Podcasts about Siddhartha

Trechos do livro “What Makes You Not a Buddhist”, de Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse.Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche ou Thubten Chökyi Gyamtso, é um grande mestre da linhagem Nyingma do budismo tibetano, cineasta e escritor.Nascido em 1961, em Khenpajong (leste do Butão), é o filho mais velho de Thinley Norbu.Aos sete anos, foi reconhecido por Sua Santidade Sakya Trizin como a principal encarnação de Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, o herdeiro espiritual de uma das mais influentes e admiradas encarnações de Manjushri (o Buda da Sabedoria).Até a idade de doze anos, Dzongsar estudou no Mosteiro do Palácio do Rei de Sikkim no nordeste da Índia, onde estudou com vários mestres contemporâneos influentes como Dudjom Rinpoche, Dalai Lama e Dilgo Khyentse que considera ser seu principal mestre. Ainda adolescente, Dzongsar construiu um pequeno centro de retiro em Ghezing em Sikkim e logo começou a viajar e ensinar pelo mundo.Em 1989, Dzongsar fundou a Siddhartha's Intent, uma associação budista internacional de centros sem fins lucrativos, a maioria das quais são sociedades e instituições de caridade, com a intenção principal de preservar os ensinamentos budistas, bem como aumentar a conscientização e a compreensão dos muitos aspectos do ensinamento budista além dos limites das culturas e tradições.Como cineasta, Dzongsar estudou com o italiano Bernardo Bertolucci; e seus dois filmes principais são “A Copa” (1999) e “Traveller e Magicians” (2003).Dzongsar Rinpoche é famoso pela liberdade descontraída com que se move entre culturas e povos e por sua dedicação incansável em trazer a filosofia e o caminho da iluminação para qualquer pessoa com um coração aberto.

Best of 3500 Minutes in 45 Minutes2025 was a great year for The Neon Show. 60 episodes, 72 guests, and thousands of minutes of insightful conversations on everything around building a business.You'll hear perspectives from Founders scaling companies across the world, sharing the real challenges behind building high-growth startups; Investors on how they spot opportunities and make bold bets; and Ecosystem leaders who have navigated multiple cycles and understand what truly lasts.This episode is a carefully curated highlight reel. The sharpest ideas, boldest bets, and timeless lessons that defined this year. Watch it for clear takeaways to carry into 2026 on building companies that last for decades.0:00 – Trailer01:26 – Paras Chopra03:37 – Avanish Bajaj06:53 – Vijay Rayapati08:33 – Ashu Garg11:39 – Kiran Darisi16:40 – Asha Jadeja20:33 – Sanjeev Bikhchandani23:22 – Alok Goyal26:41 – Shiv Shivumar29:34 – Saurya Prakash31:59 – Raviteja37:21 – Ashish Toshniwal43:54 – Bhaskar Gosh47:32 – Somesh Dash-------------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

Harish Bhat spent 38 years with the Tata Group, working across businesses that reach millions of Indians every day, including Titan, Tanishq, and Tata Tea.He joins Neon Show for a 3rd time and reflects on what it meant to build inside a 150+ year-old institution. The conversation begins in 1991, the year Ratan Tata took over as Chairman, a role he would hold for 21 years. Harish explains how Ratan Tata prepared Tata Sons at a time when the Indian economy was opening up and competition was changing rapidly.We discuss landmark moments in the group's history, including the Tetley acquisition in 2000, the first time an Indian company acquired a major global consumer brand. Harish shares how this decision transformed not only the Tata Group's mindset but also the way ambitious Indian businesses think about their potential.Harish speaks about Ratan Tata not as a distant icon, but as a leader he worked closely with. He shares stories of how decisions were made, how conflicts were handled, and why dignity, compassion, and keeping one's word were always non-negotiable for Ratan Tata.The conversation also draws from his book Doing the Right Thing, where he transfers these experiences into practical lessons on leadership shaped over decades.https://www.amazon.in/Doing-Right-Thing-Bestselling-Tatastories/dp/014347985700:00 — Trailer01:07 — Paying tribute to Mr. Ratan Tata05:53 — The Tata family legacy06:53 — Early childhood and education of Ratan Tata07:48 — The decision to return to India08:44 — How Ratan Tata prepared the Group for a liberalised economy14:35 — How Tata Sons became a global business16:45 — The $450 million Tetley acquisition20:08 — Tata Group's acquisition of Global Brands23:33 — A visionary leader who chose to remain deeply private25:04 — How Ratan Tata dealt with Conflict28:58 — Dignity above all31:29 — The only concern on renovation of Bombay House34:41 — How the Tata Group gives back to Mumbai39:44 — Four lessons from Ratan Tata's Life42:50 — The deeper purpose that drives the Tata Group44:45 — Emotional gestures that speak to people's hearts48:45 — Ratan Tata as a philanthropist51:26 — A life guided by the principle: “Do the right thing”53:06 — The story behind the book-------------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

Founders are often seen as superhumans. In this new series, we look at the humans behind the superhuman journey. The thrill of building, the guilt of missing out, the learnings, the failures, and why they still do it and would do it all over again.Arpita is a second-time founder, now building Mysa. Her first startup, Mech Mocha, was acquired by Flipkart. Ananda is the Co-Founder and CTO of Astra Security. They are building in two different spaces, finance and cybersecurity, but the journeys are similar, that of a founder.This is an unfiltered conversation between two founders about what building a company really looks like: the choices they didn't make, the people who bet on them early, and how their identities, relationships, and sense of self changed along the way.This episode is for anyone who is building, thinking of building, or simply curious about what being a founder really feels like.0:00 – Becoming a Founder in 20s05:10 – The odd realities of being a founder young07:51 – Placements we got, but never took10:56 – Learning to ask for help as founders16:39 – The people who bet on you early23:05 – Co-founder dynamics as life partners25:40 – Handling co-founder conflict27:21 – Making it to Forbes 30 Under 3031:54 – How the PM award helped during house-hunting34:10 – Being a Topper is Not Important anymore35:45 – How close should founders be to their teams?37:40 – Why advice hasn't worked much for me39:27 – Getting addicted to the thrill of being a founder41:27 – When a founder's identity becomes tied to their company43:18 – Setting boundaries as founders43:40 – Why I don't share my Instagram with my team44:07 – Realising that your team may not be forever49:10 – Startups are marathons, not sprints50:24 – Why founders need to be humanized53:43 – Living life in the limelight as a founder57:55 – Why work friends often don't exist for founders59:09 – Would you do it all over again?01:01:36 – How family react when one decides to be a founder?01:02:32 – Is it easier the second time as a founder?01:03:27 – Why not knowing was actually a gift-------------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

