge based economy.P. Rajeev (Minister for Industries, Law and Coir, Govt of Kerala) joins us to break this down.We discuss how Kerala rose from the bottom to become the top-ranked state in Ease of Doing Business, what's behind the ₹1.5 lakh crore in investment pledges, and why the state is prioritizing high-value industries over land and labour-intensive manufacturing. We also unpack how Kerala plans to convert MOUs into functioning factories and real jobs, and why startups that once moved away are now beginning to stay. Tune in if you're curious about how Indian states are attracting investment and rethinking their development models.0:00 – Trailer1:18 – Is Kerala Still Fighting Old Perceptions?5:59 – Kerala to Focus on Value-Added Manufacturing7:45 – How to Start an IT Firm in Kerala & Where It Missed the Tech Bus10:35 – What's Blocking Startups from Scaling in the State?11:15 – Can Kerala Retain Its Best Talent?14:20 – Kerala's Vision for a Free-Thinking Knowledge Economy16:36 – Repositioning as an Investor-Friendly Destination19:22 – What the “Nature, People, Industry” Motto Really Means22:22 – Will Kerala Deliver on Its Investor Summit Promises?23:42 – Why Vizhinjam Could Be a Game-Changer26:00 – How Indian States Are Competing for Investments28:47 – Is Stagnation in Productive Sectors Slowing Development?32:38 – Is Kerala's Geography a Barrier to Growth?33:24 – Are Its Environmental Rules Too Rigid for Industry?34:22 – Is Communism Holding Kerala Back?37:48 – When the Communist Govt funded a Private Co.41:17 – The Real Kerala Story43:28 – The History Behind Kerala's Education Revolution45:14 – What the Kerala Model Must Fix48:06 – Internet as a Basic Citizen Right48:56 – Kerala's Health Workers on the Global Frontlines51:19 – Can Outsiders Easily Buy Land in Kerala?53:01 – The State's Only Unicorn Company54:21 – Can Startups from Kerala Go Public?-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

AI is changing how companies build and scale. But most pitch decks haven't caught up.Karthik Chakkarapani, CIO of Zuora, has heard plenty of startup pitches but only a few stand out. He shares why most pitches fall flat, how to fix them, and how to present both the founder and the company in a way that drives real interest.We unpack what should go into your 30-second elevator pitch, why “Time to Value” needs its own slide, and how to bring up AI without sounding like everyone else.SaaS is changing fast and it's no longer just about features, but about speed, clarity, and proof of value. We explore how the next wave of SaaS companies can truly differentiate themselves.Building a startup is different in a post-UI world, where users don't click through screens but simply prompt systems to act. We discuss what it takes to build in a world of API-driven AI agents, along with real lessons on what most founders get wrong about working with large companies.If you're building SaaS in 2025, this conversation is for you.0:00 – Trailer1:05 – How the CIO Role Has Changed3:21 – How Zuora Enables the Subscription Economy5:45 – Is SaaS Becoming Headless?7:55 – Are We Entering a Post-UI World?10:37 – What's the New Competitive Advantage?12:31 – Will Entry-Level Jobs Be Replaced by Tools?14:05 – What Metrics Will Matter in an Agentic AI World?15:55 – How to Measure AI Adoption in Your Company18:38 – What's the Hype-to-Reality Ratio for AI?20:19 – What Is the Biggest ROI AI Has Delivered?23:53 – How Startups Can Get Deployed in Enterprises27:10 – How Founders Should Use AI in Their Pitch28:45 – Bolt-On AI vs. Built-In AI32:26 – Most Common Myth About CIOs35:03 – Why You Need a Prompt Library36:04 – What to Avoid in Your Pitch Deck37:21 – How Atomic Work Came Onboard42:47 – The Underrated Soft Skills Founders Need47:55 – 3 Examples of Killer 30-Second Elevator Pitches51:59 – The “Time-to-Value” Slide Explained53:46 – What Founders Get Wrong About Enterprises54:58 – Top SaaS Misconceptions About Enterprise57:00 – Where Enterprises Adopt AI the Fastest59:45 – How the Next SaaS Companies Will Differentiate1:00:33 – Bay Area vs. Bangalore vs. Chennai1:03:33 – Rapid Fire Round-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

