In this conversation with Swami, B. Joseph Pine II explains the shift from the Experience Economy to the Transformation Economy, where the real value lies in helping customers become who they aspire to be. From “time well spent” to “time well invested,” he unpacks why outcomes matter more than effort, why customers themselves become the product, and how companies must rethink pricing, purpose, and value creation.

If the future of business is about enabling change—not just delivering services—this episode will fundamentally change how you think about customers, growth, and what it truly means to create value.

⭐5 Key Takeaways
1.The Customer Is the Product: Real value is created not in what you deliver, but in who your customer becomes.
2.From Experience to Transformation: Experiences create memories, but transformations create lasting identity change.
3.Aspiration Drives Value: Customers buy to move from their current state to a desired future version of themselves.
4.Charge for Outcomes, Not Effort: The future of pricing lies in what results customers achieve—not the time or inputs you invest.
5.Time Well Invested Is the Highest Value: The best businesses don’t just save or spend time—they help customers invest it in becoming better.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:02:08 The Customer Becomes the Product
00:04:24 Transformation = Identity Change
00:05:40 Why Outcomes Beat Effort
00:10:05 Business Should Help You Flourish
00:15:21 What Are You Really Selling?
00:20:29 Add Meaning, Not Just Products
00:24:20 Industries That Will Get Disrupted Next
00:29:20 Time Well Invested > Time Well Spent
00:32:19 Stop Pricing Effort. Price Value.
00:34:06 What If Customers Don’t Know What They Want?
00:36:47 The New Skill: Transform Thinking
00:39:18 Transform Once. Win Forever

🔻 Bottomline
The future of business isn’t about delivering better products or experiences—it’s about helping people become better versions of themselves. The companies that win will be those that move beyond serving customers to guiding their transformation.

———

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.
⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.

#TransformationEconomy, #CustomerExperience, #BusinessStrategy, #ValueCreation, #LeadershipThinking, #DigitalTransformation, #FutureOfWork, #Innovation, #CustomerCentricity, #GrowthMindset

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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In this episode of ContraMinds, Shekhar Natarajan explains why the biggest challenge in AI today isn’t intelligence—it’s trust. As AI systems become more powerful, they remain inconsistent, unexplainable, and often misaligned with human values.

Shekhar introduces the idea of a “trust layer” for AI—moving beyond efficiency and ethics to systems that actively do good. Through his concept of Angelic Intelligence, he lays out how future AI must embed human values like empathy, fairness, and judgment into decision-making. This is a conversation about the next frontier of AI—and why better technology alone won’t be enough.

⭐5 Key Takeaways

1. AI’s Biggest Problem Isn’t Intelligence—It’s Trust: No matter how powerful AI becomes, it cannot be relied upon until it is consistent, explainable, and aligned with human intent.

2. Efficiency Is Not Enough: Most AI today optimizes for efficiency, but the future demands a shift toward ethics—and ultimately, systems that actively do good.

3. A Trust Layer Is the Next Frontier of AI: Embedding values like empathy, fairness, and judgment into AI systems is essential for real-world adoption and decision-making.

4. Innovation Comes from Questioning Context: Breakthrough thinking happens when you challenge assumptions and rebuild systems from first principles, not when you optimize existing ones.

5. The Human Edge Is in Thinking, Not Tools: As AI gets smarter, the real advantage will belong to those who can think deeply, stay curious, and not outsource their judgment.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:02:42 – Innovation Is a Function of Nurture, Context, and Values

00:17:24 – Transformer Technology Is Like Reading the Entire Book at Once

00:27:32 – The Next Frontier of AI Is Trust

00:46:02 – When You Do Right, You Do Right by Everyone

01:02:17 – Knowledge Compounds

01:16:03 – The Biggest Risk to Humanity Is Humans

#AITrustLayer, #ArtificialIntelligence, #EthicalAI, #ResponsibleAI, #FutureOfWork, #InnovationThinking, #FirstPrinciplesThinking, #HumanValues, #DigitalTransformation, #ContraMinds

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.

⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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In this episode, Swami is in conversation with Professor T Prasad of IIM Bombay also known as ‘Mandi’ Sir. Prof Prasad challenges the conventional model of higher education and argues that real learning happens not through lectures and exams, but through action, experimentation, and value creation. Drawing from decades of teaching experience, he explains how students can move from passive learning to entrepreneurial thinking by engaging directly with markets, customers, and real-world problems. He shares the philosophy behind his “Mandi” approach to learning, where students are encouraged to start companies, test ideas, sell products, and learn from failures while still in college. By connecting classroom knowledge with practical experimentation, he believes education can shift its focus from producing job seekers to nurturing self-reliant creators and job givers.

⭐ 5 Key Takeaways
1. Learning Happens Through Action
True understanding comes when students apply ideas in the real world, experiment with them, and create value rather than simply studying theory.

2. The Market is the Best Classroom
When students interact with real customers and markets, they naturally learn concepts like pricing, positioning, and value creation that textbooks struggle to teach.

3. Education Should Create Job Creators
The goal of higher education should not be only to produce employees but to nurture individuals who can build enterprises and create opportunities for others.

4. Assignments Should Connect Across Disciplines
Instead of fragmented coursework, learning becomes powerful when assignments across subjects combine to build a real venture or project.

5. Startups Can Be a Powerful Learning Tool
By encouraging students to start companies during their education, institutions can create a practical environment where entrepreneurship, leadership, and resilience are learned firsthand.  

⏱️ Timestamps
00:03:13 — “Education Must Move From Pedagogy to Self-Driven Learning”
00:06:17 — “The Question Is Not the Top 1% — It’s the Other 99%”
00:09:26 — “Learning Is Not Listening — Learning Is Selling”
00:17:14 — “The Market Teaches What the Classroom Cannot”
00:25:41 — “From Information to Value Creation — That Is the Real Exam”
00:31:48 — “Our Education System Produces Employees, Not Creators”
00:35:20 — “Startups Should Be a Part of Education”
00:37:41 — “Entrepreneurship Should Be Designed, Not Left to Chance”
00:39:17 — “Truth, Self-Reliance, and Non-Violence Define Success”
00:40:04 — “Don’t Become Another Brick in the Wall”
00:41:03 — “Gandhi, Ambedkar, and Visvesvaraya Still Teach Us Today”

#entrepreneurship, #educationreform, #studentstartups, #experientiallearning, #highereducation, #startupindia, #entrepreneurialmindset, #learningbydoing, #futureofeducation, #contrarianthinking, #iimbombay, #ContraMindsPodcast, #mandisir

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.

⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Gener

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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In the final episode of the Contra Minds Timeless Wisdom series, Swami explores a radical idea from Kumar Vembu: leadership is not a role — it is a continuous act of relevance and reinvention.

From building a “zero follow-up” organisation to eliminating full-time managers, Kumar shares how frictionless customer experience begins with frictionless internal culture. Empowerment, ownership, and clarity replace hierarchy, supervision, and anxiety-driven follow-ups.

Perhaps the most powerful insight - Kumar “resigns” every night as a CEO — and reappoints himself every morning. This daily reset allows him to detach from past decisions, challenge his own mindset, and ask a hard question: Will I still be relevant five years from today?

This episode is not about digital transformation alone. It is about transforming how we think about leadership, employability, and courage in a rapidly changing world.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Friction inside creates friction outside: A seamless customer experience is impossible if teams struggle with internal obstacles.
2. Zero follow-up reduces anxiety-driven management: When ownership is clear and visibility is built into systems, constant status-checking becomes unnecessary.
3. Managers must stay employable: Leadership that loses hands-on capability becomes fragile and often unemployable in the market.
4. Coaches replace controllers: The future of leadership is joint work, front-loaded thinking, and mentoring — not hierarchy.
5. Resign every night to stay relevant: Detachment from past decisions allows leaders to act on emerging realities instead of defending outdated mindsets.

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

In this episode of the ContraMinds Timeless Wisdom series, Swami revisits his conversation with Kumar Vembu to explore how organisations can be intentionally designed to sustain employability. At the heart of the discussion is a powerful idea: culture is not an intention—it is the outcome of how work, stress, emotion, and decision-making are engineered.

Drawing from his experience at GoFrugal Technologies and earlier at Zoho, Kumar explains how measuring daily happiness, building psychological safety, reducing unplanned work, and combining emotion with data can transform workplace engagement. This episode unpacks the systems, levers, and leadership behaviours that create resilient teams capable of thriving in demanding environments.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Culture Is Engineered, Not Announced: Organisational culture emerges from how everyday work, stress, and decisions are structured—not from vision statements.

2. Happiness Is a Measurable Metric: Tracking daily emotional states reveals hidden friction and improves productivity.

3. Psychological Safety Drives Engagement: Transparency, vulnerability, and admitting “I don’t know” build trust and reduce stress.

4. Planned Work Protects Self-Esteem: Reducing unplanned work prevents burnout and preserves employees’ sense of ownership and dignity.

5. Emotion First, Data Second: Feelings surface insights; data validates them—both together drive self-awareness and sustainable performance.

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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In this timeless conversation from 2021, Kumar Vembu reflects on how enduring organisations are built—not through control, pedigree, or process-heavy management, but through deep trust in people and an uncompromising belief in ownership. Drawing from his own journey and the early days of Zoho, he explains why academic excellence is a poor proxy for professional excellence, and how responsibility—when given early—can transform individuals into high-performing contributors.

This episode unpacks what it truly means to design for ownership at scale. From trusting people from day one, to creating decision-makers instead of escalators, Kumar shares practical, culture-defining principles that help close the education–work gap and build organisations where people don’t wait for permission—they take responsibility. This is a masterclass on leadership, culture, and long-term thinking.  

5 Key Takeaways

1. Trust must come before performance:High-performing cultures are built by trusting people early—not after they’ve “proven” themselves.
2. Academic success ≠ workplace effectiveness: Attitude, learning ability, empathy, and ownership matter far more than grades or fluency.
3. Responsibility from day one accelerates growth: Treating people as professionals from their first day builds accountability faster than any training program.
4. Ownership means solving problems, not escalating them: Mature organisations create decision-makers who bring recommendations, not just issues.
5. Culture is shaped by daily signals, not slogans: Policies, feedback loops, retrospectives, and leadership behaviour quietly but powerfully define how people think and act.

Listen to the full episode: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
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Across a year of conversations on ContraMinds and The Super CMO Show, a pattern quietly emerged. No matter the domain—AI, careers, marketing, health, or leadership—the same deeper questions kept surfacing, demanding better judgment rather than easy answers.
⸻
Summary of the 12 Guest Perspectives

•Sai Gaddam explored the shifting boundary between human intuition and machine intelligence, arguing that relevance lies not in competing with AI on prediction, but in owning judgment, context, and responsibility.

•Prof. Rohit reflected on careers and identity, highlighting how growth often stalls not because of missing skills, but because people cling too tightly to familiar versions of themselves.
Listen on Spotify:

•Steven Puri examined creativity in an age of abundance, emphasizing that taste, discipline, and clarity of intent—not access to tools—separate enduring creators from forgettable ones. 

•Neeraj Sagar reframed longevity as a career problem, challenging the idea of linear success and arguing for slower pacing, sustainable ambition, and long-term energy management.

•Jillian Reilly surfaced the invisible permissions people wait for, showing how agency is often constrained less by external barriers and more by internalized rules we never question.

•Prof. Vasant Dhar addressed accountability in an AI-driven world, reminding us that even as machines improve at prediction, humans must remain responsible for values, trade-offs, and consequences.

•Prof. Jeevanjyoti critiqued formal education systems, pointing out the widening gap between how institutions teach and how adults actually learn through experience, curiosity, and feedback. 

•Prof. Prasad Naik spoke about leadership under pressure, highlighting the importance of discernment—knowing what to protect, what to cut, and what to double down on when growth is no longer easy.

•Akhil Almeida warned against false signals in modern marketing, showing how overreliance on surface-level metrics can create confidence without clarity.

•Nitin Seth unpacked why transformation is emotionally hard for organizations, even when intellectually accepted, revealing that change fails more from fear than from strategy.

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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In this powerful conversation, Prof. Jeevanjyoti Chakraborty of IIT Kharagpur breaks down something we all struggle with — how to really learn. Most of us study for exams, memorize formulas, follow structured notes… yet never develop the mental muscle of learning on our own.

Prof. Jeevanjyoti explains why students today feel lost when confronted with uncertainty, why our schooling ignores curiosity, and why tinkering, breaking things, and exploring messiness is essential for growth.

He talks about:
– The curse of coaching and predefined learning paths
– Why learning to learn is more important than any degree
– How students can build “research instincts” early
– Why mechanical engineering is deeply connected to biology
– How India can rethink teacher training and lifelong professional upskilling
– The need for continuous education for engineers, just like doctors

He also shares deeply human moments—from his vulnerabilities as a professor to the mentors and mathematicians who shaped his thinking. This episode is a must-watch for students, parents, teachers, leaders and anyone who wants to stay relevant in a fast-changing world.

Chapters
00:04:01 – Students Forget Professors Are Human
00:07:10 – Learning How to Learn Opens Your World
00:12:57 – Build Your Learning Muscle Slowly
00:21:44 – Words Are the Gateway to Knowledge
00:26:39 – India Needs a Culture of Tinkering
00:36:46 – Teachers Must Evolve How They Teach
00:39:39 – Professionals Must Keep Upgrading Themselves
00:49:27 – Success Is When I Impress Myself
00:49:44 – Time Management Solves Most Problems
00:50:23 – I’d Tell My Grandparents I’ve Done Okay
00:52:00 – Learn in Class — Don’t Postpone Learning

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.
⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.

#LearningHowToLearn, #LifelongLearning, #CuriosityMindset, #EducationReform
#StudentSuccess, #EngineeringEducation, #IITKharagpur, #TinkeringMindset
#ContinuousLearning, #ContraMindsPodcast

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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In this deep and wide-ranging conversation, Professor Vasant Dhar( @NYUSternBusiness )  NYU professor, AI researcher, investor and author of Thinking With Machines—breaks down how artificial intelligence is reshaping judgment, expertise, work and society. He explains why the future isn’t “AI vs. humans” but humans thinking with machines, and why sense-making, question-framing, and domain expertise will determine who thrives in the AI era. If you want to understand how AI will transform your work, your learning, and your decision-making over the next decade, this is a must-listen episode.