Tis' the season for story-telling. I don't know about you, but there are certain stories I can hear over and over again. These stories often have mythic and archetypal elements, that seem to resonate with the poetics of the soul.In the Zen Buddhist tradition the first week of December is the week we commemorate/remember/celebrate the Buddha's awakening. We do this with our bodies. Sitting retreat with the orientation that we too can realize our true nature. That we too can awaken.We do this with our hearts and minds. Reading, listening, contemplating the elements of the Buddha's story, which is mythic in nature. And as we hear the story of the Buddha we are reminded of our own path—that awakening is possible for us and that it is unfolding right here, in this precious life.Below I will share a brief sketch of the Buddha's story. Please listen to the talk if you want to hear a more fleshed out version. Of course, like all stories, this one changes every time it is told. There actually isn't any recorded biography of the Buddha in the Pali Cannon, we have some references he makes to his journey and scholars/practitioners have worked to put them together in a cohesive narrative. In this telling, I am choosing the elements that have resonated with me on my own path. I am appreciating how the Buddha's story has elements of the hero's journey as well as important dharma teachings.Maha Maya's DreamThe story begins with a dream. Maha Maya, whose name means illusion, dreams one night that she is taken to the mountains by four spirit beings. She is then bathed, anointed with oils, perfumes and flowers. A white elephant appears, circles her three times and pierces her side with his six tusks. She awakens from the dream knowing that she is pregnant with a son.When she tells her husband, King Suddhodana, about the dream he invites the town seer to interpret it. The seer confirms that Maha Maya is indeed pregnant with a son and that he will be either a great king or the founder of a new religion.Upon hearing this prophesy, King Suddhodana decides to make his son's life so comfortable that he will never want to leave the palace.So Siddaratha Gotma (the Buddha) is born, and lives a sheltered life. He describes it in one sutta, saying:I, lived in refinement, utmost refinement, total refinement. My father even had lotus ponds made in our palace: one where red-lotuses bloomed, one where white lotuses bloomed, one where blue lotuses bloomed, all for my sake… A white sunshade was held over me day & night to protect me from cold, heat, dust, dirt, & dew.Disillusionment with a Protected Life/The Four SightsEventually Siddhartha becomes a young man and one night he wakes before dawn after a party at the palace. He looks around and feels a bit disgusted by what he sees, bodies strewn around, sleeping, smelling of alcohol and sex—from having indulged in all forms of pleasure the night before. His heart questions what he is doing, what kind of life he is living.After this experience, he feels like he needs to see what is beyond the palace walls. So he enlists his charioteer to take him into the town. While they are there Siddhartha sees what has become known as the four sights. He sees someone who is ill, sick crying out in pain. He sees some who is old, hunched over, skin full of wrinkles and he sees a corpse. With each sight, he feels disgust and curiosity. A knowing arises in him that this will also happen to him. He too will age, become ill and die. He becomes disillusioned by his current state of health, youth and life. For what is the point in indulging in the pleasures of health, youth and life, if you are ignoring the truths of sickness, old age and death. Something about this experience really starts to way heavy in his heart, and fill him with great doubt.Then he sees the fourth sight, a renunciate sitting serenely under a tree. He is touched by the look of contentment on this person's face. Something in him knows that there is a path to realizing a contentment that is beyond sensual pleasures, that one could know freedom, love and joy that wasn't dependent on conditions.Leaving His Father's HouseHe knows he has to leave his father's house. It isn't an easy decision. One I imagine he tries to ignore, but his doubt and curiosity grow stronger and stronger. In one telling of the story, his wife Yasodhara has eight dreams about the path he needs to take, and so encourages him to go. Before he leaves, they make love and conceive a son.Then Siddhartha shaves his head, puts on the ochre robes of a renunciant and begins the nomadic life of a home-leaver. He meets two teachers, studies with them for years and eventually masters their teachings. But finds that their dharma leads him into deep states of concentration, but does not bring him to liberation. So he eventually leaves them, even though they urge him to teach with them. He then meets five wandering ascetics and starts practicing austerities. He tries to suppress thought, stop his breath, and survive on one spoonful of food a day—none of these techniques work well for him. He speaks of undergoing great physical and emotional pain but being no closer to liberation. In a state of desperation and hunger, a memory arises from childhood, which he describes:“I thought: ‘I recall once, when my father the Sakyan was working, and I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree, then — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities — I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. Could that be the path to Awakening?' Then, following on that memory, came the realization: ‘That is the path to Awakening.' I thought: ‘So why am I afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality, nothing to do with unskillful mental qualities?' I thought: ‘I am no longer afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality, nothing to do with unskillful mental qualities, but it is not easy to achieve that pleasure with a body so extremely emaciated. Suppose I were to take some solid food: some rice & porridge.' So I took some solid food: some rice & porridge.So he takes some food to nourish his body and with a new clarity, a deeper connection to purpose and himself, he resolves to sit under the bodhi tree until he awakens.Mara's TemptationsThough he is clear in his resolve and clear about the path forward, he still encounters great difficulty. Mara (the tempter or doubting voice in Siddhartha) appears during his meditations tempting him, creating feelings of restlessness in body and in mind, showing scenes from the pleasures he used to have at the palace, conjuring fear/doubt and telling him to give up.Siddhartha eventually sees Mara for what they are, a voice of doubt, and Mara slinks away. The Buddha awakens, upon seeing the morning star rising in the east, after a week of meditation. On the final night he has insights into impermanence, cause and effect and finally the nature of suffering/bondage and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering/bondage.He says in one story, “I, together with all beings and the great earth, awaken.”In another he says:House-builder, you're seen! You will not build a house again.All your rafters broken, the ridge pole destroyed, gone to the Unformed, the mindhas come to the end of craving.The earth rises up and confirms the Buddha's awakening. After Mara appears and throws more shade on the Buddha.The Buddha questions whether or not he can teach. And remains sitting under the Bodhi tree for another week. During this time a great storm rolls through, and Mucilinda (the snake king), protects the Buddha from the storm with his seven heads.It's also said that on the night that the Buddha awakened, his wife, Yasodhara gave birth to their son, Rahula. She had been carrying their son for six years, and underwent he own spiritual journey, never leaving home.Does the story really end here? Not really, practice-awakening continues, on and on and on. There are many ways to appreciate a story like this, I have been enjoying looking at the story from the lens of the hero's journey. So many of the elements of the Buddha's story are elements that are a part of our own life and the path of practice-awakening. I the new year, I will offer some teachings and reflections on elements of the hero's journey and the spiritual path. But for now, I would love to hear if any elements from the Buddha's story touched you in anyway.* Have you had important dreams that gave you confidence about the next step on your path, even if it didn't make rational sense?* What is your own experience of being disillusioned? Or needing to challenge a teaching, belief or lifestyle that you were raised in? How has doubt been part of your path?* Can you relate to having an experience as a child that feels connected to your path/practice now? Sometimes it feels like we are relearning something we knew naturally as children, does this feel true to you?* The Buddha was supported and protected by the Earth and the snake king—what protectors, supporters or allies have you had in your own life (people, animals, plants, places, dream figures)?* I appreciate Yasodhara's story as one that happens in the dark space of unknowing, unfolding in her home as she cares for the child she is carrying. In what ways has your own path/practice had elements of darkness, hiddenness, not-knowing and/or nurturing something precious that perhaps you don't yet know what it is?* Are there any other elements of the Buddha's story that resonate or that you feel curious about? Weekly Online Meditation EventMonday Night Dharma — 6P PT / 9P ET Join weekly for drop-in meditation and dharma talk. Monday Dec 15th we will do some seasonal reflection as Ango ends and we approach the winter solstice.Feel free to join anytime. Event lasts about 1.5 hours. ZOOM LINKIn-Person in OregonUniverse Somatic: The Bright Thread in the Dark — January 22nd - 25thUniverse Somatic is a practice that integrates group meditation, movement and energy work with a spirit of experimentation and playfulness. We explore the union of spaciousness and embodied energies in a contemplative practice that is embodied and expressive.The theme for this Universe Somatic is The Bright Thread In the Dark. We will play in knowing and not-knowing, hope and despair, yin and yang, creation and destruction, dancing in deep relationship with these polarities while also listening for the thread that doesn't get stuck on either side.Light of the Ancestors Sesshin—May 11 - 17 at Great Vow Zen MonasteryIn-Person in Columbus, Ohio through Mud Lotus SanghaWeekly Meditations on Tuesday, Wednesday and ThursdayRetreats, Meditation instruction and other events can be found on our website.Save the Dates! 2026 Mud Lotus Sesshins at Saranam Retreat Center in West VirginiaMountains and Rivers Sesshin March 18 - 22Interdependence Sesshin June 29 - July 5I'm Amy Kisei. I am a Zen Buddhist Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, Astrologer and Artist. I offer 1:1 Spiritual Counseling sessions using IFS and Hakomi (somatic mindfulness). I also offer astrology readings. Check out my website to learn more. I currently live in Columbus, OH and am a supporting teacher for the Mud Lotus Sangha.Earth Dreams is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amykisei.substack.com/subscribe