In this hilarious and candid episode of Cyrus Says, Cyrus Broacha chats with stand-up comedian Siddhartha Shetty, blending sharp comedy with relatable life stories. The conversation dives into Sid’s rise as a comedian while balancing a full-time corporate job in construction equipment sales, and how he keeps his natural Mumbai charm on stage. From BMC bridge rants and corporate jargon like “aligned” and “circle back”, to memories of teenage romance in Gorai and the trials of growing up Shetty without owning a restaurant, the episode is packed with Mumbai nostalgia and humour.The AMA section brings even more fun — covering space travel dreams, cheap aviation ideas, vada pav business schemes, and quirky reflections on modern relationships and meme culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three failed startups. One of India's biggest B2B exits. Then returning 75% of investor money in the next venture. An entrepreneur who's lived that arc is bound to have insights for anyone building or thinking of building.Paras Chopra, founder of Wingify (sold for $200 million), Nintee, and now Lossfunk, joins us this week.We discuss the small decisions that quietly define your startup: what product to build, how to structure your team, and why setting the right communication culture early can help.Paras shares what most founders overlook early on : Pricing isn't about effort you put but about the value you create, why having competitors might actually be better than having none, and how financial metrics often distract from what really matters to customers.Paras talks about what changed between each attempt of building his startups, and why some lessons only reveal themselves the hard way and what shifts after you've seen both failure and success. Whether you're launching your first company or planning your next, this conversation will give you the clarity needed to tilt the odds in your favor.Check out The Book of Clarity by Paras Chopra.00:00 – Startups Should Be Like Cults02:25 – Building a Founder's Value System03:25 – Bet on What Won't Change in 10 Years05:15 – What AI Can't Do Well (Yet)10:00 – Do Humans Even Want Accuracy?10:57 – What Founders Should Not Build or Sell13:35 – Are many competitors better than none?19:47 – Why Repeating Success Is Hard21:20 – Customer Value Metrics > Financial Metrics23:35 – Why Paras's Startup after Wingify Didn't Work27:00 – What Is Micro Communication?30:41 – Writing Culture in a Startup32:50 – Obsess Over Organisational Design37:15 – Is Luck in Our Hands?41:24 – Why Bias Is Risky for Entrepreneurs42:35 – Great Startups Look Like Toys at First44:00 – Why Deep Tech Startups Struggle to Succeed46:09 – Paras's New Venture Lossfunk49:23 – Why Uncertainty Is a Startup Moat55:56 – What Most Founders Get Wrong About Pricing57:36 – Should Price be on Effort or Value?59:23 – Wingify Innovated on Just One Metric1:00:25 – What Is Failure for Paras?1:04:08 – Diversify Your Self-Worth Like a Portfolio1:05:21 – The Startup Game Is a Mental Game1:06:43 – Did Wingify Create Wealth or Just Money?---​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.---Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7---This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

In this episode of the Psyche Podcast, I sit down once again with my good friend Phuc Luu to discuss his newest book, Jesus and Buddha Talk About Desire, Suffering, and Happiness. I've always admired Phuc's ability to weave together deep philosophical insight and spiritual imagination, and this book is no exception.We dive into the inspiration behind his fictional dialogue between Yeshua and Siddhartha—a creative, meditative work that explores how these two towering spiritual figures might reflect on three of life's biggest themes: desire, suffering, and happiness. We talk about the religious and cultural baggage many of us carry around desire, why imagination is essential to theology, and how identity can both ground us and limit us.We also reflect on what it means to live a life of freedom and happiness—not as a pursuit of something out there, but as a presence we awaken to. Whether you come from a Buddhist, Christian, or entirely different background, I think you'll find Phuc's vision of dialogue, connection, and interbeing to be a breath of fresh air in today's polarized world.If you're interested in picking up his book or joining a discussion group, head over to phucluu.com. And as always, thanks for tuning in.

50% of products and features built are never used.To build the right product, every founder must answer two questions:Are you solving a real problem? And are you solving it the right way?Technology has rarely been democratic, it's often elitist. So at times, it ends up solving made-up problems that don't really exist. Yet, some companies have built truly great products.What sets them apart? Do they share any similarities? Are there lessons for entrepreneurs?We have with us Krishna (Vasanth) Namasivayam who has previously worked on AI products at NVIDIA, Meta, and Dropbox.Vasanth is founder of Featurely.AI. Featurely is fixing how products get built. It does it by simulating users — not as bots, but as human-inspired digital twins.0:00 – Trailer02:10 – Why I chose NVIDIA in 2015?03:55 – Working on integrity at META04:23 – Rethinking AI for Dropbox04:51 – NVIDIA builds for the future05:45 – People loved working for Jensen08:16 – What makes META so special?10:57 – Decision-making at META was democratic11:41 – Dropbox was once the most VIRAL product12:55 – The power of founder-led companies14:28 – Tech is Elitist, Build for a Few16:43 – Silicon Valley trend of Solving Made-up problems19:27 – A magic wand that Finds the right problem22:17 – Synthetic users vs. perfect AI agents25:00 – Why synthetic users can fail (and why that matters)25:35 – What is the Future with AI agents & synthetic humans?26:30 – Why openAI can't/won't choose User research27:16 – The simplest explanation of LLMs28:36 – Why ChatGPT succeeded like no other31:04 – Bite-sized Info for 6-second attention span31:37 – The Next Frontier in AI: Predicting Human Behavior33:55 – Uses of Synthetic Humans from Product to Policy35:55 – The biggest surprise of building a startup37:00 – One Mistake Product folks make38:24 – One emotional truth about startups39:04 – What does Featurely do?42:51 – How Featurely will measure success46:36 – All future software will be hyper-personalized50:24 – 3 AI companies to admire (one not built yet)52:28 – How will Work be in 2025?53:59 – How AI gets things (almost) right every time57:02 – Why Featurely chose Neon Fund01:02:51 – What the Bay Area does differently01:04:54 – Learnings from Fundraising01:06:49 – The vision to Build a Category defining Company-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