Order your copy now on amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World-ebook/dp/B0FY46ZK3K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QWFVXWM6XPBW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QAmd26NZIHy0tIeYIGVA9wvWljQv9YbpT7dVn5Z_CsSu8yGu7NFctEIu-iDWXad6GunWWKCMnaRyvt__e_tfi11CiYvt20oq-_MeJANKPT6GHAsyavm_PtNpxQsVdaKpFLk_673aPz2pHbeiuoi6fFUQTXOEz3mzlWKFXGJRDS3Deg6v-iAhkc182XN9vl0ZSP5Fm5O6J4Y4tJtRdH7pb1v5fPajSXVaBcT3MiC4RKY.Ctza_MtdSMwkOgdCD26V1hTDzPexrVmU3gOhKYn5-6M&dib_tag=se&keywords=thinking+with+machines&qid=1763633694&s=digital-text&sprefix=thinking+with+amchine%2Cdigital-text%2C208&sr=1-1

⭐ 5 Key Takeaways

1. The future is “thinking with machines”—there is no opting out.
2. Sense-making is going to become the most valuable human skill.
3. AI will bifurcate humanity into superhuman performers and de-amplified dependents.
4. AI agents can now execute complex, multi-step workflows—data gathering, analysis, valuation, critique—mirroring expert reasoning.
5. Trust in AI depends on predictability and consequences of error.

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.
⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.

#AI, #ArtificialIntelligence, #VasantDhar, #ThinkingWithMachines, #FutureOfWork, #AIAgents, #MachineLearning, #SenseMaking, #ContraMinds, #TechPodcast

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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The 10 Permissions: From Stuck to Self-Directed in a Fluid World

In this thought-provoking conversation, author and change-maker Jillian Reilly joins Swami to explore her powerful framework — The 10 Permissions — a new rulebook for navigating today’s fluid, unpredictable world. Together, we unpack what it means to upgrade our Adult Operating System, move from I am to I can, and replace fixed plans with curiosity-driven action. Jillian reveals how giving ourselves permission — to experiment, think small, go astray, and feel our way — transforms anxiety about change into agency and adaptability. From reimagining education and parenting to rebuilding culture at work, this episode is an invitation to stop waiting for approval and start designing a life that’s responsive, alive, and truly self-directed.

Order the Book: https://tenpermissions.com/

Key Insights

1️⃣ Permission Is the Bridge Between Intent and Action

Real change begins when we stop waiting for validation and give ourselves the authority to move.

2️⃣ Update Your Adult Operating System

Bring unconscious “rules for living” into awareness — and rewrite them for today’s fast-shifting realities.

3️⃣ Experiment and Think Small

Progress now comes from micro-moves and low-stakes trials, not grand five-year plans.

4️⃣ Feel Your Way Forward

Whole-body intelligence — instinct, emotion, and reflection — is becoming as critical as data and logic.

5️⃣ Redefine Success as Relevance

In a fluid, AI-driven world, sustained success depends on curiosity, continual reinvention, and embodied learning.
———

Timestamps

00:00:00  Intro — Welcome and Context

00:04:12  “We’re Living Through the Great Unraveling.”

00:08:10  “We’re All Running on an Old Operating System.”

00:14:11  “Shift from ‘I Am’ to ‘I Can.’”

00:18:57  “Permission Is the Bridge Between Intent and Action.”

00:22:21  “You Can’t Think Your Way to Growth.”

00:30:25  “Take Small Bets. Learn Faster.”

00:34:59  “Schools Are the Blackberry.”

00:40:01  “You Are Your Best Security.”

00:43:29  “Don’t Raise Obedient Kids. Raise Capable Ones.”

00:50:08  “Look for a Teacher, Not a Fight.”

00:55:03  “Preorders Are Permission in Action.”

00:57:14  “Success Will Be Measured by Relevance.”

00:58:50  “Curiosity Is the New Career Plan.”

01:00:34  “Don’t Stifle Your Strongest Ideas.”

01:02:15  “Permission-Givers Change the World.”

01:06:07  “You Can’t Think Your Way Into Being.”

#The10Permissions, #AdultingRules, #FutureOfWork, #AdaptiveMindset, #PersonalGrowth, #WholeBodyIntelligence, #CuriosityDrivenLife, #ReinventYourself, #ThinkSmallLearnFast, #EmotionalIntelligence, #BeWilfulGoAstrayFeelYourWay, #ContraMindsPodcast, #JillianReilly

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://www.goeffortless.ai

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
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Marketing attribution is one of the toughest challenges for modern marketers — and most get it wrong. In this episode of the ContraMinds Podcast, we sit down with Scott Desgrosseilliers, Founder & CEO of Wicked Reports, to decode what really works in measuring marketing impact. 

Scott shares his journey of building Wicked Reports and explains why accuracy alone isn’t enough — attribution has to be actionable. He covers practical insights on choosing the right attribution model, measuring KPIs beyond ROAS, connecting online and offline journeys, and balancing experimentation with accountability.

If you’re a CMO, performance marketer, or entrepreneur looking to cut through the noise and understand what truly drives growth, this episode is packed with actionable wisdom.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
•Why marketing attribution isn’t about perfection but profitability
•How to align attribution models with campaign intent
•Which KPIs go beyond vanity metrics (like NCAC and New Visit %)
•How to bridge online and offline sales data
•The mindset every marketer needs: persistence + accountability

About Scott Desgrosseilliers
Scott Desgrosseilliers is the Founder & CEO of Wicked Reports, a pioneering marketing attribution platform built to give businesses clarity on what really drives growth. Today, Scott is known for his no-nonsense approach to attribution: transparent, actionable insights that cut through the noise and focus on profitability.

📌 Watch the Full Episode & Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction  
00:03:28 Accuracy Is Table Stakes—Actionability Wins  
00:06:18 Pick the Right Model for the Job, Not a Holy Grail  
00:10:37 Start from Real Sales, Tag Everything, Build the Timeline  
00:21:33 You’ll Never Get 100%—Stack Signals and Move On  
00:26:34 ROAS & CAC Aren’t Enough—Track NCAC and New-Visit %  
00:31:34 Let Intent Decide the Model  
00:36:57 Think TOF–MOF–BOF: Different KPIs at Every Stage  
00:39:16 Bridge Online & Offline: Tie Every Sale to an Identifier  
00:42:18 Offline Ads? Start from Test Drives, Not TV Ratings  
00:45:26 Black-Box Models? Hard Pass. I Want Transparent Journeys  
00:47:13 Use Last-Click When It Fits—Save Heavy Math for Real Journeys  
00:51:26 Experiment Boldly. Be Accountable. Do Both  
00:52:59 Start Local, Get Wins, Build a Portfolio  
00:55:14 Skip the Textbooks—Follow Practitioners Who Ship  
00:56:08 Persistence Beats Brains and Budget—Focus on Outcomes  

#MarketingAttribution #DigitalMarketing #MarketingAnalytics #CustomerJourney #BusinessGrowth #MarketingTips #EcommerceMarketing #MarketingStrategy #AdTech #CMOInsights #PerformanceMarketing #DataDrivenMarketing #Entrepreneurship #Growthmindset #MarketingPodcast

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Discover how to prepare for the biggest career changes in your 50s with tips on lifelong learning, curiosity, and adapting to the future of work. Start investing in your personal growth and professional excellence now!

Essential listening for anyone wondering how to navigate the reality that 50 is just the beginning of your second professional act.

Why 50 is the Half-Time of Your Professional Career
In this thought-provoking conversation, Neeraj Sagar, founder of  Wisdom Circle  and Stanford Centre for Longevity Global Ambassador, challenges everything we think we know about career planning and retirement in the age of longevity.

Key Insights:

1. With lifespans extending and retirement ages shifting, your 50s mark the midpoint, not the wind-down, of your professional journey. 

2. India has one of the world's youngest median ages yet 150 million people over 60 (that'll be 300 million by 2050). We're unprepared for what people will actually do with extended lifespans.

3. Experienced professionals offer what AI cannot - institutional memory, judgment about what NOT to do, and hard-earned shortcuts that only come from decades of practice.

4. Successful post-50 professionals must structure their weeks around multiple pillars: 2 days monetizing expertise, 1 day teaching, 1 day social impact, and 3 days for learning, family, and personal growth.

5. While everyone chases general management roles, the real value lies in deep specialization. Companies desperately seek true experts.

6. Adaptability requires dual curiosity - understanding yourself and staying current with the changing world. The ability to continuously learn, unlearn, and relearn becomes your career insurance policy.

7. Early savings, compound interest, and proper health insurance become critical foundations for later-career flexibility.

Timestamps
00:05:18 “we’re all living longer, but doing what?”
00:12:14 “big companies will struggle, new ones will define the future of work”
00:17:48 “white hair made people treat me as wiser — whether I was ready or not”
00:25:10 “the per-unit cost of wisdom gets cheaper with age”
00:31:00 “curiosity is the fuel — without it, your runway is short”
00:35:58 “this is what a happy 65-year old’s life should look like”
00:44:07 “ai tells you what to do, good experts tell you what NOT to do”
00:47:51 “today, success is not titles — it’s the joy of impact”
00:50:22 “do more with your hands — mow lawns, print books, flip burgers”
00:52:12 “the real dream is learning how to keep going, no matter what”
00:54:00 “you are who you are when no one is looking”
00:55:11 “don’t worry about what others think—just own your beliefs”

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.
⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.

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In this ultimate guide, we'll dive into the world of marketing to Gen Z, the most digitally savvy generation yet. As a business leader, entrepreneur, or marketer, it's crucial to understand what makes this generation tick and how to engage with them effectively and successfully. 

In this episode of the Super CMO Show, Srinjoy Das, a young marketing leader of par excellence, having hands-on experience at digital-first companies like Krafton, Tencent, and Airtel, reveals the future of marketing. From his civil engineering background at NIT Trichy to his finance-heavy education at IIM Calcutta, Srinjoy brings a unique analytical perspective to modern marketing. 

He discusses why marketers must become fluent in finance to gain credibility with CEOs and CFOs, shares the science behind viral content creation, and explains how to engage Gen Z audiences authentically. The conversation covers everything from building content-first campaigns to understanding the metrics that matter in digital marketing, offering actionable insights for marketers navigating today’s competitive landscape.

This conversation will serve as a master class for great learning, personal development and self-improvement, will act as an inspiration and motivation to any aspiring marketer, business leader, entrepreneur or founder, and to enhance their marketing skills and understanding to market to Gen Z.

About Srinjoy
Srinjoy Das is a marketing professional with extensive experience in digital-first companies including Krafton (PUBG Mobile), Tencent, and Airtel.  He has worked across gaming, entertainment, and telecom sectors, specialising in viral marketing, Gen Z engagement, and data-driven marketing strategies. At Krafton, he has led marketing campaigns that achieved record-breaking engagement and helped launch BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) with the “India Ki Heartbeat” campaign.

5 Marketing Insights from Krafton's Srinjoy Das:

💰 Speak Finance or Stay Irrelevant CMOs must know ROC & margins to get CEO buy-in. Finance-fluent marketers win budgets; brand-only thinkers get sidelined.

🎬 Entertainment > Advertising Nobody remembers Airbnb's slogan, but viral content builds loyalty. Create stories, not ads.

🔄 Gen Z: Always Be Surprising Zero switching costs = constant innovation needed. One boring campaign and they're gone forever.

🚀 Virality = Science, Not Luck Track shares over views. Master: 5-second hooks, high AVD, authentic insights. Views are bought; engagement is earned.

💬 Comments > Focus Groups 2-3 lakh monthly comments beat any traditional research. Real users give real insights—skip the glass walls.

Timestamps
00:03:00 - 00:05:21 - From Civil Engineering to Marketing
00:05:21 - 00:08:48 - Why Choose Startups Over Traditional Companies?
00:08:48 - 00:15:31 - Why Finance Knowledge is Critical for Marketers
00:15:31 - 00:23:01 - Finance-First Marketing: Convincing CEOs with ROC & Margins
00:23:01 - 00:29:32 - Building Engagement Through Content & Context
00:29:32 - 00:34:19 - Does Content Marketing Work for Traditional Brands?
00:34:19 - 00:42:03 - Campaign

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Join us on The Super CMO Show, where we dive into the minds of extraordinary individuals who have achieved success in their respective fields. In this episode, we have Burzeen Bhathena, marketing director, NMIMS, a leading educational institution from India. 

Burzeen shares his personal development journey, from his early days as a marketer to becoming a successful CMO, and the life lessons he learned along the way. He emphasises the importance of emotional intelligence, self-mastery, digital marketing skills and leadership skills in today's fast-paced technology world. 

With his expertise in brand building, Burzeen provides valuable insights on how to cultivate a culture of excellence and purpose in both personal and professional life. Tune in to this inspiring conversation, filled with motivational stories, use of AI and psychology in educational marketing and practical advice on how to be extraordinary and achieve success in your career.

Burzeen Bhathena reveals how universities market themselves like top consumer brands, balancing competition, regional awareness, and multi-stakeholder needs. He explains why even well-known institutions must invest heavily in digital, print, and outreach campaigns to attract quality students and faculty. From parents and students to corporates and influencers, every audience requires a unique message.

5-Point Summary
✅ Education is Big Business – Universities now market like FMCG brands to stay competitive.
🎯 Different Audiences, Different Messages – Parents, students & corporates all need tailored campaigns.
💻 Digital First, But Not Digital Only – Smart media mixes still include print, radio & outreach.
🤖 AI & EdTech Are Reshaping Learning – From AI-driven interviews to hybrid learning models.
🔄 Lifelong Learning = Lifelong Customers – Alumni and upskilling programs create lasting value.

Timestamps
00:05:02:11  00:13:30:22   From FMCG to Education Marketing 
00:13:30:23  00:17:35:21  How Big Is India’s Education Marketing Budget?  
00:17:35:22  00:22:29:00  Do Colleges Need Marketing?  
00:22:29:01  00:30:05:07  How Do You Market to Parents & Students?  
00:30:05:08  00:32:10:02  Where Should Universities Spend Their Marketing Money?  
00:32:10:03  00:36:22:02  How Do You Attract Rockstar Professors?  
00:36:22:03  00:40:56:07  How to Make Corporates Prefer Your University?  
00:40:56:08  00:45:48:07  Will EdTech Kill Traditional Universities?  
00:45:48:08  00:51:48:23  What Marketing Tools Do Top Universities Use?  
00:51:48:24  00:58:53:04  What Does a University Marketing Team Look Like?  
00:58:53:05  01:03:03:17  Can Students Be Lifelong Customers?  
01:03:03:18  01:04:26:14  What Does Success Really Mean in Education?  
01:04:26:15  01:05:38:06  Best Advice for a 17-Year-Old Choosing a Career?  
01:05:38:07  01:07:13:15  How Do Marketers Learn & Stay Ahead?  
01:07:13:16  01:08:42:16  The Best Marketing Advice Burzeen Ever Got  

#EducationMarketing, #UniversityBranding, #EdTechRevolution, #DigitalMarketing, #AIinEducation, #HigherEdMarketing, #StudentRecruitment, #FutureOfEducation, #LifelongLearning, #MarketingStrategy, #CampusLi

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Join us on The Super CMO Show, where we delve into the world of marketing with a special focus on consent-driven marketing, marketing skills needed in the future,  life lessons on personal development, excellence, and mastery with Nitin Seth, a renowned expert in the field of marketing, AI and technology. 

In this episode, Nitin shares his valuable insights on how to achieve consent-led marketing success for brands. He also shares his experience on lifelong learning, career development, and professional excellence. 