In 1992, Roopa Kudva walked into CRISIL's CEO Pradeep Shah's office without an appointment, starting her 23-year career there. She spent over two decades at CRISIL, rising from analyst to CEO. Roopa has spent over 3 decades in leadership roles in India and has witnessed three key phases in India's growth: the closed economy in the 80s, the post-liberalisation era, and the rise of tech entrepreneurs.She shares bold decisions that defined her journey. Like when she proposed to the then CRISIL CEO to create the Chief Ratings Officer role and pitched herself for it. She got the role, which set her on the path to becoming CEO. We also discuss the leaders who shaped her thinking, K.V. Kamath of ICICI, Piyush Gupta of DBS, and Katharine Graham of the Washington Post.Throughout the conversation, Roopa returns to one idea: there is no single leadership style or fixed playbook. Her journey shows how ambition and initiative to act at the right moment can define a career and the organizations one builds along the way.0:00 —Trailer01:21 — IIM to IDBI03:54 — Work Culture in the 80s05:58 — Rise of New-Age Companies06:55 — The Aha Moment of Leadership View08:52 — Leaving CRISIL After 23 Years10:49 — Choosing Omidyar & Impact Investing16:03 — India's Evolving Risk Appetite20:40 — Deciding the Next Career Move26:08 — How She Got the CRISIL Job31:09 — Asking for the CRO Role35:48 — Promotions Are Bets on the Future37:37 — The Leader Who Changed Her Philosophy43:40 — ICICI as a Women-CEO Factory45:36 — What Holds Women Back from Rising51:38 — DBS: The Piyush Gupta Transformation55:06 — Entrepreneurs for the Next Half Billion1:02:47 — The New Indian Founder Profile-------------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 Story of Buddha — The Awakened One

Most conversations in startups begin at zero: what's the idea, who's the customer, how big is the market. But the stage before that, when you know you're ready to be a founder yet the direction is still completely undefined. That strange, uncomfortable, high-potential zone Aditya Agarwal calls “minus one.”In this episode, Aditya and Prateek Mehta breaks down what happens in this “figuring out” stage. The questions people avoid, the habits that matter, and why some of the best companies begin long before their founders have any conviction.We get into how this stage is evolving in the AI era. Exploration cycles are faster, technical founders can test more directions than ever, and the gap between “I'm experimenting” and “I'm running a real company” has narrowed. India's builder ecosystem is shifting too: more second-time founders, more people with real outcomes behind them, and far more comfort sitting with ambiguity.Aditya shares his own minus-one moment after Facebook, his startup acquisition, Dropbox's IPO, and Flipkart, and why that transitional period changed the way he thinks about early-stage startups. Prateek brings on-the-ground view from Bangalore, where ambition, technical depth, and the appetite to explore hard problems from robotics to voice models to AI infra are rising.This episode is for anyone who feels they're between missions. Anyone who wants to understand why the most important part of building a company might actually be the time you spend before you even know what you're building.00:00- Trailer01:06- Aditya's journey to starting SPC after Facebook & Dropbox 03:48- A “learning club” for people in figuring-out stage06:23- 3 Northstars of the SPC community07:02- How SPC evolved from a community to a fund10:32- Not everyone should be a founder11:51- 1% selection rate13:53- Building conviction in 1 of 3 outcomes16:36- SPC is at PMF stage18:38- Mismatch of traditional VC's v/s rapid pace startups19:04- How AI has impacted investing at SPC26:32- How AI has changed VC firms29:02- Axis of curiosity replacing thesis30:17- Star Companies of SPC US33:34- Binny Bansal's role in starting SPC India37:16- Questions & confusions as founders in early stage39:50- Number of great entrepreneurs is NOT small41:49- Talent density in India vs Bay Area44:04- Founders don't need a culture of permission45:08- India tier 2 and 3 does invest heavily in AI46:11- AI is truly democratizing tech49:09- Math gives India advantage in AI51:48- A lot of science fiction is coming true-------------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 conversation, Neil Ashton and Prof. Siddhartha Mishra, and Prof. Johannes Brandstetter discuss their recent paper on AI foundation models in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). They explore the backgrounds of the speakers, the journey to writing the paper, the role of AI in CFD, and the challenges of scaling laws and data generation. The discussion also covers model training costs, open questions, and future directions for research in this field.Fluid Intelligence: A Forward Look on AI Foundation Models in Computational Fluid Dynamics : https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.20455v1

Álbum Destacado| Balu Brigada Novedades| Julieta Venegas, Siddhartha, Calequi y Las Panteras, CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, La Plazuela, DORA, María Blaya, CHÉRI, Art School Girlfriend, Jasper Tygner, Zoe Gotusso, Pipiolas, dani dicostas, Triángulo de Amor Bizarro ¡Suscríbete a nuestro canal en Telegram! https://t.co/d64vSXTYT9 ¡Suscríbete a nuestro canal en WhatsApp! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRw86Q1yT2FeNzrfv2g ¡Síguenos en Twitter! https://twitter.com/HNMagES ¡Síguenos en Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/hnmages/ ¡Síguenos en Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/HNMagES ¡Síguenos en Threads! https://www.threads.net/@hnmages

Composer Siddhartha Khosla joins Emily to discuss scoring Only Murders in the Building, what bonded him with Steve Martin, and his epic This is Us crossover with rock band Chicago. Emily reveals an embarrassing Linda Cardellini story, we talk about Siddhartha's hilarious meet-cute with Martin Short, and Emily gets an invite to cross something off her bucket list. So find your trailer, bleach your hair, and compose yourself as you enjoy Chapter 36 of How To Make It.Follow us on Instagram: @HowToMakeItPodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @HowToMakeItPodcast

Estrenos musicales con con Cheko Záun Semana poderosa: Siddhartha nos envuelve con “Abrázame” Ed Sheeran estrena “Skeletons” Julieta Venegas nos lleva a la nostalgia con “Tiempos Dorados” Conéctate en Tamara con Luz en MVS, de lunes a viernes, de 10:00 AM a 01:00 PM por MVS 102.5 FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're a startup selling to enterprises, understanding how a CIO discovers and evaluates you can change everything. Most founders believe that cold emails and polished decks drive attention, but Karthik Chakkarapani, CIO of Zuora shares that nearly 80% of the startups he evaluates are found through outbound - while researching solutions, through peers, or even on LinkedIn. For many startups, this alone can reshape how they think about go-to-market.How does an enterprise decide whether to buy from a startup or not? Karthik walks us through Zuora's three-step buying process. It starts with understanding the problem the startup solves and how quickly the product can show value. If the early signals are strong, the next step is a deeper look at ROI, integration, security and whether the company is mature enough to be a long-term partner. The final stage is legal and procurement, which is where many early-stage startups slow down.If you're building a startup, this episode offers a practical look into how CIOs think, how they make decisions and what it really takes to go from a first conversation to a signed contract.0:00 – Trailer0:53 – Buying process of startups05:19 – How Zuora's SaaS portfolio looked 2 years ago09:00 – Inbound vs outbound10:53 – How initial contact with potential customers works13:34 – Startups should be thought partners16:57 – How long it takes to create value for customers19:59 – Where startups draw the line in growth vs efficiency23:06 – Top 5 largest spends24:01 – Why only 1-year contracts for new AI startups?26:12 – Why legal & procurement struggle to understand startups29:46 – 20% of portfolio is 0–5 year old companies30:46 – Are startups not backed by VCs a red flag?34:29 – 60% in growth + 40% in day-to-day37:42 – Learnings from peer CIOs41:38 – Featurely: Case Study45:14 – Atomicwork: Case Study46:55 – Trupeer: Case Study47:51 – How Zuora uses OpenAI & Anthropic49:39 – How AI is helping personal productivity51:26 – How agents will be managed54:02 – Number of SaaS apps will go down, agents will go up55:45 – Building the right security for AI56:31 – India vs US: where founders are building from-------------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