Geopolitics is now measured in Nanometers. Anything with a battery or a plug has a semiconductor inside. But these chips aren't just tech anymore, they're shaping who becomes the next Superpower.In the 1980s, India was just two years behind the world in semiconductors. Today, we're 12 generations behind. What went wrong?India's top semiconductor expert, Raja Manickam, returns to The Neon Show to break it all down.We discuss how the U.S. lost the chip race it started, China's strategic rise, and how one visionary turned Taiwan into the most valuable island in the world.Raja Manickam dives into what the $10B India Semiconductor Mission is getting right and where we may fall behind. He explains why

Circumstance made him a legend of the quizzing world, but Siddhartha Basu is a man of many parts. He joins Amit Varma in episode 420 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about life, India, the art of asking questions and the answers he has found. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Siddhartha Basu on Wikipedia, Twitter, Instagram and IMDb. 2. Tree of Knowledge, DigiTok. 3. Quizzitok on YouTube. 4. Middlemarch -- George Eliot. 5. The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism — Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul). 6. Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India — Akshaya Mukul. 7. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen featuring Ramachandra Guha: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 9. The Life and Times of KP Krishnan — Episode 355 of The Seen and the Unseen. 10. The Life and Times of Vir Sanghvi — Episode 236 of The Seen and the Unseen. 11. Gods, Guns and Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity — Manu Pillai. 12. The Forces That Shaped Hinduism — Episode 405 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Manu Pillai). 13. How to Become a Tyrant -- Narrated by Peter Dinklage. 14. What Is Populism? -- Jan-Werner Müller. 15. The Populist Playbook -- Episode 42 of Everything is Everything. 16. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -- Richard Fleischer. 17. The Hedgehog And The Fox — Isaiah Berlin. 18. Trees of Delhi : A Field Guide -- Pradip Krishen. 19. The Rooted Cosmopolitanism of Sugata Srinivasaraju — Episode 277 of The Seen and the Unseen. 20. The Refreshing Audacity of Vinay Singhal — Episode 291 of The Seen and the Unseen. 21. Stage.in. 22. Dance Like a Man -- Mahesh Dattani. 23. How Old Are You? -- Rosshan Andrrews. 24. The Mehta Boys -- Boman Irani. 25. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man -- James Joyce. 26. Massey Sahib -- Pradip Krishen. 27. Derek O'Brien talks to Siddhartha Basu -- Episode 6 of the Quizzitok Podcast. 28. Kwizzing with Kumar Varun. 29. Ivanhoe, Treasure Island and Black Beauty. 30. Jane Austen, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, John Steinbeck, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Allan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, James Joyce, TS Eliot and Vivekananda. 31. Ramayana and Mahabharata -- C Rajagopalachari. 32. Paradise Lost -- John Milton. 33. Morte d'Arthur -- Alfred Tennyson. 34. Death of a Salesman -- Arthur Miller. 35. Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh, Mukul Kesavan, Rukun Advani, Vikram Seth, Shashi Tharoor, Jhumpa Lahiri, I Allan Sealy, Arundhati Roy and William Dalrymple. 36. The Trotter-nama -- I Allan Sealy. 37. The Everest Hotel -- I Allan Sealy. 38. The Life and Times of Altu-Faltu -- Ranjit Lal. 39. Mr Beast on YouTube. 40. The Spectacular Life of Prahlad Kakar — Episode 414 of The Seen and the Unseen. 41. Ramki and the Ocean of Stories -- Episode 415 of The Seen and the Unseen. 42. Adolescence -- Created by Stephen Graham & Jack Thorne. 43. Anora -- Sean Baker. 44. Jerry Seinfeld on the results of the Seinfeld pilot. 45. Scam 1992 -- Hansal Mehta. 46. Dahaad -- Created by Reema Kagti & Zoya Akhtar. 47. The Delhi Walla -- Mayank Austen Soofi. 48. Flood of Fire -- Amitav Ghosh. 49. The Shadow Lines -- Amitav Ghosh. 50. The God of Small Things -- Arundhati Roy. 51. Shillong Chamber Choir. 52. The Waste Land -- TS Eliot. 53. Omkara, Maqbool and Haider -- Vishal Bhardwaj. 54. A Tale of Two Cities -- Charles Dickens. 55. William Shakespeare and Henry James. Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new course called Life Lessons, which aims to be a launchpad towards learning essential life skills all of you need. For more details, and to sign up, click here. Amit and Ajay also bring out a weekly YouTube show, Everything is Everything. Have you watched it yet? You must! And have you read Amit's newsletter? Subscribe right away to The India Uncut Newsletter! It's free! Also check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Episode art: ‘Your Time Starts Now' by Simahina.

Dharma talk given by Daniel Scharpenburg, June 15, 2025. Music by Barefoot Bran Music.