As a seasoned executive with a strong background in marketing and technology, Nitin offers unique perspectives on building successful brands, particularly in the Indian startup ecosystem. He also touches upon the importance of digital transformation, AI, and leadership lessons for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs. Tune in to learn how to Be Extraordinary and take your career to the next level with Nitin's expert advice on marketing skills, personal growth, and entrepreneurship.

In this episode, Nitin Seth, CEO of SMS Magic & Conversive, reveals how strict privacy regulations like GDPR and TCPA are forcing marketers to completely rebuild their customer engagement infrastructure around sophisticated consent management and AI-powered channel orchestration.  Most provocatively, Nitin argues that traditional mass-market branding is dead—replaced by direct customer experience and real-time engagement that requires marketers to master database marketing, social media management, and AI-driven personalization to survive in this privacy-first future.

About Nitin Seth:
Nitin Seth is the CEO & Co-Founder of SMS Magic & Conversive. 

5 Key Takeaways for Marketers:
1. Privacy Compliance Is Now Table Stakes, Not Optional
2. Consent Management Requires Sophisticated Digital Infrastructure
3. AI-Powered Channel Orchestration Is Replacing Single-Channel Thinking
4. Conversational AI Will Transform Brand Engagement Architecture
5. Traditional Branding Is Dead - Direct Customer Experience Is King

Timestamps
00:04:22 - 00:05:42 From IIT Engineer to Marketing Tech CEO: Nitin's Journey
00:05:42 - 00:08:37 Why Privacy-First Marketing Is Now Essential for Every Brand
00:08:38 - 00:10:45 Privacy Laws Then vs Now: What Changed for Marketers?
00:10:45 - 00:13:53 The Compliance Landscape: US vs European Marketing Rules
00:13:53 - 00:17:41 How Brands Actually Handle HIPAA and Privacy Compliance
00:17:41 - 00:20:49 What Every Marketer Must Know About Privacy Compliance
00:20:49 - 00:25:47 What Is "Consent" and Why It Matters for Your Marketing
00:25:47 - 00:30:22 Building Customer Preference Centers That Actually Work
00:30:22 - 00:34:36 How AI Can Make Privacy Compliance Easier (Not Harder)
00:34:36 - 00:39:49 Channel Orchestration: The Future of Customer Engagement
00:39:49 - 00:43:11 From Search to Conversations: How Customer Behavior Is Changing
00:43:11 - 00:47:32 Will ChatGPT Kill Google Ads? The Future of Lead Generation
00:47:32 - 00:

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Job vs Career: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

If you are a professional, it is vital to recognize that a job is merely a means to a paycheck, whereas a career is a long-term journey of personal growth, learning, career development, personal improvement and mastery. In this video, we'll delve into the significance of the job vs career distinction, exploring how it impacts your leadership, entrepreneurship, and overall success. Whether you're an expert in digital marketing or a thought leader in the tech industry, this video will provide you with valuable insights on how to cultivate a culture of lifelong learning, self-mastery, and personal development. So, if you're ready to take your career to the next level, watch till the end to discover the secrets to achieving excellence in your profession.

In this episode, Swami and Aswin explore the fundamental difference between approaching professional life through a "job lens" versus a "career lens." While a job focuses on immediate tasks and short-term objectives for monetary compensation, a career requires having a larger vision, imagination, and aspiration for where you want to be in 15-30 years. The discussion reveals how extraordinary professionals distinguish themselves through three key elements: they develop a portfolio of skills beyond their current role requirements, maintain a lifelong learning mindset with heroes and mentors to emulate, and have the courage to "disrupt themselves" every few years rather than becoming complacent. Using examples from Ilaiyaraja's musical journey and Nitin Paranjpe's rise at Unilever, the episode demonstrates how career-minded individuals prepare for future opportunities by building capabilities they don't yet need, while job-focused individuals risk losing relevance over time. The conversation concludes with practical resources for making this mindset shift, including the My TRUE Compass diagnostic tool that helps professionals align their purpose, mindset, and practice for extraordinary success.

5-point Summary

Job vs Career Mindset: A job is what you do today for money with short-term focus, while a career is a life journey requiring 15-30 year vision and imagination of where you want to be professionally.

Portfolio of Skills: Extraordinary professionals build capabilities beyond their current job requirements by studying what skills they'll need for their dream role (like a CFO learning about board management, fundraising, and industry trends even as an entry-level finance executive).

Lifelong Learning with Heroes: Career-minded individuals identify heroes in their field, study their biographies, and continuously learn from the best practitioners, while job-focused people stop learning and eventually lose relevance in their 30s and 40s.

Courage to Disrupt Yourself: Every 5 years, extraordinary professionals deliberately make themselves "comfortable with being uncomfortable" by taking on new challenges, saying no to attractive but misaligned opportunities, and pivoting to stay ahead of industry trends.

Purpose-Driven Career Diagnostic: Use tools like My TRUE Compass to regularly assess if your purpose, mindse

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In today's digitally driven world, staying focused and avoiding distractions is a major challenge. As we strive for personal growth and professional excellence, it's essential to cultivate the ability to do deep work.

 In this episode of ContraMinds, Steven Puri shares his insights on how to achieve focus, flow, and attention in a world filled with technological distractions. With the rise of technology, our attention span has decreased, making it difficult to concentrate on a single task. However, with the right strategies and mindset, it's possible to overcome these obstacles and achieve mastery in our careers and personal lives. 

Listen in to learn how to prioritize your career success goals, manage your time effectively, and develop a culture of self-improvement. Develop a career development focus in anything that you are pursuing today. Whether you're an entrepreneur, founder, or a professional looking to advance in your career, 

Former Hollywood executive and tech entrepreneur Steven Puri shares how his journey from coding to filmmaking inspired Sukha, a platform recreating the "coffee shop effect" for remote workers. Drawing from film industry cycles and startup failures, Puri reveals why tenacity outweighs talent, how distractions require 22 minutes to recover from, and why human connection drives both successful blockbusters and productivity tools. His practical insights offer a refreshing approach to finding focus and fulfillment in our distracted digital world. 

Key Insights:

1. Productivity increases when working alongside others without direct interaction, inspiring Sukha's design to recreate this coffee shop energy virtually.

2. The film industry naturally cycles between remote, hybrid, and in-person collaboration, offering valuable lessons for post-pandemic work structures.

3. Success comes from unwavering persistence and daily discipline, not superior talent or skill.

4. Blockbuster films succeed by understanding the human story beneath the spectacle, just as digital tools must address fundamental human needs.

5. Context-switching destroys flow state, requiring 15-22 minutes to regain focus after each interruption.

About Steven Puri

Steven Puri — a rare blend of Hollywood storyteller, tech entrepreneur, and remote work pioneer. From producing blockbusters like Independence Day and Star Trek to building platforms that help people focus and connect in the digital age, Steven’s journey spans visual effects, studio leadership, and startups like Centered and The Sukha Company. He’s spent his life at the intersection of creativity and productivity, and today, we explore what drives him to keep reimagining how we work and live.

Timestamps

00:02:00 - 00:03:38 How a Software Engineer Became a Studio Executive

00:03:38 - 00:09:59 What I Learned from the Leaders in Tech Program

00:09:59 - 00:15:27 Learnings from the Film Industry

00:15:27 - 00:19:38 Film Industry Lessons for Office Ecosystems

00:19:38 - 00:22:50 The Story Behind Sukha Platform

00:22:50 - 00:25:17 Building Mastery and Excellence

00:25:17 - 00:27:53 Is Discipline Actually Real in Creative Fields

🔗 Links & Resources:
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Are you tired of feeling average and wanting to take your life to the next level? 

In this powerful episode, we're discussing the essential steps to take the leap from being average to extraordinary. 

From personal development to technology, success, education, and career advancement, we're covering it all. Whether you're a professional, an entrepreneur, a founder, or simply looking to improve your leadership skills, this episode is for you. 

We'll dive into the psychology of career success, rituals to achieve professional excellence, what it takes to plan your career development with precision and focus, self-improvement strategies, and the importance of emotional intelligence in your professional life and business. 

Join us as we explore the mindset and discipline required for self-mastery and personal growth. Get ready to be inspired and motivated to take action towards achieving your goals and living an extraordinary life. Tune in now and start your journey to success!

Take the Next Step in Your Professional Journey

Discover if your purpose, mindset, and practice are aligned.

Visit https://contraminds.com/tools/mytrue-compass/ 

now to take the My TRUE Compass exploration. 

This exploration will provide you with valuable insights into your professional priorities, strengths, and areas for development. The personalized report will help you chart your path from average to extraordinary by identifying gaps between your purpose and current practices. Don't leave your career success to chance—take the My TRUE Compass test today and begin your journey toward extraordinary achievement!

Take The Leap from being Average to Extraordinary

Becoming Extraordinary: Aligning Purpose, Mindset, and Practice

The Be Extraordinary pilot episode explores what separates average professionals from extraordinary ones. Swami and Aswin Rao discuss how extraordinary professionals align three key elements: purpose (finding meaning in what you do), mindset (preparing mentally for challenges ahead), and practice (consistent daily efforts). The discussion uses examples like Rahul Dravid, Sridhar Vembu, and Nandan Nilekani to illustrate how this alignment works across different career stages and industries.Swami lays emphasis on the idea that becoming extraordinary is a journey of self-discovery where professionals must identify what energizes them, develop self-awareness about their strengths and weaknesses, and consistently practice habits that align with their purpose. The newly launched ContraMinds My TRUE Compass tool is a way for professionals to assess their current alignment and identify areas for growth.

Timestamps:

00:11 - 03:34 What Separates the Average from the Extraordinary

03:35 - 20:40 What is Purpose?

20:40 - 30:20 How Does one Align Purpose, Mindset and Practice?

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Extraordinary professionals align their purpose (meaningful goals), mindset (mental preparation), and practice (daily habits) to achieve sustained excellence.

2. Purpose is about findin

🔗 Links & Resources:
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In today's fast-paced business landscape, marketing strategies often focus on driving sales and conversions. However, marketing leader Albert Almeida argues that marketing must go beyond just making people buy, and instead, make them believe. 

In this insightful episode, Albert shares his thoughts on the importance of building trust and credibility with your customers and target audience. He delves into the psychology of marketing, highlighting the need for brands to create an emotional connection with their customers. As the CMO of a leading insurance company in India, Albert Almeida has firsthand experience in building a strong brand identity that resonates with people. 

Listen in to learn valuable marketing skills and leadership lessons from a seasoned entrepreneur, and discover how to take your business to the next level. Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, or simply looking to improve your marketing skills, striving for personal growth and professional excellence, or looking for career development advice as a marketer and wanting self-improvement, this episode is a must-listen.

The Journey from Content to Conversion

Akhil Almeida shares his remarkable journey from Virgin Records to becoming Head of Marketing at Bandhan Life Insurance. With over two decades of experience across music, market research, and financial services, Akhil reveals his core marketing philosophy: "Marketing isn't about selling. It's about making people believe." Tracing his pioneering work in predictive content intelligence at Kantar and E-commerce research panels tracking 60,000 online shoppers, Akhil demonstrates how understanding consumer behavior at a deep level is the foundation for building brands people genuinely care about.

Beyond Data: Creating Meaningful Marketing Strategies

Akhil identifies three critical skills modern marketers must master: 

1. Pattern recognition to spot cultural shifts before they go mainstream2. Agility to pivot quickly when playbooks become outdated 3. Commercial acumen to articulate ROI to leadershipUsing his experience transforming Bandhan Life Insurance, he illustrates how focusing on underserved segments like self-employed individuals (60% of India's workforce) created strategic advantage in a crowded market. Perhaps most valuably, Akhil emphasizes the crucial distinction between data and insight: "Data tells you what people do, insight tells you why they're doing it. Data without interpretation is just noise." Through practical examples of landing page optimization and brand-agency partnerships, he demonstrates how cultivating insight as a daily ritual ultimately drives marketing that shapes behavior, builds habits, and creates long-term brand value.

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About Akhil Almeida

Akhil Almeida, now the Head of Marketing of Bandhan Life, is a dynamic leader with over two decades of experience in marketing, specializing in brand building, digital strategies, and consumer insights. 

Timestamps

00:01:45:13 - 00:05:

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In this thought-provoking conversation, Prof. Srivastava highlights the importance of innovation in technology, education, and business to drive India's growth and success. He emphasizes the need for founders, entrepreneurs, and CEOs to adopt a culture of innovation, risk-taking, and continuous learning to stay ahead of the curve. 

While IITs in India remain institutions where the best of the professionals are groomed, to achieve professional excellence, Prof. Rohit Srivastava argues for a strong link between industry-academia and a deep research mindset to drive disruptive innovations and breakthrough product ideas. 

With India and China being two of the fastest-growing economies, this podcast episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in personal growth,  personal development, career growth, and creating a road map for the future of startups in India. 

Tune in to learn from Prof. Srivastava's expertise and gain valuable insights on how innovation can be the key to India's success in the global market.

Professor Rohit Srivastava shares his vision of transforming India through a 10X innovation mindset, prioritising patents over papers, and building product-focused ecosystems that turn academic research into market solutions.

5-point Episode Summary

1. The 10X Impact Framework: Prof. Srivastava's approach to creating 10 times more value through patents, startups, and reaching more patients than conventional academic labs.
2. Patents Over Papers: How filing 250+ patents and co-founding 15 startups is transforming academic research into market solutions for India.
3. Building Innovation Ecosystems: Creating bio-clusters across India to connect universities and accelerate product development through interdisciplinary collaboration.
4. Product-First Thinking: Training students to identify market needs and develop solutions that can reduce India's ₹90,000 crore medical device import bill.
5. From Innovation to Impact: The vision to create thousands of "innovation builders" who will transform India from a service economy to a product powerhouse by 2047.

Timestamps

00:03:37 - 00:05:56 Mentors Who Shaped My Vision for India 

00:05:56 - 00:08:55 India's Forward-Thinking Academic Leaders 

00:08:55 - 00:11:47 Making Maximum Impact with Minimum Resources

00:11:47 - 00:15:00 Patents vs Papers: The Future of Innovation 

00:15:00 - 00:18:03 Why Product-First Thinking Changes Everything 

00:18:03 - 00:21:39 The Product-First Mindset Behind Innovation 

00:21:39 - 00:25:25 The 10X Impact Framework for Success 

00:25:25 - 00:28:47 Building NanoBIOS - an Innovation Ecosystem in Academia 

00:28:47 - 00:35:02 Transforming Students into Innovators 

00:35:02 - 00:38:52 Why Interdisciplinary Thinking Creates Better Products 

00:38:52 - 00:42:04 Cross-Pollinating Innovation with Bioclusters Across Universities

00:42:04 - 00:45:02 How Patents Create a Virtuous Cycle of Innovation 

00:45:02 - 00:49:08 Advice for Young Academics: Be Innovation Builders 

00:49:08 - 00:49:43 Can India Create Its Own P

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If you are a marketer looking for the next holy grail of thoughts and ideas around future marketing skills, this episode is for you. 