Dan Millman's book: The Way of the Peaceful Warrior,⁠ Blends fact and fiction as he recounts his day's training as a college gymnast in his bid to become a World Champion, along with all the hardships he faced.The fiction format of the novel magnifies the impact of the lessons contained within, allowing us to envision our transformation whilst tapping into our deep, primal urge for immersive storytelling. Drawing parallels with Siddhartha, which effortlessly combines timeless wisdom with a compelling narrative, this book is a joy to read, taking the reader on a profound spiritual journey.“A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does”Dan Millman, Way of the Peaceful WarriorSHOW OUTLINEINTROWe all have inner battles, prepare yourself for themSpiritual weight training (1m18)FOUNDATIONAL IDEASummary of Book by GainKnowledgeMeditation and purpose (2m36)HOW TOLearn to enjoy the journey of your life, and don't let your ego drive your emotionsWhat makes you happy (2m23)Finding time to rest and find peaceHow to Overcome the Fear of Wasting TimeFocus on the now, rather than letting yourself become overwhelmed by too many thoughtsOne thing at a time (2m07) CLIP CREDITS ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDL85fzdc1g&ab_channel=TEDxTalks⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA4twJiaWVw⁠TRANSCRIPT⁠https://www.moonshots.io/episode-127danmillman-transcript-1⁠Thanks to our monthly supportersMikeEdwin DeitchJamie DorwardEmily Rose BanksMalcolm MageeNatalieRyan N.Marco-Ken Möller孤鸿 月影FabianJasper VerkaartAndy PilaraolaAustin HammattZachary PhillipsMike Leigh CooperGayla SchiffLaura KERoar Nikolay Ytre-EideStefRoger von Holdtvenkata reddyIngram CaseyOlarahul groverRavi GovenderCraig LindsaySteve WoollardDeborah SpahrSamoelaJo HatchardKalman CsehBerg De BleeckerPaul AcquaahMrBonjourKonnor Ah kuoiMarjan ModaraDietmar BaurBob Nolley⁠★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

130 IPOs from over 400 startups. IVP is now in its 18th fund, with companies like Perplexity, Glean, Slack, Figma, Twitter, Uber, and Abridge in its portfolio. Somesh Dash, general partner at the 45-year-old firm, has been part of IVP for more than 20 years.We start with something we are both passionate about, building in the US-India corridor. Somesh talks about the group of people who put the silicon in Silicon Valley, the immigrants. From Andy Grove to Elon Musk to Chennai-born Aravind Srinivas.He recalls the first time he met Aravind at a WeWork, when Perplexity had just 20 employees and a beta product or how Dylan (Founder of Figma) had the vision nobody else had on the future of design, way before ai. The early signals Somesh saw in these founders, long before any signs of massive success were visible. He also talks about the companies they missed, giants like DoorDash, OpenAI, and Anthropic.Though this seasoned investor truly believes in AI, he says the sector is due for a correction. The bubble will burst. Most Gen 1.0 AI companies are unlikely to reach billion-dollar valuations or go public. But as always in tech, the lessons from this first wave will shape Gen 2.0 companies. And the teams that understand and adapt from this early wave will build the next generation of successful AI companies. Also, when the bubble bursts, that's the time to invest. Why?Somesh Dash shares in this episode.0:00 – Trailer1:12 – Immigrants who built Silicon Valley4:27 – India's incredible contribution to the Valley5:30 – How the India–US friction will actually help6:29 – What's at stake for both countries10:42 – Where India stands in AI11:45 – First meeting with Aravind Srinivas13:47 – Why IVP invested in Perplexity two years ago17:11 – In AI, don't take product–market fit for granted18:43 – Courage to fail & double down on early wins19:36 – Why multiple investors on a cap table isn't bad22:14 – How IVP invested in Figma24:28 – IPO is a milestone, not the end25:56 – Why US public markets are not overvalued27:50 – How a VC defines startup success31:08 – The best thing about failed startups32:12 – Why IVP missed DoorDash34:54 – How IVP decides to invest or pass38:27 – The doctor who builds tech45:05 – Future of Content is honesty and vulnerability47:11 – Meeting OpenAI & Anthropic in the early days48:52 – AI “startups” with capex the size of nations49:53 – The power law in venture capital50:45 – Why we're close to an AI correction54:11 – Gen 2.0 startups are built on Gen 1.0 foundations56:45 – Will the AI bubble burst?1:01:32 – Do high valuations during peaks still make sense?1:05:04 – What keeps IVP strong for five decades1:08:11 – The Co's making IVP more bullish on India–US corridor-------------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-------------Send us a text

When Shreesha Ramdas left Medallia after a $6.5B acquisition he decided it was time to reinvent.At his 4th startup Lumber, before writing a single line of code, he hired a sales person and ran 200+ interviews across the industry to understand the real pain points. The interviews gave Shreesha the insight that though payments were a problem, it was neither big enough nor urgent. But it was very difficult to hire workers, and even more difficult to retain skilled craft workers. In the U.S alone 41% of construction workers will retire in the next six years, leaving a massive gap in talent and experience. As a big believer in vitamin vs. painkiller, Shreesha is now building where the pain is deepest. We discuss what truly needs to happen before building a startup, the foundation that will shape everything that follows. From his days at Yodlee during the dot-com boom to leading StrikeDeck and selling it to Medallia, he is now building again with clarity and intent for one of the most traditional industries: construction.  But here's one thing that probably tells you more about Shreesha than the companies he has built and scaled. He said, “My heart beats for other founders. Startup is my world, this community is my tribe.”0:00 – Trailer1:04 – Why build tech for Construction industry?3:54 – 200+ interviews to find the real customer pain5:05 – Big believer in Vitamin vs. Painkiller6:25 – The 2 core problems in this industry7:02 – Repeat founders Know structure better7:42 – First startup during the dot-com boom8:29 – Bay Area is Disney Land for tech founders9:23 – From engineering → sales → marketing10:37 – Founders should trust the team, above everything11:55 – The survey company that banned “survey”12:17 – First startup was all about me; now it's all about team13:57 – Dream big, but execute in small steps15:47 – The cost of speed in startups16:18 – I'm a marketing-first CEO17:27 – Hire a salesperson before the product exists18:17 – Is Founder-led selling good or bad?19:37 – Mean, lean & go all in23:55 – Don't bring humility to storytelling27:25 – How the story should evolve as startups scale35:30 – How Lumber will challenge giants in construction38:53 – Do repeat founders build more in verticals?43:39 – How to hire right people from traditional industries44:29 – What wealth unlocked for Shreesha45:34 – Legacy is moving the industry forward46:38 – What the next 20 years mean for software founders49:18 – AI should remove soul-draining work51:19 – “My heartbeats for other founders”-------------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

We don't want to seem foolish, make errors, but that is inevitable as we grow. A good sign of our growth is being a beginner again. All paths lead to us returning to this knowing. We are bodies to be embodied in the experiences which make us uncertain. I speak on this after reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (10/10). Thanks for tuning in. Share some love as a comment or review to support!My website: https://www.anisabenitez.com/podcastKundalini Awakening support: https://calendly.com/anisabenitezFollow me on…Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anisabenitezTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anisabenitezYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@anisabenitezSubstack: https://substack.com/@anisabenitezListen to the podcast…Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3o4HTSBzZHmYUwLzDCE46KApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-to-liberate/id1502449035#CreateToLiberate 