There are No Checklists or Frameworks on HOW TO BE A VC?So how do you even know if it's the right path for you?Unlike most jobs, venture capital comes with an extremely long feedback loop. It can take years before you know whether the bets you made actually worked out. That's why most seasoned VCs say: only choose this path if you're in it for the long haul.This conversation will help you think through that choice. Whether you're considering VC as a career, love building businesses, or just want to understand who really calls the shots on a cap table.On The Neon Show, we have with us two operators turned investors:Gaurav Ranjan, Principal at Prime Venture Partners, has led deals including Dozee, Hitwikcet, Poshn and Gallabox.Naman Lahoty, Partner at Stellaris Venture Partners has been part of investments like Zouk, Nestasia, Dashtoon and Lumio.They share lessons from evaluating thousands of startups - what they've unlearned about pattern-matching in investing, why Excel projections mostly fail and why founder empathy might be the most underrated edge in venture capital.It's truly a conversation between three VCs on what it really takes to be a VC today.0:00 – Stellaris Partners X Prime Ventures0:43 – How Founders Turn Into VCs4:19 – Do VCs Need an MBA or Consulting Background?6:32 – Why Startup Projections Rarely Come True8:43 – Are VCs Naturally Good Founders?11:19 – Startups we Evaluated & Founders we Met14:51 – From First Pitch to Deal Close19:02 – Why VC Feedback Loops Are Extremely Long21:00 – No Checklists. No Frameworks.25:27 – Why On-Demand Rebranded as Quick Commerce Won?29:20 – The Stellaris Framework to Evaluate Founders35:53 – Why Indian VCs Must Think Independently38:28 – Rapid Fire: The Big One We Missed39:16 – The One We Loved But Didn't Back42:23 – Startups We Wish We'd Invested In43:55 – Investors We Admire the Most47:20 – Do We Believe Peter Thiel's Theory?52:35 – Startup Stories: Slack, Flickr, Dozee, Rupicard57:15 – The GTM Hack That Led to Product Discovery58:15 – Babygogo & Atomic Work59:55 – All-Nighter Code Sprint for the Demo1:00:55 – Lessons Founders Taught Us1:06:30 – What We Miss About Being a Founder1:10:28 – When Do You Decide If You Are a Good VC?1:13:28 – Building a Fund V/S Building a Startup-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

In this episode of Be Still: A Summer of Meditation, we go on a journey—not just back in time, but deep within the human heart. I'll take you through the powerful story of Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became the Buddha, and explore what his quest for meaning, peace, and awakening can teach us today—especially if you, like me, are trying to follow Jesus in a world that feels loud and chaotic. You'll hear how Siddhartha's path mirrors five profound truths in the life and teachings of Christ—truths that invite each of us to help others who are suffering, lean in to compassion, and live more consciously. This isn't just a history lesson. It's an inspiring story of how one man made a difference and what we can learn from him about meditation, surrender, and what it means to truly see. So wherever you're listening from—whether it's the car, the kitchen, or your own quiet corner—take a moment, be still, and join me in this captivating story of the Buddha. Because the path to peace often begins with a question: Is there more than this? Let's find out together. Connect with Danielle: Danielle's website Follow Danielle on Instagram Sign up for Danielle's personal newsletter Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends Danielle's music on Spotify

In this powerful episode, Kevin takes you on a deep dive into the true nature of reality and the fundamental rules of the game we call life. Most people live trapped inside what Kevin calls the “Matrix” — the small, visible portion of reality that we can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. But this matrix makes up less than 1% of all that exists. The other 99% is the endless realm — an invisible energetic dimension of consciousness, thought, and spiritual DNA that governs the cause behind every effect we experience in the physical world.Kevin explains the concept of cause and effect through the famous butterfly effect: how the flap of a butterfly's wings on one side of the world can set off a chain of events leading to a tornado thousands of miles away. This illustrates how everything is connected energetically, even if we cannot perceive it directly. Our everyday actions, even as small as slamming a car door, ripple through this unseen realm to create effects far beyond what we imagine.The challenge for most of us is that we live focusing only on the matrix — the shadows on the wall — trying to change our lives by adjusting surface-level events. But true, lasting transformation can only happen when we connect to the endless realm, the spiritual source where the root causes lie. Kevin uses the analogy of a shadow on the sidewalk: you cannot move a person's arm by touching their shadow; you must reach the arm itself to create real change.Throughout history, great minds like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and spiritual leaders such as Jesus, Muhammad, Moses, and Siddhartha have tapped into this endless realm to bring forth life-altering inventions, ideas, and teachings. They accessed the alpha state — the true source of power and creation — enabling them to shape reality beyond the physical.Kevin invites listeners to recognize the two basic realities we live within: the matrix (the limited physical world) and the endless realm (the vast energetic dimension). To win the game of life, you must learn to live fully in the world without being trapped of the matrix. By expanding your awareness beyond the less than 1% and stepping into your alpha state — your true spiritual DNA — you gain the ability to see clearly, act consciously, and create meaningful change.This episode is a call to awaken from the illusion of limited perception and to elevate your consciousness. It offers a foundational understanding of why most people feel stuck, powerless, or disconnected, and shows how connecting with the endless realm is the key to breaking free and mastering the game of life.Join Kevin on this journey as he guides you to lift the fog, find clarity, and harness the unseen forces shaping your reality. Elevate your alpha — your true power lies beyond the matrix.