Prof. Prasad Naik talks about new marketing skills that are vital in the future. He stresses about how the best marketers will learn to fuse content, technology and analytics in their marketing plans. 

If you are somebody looking for personal growth, career development, and striving hard for self-improvement in different areas of marketing, this will be amongst the best episodes for you to listen to and learn. 

In conversation with Swami, Professor Prasad Naik challenges conventional marketing wisdom by revealing how mathematical models are transforming brand building and media allocation. 

Drawing from his groundbreaking research, he demonstrates why brands should invest more in seemingly less effective channels to create powerful synergistic effects - comparing media interplay to chemical catalysts that amplify impact without direct attribution. Through compelling examples like MasterCard's "Priceless Possibilities" campaign and Apple's sophisticated media strategy, Naik presents a vision for future marketing departments that seamlessly blend analytical rigour with creative excellence.

Marketing science pioneer and UC Davis Professor Prasad Naik reveals the power of cross-media orchestration, why mathematical models are transforming modern marketing, and why investing in your weakest media channels could be your smartest strategy.

🎯 Five Point ContraMinds Summary

• Why math models are reshaping marketing: and how they amplify creative thinking rather than replace it
• Media channels reinforce each other: the surprising reason you should invest more in your weakest media channels
• Beyond awareness: Why sales and margins are the only metrics that truly matter to the C-suite
• Breaking silos: How to structure marketing teams for both analytics and creativity
• Future-ready marketing: Orchestrating media, math, and creative excellence in perfect harmony

For Show Notes, Selected Links and Resources

Key Timestamps

04:03 - 08:44 How Did a Chemical Engineer Master Marketing?

08:44 - 14:11 The Secret to Mix Marketing Right

14:11 - 19:29 More Marketing Money For Less Effective Channels

19:29 - 20:32 Making Sense of Your Marketing Budget

20:32 - 25:19 Marketing: Short Term Wins vs Long Term Game

25:19 - 31:05 What Makes Mastercard’s Marketing Click

31:05 - 34:19 Getting Marketing Stakeholders to See Eye to Eye

34:19 - 38:28 Building Your Dream Marketing Team

38:28 - 46:43 Who Should Watch Marketing Spends?

46:43 - 51:29 The Power of Integrated Marketing Communication

51:29 - 55:28 Skills Future Marketers Must Possess

55:28 - 1:00:45 Accretive Effects of Cross Media Consumption

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In this thought-provoking conversation, neuroscientist and educator Sai Gaddam explores the growing gap between traditional education systems and the skills required in today's world. Through his innovative micro-school initiative, Comini Learning, Gaddam showcases how personalized learning, empowered by AI technology, can foster personal growth and personal development. His approach challenges the outdated, assessment-driven model, advocating for a system that prioritizes problem-solving, adaptability, motivation and creativity. 

Suppose you are somebody seeking self-improvement and professional excellence, there are lessons to take out of this way of learning, which you can adopt and imbibe. This can lead to purposeful career development. It can also pave the way for developing expertise and leadership skills in any area that you pursue in your life.

Transforming the Indian Classroom

In a groundbreaking conversation, neuroscientist and educator Sai Gaddam discusses how traditional education systems are becoming increasingly disconnected from real-world demands. Through his micro-school initiative, Comini Learning, Gaddam demonstrates how personalized learning environments, supported by AI technology, can nurture individual growth paths. His approach challenges the conventional assessment-driven model, advocating instead for a system that values problem-solving abilities, adaptability, and creative thinking.

About Sai Gaddam

Sai Gaddam, Co-Founder of Comini Learning, brings a unique blend of neuroscience, technology, and education to his work in transforming early learning. After graduating from IIT Madras, inspired by V.S. Ramachandran's "Phantoms in the Brain," he pursued computational neuroscience at Boston University. His entrepreneurial journey includes founding Kernel Insights and developing MakkhiChoose, which grew to serve hundreds of thousands of users. Currently, through Comini Learning, he implements Finnish educational principles adapted for Indian children, focusing on experiential learning and whole-child development. He's also developing Giffie, an AI-powered educational tool that combines his expertise in neuroscience and learning technologies.

Gaddam on LinkedIN

Swami on LinkedIN

Selected Links & Show Notes 

Chapters:

Q1 From IIT to Neuroscience What Led to Your Journey

Q2 How Did Phantoms in the Brain Transform Your Perspective

Q3 Engineer to Teacher What Has Teaching Taught You

Q4 Why Question the Old Education Template When It Worked for You

Q5 What Can Current Education Do vs What Can't It Do

Q6 How Do Kids Really Learn What's Your Mental Model

Q7 How Does Comini Learning Approach Education

Q8 What Does a Comini Classroom Look Like

Q9 How Do You Teach Kids to Handle Failure & Ambiguity

Q10 What is Holistic Assessment in Education

Q11 How Do You Find & Train Teachers for A

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Listen in to the Best of 2024 episode, where some of the best minds and most accomplished professionals we had in conversation shared their thoughts and ideas on The Contraminds Podcast. Here is the summary in a snippet for you to enjoy the learnings during these conversations. 

If you are somebody looking for self-improvement and new ideas for career development, you can learn more about the importance of personal growth, mastery and lifelong learning, or if you are somebody seeking professional excellence, you can understand the importance of resilience and body language, or if you are a startup founder or entrepreneur, you can learn about how innovation spread during the industrial era in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Success begins with knowing and learning from others, and there are a lot of valuable nuggets for you to relax and listen. 

Best of 2024 - Full episode linksCM-Ep048 - Anton Howes - A historian studying how innovation spreads through society, particularly focusing on Britain's transformation during the Industrial Revolution. He examines how improvements and inventions actually developed through incremental changes rather than dramatic breakthroughs.CM-Ep049 - Khyati Bhatt - A body language expert trained by ex-FBI agent Joe Navarro, who helps professionals understand and leverage non-verbal communication. She emphasizes how body language reflects emotional comfort levels and impacts professional interactions. CM-Ep050 - Vasant Dhar - An AI researcher and professor at NYU who pioneered machine learning applications in finance and examines how AI impacts society. He discusses technology's transformation of humanity and the future of work in the age of AI. 

CM-Ep051 - Dr. Vignesh Devraj - A fourth-generation Ayurvedic healer who advocates for a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. He explains how Ayurveda views health as a balance between body, mind and lifestyle rather than just treating symptoms. Link: CM-Ep052 - Scott H Young - An author and learning expert who studies skill acquisition and mastery, advocating for deliberate practice and varied learning experiences. He emphasizes the importance of challenging projects and deep engagement over surface-level performance goals.CM-Ep053 - Brandon Hendrickson - A passionate advocate of Kieran Egan's educational philosophy who runs Science is Weird, making complex scientific concepts accessible and engaging. He challenges traditional educational approaches by focusing on making learning matter emotionally to students. CM-Ep054 - David Nutt - A neuropsychopharmacologist studying drugs' effects

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In this inspiring conversation, R.Sridhar, a renowned marketing legend from India, shares his profound thoughts on achieving creative excellence and staying relevant in the ever-evolving marketing landscape. Tune in to learn how to craft compelling brand stories, enhance your marketing skills to stay ahead of the curve, and achieve success in the marketing and advertising business. This podcast is a treasure trove of marketing wisdom, life lessons, personal growth, career development tips, and ideas for self-improvement. It will inspire marketers, entrepreneurs, and founders. 

In this candid conversation, advertising legend R. Sridhar takes us through his remarkable journey through fascinating anecdotes involving industry giants like David Ogilvy, Mani Ayer, and Drayton Bird. Sridhar reveals how authentic leadership and deep consumer understanding shaped his approach to building brands and teams.

About the Guest R. Sridhar enjoyed a remarkable 25-year tenure at the prestigious Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency in India, serving as a Director on the company's board. Over the course of his storied career, Sridhar had the privilege of being mentored by some of the industry's luminaries, including the legendary David Ogilvy, Drayton Bird, and S.R. Ayer. Whether navigating the worlds of advertising, direct marketing, or entrepreneurship, Sridhar has remained steadfast in his commitment to continuous learning and creative problem-solving, making him a respected and versatile leader within his fields.

Five key takeaways from this episode:

• Success in advertising comes from understanding human psychology and motivation, not just creative excellence. Sridhar's journey shows how deep consumer insights matter more than superficial industry expectations.
• The best mentors don't just teach skills but help overcome self-limiting beliefs. David Ogilvy and Mani Ayer helped Sridhar see his perceived weaknesses as strengths.
• Brand building requires holistic orchestration across all touch points. It's not just about communication but about aligning every aspect to build trust and influence behavior.
• Leadership is about empowering teams through persuasion rather than authority. Sridhar's experiences show how giving people freedom within frameworks produces better results.
• Career growth should focus on fulfillment rather than conventional success metrics. As Sridhar demonstrates, following your interests while staying open to learning leads to meaningful achievement.

Connect with Sridhar

Connect with Swami

Timestamps

2:20 - 5:48 Sridhar's Greatest Mentors: Life Lessons from His Father 

5:48 - 13:33 From Physics to Advertising: An Unexpected Career Path 

13:33 - 15:49 Marketing Mastery with Mani Ayer at Ogilvy 

15:49 - 26:19 Valuabl

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Transforming Global Food Systems Through Local ActionElena Aniere, a 20-year veteran at Slow Food, shares profound insights into how the movement is revolutionizing food systems worldwide. From their successful transformation of 1,000 gardens into 10,000 across Africa, to preserving 6,000+ endangered food products through their Ark of Taste initiative, Slow Food is championing "good, clean, and fair" food practices globally. Aniere explains how the movement connects local farmers with consumers, chefs, and communities, building sustainable alternatives to industrial food systems while preserving cultural food heritage and biodiversity.About Elena AniereAs Network Coordinator for Slow Food International, Elena Aniere leads the transformation of food systems across a vast territory spanning from Southeast Asia to India, and from Pacific Islands to Azerbaijan. An Australian native with deep roots in agriculture and environmental tourism, her journey from managing large-scale farms to championing small-scale sustainable practices since 2004 offers unique insights into both sides of our global food system. Through her pioneering work linking food biodiversity with sustainable tourism, Elena has helped transform thousands of rural communities, making her a leading voice in the movement for good, clean, and fair food systems.Connect with Elena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-aniere-91192b29/Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/Timestamps:01:28 - 07:30 Why should people care about food ecosystems?07:30 - 10:58 Is small-scale farming realistic in today's world of scale?10:58 - 15:47 What drew you to the Slow Food movement?15:47 - 23:16 How do you put biological and cultural diversity into action?23:16 - 25:24 What impact does industrialized food have on health?25:24 - 29:53 How do Slow Food Gardens work?29:53 - 31:53 What is the Slow Food Cooks Alliance?31:53 - 36:21 How do you raise awareness about Slow Food?36:21 - 43:20 How do Slow Food communities work globally?43:20 - 47:57 How do you build trust between farmers and local consumers?47:57 - 53:03 How do you make local produce affordable?53:03 - 56:38 Have you seen small farmer systems impact larger food ecosystems?56:38 - 1:01:35 Which countries have embraced Slow Food at a national level?1:01:35 - 1:04:38 How do you fund the movement?1:04:38 - 1:06:28 How do you stay motivated when change is slow?1:06:28 - 1:07:53 What does success mean to you?1:07:53 - 1:09:15 What advice would you give to a university student?1:09:15 - 1:09:57 What’s the best advice you've ever received?1:09:57 - 1:10:52 What do you believe that others don't agree with?1:10:52 - 1:11:57 Closing

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.⁠⁠Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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Revolutionizing Organizational Learning

Dr. Nigel Paine, a leading expert in organizational learning, advocates for a shift from individual-focused to collective learning approaches. He emphasizes the importance of systems thinking and understanding the interconnectedness within organizations to drive meaningful change. Dr. Paine argues that by focusing on "knowing" rather than just "knowledge," organizations can create more dynamic, responsive learning environments that better address complex challenges.

Transforming Adult Learning in the Workplace

Dr. Paine shares innovative strategies for adult learning, highlighting the need for experiential, context-rich learning experiences. He provides compelling examples from his work at the BBC, demonstrating how immersive, scenario-based training can lead to significant improvements in performance and understanding. Dr. Paine also stresses the importance of values-driven organizations and the role of organizational culture in fostering effective learning and development.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr. Nigel Paine is a prominent thought leader in learning, development, and technology. With over 25 years of experience, he's a sought-after speaker, author, and consultant in organizational learning and leadership development. Formerly the Chief Learning Officer at the BBC, Dr. Paine now advises companies worldwide on building learning cultures and embracing technological change. 

He's written several books, including "Workplace Learning: How to Build a Culture of Continuous Employee Development" and "Building Leadership Development Programmes: Zero-Cost to High-Investment Programmes that Work." Dr. Paine is also a professor, broadcaster, and podcast host, dedicated to transforming organizational learning for the digital age. His expertise lies in helping companies navigate complex change through effective learning strategies.

5 takeaways from this episode:

1. Organizational learning is crucial for navigating complexity: Dr. Paine emphasizes the need to shift from individual-focused learning to collective, organization-wide learning to address modern challenges.
2. Knowing" trumps "knowledge": Focus on the process of learning and understanding (knowing) rather than static information (knowledge) for more effective organizational development.
3. Systems thinking is essential for leaders: Understanding the interconnectedness of various parts of an organization is key to effective leadership and problem-solving.
4. Adult learning requires context and experience: Dr. Paine shares examples of immersive, scenario-based training that led to significant improvements in performance and understanding
5. Values-driven organizations foster better learning: Creating a culture based on shared values, rather than just individual competencies, leads to more cohesive and effective organizational learning.

Connect with:

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Amita Mehra on Mastering Data-Driven Marketing with Google

Google's AI Revolution in Digital Marketing: Insights from Amita Mehra

In this exclusive episode of The Super CMO Show, we dive deep into the cutting-edge world of AI-powered digital marketing with Amita Mehra, Head of Agency Business at Google. With over two decades of experience in the industry, Amita shares invaluable insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the marketing landscape and empowering brands to achieve unprecedented success.

Transforming Campaigns with Data-Driven Strategies and First-Party Data

Discover how Google's advanced AI tools are revolutionizing campaign optimization and learn the importance of building a robust first-party data infrastructure. Amita Mehra reveals key strategies for marketers to thrive in the AI era, including the shift towards integrated planning across channels and the evolution of media agencies from idea generators to solution facilitators. This episode is a must-listen for marketers looking to future-proof their careers and harness the full potential of AI-driven marketing.

Click here for show notes.

Watch full video episodes on YouTube

Connect with Amita on LinkedIN

Connect with Swami on LinkedIN

About The Guest

Amita Mehra, Head of Agency Business at Google, is a seasoned expert in the digital advertising landscape with over 20 years of industry experience. For the past 15 years, she has been at the forefront of Google's digital advertising initiatives across the APAC region, leveraging her expertise in campaign management, business analysis, and project operations to drive innovation and success. As a Business Process Improvement professional with a keen analytical mind, Amita excels in creating end-to-end sales processes and fostering global collaboration. Her leadership at Google continues to shape the future of digital marketing, guiding agencies and clients through the complexities of AI-driven strategies, data analytics, and integrated planning to achieve unprecedented marketing success in the digital age.