You rarely meet someone who has built and sold five companies. Sachin Aggarwal is now building his sixth, Stackgen. The depth of lessons from someone who has been through that journey five times and still chooses to build again is simply unmatched. Even after five successful exits, he still builds like a first-time founder. He studies every new domain from scratch, speaks to 60 or 70 people before committing to an idea, and surrounds himself with people who are smarter than him. What stood out most is his mindset. That is what truly sets him apart. We have always been told that time is money, but he believes timing is money. Founders should time everything, including their exits because the best startups are always bought, not sold. From building his first company during the Asian Financial Crisis in Indonesia, to creating a healthcare startup that grew with Obamacare, to pioneering cloud security before it became mainstream, Sachin has mastered the art of timing. 0:00 – Trailer0:46 – From KPMG to becoming an entrepreneur2:05 – Why the best startups are bought, not sold4:30 – Does luck play a role in repeated success?5:24 – Why is timing money?6:46 – Exit at $8M ARR in just 18 months8:10 – The first exit that gave financial freedom10:14 – 26-year-old who bought an Indonesian Co.12:42 – What drives repeat founders?13:53 – Co's are either Born secure or they're not19:40 – Founders must master timing21:24 – How tech-savvy should a tech founder really be?22:35 – The right way to time your exits27:07 – How to observe new markets to build?28:30 – The process behind starting a company29:32 – How to find the right co-founders?31:53 – What really builds trust?33:05 – What founders learn building across industries35:25 – How Stackgen's founders met43:36 – Industries with the best Timing today44:41 – Where should young founders build?48:06 – Winning InMobi as a customer51:11 – What AI agents are doing at Stackgen55:14 – How Stackgen could be a billion-dollar opportunity?=-------------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

India is the 2nd largest startup ecosystem now. But, can it be at par with Silicon Valley?With 37 years of experience in the valley, Avanish sahai believes it can. But what made Silicon Valley the ultimate startup ecosystem? It was investors, universities and an environment where people dreamed to come live and work. And, in the last 25 years India has been going through the same transformation. And the changes are nothing short of  admirable.Avanish started his career from a Mckinsey office in 1999 which ideated India's software dream,  with policy changes the country needed to lead in Technology. Since then, he's held senior roles at Oracle, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Google Cloud, and served on HubSpot's board through its journey from $500M to $2B.Avanish talks with great passion about startups that are disrupting the world today, taking lessons from small companies that took over legends who were believed to be indestructible. Even with all the hype around AI, Avanish reminds us that ultimately it's all about people. 0:00 – Trailer1:13 – 37 years in Silicon Valley2:33 – McKinsey's “Vision 2020” for India (in 1980)7:30 – When only $8 was allowed for migrants to the U.S.?9:48 – “India is the ultimate definition of a startup ecosystem”11:30 – How openness to the world has changed India13:08 – India's tech stack should go global14:09 – Why “India is hot” right now17:41 – Global disruptors building for the world19:48 – Think big and fail often24:09 – HubSpot: Single product → multi-product → platform27:11 – How today's startups can compete with legends30:45 – Salesforce had APIs from day one (in 1999)35:51 – How AI is redefining Legends vs. startups41:51 – Life as a Stanford DCI fellow42:53 – How should the world adapt for 20–25 extra years?45:29 – How to spot the right wave and players in Career45:16 – Get mentors, stay curious, and take risks48:00 – Why it's still all about PEOPLE51:53 – How AI could disrupt vertical SaaS industries-------------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

What makes a great venture capitalist — luck, timing, or the ability to see what others miss?Brij Bhushan (Prime Venture Partners) and Pratik Poddar (Nexus Venture Partners) talk about the long game of venture capital; the waiting, the lessons hidden in mistakes, and the emotional ride of backing founders through years of uncertainty.With Pratik, we dive into some of the biggest names in the Nexus portfolio: his first meeting with Rapido's founder before he even joined Nexus, the Meesho pitch that became a big miss, and his first call with Zepto's founders. Nexus was one of Zepto's earliest investors and has backed the company in every round since. Pratik speaks with great clarity about conviction, timing, and what truly defines great investing.Brij reflects on his decade of building Magicpin, what it means to “build the same company three times,” and how that journey reshaped the way he now works with founders. Having lived through the chaos of scaling, near-failure, and reinvention, he brings the founder's perspective back into venture capital.Together, Brij and Pratik capture the essence of the VC game — how the industry is evolving, why consensus rarely creates outliers, how real decisions are made inside funds, and why the best founders often seem “too early” rather than too late. We talk about everything that shapes a VC's everyday life, and above all why Brij and Pratik believe it's still the best job in the world.0:00 – Trailer01:59 – Biggest learnings from 10 years as a VC05:00 – Rapido as a counterintuitive bet06:49 – Meesho was a big miss10:20 – Why Venture capital is the best job?12:35 – Every meeting could be life-changing14:54 – Knowing you are NOT in an Operating role16:55 – How often are VCs wrong about market size?18:58 – Where to invest in Consumer companies?25:33 – How consumer VCs bet on behavior change27:12 – Is e-commerce truly built for young users?28:10 – How do Investors deal with Bias?30:04 – Are VCs only remembered for success stories?37:45 – Why good deals rarely come from Consensus?39:24 – The first call with Zepto's founders41:10 – How often do you meet truly exceptional founders?43:45 – Should VCs react to market shifts?46:42 – How long VC's take to make an investment decision?50:53 – How founders should approach fundraising54:27 – Can India produce 50 decacorns in the next few years?55:51 – Best way to play VC game is to have right fund size56:42 – Not Knowing is a pre-requisite for a VC1:00:41 – Exceptional founders have this superpower1:02:02 – Where Indian founders have a real edge1:05:14 – Building AI in India: local maxima or global maxima?1:09:00 – When will Indian Co's acquire Indian startups for $Billions?1:11:55 – Why Zomato & Swiggy aren't true Consumer Co's?-------------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/siddharthaa7Send us a text

When RateGain went public, it made history as India's first SaaS listingFounder Bhanu Chopra talks about what went into that call, how investors saw it, and what it revealed about the Indian capital market. He shares how RateGain built its global presence before turning to India, and why he bet big on a $250 million acquisition.Today, travel is changing faster than ever with travellers planning differently, hotels pricing dynamically, and APAC leading the global recovery. Bhanu breaks down how RateGain powers this, from AI that talks directly to hotels and travellers, to India's hospitality industry that aims to grow 100% every year.Valued at nearly $1Billion with over $120 million in annual revenue, RateGain counts some of the biggest names in travel among its customers including Airbnb, makemytrip, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Expedia, and Booking.com. From taking RateGain from zero to IPO and growing revenue tenfold in a decade, Bhanu's journey offers a grounded view of what it takes to build companies that last. This episode is about more than travel or tech, it's about how India's next generation of founders can think global.0:00 — Trailer1:00 — How RateGain became India's first SaaS IPO6:31 — Was India ready for a SaaS IPO?7:31 — The $250M acquisition that cost 25% of market cap10:58 — Why Indian SaaS is listing locally14:48 — Travel is booming in APAC15:34 — RateGain's business Explained19:09 — AI that talks to consumers and hotels21:00 — Building a billion-dollar company is totally possible23:03 — Why the hotel industry is too complex for LLMs25:40 — $300M of $7.5B TAM26:45 — Indian hotel chains aims to grow at 100%29:39 — Travel trends across the US, Europe and APAC32:25 — How travel behaviour changed after COVID?33:34 — The 0→1, 1→10 and 10→100 journey37:57 — What growth means to Bhanu as a founder-------------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