Vertical SaaS customers don't buy software for 10 months, they buy it for 10 years. That's the opportunity and the challenge. Switching costs are high, which makes it hard to get in but once you're in, you're in.But regular SaaS playbooks don't work here. Forget PLG. Forget design partners. These industries have been burned too many times by bad software. Here, Trust defines GTM. Think warm introductions and on-site meetings, not cold emails and Zoom calls.But for founders building in vertical SaaS, there's little to learn from. So in this episode of The Neon Show, we bring together three founders who are building in the trenches of Vertical SaaS.Omkar Patil, Co-founder of Pienomial, helping biopharma companies run faster clinical research and unlock insights from complex drug data.Kumar Siddhartha, Co-founder of Merlin, rebuilding ERP from the ground up for the US construction industry.Divyaanshu Makkar, Co-founder of WizCommerce, modernising sales and commerce tools for wholesale distributors.If you're building SaaS for niche markets or wondering why traditional playbooks are failing, this episode is for you.0:00- Pienomial X WizCommerce X Merlin0:51 – What are we building in Vertical SaaS?4:29 – Vertical SaaS buyers are sticky by nature6:57 – How to build for industries used to Below-Par Tech?10:46 – Fix what your customer hated about the last vendor12:17 – Why these industries pay billions for implementation?13:38 – How we got our First customers?20:03 – Warm intros and word-of-mouth still win23:56 – Why Design Partners don't work in Vertical SaaS?27:17 – Why you should never sell your first product for free?30:29 – Can you Co-build products with early customers?34:33 – Building Your Own Platform Vs Building on Top of one39:33 – Building alongside Legacy players or innovating around them?44:31 – SaaS isn't going anywhere, AI will amplify it46:49 – Can AI agents really be reliable?48:42 – Which roles shouldn't be automated?52:16 – How to approach GTM where users guide you?54:43 – Why trust is everything here?58:54 – How to sell softwares used for 10 years?1:01:02 – How to win when the product demo comes last?1:03:16 – Why NOW for traditional industries with unsolved problems1:09:17 – Thoughts on agentic workflows1:13:02 – Why be Bearish on the “AI Employee Concept”?1:16:57 – Rapid Fire : Google or Perplexity?1:17:37 – LLMs: Open-source or Closed?1:18:19 – Favorite work software + We're hiring!1:19:42 – One business buzzword that should disappear1:20:55 – A Vertical SaaS company we admire (and why)-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are thosSend us a text

Send us a textSiddhartha Bhat, a 14-time Team Canada Taekwondo national champion, shares his journey from being a troublemaking child to becoming one of Canada's most decorated martial artists. He explores the discipline martial arts instilled in him and why he believes every child should learn some form of self-defense.• Growing up in Toronto as a child of Indian and Sri Lankan parents shaped Siddhartha's cultural identity• Siddhartha was placed in Taekwondo at age three because he was "disrespectful" and "obnoxious"—traditional discipline wasn't working• Why striking martial arts (Taekwondo, Karate) are better-starting points for children than grappling arts• How martial arts gave Bhatman confidence as a "skinny brown kid in the 90s" who faced bullying• The unique character development that comes from individual sports versus team sports• Coming to terms with not achieving his Olympic dreams while finding purpose in coaching• Why today's generation is intelligent and creative but lacks resilience and toughness• Siddhartha's Khombatmaf program combines personal training with martial arts for complete developmentFollow Siddhartha Bhat on Instagram @kombhatmaf to learn more about his training programs and classes at All-Star Martial Arts in Toronto's Leslieville neighborhood!Powered by Perfect Sports Supplements use "AP15" to save 15%!--Want to see more of the AP? Subscribe to the AP YouTube channel.--Check out Siddhartha's stuff:Instagram--Check out Dave's stuff:InstagramTwitterLinkedIn--Try Can-I-Wellness Sleep Product 20% off - AP20 at checkout--Get 20% off Caldera Lab Men's Skincare Products--Get your Vivobarefoot Shoes 20% off by using the code: ATHLETEPOD20 Check out our Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Tiktok | Spotify | Apple | Google | Youtube l Save 20% on Perfect Sports Supplements

Recko's acquisition by Stripe is one of India's biggest B2B exits. It's a great headline. But headlines don't tell the full story. They capture one final outcome not the numerous obstacles faced.In this episode, Saurya Prakash Sinha, co-founder of Recko, tells us what really happened behind the scenes. From the early days when no one was buying, no VC was funding, and they had just $500 left in the bank to building a product Stripe couldn't ignore. Saurya also shares hard-won lessons about product-market fit, customer validation, and why usage matters more than ARR in early-stage B2B.Tune in if you want to learn about the full story behind the headlines.0:00 - Trailer1:01 - Why Stripe emailed 2 founders in Bengaluru4:34 - How Recko discovered its core problem9:34 - What IF customers and investors reject?12:33 - How to Build with zero validation?14:18 - Solving what the Big Four couldn't at Myntra17:37 - What to expect when building Products in Finance?19:46 - Bought for the Product, Team or Scale?21:53 - “Customer voice is the loudest in the room”25:28 - Why VCs didn't “get” Recko28:27 - How to raise when investors follow success playbooks?30:36 - Why build products to compete with the Best?33:18 - The First cheque and first customer at Pingsafe36:45 - How to manage Acquisitions before making them public?41:02 - How Pricing is led during Buyouts?42:36 - The culture of Writing at Stripe44:08 - Why do companies Acquire?49:16 - Why ARR at early stage is not the right metric?52:26 - How to find what value your product really adds?56:38 - Why $100M+ acquisitions are rare?-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