Timestamps

00:03:31 - 00:06:22  How does Google support media agencies?

00:06:22 - 00:11:30  Why is marketing experimentation crucial?

00:11:30 - 00:17:31  How to develop a data-driven mindset?

00:17:31 - 00:20:52  What changes does AI bring to marketing?

00:20:52 - 00:24:26  How to build first-party data infrastructure?

00:24:26 - 00:29:28  Main challenges in first-party data adoption?

00:29:28 - 00:35:23  How to optimize campaigns with Google's AI tools?

00:35:23 - 00:38:30  How are media agency roles evolving?

00:38:30 - 00:44

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Zoho's Revolutionary Approach: Skills-Based Learning for Tech Industry Success

Rajendran Dandapani, a tech leader at Zoho Corp, shares insights on reimagining education and career development. He emphasizes the importance of practical, hands-on learning over traditional academic metrics, as exemplified by Zoho Schools of Learning. This innovative program focuses on cultivating real-world skills, fostering a product mindset, and preparing students for the dynamic tech industry. Dandapani advocates for a shift from time-driven to event-driven learning, encouraging students to pursue their interests actively rather than passively receiving information.

Leadership and Lifelong Learning in Tech: Insights from Zoho's Rajendran Dandapani

The conversation also delves into the essence of lifelong learning and leadership in the tech industry. Dandapani stresses the significance of finding one's true calling, rather than merely chasing jobs. He discusses the importance of resilience, transparency, and the ability to adapt in leadership roles. Notably, he challenges the notion of unbiased leadership, suggesting that effective leaders must make deliberate choices in allocating their attention and resources. Throughout the interview, Dandapani's unconventional approach to education and career development shines through, offering fresh perspectives on preparing the next generation of tech innovators.

About The Guest:

Rajendran Dandapani is a technology leader and educational innovator serving as Business Solutions Evangelist at Zoho Corp and President of Zoho Schools of Learning. An IIT-Madras dropout, Rajendran was part of Zoho's founding team and later spent seven years as Chief Algorithms Officer at Xerago. Since rejoining Zoho in 2004, he has spearheaded mobile development for their 45 million+ customers, led Zoho Schools of Learning, and become a respected TEDx speaker and technology evangelist.

A self-described "contra-academician," Rajendran is passionate about reimagining education. He homeschooled his son, who later graduated from Zoho Schools and now works alongside him at Zoho Corp. With over two decades of experience, Rajendran's unique blend of technical expertise, educational innovation, and unconventional thinking makes him a compelling voice in both the tech industry and educational reform.

00:02:26 - 00:07:13 Rajendran's Journey and Life Lessons

00:07:13 - 00:15:24 How Can Young People Change Their Minds About Success?

00:15:24 - 00:23:11 What Makes Zoho Schools Unique?

00:23:11 - 00:28:42 How Do You Integrate Different Tracks At Zoho Schools?

00:28:42 - 00:30:24 How Many Students Have "Ungraduated" From Zoho Schools?

00:30:24 - 00:35:43 What's Needed For India To Become A Product Nation?

00:35:43 - 00:42:01 Why Is A Compass Mindset Important In Tech?

00:42:01 - 00:49:27 How Can Professionals Disrupt Their Working Life?

00:49:27 - 00:55:22 Career Vs. J

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Professor David Nutt, a renowned Neuropsychopharmacologist, specializes in researching the effects of drugs on the brain, particularly in relation to conditions like addiction, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. As the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of the non-profit DrugScience and the head of the Center for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, Professor Nutt is a leading advocate for evidence-based drug policies and innovative approaches to mental health treatment.In the episode, Professor Nutt explains his role as a neuropsychopharmacologist, emphasizing the study of how drugs affect brain function and mental health. He shares his extensive experience in prescribing medications and exploring brain mechanisms through pharmacology.

Professor Nutt highlights the importance of neurotransmitters in brain communication and how drugs can mimic or block these chemicals to treat mental illnesses. He reflects on his influential 2010 Lancet paper, which evaluated the harms of various drugs and controversially concluded that alcohol was the most harmful substance overall in the UK. This finding has been replicated in studies across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, reinforcing the need for policies that address both personal and social harms caused by alcohol.The discussion also covers Prof. Nutt’s efforts to develop synthetic alcohol, aiming to provide the relaxing effects of traditional alcohol without the associated health risks and social harms. He emphasizes the potential of these alternatives to reduce alcohol-related deaths and improve public health.

Additionally, Prof. Nutt delves into the use of psychedelics like psilocybin for treating mental health disorders, explaining how these substances can reset brain function and offer long-lasting relief from conditions like depression. He contrasts this with traditional antidepressants, which often need to be taken continuously and can have significant side effects.Professor David Nutt’s work highlights the transformative potential of science and innovation in addressing some of the most pressing issues in mental health and drug policy. By advocating for evidence-based approaches and exploring new treatments like synthetic alcohol and psychedelics, Nutt aims to reduce the societal and personal harms caused by substance abuse and mental illness. His insights underscore the importance of continued research and the adoption of policies that prioritize scientific evidence over political expediency, ultimately fostering a healthier and more informed society.

Watch the video episode on YouTube.

Prof. Nutt on X https://x.com/ProfDavidNutt

Swami on LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

For Show Notes, visit https://www.contraminds.com

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.

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Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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Making Education Engaging: A Journey of DiscoveryBrandon Hendrickson credits Kieran Egan as a significant influence on his educational philosophy. Diagnosed with ADHD, Brandon found traditional schooling uninspiring until he encountered Egan’s work, which revolutionized his approach to teaching and learning. Egan’s perspective on education, emphasizing the importance of making learning emotionally engaging and relevant, resonated deeply with Brandon. This new outlook led him to prioritize understanding and curiosity over mere academic performance, fostering a love for learning in both himself and his students.Watch the video episode on YouTube.About BrandonBrandon Hendrickson is the founder of Science is WEIRD (https://www.scienceisweird.com/) — a startup that’s developing a new approach to science education. At Science is Weird, they're building a progression of courses that rockets kids to a full, up-to-date understanding of science — from the subatomic to the intergalactic.Brandon also writes at The Lost Tools of Learning (https://losttools.substack.com/).Five key takeaways from this conversation:1. Importance of Making Learning Matter: The most crucial element in education is making subjects matter to students. When a topic resonates emotionally, students are more likely to engage deeply, remember, and understand it.2. Integration of Stories and Logic in Education: Egan's educational philosophy emphasizes the integration of stories and logic. While traditional education focuses on logic and facts, Egan believes in using stories to make learning engaging and memorable.3. Holistic and Interconnected Curriculum: Effective education should present subjects as interconnected. Understanding how disciplines like physics, chemistry, and biology relate to each other helps students see the bigger picture and appreciate the complexity of the world.4. Role of Teachers, School Founders, and Parents: Each stakeholder has a unique role in making education meaningful. Teachers should focus on making lessons emotionally engaging, school founders should design curricula that integrate Egan's principles, and parents should foster an environment that encourages curiosity and love for learning.5. Potential of Modern Educational Tools: With advancements in technology, such as LLM AIs and online educational resources, there is now a greater opportunity to create the best educational systems ever. These tools can help tailor education to individual needs and make learning more accessible and engaging.Brandon on LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-hendrickson-36270b20/Swami on LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/For Show Notes, visit https://www.contraminds.comThis episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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Build Mastery Through Deliberate Practice and Varied Experiences

To build true mastery in any skill or profession, it's crucial to engage in deliberate practice focused on continual improvement, not just mindless repetition that leads to automaticity. Expose yourself to varied practice scenarios and different contexts to develop deeper flexibility and understanding. Early in your career, prioritize breadth over narrow specialization by seeking out diverse, challenging experiences across multiple domains. This varied background better equips you to adapt as industries and opportunities evolve over time.

Cultivate a Mastery Mindset with Lifelong Learning

Approaching any endeavor with a "mastery mindset" centered on lifelong learning, not just surface-level performance goals, is key to achieving excellence. Realize that simply accumulating years of experience often plateaus your growth; you must make efforts to deliberately improve through practice, feedback, and learning from others at the cutting edge. Maintain a spirit of curiosity, embrace arduous projects that excite you, and take full ownership over charting your own path to mastery. With sustained dedication, the potential exists for anyone to acquire remarkable skills in their chosen pursuit.

About The Guest

Scott H. Young is an author, programmer, and an entrepreneur. Scott's work has been featured in the New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, and Business Insider. He is also the author of the Wall Street best -selling book, Ultra Learning. Scott's new book.

Get Better at Anything is out in the stands now. In this new book, Scott explore the science of skill acquisition, illustrating the core principles that can help you get better at the things that matter most to you.

Timestamps

05:04 - 09:12 What got Scott Interested in Mastery

09:13 - 11:38 Mastery vs Excellence

11:38 - 16:17 Mastery Motivations vs Performance Motivations

16:18 - 22:40 How To Build Mastery in Anything That You Do

22:41 - 28:58 The Process of Seeing, Doing and Taking Feedback

28:59 - 32:43 Apprenticeship Helps You Build Mastery

32:44 - 39:09 Defining Your Profession To Define Your Mastery

39:10 - 43:46 Variability Over Repetition

43:47 - 49:17

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Ricky Afrianto is a Global Marketing Head/Director - Mayora Group. Previously he was Marketing Director and managed 21 brands across 5 categories: Biscuit, Candy, Wafer, Chocolate & Instant Food. Before joined Mayora, Ricky was Regional Marketing/Category Manager – Adult Category for Asia & Middle East Region of Fonterra Brands Singapore.

For Show Notes, visit https://contraminds.com

Connect with Ricky on LinkedIN

Connect with Swami on LinkedIN

15 key takeaways from this conversation:

1. Mayora is an Indonesian food and beverage company with a wide range of products available in over 100 countries, with almost equal business split between domestic and international markets.

2. Local brands like Mayora can innovate and make decisions faster compared to large multinational companies due to their entrepreneurial mindset and connection with local markets.

3. CPG marketing has transformed significantly in the last decade with the rise of e-commerce, social commerce, and new digital platforms like TikTok.

4. Localization and customization are key advantages for local brands, allowing them to create products and campaigns tailored to specific markets.

5. Intuition backed by solid data is crucial in media buying decisions, especially for categories like CPG where e-commerce may not be as effective.

6. Digital marketing for CPG brands should focus on building brand equity and not just performance marketing.

7. Observing consumers directly is still the best way to gain insights, despite advancements in research technology.

8. Future agencies need to be open to leveraging creativity from clients, influencers, and embrace an ecosystem approach rather than being the sole creative source.

9. Successful CMOs need a balance of creativity, analytical skills, business acumen, and an entrepreneurial mindset.

10. CMOs must understand financial metrics and drive business results, not just focus on marketing outputs.

11. Entrepreneurial skills are essential for CMOs to bring new ideas, optimize processes, and drive business growth.

12. Key success metrics for CMOs include business performance, brand metrics, and creating a strong brand pull where consumers can't explain why they like the product.

13. Admired brands mentioned include Nike, Absolut Vodka, Apple, Coke, and Mayora's own Kopiko brand.

14. Innovative campaigns like Anlene's health movement and revamping the century-old Roma biscuit brand were sources of pride.

15. Advice for marketing students is to learn beyond just marketing - subjects like statistics, behavioral economics, and psychology to better understand consumers.

This episode was made possible by the great folks at MovingWalls.

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Holistic Living in this Stressful Modern World

Modern living has wired us to overeat when we’re stressed. Nature on one hand has designed our body to live in scarcity, but on the other hand, we are also wired to be fat. Modern living exposes us to heavy, rich and sugary foods in abundance, so we have to fight that genetic gravity to live healthy. Therefore, a holistic approach to modern living comes with lot of self discipline and that self discipline comes with emotional wellbeing. Ayurveda aids emotional wellbeing.

Balanced Diet, Balanced Life

Success without fulfilment is worse than failure.What are you striving for if you have all the money and success but poor health, what’s the point? You have all the success and money and health but if you don't have good family and friends around you because you are not an easy person to get along with….how do you then build relationships and create memories? A balanced approach to personal and professional life lies in realising just focusing on one aspect in your life is not going to give you happiness and fulfilment. Physical wellbeing must go hand in hand with emotional wellbeing.

About Dr. Vignesh Devraj

Dr. Vignesh Devraj is a fourth generation Ayurvedic healer. He is the founder and chief physician of Sitaram Beach Retreat, Kerala – a space for authentic healing and transformation.

Dr. Vignesh is a committed practitioner and researcher on Panchakarma, an ancient body purification method which activates the body’s innate healing energies, providing the foundation to true health. His expertise lies in explaining ancient healing concepts and making it more accessible to the modern world. He is an avid traveller who studies and explores the lesser known healing methods around the world. He is an international speaker on Natural Healing, Ayurveda, Meditation & Transformation.

Connect with Dr. Devraj

Connect with Swami

For Selected Links, Show Notes and more insights

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks.

Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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 The AirAsia Media Playbook: Integrating Travel Experiences

About The Guest:

Mahek Shah is the Global Head of Media at Airasia (AirAsia Media & Airasia Ads).

Mahek is an integrated marketing and communications professional with rich digital marketing and product development experience. She started her career in advertising with successful stints at Ogilvy, IPG Mediabrands, Lion & Lion and Wavemaker before AirAsia.

Timestamps:

00:00 - 03:40 Cold Opening, Sponsor Message, Guest Intro

03:41 - 05:51 The Evolution of Marketing: A Marketer's Journey from Traditional to Digital

05.52 - 07:32 Shifting Skills for Modern Marketers: From Fragmented to Integrated Experts

07:33 - 09:52 A Two-Pronged Approach to Strategic Planning and Inventory Monetization

09:53 - 11:20 First-Party Data Monetization: Leveraging Brand Ecosystems for Partnerships

11:21 - 14:25 Redefining the Travel Experience: Building an Immersive End-to-End Ecosystem

14:26 - 18:34 The Insourcing Trend: Why Brands Are Bringing Marketing In-House

18:35 - 25:54 Redefining Agency Value: From Execution to Consultative Problem-Solving

25:55 - 30:47 AirAsia Move: Redefining Travel as a Seamless End-to-End Experience

30:48 - 36:45 Redefining Travel Marketing: Working with Endemic and Non-Endemic Brands

36:46 - 40:30 First-Party Data and Ad Tech: Building Seamless Customer Experiences

40:31 - 41:51 Marketing Campaigns that Inspired Mahek

41:52 - 43:00 Why Mahek Admires Amazon’s Business Model

43:01 - 44.53 Marketers who Inspired Mahek

44.54 - 47:26 Mahek Shah’s Book Recommendations

47:27 - 50:36 Dynamic Digital Out-of-Home: AirAsia's Campaign to sell 7 Million Tickets

50:38 - 53:30 Advice to a Marketing Student at University

Key takeaways from this conversation

1. Marketing has evolved significantly, shifting from traditional offline methods to a digital landscape that's constantly changing.
2. Modern marketers need to be multifaceted, integrating data, digital, and technology skills to deliver cohesive customer experiences.
3. Brands are insourcing marketing tasks like media buying and content creation for faster turnaround times, better brand custodianship, and cost savings.
4. Agencies must redefine their value proposition, moving from execution to strategic consultative partnerships that solve business problems.
5. AirAsia's "Super App" vision is to provide a seamless end-to-end travel experience, from booking flights and hotels to local transportation.
6. The Super App ecosystem allows AirAsia to monetize its assets through retail media and partnerships with endemic (travel-related) and non-endemic brands.
7. First-party data and ad tech solutions enable AirAsia to target audiences on and off its platforms for better conversions.
8. Integrating multiple technology platforms is the future of media, enabling seamless customer experiences across channels.
9. Mahek admires Amazon for its progressive business model and aspires to build a similar media ecosystem.
10. Philip Kotler's work and cultural literature have inf

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Prof. Vasant Dhar is an AI researcher who pioneered machine learning applications in finance. His research examines how innovations like AI impact society, focusing on issues of trust, ethics, and the future of work.