Friends,When I was on my book tour for Hawk Mountain, I did an event with Andrea Lawlor where we spoke, at length, about horror. In the Q&A, someone raised a hand and asked:WHAT IS HORROR?Andrea and I both laughed. We found ourselves at a loss.Horror :Once you consider it, it's not clear.There's the assumption that horror is scary. Sometimes that's true. But obviously what's scary for you might not be scary for me, and vice versa, so that can't define the genre. We say horror has certain elements, but there are different kinds of horror to define its contours, whether it's body horror, slasher horror, cosmic horror...We might turn to the familiar face of horror - the monster - to see what they reveal to us. But while vampires, werewolves, zombies express, through their differing powers and weakness, different theories about horror, they can't give us a picture of what it is really. They're contained by it.Horror: Always on, always available, always around us. So… what is it?I asked my friends PHIL FORD and J.F. MARTEL - the cohosts of the WEIRD STUDIES PODCAST - onto the show to walk into the dark - or is it the blinding, malevolent light? - with me, and with you, to see what we would find there.Weird Studies is, in my experience of it, anyway, a horror podcast. In fact, my last conversation with Phil and J.F. was on Weird Studies and about horror: on Weird Studies 144, we looked into Clive Barker's Hellraiser and the book it's based on, The Hellbound Heart.But it's not a horror podcast because it's always focused on horror; many episodes are about topics and artworks that seem less than horrific (their series on each card in the major arcana of the tarot, for instance, or their episode on Herman Hesse's novel about enlightenment, Siddhartha). But there is a quality on each episode - a quality which we discuss in this conversation - of the threat of art, philosophy, image and sound. The way they invade our lives. Rearrange our organs Destroy the world we knew. In other words, we might think of horror as a position in time, something approaching or orbiting. Or as something creates shadows by blocking the light, or by creating a void where an object once was. You can hear me going in many directions again. Conversation with Phil and J.F. inspires that in me - being pulled in many directions at once. That's another way of thinking of horror: horror as blob; as spreading epidemic, as destroying giant, vaster than the safety of our shelters.This is what I love about talking with Phil and JF and about Weird Studies, and also why I often think of their podcast as the only true sibling to mine. In conversation with them, everything a springboard for everything. A web of connections. Or maybe better said, a transforming activity, everything metamorphosing into everything else through membranous, visceral, and expansive moves.Please support this show on patreon.PATREON.COM/CONNERHABIBYou can also find an almost complete list of the books, movies, etc we mention on this episode there.

María Berrío and New York Times journalist Siddhartha Mitter reflect on Soliloquy of the Wounded Earth, tracing how myth, memory, and resilience converge in Berrío's first New York exhibition in nearly a decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From a last-minute YC application to a $5 billion Company built on deep technical insight.In this episode, Viral Bajaria, Co-Founder and CTO of 6sense, takes us back to the very beginning. He recounts his early days at Hulu, where managing massive data systems during the Super Bowl taught him how data could drive real business decisions.Joining one of Y Combinator's early batches, Viral recalls being interviewed by Sam Altman and Garry Tan, and how the team quit their jobs after getting in, moved into a small townhouse, and began writing code. While most startups begin with small customers, 6sense started with some of the biggest enterprise logos. Viral explains why repeatability and implementation are harder when selling only to large accounts, and how those lessons shaped their approach to building sustainable growth. He also reflects on the difficult years when growth stalled, when the company had to rebuild its product, and when they learned that great technology means little without strong go-to-market execution. It is a story about timing, conviction, and the patience to build for what will not change.0:00- Trailer 02:26- First job at Hulu & exposure to big data06:36- YC interview by Sam altman & Garry tan08:22- Quitting job for YC11:07- First version: Big data analytics platform12:12- Getting in YC batch that downsized from 130 to 4713:27- The need & opportunity for a Merger15:49- Why Founders should learn to let go & avoid slow death16:07- Why everybody at YC advised against the merger?18:16- A VC next door that chased 6sense20:18- Rebuilding the product for B2B20:57- How this startup started with the biggest logos?21:59- Repeatability is hard when selling only to enterprise22:47- There were lot of startups, with lot more money23:32- How to build for things that won't change in 10 years?29:24- Ad platforms only targeted People, Not companies32:02- Why did 6sense get a new CEO?33:50- Funding rounds that led to $5Billion37:20- What 2013 Co's were doing can be done with 1% today38:39- When competition raises a $100M round39:40- If you build a company on LLM, there is no data moat42:02- What is the extent of guard rails for Agents?43:59- Viral's Investments in India & US Companies54:44- Co's should raise money to appear bigger than you are56:55- Vibe spending: People are spending money to try AI59:52- Is there a right time for vibe mode for every industry?01:02:00- Service as a software is selling agency to customer01:03:58- Why co's in the US-india corridor will succeed?01:17:27- Why Viral invested in Neon?-------------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

How do you know whether an iOS app you have built has potential to be big? Getting an email from Steve Jobs is probably a strong indicator.Ashish Toshniwal, founder of 10Kr and YML (Y Media Labs), started by trying a bit of everything: classifieds, Groupons, and Facebook apps. That email made him quit his job, but as Ashish says, it took him and YML 14 years to become an overnight success. YML helped businesses go mobile-first long before it became a buzzword, with over 45 Fortune 500 clients including Apple, PayPal, Meta, and Disney. Along the way, Ashish shares the real decisions every founder faces, such as when to take VC money, when to sell, and how to think about repeat business. He also reflects on turning down opportunities like Credit Karma equity (now worth $7billion), showing the tough choices early-stage founders make just to survive and keep their business running.This is a story about timing, focus, and conviction, and what happens when you build something real: from Calcutta to Silicon Valley, one decision at a time.0:00 – Trailer03:24 – How the Co-founders met05:28 – The first 3 ideas: Classifieds, Groupons & Facebook apps06:30 – An email from Steve Jobs made Ashish quit his Job07:59 – Building apps when App Store launched (Apple as a client too)09:20 – YML was famous but not profitable10:07 – Becoming the “app guys” of Silicon Valley11:56 – The pivot: Stick with products or move to services?13:43 – 6 acquisition offers on the table: Sell or not?16:57 – The first exit: 60% acquired at $60M18:38 – “We'd never seen that kind of money”19:26 – IOS engineering was like AI engineering20:13 – “If we don't have repeat business, we don't have business”22:09 – Silicon valley is not a zipcode, it's a mindset23:54 – Clients came for design, stayed for engineering26:11 – Does motivation change when equity shrinks?29:01 – Firing and re-hiring yourself as founder CEO30:50 – Why the final decision to sell YML was made32:55 – The golden window of mobile34:26 – Could YML have been a billion-dollar company?37:34 – Turning down Credit Karma equity: now worth $7B38:39 – Why CEOs are like travel agents41:50 – Why Ashish invested in Neon44:22 – What wealth truly enables47:36 – Investing early in Tesla, Nvidia, and Meta49:07 – Why founder-led companies outperform in public markets50:54 – It's easy to build products, harder to build real businesses52:44 – If your product isn't 10x better than ChatGPT, you have no chance53:04 – The future of jobs: 5 roles merging into 2 with agents on top57:25 – ChatGPT will not go after human-in-the-loop59:35 – The first real challenge to Google's dominance1:01:59 – Building AI agents that do real work is incredibly hard-------------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 informSend us a text