The dollar will lose its status as the world's reserve currency & the greatest wealth transfer in history is already underway - warns the founder of one of India's fastest-growing unicorns!In this episode, Deepak Garg, founder of Rivigo and AnywhereJobs shares why Rivigo's iconic Relay model succeeded, and what ultimately limited it. He predicts Zomato's dominance, questions funding choices of startups and shares why India may miss the AI revolution without a radical energy shift.From Bitcoin vs. gold and Trump's potential Nobel Peace Prize to Tesla becoming a $30 trillion company, Deepak's predictions are bold and grounded in years of pattern recognition.If you're a founder, investor, or macro nerd, this is an episode you won't forget.0:00- Rivigo & Anywhere Jobs02:16 – When your business outgrows the market04:18 – Capital raising is a Double-edged sword05:02 – Which ideas truly need funding?07:33 – Build teams with Accuracy, not Kindness09:39 – How to know if you've chosen the right market?10:41 – Why Zomato is India's best Consumer tech bet16:00 – How the Power is shifting b/w nations today?20:18 – Will Dollar cease to be a Reserve currency?22:36 – Is Bitcoin better than Gold?26:59 – Who will be the Next global Superpower?31:56 – India in the Next 20 years34:22 – When 2 players control 80% of India's Private sector35:52 – Why China is far ahead of India in Nuclear Energy?40:17 – Will Trump win a Nobel Peace Prize in 2025?42:01 – How Tesla could become a $30 trillion company?47:15 – Wealth transfer from Wall Street to Main Street50:30 – Where India should focus in AI-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

Venture capital is much fancied today.Is this job which looks like cutting cheques for products and founders you like, for everyone?As for any work, there are traits you should have and some which won't help you on the job.We have with us Kushal Bhagia (All In Capital), Karthik Prabhakar (Peer Capital), and Rajan (Upekkha).Three people who interestingly all began as engineers and took different career paths to today become Fund managers of leading VC firms.All In Capital's $24M pre-seed fund backing early-stage founders,Peer Capital's $75M early-stage fund investing in tech-first Indian startups from seed to Series A,Upekkha's $40M Capital's accelerator-style fund supporting B2B SaaS startups.Tune in!01:53 – Why builders shouldn't become VCs?03:12 – Why best VCs sell well & stay curious05:12 – How the VC job is like Flying a plane07:48 – How parental instincts enable VCs?10:42 – Is fundraising harder than ever?14:12 – What makes people write VC cheques?18:03 – Where do India's rich family offices invest?20:30 – Why India still doesn't have its own YC?22:55 – The OG YC when startups weren't cool28:00 – Can YC's numbers ever be replicated?33:03 – David v/s Goliath of Small vs large funds39:02 – Zepto's first $50k cheque40:22 – Sectors VCs won't touch41:35 – Story-driven v/s numbers-driven Fundraising44:36 – How we missed Swiggy, Postman & Zepto?46:18 – The best VCs48:24 – What needs to change in Indian VC?49:47 – Founders we'd invest In (But not work for)51:25 – Unlearnings as an Investor-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”In this episode of The Neon Show, Vishwa (Co-founder of ZenDuty) is joined by Rahul Sasi (Co-founder of CloudSEK) and Ananda Krishna (Co-founder of Astra Security). They share how AI feels magical now. And how as founders they are trying to sprinkle this magic everywhere from how building products to building teams and everything that matters.-------------00:00 Everything is being Reimagined!00:41 Meet the New Hosts01:08 Founders' Biggest Time Killer05:10 Why entrepreneurs should fail fast?11:19 Will your job inevitably change?17:40 How AI has reimagined engineering jobs?19:13 PMs & Designers have New workflows20:35 Why everyone should learn to Prompt?24:14 Is your team using AI Budgets efficiently?26:59 Do people trust AI chatbots?32:18 Does sales still need humans?35:53 Do we expect empathy from AI?-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

In the context of a recent pilgrimage in India, Elizabeth opens up the topic of “engaged” bodhicitta and the six paramitas. She weaves in the story of Sujata, the young woman known for generously offering a bowl of sweet milk-rice to Siddhartha who was debilitated after years of austerities. Revived and refocused, Siddhartha then made his way to the shade of a pipal tree and attained enlightenment, becoming The Buddha. Join the pilgrimage and explore India's conspiracy of great giving.