Dhar is host of the podcast "Brave New World" exploring technology's transformation of humanity.

Prof. Dhar is a professor at the Stern School of Business and the Center for Data Science at New York University, former editor-in-chief of the journal Big Data and the founder of SCT Capital, one of the first machine-learning-based hedge funds in New York City in the 1990s.

Connect with Prof Dhar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasant-dhar-931175/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

For Show Notes, visit https://contraminds.com

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks.

Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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From Disability to Ability: How Enable India Unlocks Potential

About The Guest:

Moses Gorrepati has over 15 years of experience championing inclusion and empowerment for people with disabilities. As a leader at Enable India, he heads programs transforming lives through digital literacy, livelihoods, and social platforms. A catalyst for change, his mission is to build an ecosystem that unlocks the potential of people with disabilities as active citizens and nation builders.

About Enable India:

Enable India is a non-profit organisation that empowers people with disabilities as active citizens and nation builders through dignified livelihoods. Their vision is a world where people with disabilities are seen as change agents and taxpayers with full potential when included in society.

Enable India serves 14 disability types across India, impacting over two lakh individuals and families by collaborating with companies to open up new career opportunities. Over 20 years they have opened 291 roles across 22 sectors, advancing inclusion and agency for people with disabilities.

15 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CONVERSATION

1. Enable India's mission is to enable economic independence and dignity for people with disabilities through livelihoods and employment.

2. They focus on ability rather than disability, providing workplace solutions to unlock potential.

3. Marketing campaigns are designed as collectives, bringing stakeholders together around a shared vision.

4. Language and framing is critical - they promote positive narratives about disability.

5. Solutions should be co-created, giving agency to contributors rather than just consumers.

6. Grassroots community platforms like EnableVani spread awareness and information.

7. Employers are pitched on the strong business case for hiring people with disabilities.

8. Workshops build inclusivity skills and break down barriers with personalized stories.

9. People are transformed through nurturing potential and setting high expectations.

10. Life skills and attitude development ready people for opportunities beyond just a job.

11. Alignment on purpose and values matters more than money with donors.

12. Fair compensation enables dignity but purpose drives staff passion.

13. Marketing success requires collaboration across stakeholders.

14. Solutions should focus on the larger context not just the immediate need.

15. A positive, empowering narrative uplifts and brings people together.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

For Show Notes, visit https://contraminds.com

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

This episode was made possible by the great folks at MovingWalls.

Moving Walls is a media technology group with a presence across four continents and seven markets. Moving Walls processes more than 10 billion data points and measures more than 100,000 media sites across the globe. In 2017, APAC CIO Outlook listed us as one of the “10 Most Promising Digital Technolog

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Khyati Bhatt is the Founder, Senior Coach, and Head Consultant at Simply Body Talk specializing in nonverbal communication, helping business heads sharpen leadership and communication skills. Trained under former FBI Agent, Author and Public Speaker Joe Navarro and guided by scientifically crafted models, Khyati has collaborated with elite military forces and top-tier global corporations like Google, Deloitte, Discovery, Adani, Capgemini, Wipro and Panasonic. In this engaging conversation, Swami and Khyati discuss the importance of body language, the power of observation, visual cues and strategies to make connections, how to read a room in a few seconds, simple and effective tips to master verbal and nonverbal interactions in crucial situations like board meetings, interviews and negotiations.We are available on all leading platforms - Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon MusicFor show notes and past episodes, visit www.contraminds.com⁠Connect with Khyati: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khyati-bhatt/?originalSubdomain=in⁠⁠Connect with Swami⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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Anton Howes (www.antonhowes.com) is the Head of Innovation Research at the UK-based think-tank, The Entrepreneurs Network. Anton also serves as the Historian in Residence at the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.In this engaging conversation, Swami and Anton explore the fascinating role the Royal Society of Arts played in fostering innovation and invention during the late 17th and 18th centuries. Delving into the roots of the industrial revolution, they discuss the historical spread of innovation and the pivotal shift from Britain to the US in the early 19th century.Anton shares valuable insights into the significance of interdisciplinary learning as a catalyst for innovation. The discussion extends to pondering the future, exploring where the centre of gravity for innovation and invention might shift over the next decade or two.Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon MusicFor show notes and past episodes, visit www.contraminds.com⁠Connect with Anton⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonhowes/⁠⁠Connect with Swami⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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Welcome to a very special year-end episode of the Contra Minds Podcast.

In 2023, we had a phenomenal line-up of guests who were achievers in their own profession. They all stood for the ContraMinds philosophy of having the conviction in what they were doing irrespective of what the world around them wanted them to do or believed in. This episode is a curation of their thoughts, ideas, and insights.

Rajesh Jain shared the idea of ProfiCorn and how profits need to be at the core of any business. Pooja Jauhari spoke about the leadership lessons that she learnt while building a marketing services firm.

Rajat Agarwal spoke about how health tech platforms need to focus on patients, nurses, and hospital support staff that can deliver exceptional experience for patients. Matt Abrahams spoke to about spontaneity of communication. Sridhar Ramaswamy spoke to about the digital factories and how the digital factories are changing the world of marketing.

Dr. Aniruddha Malpani emphasized the need to rewire education so that education can build curiosity in kids. James Bellerjeau talked about how great performers look beyond job descriptions.

Ravishankar spoke about storytelling and he shared great frameworks to be better storytellers.

Roger Forsgren, the ex-Chief Knowledge Officer of NASA, spoke to about the importance of learning history and how history can help improve critical thinking skills. And this is something that he said is so very important for engineers.

Finally, Prem Kumar Gokuladasan, shared the phenomenal work that he was doing using technology in transforming rural education in India.

---You can access the full episodes on www.contraminds.com.

We are also available on all leading podcast platforms and on YouTube as well.Here’s wishing you a very happy and prosperous New Year!-----Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google PodcastsFor show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com-----This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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We launched The Super CMO Show in January this year and it has been a truly rewarding journey so far.This episode is a curation of the top marketing moments we’ve had with our esteemed guests on the show... moments from our conversations with Unilever veteran Marc de Swaan talking about Humanized Growth and the Da Vinci CMO Model, to Prof Tanvi Gupta of IIM Jaipur on Visual Semiotics in marketing. From prolific author and Prof, Peter Fader on the Customer Base Audit to marketing leader Sukumar Muthya on the need for technology-driven marketers. Amit Tiwari of TCS’s Global Demand Centre talked about why marketers need to recalibrate. reskill and reboot…while Prof Venky Shankar, a Ford Chair Professor shared insights on the role of the CMO in today’s marketing world.We had the privilege of talking to the one and only David Fradin on Product Design and Management…and the Out of Home Pioneer Srikanth Ramachandran on how app data can influence Out of Home Experiences. Eight Enlightening Episodes!It’s been a truly enriching experience talking to the best minds in the industry and we look forward to bringing you much more in 2024.-----You can access the full episodes on www.contraminds.com. We are also available on all leading podcast platforms and on YouTube as well.Here’s wishing you a very happy and prosperous New Year!-----Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google PodcastsFor show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com-----The Super CMO Show attempts to find answers to all these questions through conversations with the best minds in marketing:- How should the CEO and Company Boards take strategic advantage of marketing to improve the value of their firms?- What do CMOs and Marketers worry about, and what issues or problems make them lose their sleep?- Why is it important to understand customer behaviour if you are involved in marketing as a technologist or a marketer?- What impact does 800-Pound Gorilla – Technology have on the marketing world, and how can it be leveraged for a company’s product or brands?- Why is the power of data, analytics, and technology on creative is here to stay?- Why are financial skills as essential for marketers as marketing skills?-----This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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Bharath MS is an accomplished IP litigator and strategist, slated to become the INTA Board of Director for 2024-2026. With over two decades of legal experience and 12 years leading a regional office, he founded KRIA Law in March 2021.

Bharath is recognized for his expertise in IP litigation, advising clients across diverse industries, and mediating complex conflicts. His notable achievements include securing the protection of the Tirupati Laddu GI and registering national and international GIs in India, such as Tequila and Scotch.

Madhura Shanthini is a Senior Associate at KRIA Law. Madhura talks about technology laws, intellectual property and commercial contracts.

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⁠⁠Website⁠ This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.

Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. Visit ⁠www.goeffortless.ai⁠ to learn more.

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Building Digital Out-Of-Home Experiences using Data, Automation and Algorithms

Srikanth Ramachandran is the Founder of Moving Walls, a world-renowned AdTech company that specializes in innovative out of home (OOH) media solutions. 

With 2000 campaigns Moving Walls helps businesses launch audience-based OOH plans, programmatic DOOH campaigns, and generate billboard reports. Their ecosystem spans over 120,000 digital, static, indoor, and outdoor media sites across the globe.

In conversation with Swami, Srikanth discusses:

- His foray into the media business

- How Moving Walls is transforming the fragmented OOH media industry

- How billboards influence the sub-conscious mind

- Building the customer journey with omni-media

- Frameworks for CMOs to deliver contextual experiences

- Using first-party data for a real world experience

- Building connected marketing, dynamic content and contextual data frameworks

- Learnings from his entrepreneurial journey

- The future of Moving Walls and what has Srikanth excited about the future.

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Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

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Connect with Srikanth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srikanth-ramachandran-b7a105/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

Website: www.contraminds.com

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.

Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. 

Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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James Bellerjeau is a researcher, lecturer and he is the ACC docket career path columnist. In this episode,  @jamesbellerjeau  talks to  @sivaramanswaminathan4406  about what he believes is career success and how career success is about having internal benchmarks and being satisfied with what you want to do rather than what the world wants you to do. He talks about how to achieve excellence in small incremental steps, the fact that you need to look at contemplative questions about how to balance your personal values and beliefs with company philosophy and the importance of having personal benchmarks and being satisfied with doing a good job and achieving mastery and excellence in what you need to do and being convinced that you have given your best in the job. And that is really key to achieving personal and professional success.James draws upon his two-decade experience as an S&P 500 General Counsel, as well as his earlier studies in psychology, law, and business.Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google PodcastsFor show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.comTo sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/Connect with JamesConnect with SwamiConnect with VigneshConnect with usLinkedINInstagramFacebookWebsite This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.

Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

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Matt Abrahams is a Larsen Lam Family Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at the renowned Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. As an expert in the field of organizational behavior, he has become a sought-after figure, offering his insights and wisdom to Fortune 100 companies as both a keynote speaker and a communication consultant.

In his new book “Think Faster, Talk Smarter" Matt distills his wealth of knowledge and experience into a comprehensive guide that helps readers sharpen their communication skills and excel in both their personal and professional lives. Matt also hosts a widely admired podcast called Think Fast, Talk Smart.

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

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Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maabrahams/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

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LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

Website: www.contraminds.com

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.

Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. 

Visit ⁠⁠www.goeffortless.ai⁠⁠ to learn more.

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Rajesh Jain is a technology entrepreneur based out of Mumbai, India. Rajesh was a pioneer in Asia's dot-com revolution, creating India's first internet portals in the late 1990s. Today, he's the founder of Netcore Cloud, a bootstrap, SaaS company that helps B2C brands and marketers create AI-powered new age customer experiences at every touch point of a customer's journey. Netcore Cloud is a very successful global marketing technology company and what they offer is an AI-powered marketing automation and analytics solutions for customers globally.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

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Connect with Rajesh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajesh-jain-b941/

Rajesh Jain's Blog: www.rajeshjain.com

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

Website: www.contraminds.com

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.

Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. 

Visit ⁠www.goeffortless.ai⁠ to learn more.

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Building a Toolkit for Product Success Management

David Fradin is the president of Spice Catalyst. He's a product management and product marketing consultant. David is a mentor, professor, and one of the world's foremost authorities on product management. He is an author of two incredibly great books - Successful Product Design & Management Toolkit and Building Insanely Great Products.

David has trained thousands of people on product management. He talks on product management, product strategy, product success management, and his belief is product managers need to be called product success managers. He also believes that the product managers of today need to be given all the authority and responsibility to build great products.

In this episode, he talks to Swami and Vignesh about the fundamentals of product management. What does it take to build great products? His experience at Apple and HP. What did he learn there? And what are the key tenets of product management? Listen now.

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/
Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfradin/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq
Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

Website: www.contraminds.com

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.

Effortless has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes. 

Visit www.goeffortless.ai to learn more.

🔗 Links & Resources:
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Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
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Roger Forsgren is a retired Chief Knowledge Officer of NASA. He was a director of Academy of Program, Project and Engineering Leadership at NASA. Roger is also an undergraduate with a liberal arts degree, a mechanical engineering degree and a masters in industrial engineering. Roger is also the author of two books and the most recent being “When Graduation is Over, Learning Begins - Lessons for STEM Students and Professionals”.

In this episode, Swami & Roger discuss the importance of having a liberal arts background for an engineer, foundational skills needed for successful engineers, how communication skills, decision-making skills, and working with people are as important as number crunching, and where empathy can help achieve efficiency in an imperfect world filled with vulnerable people.

This is Roger’s second episode with Swami & Contraminds. We had the privilege of playing host to Roger in episode 23, released on Jan 22, 2022 - Roger Forsgren on Knowledge Management Lessons from NASA.

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To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Roger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-forsgren-b5a20a166/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

Website: www.contraminds.com

This episode was made possible by the great folks at Effortless.

Effortless is a Neo-Banking business application built for handling Bookkeeping, Compliance, Payroll, and Funding.

Today entrepreneurs are struggling to track the cash inflows, outflows and forecasting of cashflow with the current broken finance stack. Lot of founders and core team time is spent to manually track collections, vendor bills and make payments, and in various spreadsheets, saved in mails, laptops and some physically and different banking app and sending the same to the accountants and consultants for compliance filings leading to poor financial planning, lack of finance data and non-compliances leading to penalties and interests.