Jay Vijayan, founder of Tekion, and Tesla's former CIO, has one of the most remarkable careers in technology and automotive.Jay joined as CIO when Tesla had almost no revenue and stayed through its growth to $5 billion ARR and $35 billion market cap. Elon Musk brought him in to build Tesla's own ERP system at a time when most companies would have chosen ready-made solutions like SAP or Oracle.Today, Jay leads Tekion, a company valued at over $4 billion that has raised more than $640 million and has companies like GM, BMW, Hyundai, and Exor as both customers and investors.Jay talks about how Tekion is rethinking the experience of buying & servicing cars connecting dealers, manufacturers, and partners on one platform. He explains why the company spent four years building its first product, why they acquired real dealerships to understand the business end-to-end, and what it takes to build tech for such a complex industry.This conversation is about building deep, meaningful products, making hard choices early, and maintaining focus when the world is moving too fast.00:00 – Trailer02:42 – What value Tekion brings to the automotive industry?03:56 – Enabling dealers with car buying and servicing05:41 – Helping manufacturers connect all customer touchpoints07:02 – Supporting partners across loans and financing07:34 – What was the industry like before Tekion?09:37 – Why Tekion spend 4 years in stealth mode11:50 – Acquiring dealerships to study the product end-to-end16:38 – Should vertical SaaS companies invest in sector businesses?20:30 – Stay Informed, but don't get swayed by trends22:57 – Why Subscription model didn't work for cars25:30 – How can founders navigate overhyped trends safely?26:22 – Differentiation in AI: solving valuable, sticky problems28:24 – Every business function should have an AI agent30:31 – How can AI agents improve car servicing?32:56 – When customers turn investors36:58 – Why experts opposed acquiring dealerships?40:08 – Why build an ERP backend as an early stage company?44:21 – Do not outsource core customer functions46:37 – Taking on a failed family business51:38 – Paying off huge debt over 10+ years55:21 – When seed investors get a 400x growth58:06 – What is the right attitude early in your career?-------------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

Switzerland has quietly built one of the world's most stable and trusted startup ecosystems.Thomas Dübendorfer, founder and president of SICTIC, Switzerland's largest angel investing network with over 500 members and more than 400 startups joins Neon show.Thomas talks about how Switzerland's startup scene has changed over the past decade from a cautious investor community to one that now has 58 unicorns across sectors like fintech, AI, crypto, and deeptech. He explains what Switzerland is doing in AI and commercial research, why a $900 billion economy still invests only $4 billion in startups, why most exits happen through acquisitions rather than IPOs, how Zurich and Bengaluru can build stronger startup ties and what India can learn from a country that builds quietly. Thomas also shares his own journey: leaving Google, building nine startups (three acquired), and backing over 40 founders as an angel investor. This episode is a rare inside look at how Switzerland, at the intersection of centuries-old wealth and technology, is building a strong innovation ecosystem.00:00 – Trailer01:07 – How has the Swiss startup ecosystem evolved over 12 years? 03:36 – Why a $900B economy draws only $4B in startup funding 04:35 – What is Switzerland known for around the world? 05:12 – The lesser-known Unicorns 07:12 – How can Zurich and Bengaluru build stronger startup ties? 10:39 – Swiss institutions that are built to last 11:24 – Building a strong nation among powerful neighbors 12:32 – Alfred Escher: The founder of ETH Zurich 12:57 – How Gotthard Tunnel shaped Swiss finance and engineering 13:49 – Top companies that define Switzerland today 16:15 – What is Switzerland doing in AI? 18:49 – What are the exit routes for Swiss startups: IPOs or acquisitions? 20:19 – Why Zurich has a high concentrations of family offices 22:44 – Where Switzerland stands in Europe's startup landscape 24:16 – Why build companies when you can just fund them? 27:26 – How Thomas chose his 40 angel investments 28:57 – What do the Swiss think about the Indian startup ecosystem?-------------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 week we continue our Retrospective on Osamu Tezuka's Buddha! Tune in to learn about Siddhartha's messy teenage years and questionable coronation practices! We also discuss truly edgy media, Dandadan, Trigun Stargaze, and more!!! Send us emails! mangamachinations@gmail.com  Follow us on Social Media! @mangamacpodcast Check out our website! https://mangamachinations.com Support us on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/mangamac  Check out our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/mangamactv Check out our new gaming channel! https://www.youtube.com/@NakayoshiGaming/  Timestamps: Intro - 00:00:00 Listener Question - 00:01:44 E.T. - 00:24:15 New Yen Press Releases - 00:34:06 Trigun Stargaze - 00:37:37 Dandadan - 00:43:02 Yasemasho: 40-sai Mangaka ga Hantoshi de 15kg Honki (Maji) Diet Shita Kiroku - 00:58:37 Next Episode Preview - 01:10:32 Buddha - 01:10:50 Outro - 02:11:54 Song Credits: “Celebration” by Suraj Nepal “Jiggin the Jig” by Bless & the Professionals “Divine” by Suraj Nepal “Tasty Bites” by ZISO

Este episodio nos invita a explorar cómo Siddhartha, el Buda, fue capaz de mirar cara a cara sus más profundas sombras, darles un nombre y, con valentía, decir: “Te veo”. A través de este acto de conciencia y aceptación, nos muestra el camino para no identificarnos con las emociones que vivimos, sino para abrazarlas con compasión y entender que, al final, son solo pasajeras. No somos lo que sentimos, solo lo experimentamos. Nos vemos dentro, queridos...

Ever received a push notification on your phone? There's a good chance it came through MoEngage.Raviteja Dodda, founder of MoEngage, shares the story of building a SaaS company from India that now sends 80 billion messages to 2 billion users across 1,200 brands. A decade-long  journey of MoEngage from its early years to becoming a category leader in customer engagement. He shares how the company grew by focusing on Indian customers as the strongest validation of product-market fit, before expanding globally by building regional teams with autonomy and hiring people with a founder's mindset to navigate new markets.Ravi also shares the why behind differences in pricing between US and Indian customers (think Swiggy vs DoorDash) and how revenue margins vary when selling in India versus abroad.Whether you're curious about the software powering some of the most familiar brands and apps we use every day, or want a behind-the-scenes look at how MoEngage built an $800M global SaaS business from India,then this episode is for you.0:00 – Trailer1:12 – Founder of software powering messages to 2B Users3:50 – Building one of India's first mobile apps8:49 – Acquiring India's top consumer Internet companies10:12 – Mobile → online → offline: Covering all touchpoints13:19 – How MoEngage became a category leader16:52 – Customer support is extremely rewarding in India24:12 – Reasons for Pricing gap: Swiggy vs. DoorDash27:55 – Revenue margins: India vs. abroad28:30 – Moving OLA from internal solution to Moengage29:54 – Key milestones in MoEngage's journey32:32 – Revenue split across customers33:37 – GTM to take a product built in India global41:19 – Why MoEngage should've entered Europe earlier43:51 – Middle East as the fastest-growing market44:21 – People who create v/s people who execute playbooks50:05 – How to sign large global customers from India?52:54 – Spotting early adopters in new markets55:59 – Can new companies win in mature categories?59:13 – MoEngage's position in AI1:01:54 – Building a $10M ARR SaaS: US vs. India1:03:57 – Scale in India first or go US on Day 0?1:08:45 – MoEngage's IPO timeline1:10:05 – Most exciting SaaS companies from India1:14:11 – Regional teams as mini-startups1:16:51 – What worked for MoEngage in fundraising?-------------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, Madhavi Ravanan, Engineering Leader at Nokia, interviews Ashish Agrawal, Managing Director at Nagarro. Ashish reflects on Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha — exploring themes of wisdom, balance, and letting go. He shares how the book has influenced his personal and professional life, discussing the power of experience over knowledge, the meaning of parenthood, and the idea that true peace comes when we stop searching and start living. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:00 Driving Non-Linear Growth at Nagarro 01:45 The Habit of Reading 03:30 Why Siddhartha? 05:45 The Message of Letting Go 08:15 Learning Through Experience, Not Knowledge 11:00 Parenting and the Circle of Life 13:45 Balance Over Extremes 16:30 Soft Is Stronger Than Hard 20:00 Truth Has Two Sides 23:00 The Inward Journey 25:30 Let Life Happen to You 28:30 Closing Thoughts and Reflections