In this episode, we sit down with two exceptional founders. One who is going after the biggest category, and one who created a new category and became its leading player.Vijay Rayapati (Co-founder, Atomicwork) and Khadim Batti (Co-founder, Whatfix) share their hard-earned insights on what it truly takes to build a great company.From closing million-dollar deals remotely to building AI-native organisations and cultivating long-term leadership, this conversation goes deep into the real playbook behind enduring companies.Watch if you're a founder, a team builder, or simply someone who wants to understand how great companies are actually built.0:00 – Trailer01:37 – The Viral Meme Story03:28 – What the Founders Admire About Each Other07:20 – Navigating US–India Work Timings08:39 – Hiring & Retaining Talent15:54 – Why Founders Need Mentors24:53 – When Employees Think Short-Term31:48 – Building Organic Leadership35:58 – Hunger vs Humility39:58 – Building Company Culture44:55 – Why Abolish Designations51:38 – What is Founder's Mentality?54:44 – Large vs New Categories01:00:44 – When Things Go Wrong01:02:41 – Handling Board Pressure01:06:45 – Never Compromise on Customer Service01:13:58 – What to build is becoming harder01:18:57 – FOMO in AI01:25:10 – AI Will Remove Bureaucracy, Not Jobs-------------Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

A young men's quest for enlightenment leads him beyond teachings and rituals to the wisdom found only through personal experience and the flow of life itself.

Daily QuoteBeing smarter than you look is better than looking smarter than you are. (Jeremy Clarkson)Poem of the Day诉衷情•小桃灼灼黄庭坚Beauty of WordsSiddharthaBy Hermann Hesse

CRM is a category often equated with its market leader, Salesforce.Hence, companies and investors question the viability of building a business in this space.Nilesh Patel, founder of Leadsquared, who built a Unicorn in CRM, joins us today.We discuss the category, the business, and its competitors.With Byju's as their first large deal, Edtech brought over 40% of their customers.Then the industry went through a downfall, but Leadsquared survived by a well timed expansion.From lack of capital restricting entry into the US market, to fast-forward today, where they have gone global.Nilesh shares his thoughts on the skills founders need and the decisions they have to make -on exits, acquisitions, and hiring.Tune in for more!0:00-Trailer1:35 – Building Leadsquared3:19 – First large deal with Byjus7:12 – Fundraising from Private Equity9:58 – CRM as an Undesirable Investment12:10 – Should Co's enter the CRM Space?13:35 – How to price SAAS in India?15:23 – Diversifying beyond EdTech16:49 – How to build market differentiation?20:29 – Highest annual deal of

Andrew Amann, CEO and Co-founder of NineTwoThree Studio, is driven by a passion for building great products and embracing the entrepreneurial journey alongside his team and clients. We learn about Andrew's journey as a founder and his philosophy of finding joy in the process. He introduces The AI Operating System, a practical framework that helps companies adopt AI with clarity and speed. The system begins by building an internal knowledge base, then moves into deploying simple AI agents to automate repetitive tasks, and culminates in managing these agents through a Super-Agent that orchestrates workflows and interacts with external systems using natural language. --- Build Your AI Operating System with Andrew Amann Good day, dear listeners, Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast. And my guest today is Andrew Amann, the CEO and co-founder of NineTwoThree Studio, an AI consulting agency, building products for funded startups and established brands such as Consumer Reports, NPR, and Experian. Andrew, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me, Steve. It's a pleasure to be here. Great to have you. And I will start with my favorite question as always, what is your personal “Why,” Andrew, and how are you manifesting it in your business? Sure, so we've been at this for 12 years, and I believe that many entrepreneurs would answer that question depending on the year that they're in. As you grow, my personal”Why” originally was to build the biggest company to be on the tallest building in Boston and to have the logo basically replace Fenway Park. And that dream has has sailed. I don't think I'm interested in that anymore. It seems aspirational and I think necessary when you're starting a company to have those levels of aspirations and dreams because you have to run through things that most people wouldn't and you have to achieve things that most people would give up on. So the journey of entrepreneurship, I've discovered that my “Why” is to be part of the journey. I've read a lot of books recently, basically around the philosophy of the process of like Siddhartha is a great example, or The Alchemist, or even Life of Pi. That's been my last year of inner research about what I want to be when I grow up. And what I discovered in all three of those books is the journey is what matters, the story is what matters, and the process of success, the process part is what matters. And many entrepreneurial friends, they sell their business and they lose that aspect of their lives because they forget that the process was what was fun. The ability to learn, the ability to grow, and the ability to be part of the team is what I truly admire. So when I was asked this question in a CEO group, they said, Andrew, what do you want to do next? I said, I kind of want to do the same thing I'm doing now. And they said, well, who do you wanna work with? And I said, the teammates that I currently have. And they said, well, what type of clients do you want? And I said, the clients we currently have. And so I think my “Why” is just kind of living in the moment, being part of the process, being successful, but also supporting the teammates that we have so that they can be prosperous, that they can find their purpose. They can be great problem solvers, but they can also be great providers for their family. And so my “Why” is to support that journey and that process that we're going through right now. Wow. Okay. Well, you look very young for having such a wise “Why,” but it's good. You shortcut the process. I do agree that the journey is the destination, perhaps. It definitely is very important. And as an investment banker, I can testify that sometimes you saw businesses for people and then they fall into depression because they lost their identity. They didn't know how to recreate the success that they were having along the way. And so that's pretty awesome. So having said that,