Effortless has made e-invoicing compliant invoicing simple for anyone to make, reduces 90% effort to collect, with all banking integration stay on the top of your cashflow. Secured UPI like business payment directly from effortless ensures all expenses are tracked including expenses you make from your personal credit card and UPI apps. Realtime insights, reports, alerts and notifications to enable you to thrive in your business.

For further details, visit: www.goeffortless.ai

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Sridhar Ramasamy is an industry veteran with interdisciplinary knowledge across the pharmaceutical and manufacturing domains. Sridhar leads digital transformation, engineering, automation and data analytics.

In this episode, Swami and Sridhar delve deep into

-The Importance of an Engineer Understanding a Business Problem

- Asking Stupid Questions

- How to Handle Ambiguity

- Having an Open Mind and Looking at Data

- Doing Your Boss’s Job

- Mindset For Digital Transformation

- Industry Economy to Knowledge Economy Factories

- Mixing Pragmatism with Innovative Thinking & Business Reality for Digital Transformation

- Mixing Engineering Skills and Business Strategy - Key to Building Digital Factories

- KPI Requires Business Understanding and Knowledge

- Specs and Siloed Processes

- Digital Twins and Applying it to the Digital Knowledge Factories of Tomorrow

- Multi-functional-multi-disciplinary Knowledge

- Automation does not Reduce Jobs - Learnings from other Industries

- How to Solve for a Problem not Invented as yet

#digitalfactories #smartmanufacturing #reliabilityengineering, #lightsoutmanufacturing#dataanalytics #justintimeproduction #leanmanufacturing #pharma #sanofi #plantautomation #sixsigma #digitalmaturity #automation #industryeconomy #knowledgeeconomy #businessstrategy #digitaltwins #multidisciplinaryknowledge #multifunctional

You can watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit ⁠www.contraminds.com⁠

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit ⁠https://contraminds.substack.com/⁠

Connect with Sridhar: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sriramasamy/⁠

Connect with Swami: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/⁠

Connect with Vignesh: ⁠https://twitter.com/hrorq⁠

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/contraminds⁠

Website: ⁠www.contraminds.com

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

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Rajat Kumar Agarwal is the Chief Executive Officer of Jagriti InnoHealth Platforms - a tech startup creating knowledge management centric intelligent IT systems for healthcare using a business platform approach resulting in improved patient outcomes and scientific publications.

Jagriti InnoHealth products:

BMTPLUS - the world's first dedicated software platform for complete management of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

THALCARE - the world’s first web based application for comprehensive Thalassemia Management

and

THE BLOOD BANK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - an affordable yet comprehensive and scalable system built for modern blood banks

In this episode, Rajat, Swami and Vignesh discuss:

- The Genesis of Jagriti

- The Sankalp Foundation

- The Need for a Blood Bank Management System

- Deep Tech Expertise to Solve Human Centric Problems

- Learnings from Building Products for the Healthcare System

- From Electrical Engineering To Healthcare

- Challenges in Building Healthcare Products for India

- Working with Dr. Lawrence B Faulkner and BMTplus

- What Really Is a Knowledge Management System?

- How Doctors Can Interact with Medical Data

- Influencing Habit Change in Legacy Systems

- Knowledge Management & Program Management

- Aligning Purpose with Ambition - Hiring Talent

- The Future of Jagriti

- What is Success?

- Advice to an 18-year old in University

- Best Advice Ever Received

- What Rajat Believes That Other's Seldom Do

- Books Recommendations by Rajat

- Who would Rajat Invite to a Dream Dinner?

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Amazon Music | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Rajat: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajat-kumar-agarwal-2b22946/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

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Website: www.contraminds.com

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

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Marketing Accountability: Elevating the role of the CMO and Value of Marketing in an Enterprise

Prof. Venkatesh (Venky) Shankar is a Ford Chair Professor, a RETHINK Retail Top Influencer, and an Advisory Council Chair at the Marketing Accountability Standards Board.

With vast experience in retail, Prof. Shankar is a professor at the Texas A & M University and has over 27,000 citations (Marketing, Strategy, Retailing, Innovation and AI) on Google Scholar.

In this episode, Prof Shankar and Swami discuss:

- What inspired Prof. Venky into the Marketing Field

- Prof. Venky’s Early Years - Mentors and Guides 

- Building Marketing Accountability Standards

- Marketing CEOs Create More Shareholder Value

- Why CEOs Need Marketing Experience

- Hindsight, Insight and Foresight in Retail 

- Harvesting Big Data in Retail

- Apple Pay and Paypal Increase Engagement

- Customer Loyalty Online and Offline

- Accountability Standards for Marketing Expenses

- Hardskills and Softskills for Budding CMOs

- Advice to Marketing Students at University

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Prof. Shankar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkyshankar/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

Website: www.contraminds.com

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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Ravishankar Iyer is a Story Coach and Founder of Story Rules (storyrules.in), a startup that offers training and coaching services on how to apply storytelling techniques at work.

A Chartered Accountant with an MBA from IIMA, Ravi a.k.a. “The Storytelling Guy”, believes From boardroom reviews to big family gatherings, from TED Talks to teachers in classrooms, from magical monuments to mythology epics, from job interviews to jungle safaris, from CEOs writing shareholder letters to cricketers making superb videos, from Presidents making inauguration speeches to political experts cutting the clutter…

In this episode, Ravi and Swami chat about:

- How Ravi became “The Storytelling Guy”

- Cultivating the Reading Habit Early in Life

- The Impact of Storytelling and Learning

- Storytelling Techniques for Education

- Storytelling at the Workplace

- Honesty and Authenticity in Storytelling

- Tackling Corporate Crises with Storytelling

- The 1-3-9 Framework

- Creating the Design Story for Product Companies

- Understanding Contemplation and Aesthetics

- Presentation Skills at the Workplace

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Ravi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankar-iyer/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

Website: www.contraminds.com

#datastory #storytelling #datastorytelling #businessstorytelling #storytellingforbusiness

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Inside the Mind of a Technology-Driven Marketer

Sukumar Muthya is a seasoned marketing technology executive with over 27 years of marketing experience across a variety of industries - from manufacturing to technology.

Sukumar is currently the Executive Vice President at Ansira Global - an independent global marketing technology and services firm with clients from automotive, technology, finance & insurance and restaurant businesses, helping in media, ad technology, CRM and loyalty.

In this episode Sukumar and Swami discuss:

How marketing has transformed over the years

Muthya’s Journey from Tech to Marketing

Balancing Marketing Functions as a CMO

The Chief Marketing Officer Meets the Chief Marketing Technologist

Skillsets to orchestrate integrated marketing initiatives

Reconciling Attribution Across Marketing Channels

Marketing in a Cookie-less World

Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

Best Practices to Build Digital Transformation in Companies

Integrated Loyalty at Ansira Global

The Ansira Value Proposition

Marketing in the Metaverse

Non-negotiable skillsets for Future Marketers

Book Recommendations in Tech, Martech and Marketing

People who Inspired Muthya

What does Muthya do off-work?

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Sukumar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukumarmuthya/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

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#DigitalMarketingTechnologies #EnterpriseSoftwareBusiness #ManagementConsulting #DigitalMarketingProcesses #DirectResponse #RelationshipMarketingStrategies #SupplyChain #ProcessImprovement #EnterpriseApplications #StrategicThinking #ProgramManagement #OffShoreDelivery #Adtech #Martech #SukumarMuthya #SivaramanSwaminathan #SwaminathanSivaraman #SuperCMOShow #ContraMindsPodcast

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Amit Tiwari is a Martech Leader with a new-age marketing approach for new marketing technology enablement. His experience includes a crucial role in the modernization and transformation of marketing technologies. 

Amit has vast knowledge in managing all aspects of the product lifecycle from concept development to launch in both B2B and B2C platforms. He is currently the Global Head of the Marketing Demand Centre at Tata Consultancy Services. 

Earlier Amit held leadership positions in Philips - where his eight year tenure saw him grow from Country Manager to Director of Marketing for the Indian Subcontinent and subsequently at Havells where Amit spent four years as the VP of Marketing playing a key role in all the four power brands. - Lloyd, Crabtree, Standard and Reo.

In his current leadership position at TCS as the Global Head of Marketing Demand Centre, Amit is deeply involved in building a network and influence senior, cross-functional leaders to align technology solutions and business processes to drive marketing transformation, provideing strategic direction for integrating marketing technology products with other technologies & platforms and defining the marketing technology strategy that enables customer engagement and relationship marketing business priorities.

In this marketing masterclass with Swami, Amit Delves into:

What Inspired Amit to take up Marketing

Heading the Global Demand Centre @ TCS

Why Marketing Needs To Reclaim Its Seat At The Table

Balancing Act Between Marketing Metrics and Business Metrics

Running A Business: Being a CMO Versus Being A Business Head

Strategies To Balance Marketing Functions as a CMO

How Marketers Can Be Agile - Real Life Examples

Managing Trade Partners As A Marketer

Balancing Budgets Across Marketing Initiatives

Ad Agencies Need To be Integrated Marketing Agencies

The Marketing Narrative Needs To Change

Creating A Unified Briefing Format Across Agencies

Marketers Need To Be Jack Of All Trades & Master Of One

Working in a Global Role At A Tech Company

Amit's Career Trajectory

How a Tech Company Can Adopt Marketing

Cross Pollinating Marketing Principles & Practices Across Categories

... and much more.

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Amit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amit-tiwari-marketing-leader/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN:

🔗 Links & Resources:
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Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

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Dr. Tanvi Gupta is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Indian Institute of Management Udaipur (IIMU) and a practicing semiotician. Her academic research focuses on brand language and consumer culture—and her research has been published in Journal of Consumer Research—one of the top marketing journals in the world. Tanvi co-leads the Consumer Culture Lab at IIM Udaipur, a platform to foster research on consumer culture in India. She is also a member of the Editorial Review Board at the Journal of Retailing.

Before doing a Ph.D. in Marketing from IIM Bangalore, Tanvi has worked as a marketing research professional with Kantar. During her stint in the MR industry, she has worked on semiotics, brand tracking and advertising research—integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods. Tanvi also holds a communications masters from MICA, India with the director’s award for academic excellence.

Tanvi also has a flair for creativity and aesthetic sense. Being a trained graphics designer, her passion for visual aesthetics and culture drives her interest towards visual semiotics and brand language.

In this Super CMO episode with Swami, Dr. Tanvi talk about:

- Why Prof. Tanvi Chose Marketing & Semiotics

- What is Semiotics?

- Anthropology, Sociology & Psychology in Semiotics

- How Brands Can Use Semiotics

- How Brands Can Decode Indian Culture

- Binary Opposites, Plotting and Code Trajectory in Semiotics

- Residual Vs. Emergent -Lakme Vs L’Oreal - How Brands Can Revive Themselves

- The New Code Trajectory: Role Reversal in Brand Advertisments

- Can Tech Companies Apply Semiotics in Design?

- Culture Hues Embedded Into User Experience

- The Influence of Typefaces in Brand Building

- Semiotics and the Diverse Indian Culture

- The Consumer Culture Lab @ IIM Udaipur

- Tulsi, the YouTube Village of India

- How Brands Can Tap Into Emerging Regional Digital Identities

- Advice to Brands From a Semiotician

- Advice to a Young Marketer From a Semiotician

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Dr Tanvi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanviguptamr/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

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W

🔗 Links & Resources:
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Pooja Jauhari is the former Group CEO of VMLY&R India, and former CEO of The Glitch. Over her two-decade-long career, Pooja has worked with some of the biggest brands in the country and the world, and introduced powerful campaigns to society.

Pooja has worked with some brilliant people and has held important responsibilities over the past 20 years. She is the Founder of Seat At The Table, an unbiased investment and advisory initiative to invest in companies and people that are built on a purpose.

Prior to her appointment in the VMLY&R network, Pooja was the CEO of The Glitch, a high-performance creative company that has worked hard to create a workspace that is gender blind, inclusive and progressive. The Glitch was acquired by WPP, the world’s largest marketing communications company in 2017, and integrated into the VMLY&R network within WPP in 2020.

Before The Glitch, Pooja worked with Unilever, JWT and Times of India. With two recessions & a pandemic under her belt, her work in leadership has included a variety of business models, people, challenges and marketplaces.

She has been honoured with the IMPACT 50 Most Influential Award in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.

In conversation with Swami, Pooja talks about:

- Her formative years and how she built her foundational value systems

- How youngsters need to structure their career

- Running a company through recession and volatility

- What the marketing department of the future may look like

- Getting comfortable with being silent

- Skills today’s marketers need to equip themselves with

-Tactical Vs Strategic Frameworks

- The Creative Guy and The Data Guy

- Challenges in scaling a services company in the creative industry

- Me needs to be the servant of we

- The learnings from VP to CEO

- Strategic Thinking as a CEO

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Pooja: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pooja-jauhari-4ab38755/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

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Website: www.contraminds.com

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
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Prof. Peter Fader is the Frances and Pei-Yuan Chia Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His expertise centres on the analysis of behavioural data to understand and forecast customer shopping/purchasing activities.

He works with firms from a wide range of industries, such as telecommunications, financial services, gaming/entertainment, retailing, and pharmaceuticals.

In addition to his various roles and responsibilities at Wharton, Fader co-founded a predictive analytics firm (Zodiac) in 2015, which was sold to Nike in 2018. He then cofounded (and continues to run) Theta to commercialise his more recent work on “customer-based corporate valuation.” Fader is the author of Customer Centricity: Focus on the Right Customers for Strategic Advantage (2020, 2012) and coauthor of The Customer Centricity Playbook (2018) with Sarah Toms. He has won many awards for his research and teaching accomplishments.

In this episode with Swami, Prof Fader gives us a peek into the Customer-Base Audit, talking about:

- How A Math Major turned Professor of Marketing

- The Importance of Hard Skills for Marketers

- Understanding Customer Base Audit

- Can we Run Diagnostics on Customer Behaviour?

- Customer Based Audit - The Diagnostics of Marketing

- Applying the Concept of Customer Base Audit

- Customer Based Audits for Contractual Vs Non-Contractual Relationships

- Non-Contractual Businesses Need Customer Based Valuations

- Understanding the Customer at the Granular Level

- The Customer P&L Statement

- Prof. Peter’s Blueprint of Customer Centricity

- Re-engineering Companies for Customer Centric Corporate Culture

- Changing the Fundamentals of Market-Mix Modelling

- The Marketing Department of the Future

- Direct & Indirect Marketing

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Pro. Fader: https://twitter.com/faderp | https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterfader/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/

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Website: www.contraminds.com

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
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🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
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Dr. Aniruddha Malpani is a pioneering IVF Specialist, Angel Investor and Social Impact Entrepreneur. Through his firm Malpani Ventures, Dr. Malpani has contributed immensely in promoting India's startup ecosystem. A strong believer in the power of entrepreneurship, Dr. Malpani funds frugal innovation in India, and is also among the leading voices seeking a transformative change that India's outdated education system needs.