This episode with Prof. Arun Kumar is a look at the Indian economy beyond headlines and GDP numbers. We discuss the paradox behind India's growth story: when GDP rises, does it really reach the people? We explore how poverty in India has officially fallen from 27% to 5.3% in just over a decade, yet real wages have been shrinking, especially for rural workers. If fewer people are poor on paper, but incomes aren't rising, what's actually driving this improvement?We talk about how the structure of India's economy is changing, how wealth is concentrated, and the weakening of the public sector to how the black economy distorts policy outcomes.We discuss why state finances are now becoming a silent crisis, and how India's macroeconomic stability, while strong, hides inequalities that threaten long-term growth. The episode also explores the solutions, which India needs to fix over the next 20 years to make growth truly inclusive and meaningful for everyone.0:00 – Trailer1:01 – Does GDP growth translate to ground reality?6:46 – Is India truly the 4th largest economy?10:30 – Poverty fell 22% in 12 years, yet wages dropped.14:06 – Does the poverty line reflect reality?18:07 – What % of India is really poor?21:00 – Are middle-class families going into debt for basics?23:26 – How are rich, middle, and poor defined?24:44 – Wealth is shifting26:56 – How stable is India's macroeconomy?30:48 – Why India cannot open up some sectors34:27 – Why R&D spending remains low in India35:36 – Is the consensus on need for public sector falling?38:18 – Black economy kills public sector41:37 – How healthy are the Indian state economies?44:51 – Is the tax split b/w centre and states working?47:05 – How can India create jobs in Unorganised sectors?53:12 – What are the solutions to fix Indian economy in next 20 years-------------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

“When I saw Google change the destiny of the planet, I could not imagine doing anything else but working with brilliant entrepreneurs.”-Asha Jadeja Motwani and her husband, Rajeev Motwani, the Silicon Valley legend of technical startups, are together the founding stakeholders of Google.In the late 1990s, they came to the United States as most Indians, as students. From being part of Google's early days to their journey as investors and now, extending that into an active participation in American politics. She speaks about Rajeev's pivotal role in mentoring Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-authoring the PageRank paper, and helping shape Google's DNA. Today, through the Motwani Jadeja Foundation, Asha continues to build on that legacy; funding entrepreneurs, supporting Indian voices in global think tanks, and opening doors at Davos and Washington. Asha also reflects on how the Indian diaspora can play a far greater role in shaping the future of India-US partnership and why entrepreneurs are critical to the future of this relationship.If you're an entrepreneur building in the India–US corridor, or curious about the opportunities the two nations are creating for startups, then this episode is for you.00:00  – Trailer01:25 – How Rajeev became founding stakeholder of Google03:48 – The early days of Google: first office to first funding07:52 – Investments of Dot Edu Ventures10:03 – Asha's role in American politics10:45 – How Indians in Silicon Valley can strengthen US–India corridor12:18 – The lack of Indian scholars in think tanks13:14 – Do Indians have enough influence in American politics?13:52 – Is Silicon Valley & the Indian diaspora shifting right?15:00 – The impact of Trump on India–US relations17:36 – Asha's role in opening doors for India globally21:09 – How the Motwani Foundation selects projects and people24:08 – Entrepreneurs as a critical part of US–India value creation24:54 – What's missing in US–India value creation?26:33 – Report on “jailed for doing business” in India27:56 – The legacy of Rajeev Motwani-------------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

Cybercrime is predicted to drain the world of $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, making it one of the greatest threats to modern business.Shikhil Sharma, co-founder & CEO of Astra Security, is building one of today's most trusted pentesting platforms. Just last year, Astra uncovered over 2 million vulnerabilities across customer systems, preventing more than $69 million in potential lossesShikhil shares why Astra was built as a product- and marketing-first company, how storytelling helped the brand connect with people by clearly showing its purpose and expertise and how founder–investor relationships are built on conviction and trust. He breaks down why pricing transparency is no longer optional for B2B companies and how trust is emerging as the true currency of go-to-market. We discuss what it takes to build a SaaS company in today's AI-first world, from raising leaner rounds and running with smaller teams to creating products that customers love from day zero. Beyond the playbooks, this is a conversation about building durable companies and the mindset that drives Shikhil as a founder: success isn't bought, it's rented, and the rent is due every day.0:00 — Trailer0:56 — Early college days that led to a startup5:00 — AI could cut startup costs and team size by 80%8:43 — Why seed rounds should be under $500K11:45 — Marketing can beat sales in early-stage SaaS16:07 — Is Google search under threat from consumer AI?20:23 — Why B2B startups must display pricing transparently25:41 — What VCs lend founders beyond capital?28:36 — How 42 CIOs backed Atomicwork30:58 — Replace GTM with COT- currency of trust33:34 — Why 20-year SaaS playbooks no longer works35:37 — How AI is changing cybersecurity41:38 — How the founders first met in college46:33 — Are “hard startups” actually easier to build?51:50 — Neon X Astra Security-------------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

“Push something a millimetre in the private sector, you make an inch of progress. In the public sector, it's a mile of progress.”Subroto Bagchi started his career as a clerk in the Odisha government in 1976, leaving postgraduate studies. Today, eight years after serving at the rank of cabinet minister in the same government, he has certainly changed countless lives, not nameless faces. In this conversation, he passionately shares stories of young men and women from Odisha who overcame generational challenges by getting skilled, gaining not just jobs but identity.While this conversation could have focused on his remarkable journey building Mindtree in 1999 with 9 Co-founders and taking it to IPO, it goes beyond entrepreneurship. It's about stories from hinterland India, seen through the eyes of a founder who spent 16 years in the private sector before serving his home state. Subroto also reflects on India's big picture: instead of just chasing the trillion-dollar goal, we should also focus on improving quality of life for the 94% in the unorganized sector. This episode shares stories beyond metros, it highlights how building scalable solutions in business can translate into meaningful social impact. 0:00  – Trailer1:47 – 10-6-4-2 Method to evaluate ITIs6:15 – Muni Tigga: Locomotive Pilot story9:12 – Basanti Pradhan: Story of 50% of garment workers in Tiruppur from Orissa15:49 – Sumati Nayak: How skills give us identity19:16 – Joy of building Mindtree vs. joy of working in govt20:35 – The difficult stories of people moving away for Jobs23:32 – How Mr.Subroto accepted the Job?31:13 – The story behind “The Day the Chariot Moved”33:26 – How 8 years in hinterland India changed Mr. Subroto37:14 – India vs. Bharat42:04 – India's priorities beyond the $5 trillion economy43:43 – Quality of life for a gig worker in India vs. a developed country45:29 – Reality of 94% India that is unorganised47:50 – What India gives its vocationally trained students?49:09 – Stereotypes about govt, that maybe not true anymore52:03 – The highly efficient & incorrupt politicians54:00 – Where the government has succeeded in delivery?-------------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.Find Mr.Subroto Bagchi's latest book here: The day the Chariot MovedSend us a text

This week on Moped Outlaws, we sit down with voice artist, writer, and creative soul Lea Sakran. Lea's journey weaves through music, theater, and literature—breathing life into timeless works like Siddhartha and The Little Prince. Together, we explore the resonance of language, the courage of creativity, and how stories become bridges of love and empowerment […]

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.