Andrew Lipke is a composer, producer, arranger, conductor, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and educator who has toured for more than a decade with the Led Zeppelin tribute band Get The Led Out and performed as a vocalist with Steve Hackman's Brahms V Radiohead symphonic synthesis; and he collaborates with World Café Live on music education programs for underserved youth in the Philadelphia area. Andrew has produced and released seven albums of original music spanning various genres; and he has collaborated with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra four times, including conducting a "Rock Star Séance" concert and conducting and performing in the Valentine's Day-themed concert called "You've Got Mail!: Musical Love Letters". with the Southwest Florida Symphony. He is scheduled to conduct a concert titled "70s, 80s & 90s Unplugged" with the Southwest Florida Symphony on May 18, 2024. (Note: This date appears to be in the past, which might be an error in the source or my interpretation. It's worth noting.) He is scheduled to conduct a concert titled "Rock Star Séance" on October 24, 2025? praised for his songwriting and orchestration. Producer: Has produced numerous recordings for artists in the Philadelphia region in his studio, The Record Lounge. Arranger & Conductor: Extensively worked with Amos Lee, providing orchestrations for his albums and conducting orchestras for his performances, including major American symphony orchestras. Conducted various other prominent orchestras. Multi-instrumentalist & Vocalist: Toured for over a decade with the Led Zeppelin tribute band Get The Led Out and performed as a vocalist with Steve Hackman's Brahms V Radiohead symphonic synthesis. Concert Series Curator & Host: Created and hosted the innovative "Intersect" concert series with The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, exploring cross-genre musical connections. Music Educator: Collaborates with World Café Live on music education programs for underserved youth. Was an artist in residence for Julia Wolfe's Pulitzer Prize-winning composition and has an ongoing residency with Hill Freedman World Academy, resulting in multiple albums and an Emmy-winning documentary. Taught at The Hartt School of Music. Album Cycle & Current Projects: Created an album cycle based on Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha" and is currently working on a new concept album titled "IRIS" and other projects. SONG 1: Solfeggietto by C.P.E. Bach (Carl Philipp Emanuel) performed here by Frederic Bernachon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6g-tWmOSsoAnnie’s SONG 2: Song by John Denver from his 1974 album Back Home Again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNOTF-znQyw SONG 3: Master of Puppets by Metallica from their 1986 album of the same name. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ozmU9cJDgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest this week is author and architect Robert Raasch, whose recent debut novel The Summer Between is a coming-of-age adventure set in Greenwich Village of the late 1970s. It's a topic that Robert knows well, having lived through that time himself — making the most of the thrilling disco and loft parties and sexual exploration it had to offer. And now his book offers a glimpse back at the best of those years, and maybe some inspiration for recapturing that energy of liberation.We'll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you're enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you'll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I'm Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There's links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.

Last year, Narendra Modi celebrated a decade in office as India's prime minister. Modi was aiming for a third consecutive election victory and a parliamentary landslide that would give him a free hand to advance his right-wing, Hindu nationalist agenda. But the election proved to be a disappointment for Modi and his allies, who lost their majority in parliament. Modi had to form a coalition to maintain his grip on power. Long Reads is joined by one of Modi's leading journalistic opponents to discuss the rise and rule of the Hindu right wing. Siddhartha Deb is the author of several novels, and his non-fiction work has exposed the dark side of contemporary India. Haymarket Books published a collection of his writings last year, Twilight Prisoners: The Rise of the Hindu Right and the Fall of India. Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine's longform writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.

Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. On YouTube this episode is available in English, Hindi, Russian (and soon other languages). Captions and voice-over audio tracks are provided (for the main episode video on YouTube) in English, Hindi, Russian, and the original mixed-language version, with subtitles available in your preferred language. To listen to the original mixed-language version, please select the Hindi (Latin) audio track. The default is English overdub. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep460-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/narendra-modi-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Narendra Modi's X: https://x.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's Instagram: https://instagram.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's YouTube: https://youtube.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's Website: https://narendramodi.in/ SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Brain.fm: Music for focus. Go to https://brain.fm/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. Go to https://masterclass.com/lexpod NetSuite: Business management software. Go to http://netsuite.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) - Introduction (17:24) - Fasting (29:42) - Early life (41:38) - Advice to Young People (47:20) - Journey in the Himalayas (58:50) - Becoming a monk (1:00:37) - RSS and Hindu nationalism (1:08:22) - Explaining India (1:12:32) - Mahatma Gandhi (1:24:27) - Path to peace in Ukraine (1:27:41) - India and Pakistan (1:33:21) - Cricket and Football (1:37:45) - Donald Trump (1:48:56) - China and Xi Jinping (1:56:01) - Gujarat riots in 2002 (2:11:37) - Biggest democracy in the world (2:21:53) - Power (2:26:39) - Hard work (2:29:46) - Srinivasa Ramanujan (2:31:53) - Decision-making process (2:39:40) - AI (2:49:55) - Education (3:00:10) - Learning and focus (3:06:01) - Mantra (3:07:45) - Meditation (3:13:43) - Lex visiting India (3:18:08) - Siddhartha