In this enlightening conversation with Swaminathan & Vignesh, Dr. Malpani deep dives into:

- Social impact investing and compassionate capitalism

- The transformative power of reading books

- Why parents, teachers and students need to speak up against archaic structures

- Dr. Malpani's Social Ventures - Apni Patshala

- Why we need to break the mould of one-size-fits-all education

- Why students need to be respected and given the freedom to think

- How we can change from being a nation of answer-givers to question-askers

- The nonsensical need for social validation through degrees earned

and

- The mental tenacity, competency parents need to retrain their thinking 

Dr. Malpani has authored 4 books – 

How to Get the Best Medical Care, Successful Medical Practise, How to Have a Baby and Using Information Therapy to Put Patients First

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Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

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Connect with Dr Malpani: https://twitter.com/malpani |www.drmalpani.com | www.malpaniventures.com

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with Vignesh: https://twitter.com/hrorq

---

Connect with us:

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Prem Kumar is the founder of Kalvi40, a mobile educational technology app that is transforming the way education is imparted to over 750 Government schools across 26 districts in Tamil Nadu.

A seasoned IT delivery Manager with a career that spanned 19 years across companies like HCL and TCS, Prem Kumar took a leap of faith in creating Kalvi40 when he observed gaps in the way education was reaching school children in Tamil Nadu’s Hinterland.

With a global collaborative volunteer network which helps Kalvi40 create content for the kids, Prem Kumar today has managed to reach over 750 Government schools across 26 districts in Tamil Nadu.

Listen to Prem’s fascinating journey in this podcast where Swami delves deep into the what, why and how of Kalvi40, including:

• How Prem was inspired to start Kalvi40
• What made Prem take the ultimate leap of faith
• Understanding what “rural India” really means
• How Prem built the platform from scratch
• Discovering the difference between Corporate Outsourcing and Social Outsourcing
• The distinction between Purpose and Process in Social Startups
• The challenges of running a social startup

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Prem: https://twitter.com/premgkumar | https://www.linkedin.com/in/prem-kumar-gokuladasan-43105618/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

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Website: www.contraminds.com

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HUMANIZED GROWTH: A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR MARKETING

Mark de Swaan Arons is a thought leader in global marketing leadership. An experienced marketing hand, Marc had a successful 14-year career with Unilever working in The Netherlands and New York offices and is now the Founder of the Institute for Real Growth (IRG) - a not-for-profit organization that helps CMOs and other growth leaders drive humanized growth.

Earlier Marc co-founded EffectiveBrands (2001), a global marketing leadership consultancy which later became a part of the the WPP group.Marc has learned from and collaborated with many of the world’s most prominent Chief Marketing Officers, and he is a frequent keynote speaker at business schools, companies, and industry conferences.

In this inaugural episode of The Super CMO Show, Swami and Marc discuss:

• How Marc found his true calling in Marketing
• How marketing influences the strategic direction of companies
• The Da Vinci CMO model
• Being an effective CMO
• Tips for future marketers
• Brand insights with Dove, Nike, Patagonia, Tide & Colgate
• How technology, creativity and emotion drive marketing

and much more.

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts

Watch the full video episode on YouTube

For show notes and earlier guest interviews, please visit www.contraminds.com

To sign up for our weekly newsletter, please visit https://contraminds.substack.com/

Connect with Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcdeswaanarons/

Connect with Swami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivaraman-swaminathan-9856501/

Connect with us:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds/

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Website: www.contraminds.com

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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Is it Your life is your responsibility or  Just keep going. No matter what or pay yourself first.  It does not matter how good the advice is if you have benefited from it!   

As Prof Annapurni says, Whatever the situation you are in be it a disadvantageous situation but identify the advantage of it and make use of it. 

 As Sunder Madakshira says, Winning the battle in one's mind before winning it in the marketplace is very important.   

As Chris Yeh says, Quantity has a Quality of its own, You should keep doing and trying, Keep trying and work hard! 

 Find out the Best Advice our guests Ever Received in this curated video. 

 Featured in the video are: 

 Roger Forsgren, Former Chief Knowledge Officer at NASA

Neil Hoyne, Chief Measurement Strategist at Google 

Sunder Madakshira, CEO of Rezolve

 Prof. Thales Teixeira, Co-Founder of Decoupling.co 

Prof. Yadati Narahari, Director of the Centre for Brain Research 

B Joseph Pine II, Author, Speaker and Management Advisor 

Dr. Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics

Amit Ranjan, Co-Founder of Slideshare 

Paul Zak, Neuroeconomist 

Chris Yeh, Author, Investor and Entrepreneur 

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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What advice would you give to an 18-year-old in university?   Is it Getting out of the bubble of your Majors? Developing communication skills or simply sticking to the basics?  

As Prof Annapurni says, work hard, be passionate, and find something that challenges you. If you feel comfortable and capable, you are no longer challenged.  

As Neil Hoyne says, in the future, you must learn subjects outside your core discipline and gain real-world experience! 

 As Chris Yeh says, Try and experience new things because there will be an easier time to try new things or meet remarkable people as all things are being served on a silver platter!  

Find out what advice our Guests would give to an 18-year-old at university in this curated video.

Featured in the video are:

Roger Forsgren, Former Chief Knowledge Officer at NASA

Neil Hoyne, Chief Measurement Strategist at Google

Sunder Madakshira, CEO of Rezolve

Prof. Thales Teixeira, Co-Founder of Decoupling.co

Prof. Yadati Narahari, Director of the Centre for Brain Research

B Joseph Pine II, Author, Speaker and Management Advisor

Dr. Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics

Amit Ranjan, Co-Founder of Slideshare

Paul Zak, Neuroeconomist

Chris Yeh, Author, Investor and Entrepreneur

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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What Does Success Mean To You? Is it about how much money you make for yourself, or is it in being able to give back to society? Is it a measure of happiness or in constantly striving to achieve your goals?  As Prof Annapurni says, the definition of success changes in every stage of career and life. When we start our career, we are hungry, we are curious. We want to learn, we want to create and we want to be recognised.  A few years later, it is about how much money we make, the kind of lifestyle we want, and the kind of material pleasures we consume. Once financially secure, as we reach the last couple of decades of our career, success lies in the reputation we’ve built, the goodwill we’ve earned and the lives we’ve touched along the way. At the end of the day, as Sunder Madakshira says, a good night’s sleep with a clear conscience is a measure of success in itself.   Watch this curated video on what success means to the guests we have spoken to this year.  

Featured in the video are:

Roger Forsgren, Former Chief Knowledge Officer at NASA 

Neil Hoyne, Chief Measurement Strategist at Google 

Sunder Madakshira, CEO of Rezolve 

Prof. Thales Teixeira, Co-Founder of Decoupling.co 

Prof. Yadati Narahari, Director of the Centre for Brain Research 

B Joseph Pine II, Author, Speaker and Management Advisor 

Dr. Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics  

Amit Ranjan, Co-Founder of Slideshare 

Paul Zak, Neuroeconomist 

Chris Yeh, Author, Investor and Entrepreneur

🔗 Links & Resources:
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Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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Rupal Patel is an ex-CIA agent turned entrepreneur, international speaker and business consultant. She helps founders and executives unlock their potential through a powerful new toolkit that reveals how techniques of the CIA can help anyone find their voice and thrive without conforming to stale stereotypes or dated “best practices”. Rupal is the author of the bestselling book “From CIA to CEO”.

In this episode, Rupal talks to Swaminathan Sivaraman on

• the fundamental values that shaped her life, as the child of immigrant parents in America
• the importance of curiosity in career-building
• understanding your personal mission and corporate mission
• how it was working at the CIA
• how to have difficult conversations as a leader
• talking the truth to power
• how the CIA taught her to handle failure
• her philosophy of absolute v relative life
• learning, gathering and debriefing data about yourself

and many other strategies and unique methods to reset your mindset and aim for success.

Listen to the full podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor

Full Video Episode available on YouTube.

🔗 Links & Resources:
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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A writer, investor, and entrepreneur, Chris Yeh has had a ringside seat in the world of startups and scale-ups since 1995. His books help founders, venture capitalists, corporate leaders, policymakers, and everyday people better understand how the internet has changed the way we work together to build amazing organizations.

Chris Yeh is the co-author, along with Reid Hoffman, of Blitzscaling, the book that explains how to build world-changing companies like Amazon, Alibaba, and Airbnb in record time.

In this episode with Swami & Vignesh, Chris talks about

• His work at D E Shaw when the internet was an emergent technology
• The importance of design thinking, storytelling, art & design for engineers
• How public speaking and Improv can help structure pitches
• The need for playfulness in product design
• Blitzscaling for companies in emerging economies
• Embracing ambiguity and uncertainty when you’re creating something new

...and many more engaging insights. Listen in on the podcast. You can also catch the full video episode on YouTube.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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Prof. Thales Teixeira is the co-founder of digital disruption consultancy Decoupling.co. Previously, he was the Lumry Family Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, where he taught MBA, doctoral and executive-level courses in Marketing Models, Digital Marketing and Ecommerce for 10 years.

His two primary domains of research constitute Digital Disruption and The Economics of Attention.

He is the author of dozens of articles published in trade press outlets such as The Harvard Business Review, The McKinsey Quarterly, Think with Google, and in academic journals such as Marketing Science, JMR, JM, and JAR. His research and opinions have been routinely featured in The NY Times, The Financial Times, ABC Nightly News, NBC News, NPR, Forbes, Quartz, The New Yorker and The Guardian.

Thales is the author of Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Consumer Disruption, which is based on eight years of research visiting dozens of startups, tech companies and incumbents. Thales shows how and why consumer industries are disrupted, and what established companies can do about it—while highlighting the specific strategies potential startups use to gain a competitive edge.

In this episode with Swami & Vignesh, Thales talks about:

• Disruption & the genesis of Decoupling
• Product Development in Developed vs Developing Markets
• Differences between Customer Value Chain and Customer Journey
• How certain Customer Value Chain niches are creating new business models
• How to define Business Models through the Customer Value Chain
• How Large Companies Vs Startups approach Customer Needs
• Identifying Erosion of Product-Market Fit
• Insight into how Uber, Airnbnb & Etsy made their first 1000 customers

...and many more insights and strategies. Listen in on the podcast. You can also catch the full video episode on YouTube.

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B. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups alike. He is the cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping businesses conceive and design new ways of adding value to their economic offerings.

Pine consults with numerous companies around the world, helping them embrace the ideas and frameworks he writes about, develop concepts for creating more economic value, and see those concepts become reality.

His books (author / co-author) include Mass Customization, The Experience Economy, Infinite Possibility and Authenticity.

In this episode with Swami & Vignesh, Joe talks about the need for experiences beyond just Goods & Services. He touches upon his famous presentation on “The Progression of Economic Value”, and goes on to elucidate with very specific examples on how traditional organizations can become experience organizations. How do companies like Apple & Amazon determine what is an extraordinary standard for experiences? What is the concept behind Six Looking Glasses? What is the correlation between authenticity and experience? An amazing episode awaits you.

Listen in on the podcast. You can also catch the full video episode on YouTube.

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Prasad Mangipudi is one of the top sports development and marketing minds in India. Prasad is the Managing Director of Sportzlive - a company primarily focused on investing and creating Sports IPRs in the Indian sub-continent market, and is a Mentor Director with the Hyderabad Hydras, a premier esports & lifestyle organisation.

Prasad is one of the brains behind the Premier Badminton League, making India's official badminton league the world's #1 badminton league in just 5 years.

After 26 years of rich experience of across sectors - advertising, hospitality, marketing, tourism, sports events, and healthcare - with organisations like Lowe Lintas, Sterling Holiday Resorts, Greyhound Marketing, LifeCell International, Aurobindo Pharma and Mylan Labs, Prasad finally found his calling card in the field of sports.

In this episode, Prasad talks to Swami about why India has to look beyond its favorite sport, cricket, in its ambition to become a sports superpower. Prasad stresses on the fact that sports builds character and why we must make our youngsters play, play and play. Prasad also talks about his experience building a world-class academy with Pullela Gopichand, India’s biggest badminton star, touches upon how to groom high-class coaches and the need to support players who do not reach the peak of their game.

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Intro

Paul Zak is an American neuroeconomist. He is the co-founder of Immersion Neuroscience, which creates technologies that enable human flourishing. His specialities include neuroeconomics, neuromarketing and neuromanagement.

Paul is also a professor at Claremont Graduate University (for over 27 years), where he currently is the Director at the Centre of Neuroeconomics Studies.

In this episode with Swami and Vignesh, Paul discusses the role of Oxytocin and Dopamine, how the human brain responds to trust, the risk of AI in interpreting human emotion, the concepts of neuroeconomics and neuromanagement, hybrid experience as the future of brand interactions and gives us a glimpse into his upcoming book “Immersion: The science of the extraordinary and the source of happiness”.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

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Connor Joyce is a behavioral science evangelist who writes extensively about the future of work, helping establish the field of behavioral science.

In this episode on The ContraMinds Podcast, Connor speaks to Swami and Vignesh about the importance of behavioral science and its four pillars of Choice Architecture, Biases & Heuristics, Habit Formation and Social Norms. A deep-dive discussion into the world of human-centred research, Connor gives specific examples with Tesla, Uber, Lyft and Snap. He also talks about the Apple Watch and how the idea of Libertarian Paternalism is driving the Apple Watch’s features for better user outcomes.

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Shyam Sekhar is the Ideator and Founder of ithought Financial Consulting LLP.

He is an active and renowned value investor with over 30 years of experience in financial markets.

His focus as an investor has been on identifying investment opportunities in emerging companies through a sound research driven process.

In this episode, Shyam talks to us about his investment process, managing finances as an entrepreneur, and thinking about capital and funding from first principles.

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Sunder Madakshira currently serves as the CEO of Rezolve in India.

He has held leadership roles for over 26 years in Sales and Marketing with companies such as Adobe, Hindustan Unilever, VISA, SAP, WIPRO and Infosys.

He is considered a pioneer in Data Driven Operating Models (DDOM) in B2B Marketing in India.

In this episode, Swami and Vignesh speak to Sunder about the changing landscape in Marketing, his ideal Marketing curriculum, and how his interest in music influenced his life.

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Adrian Gropper, MD, is the CTO of Patient Privacy Rights, an organisation representing 10.3 million patients and is among the foremost open data advocates in the United States.

Adrian’s work focuses on solving critical problems of patient matching, cybersecurity, transparency, access, and delegation to family caregivers.

We had a wide-ranging conversation with Adrian where he spoke to us about Patient Privacy, Data Platforms, and the chasm between Science and the Law.

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Prof. Yadati Narahari's research work focuses on game theory, mechanism design, and artificial intelligence techniques to research problems at the intersection of computer science and economics.

From 2014 to 2021, he served as Dean of the Division of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Sciences (EECS) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.

At IISc, he teaches two courses:  Game Theory and Artificial Intelligence for Social Good.

We had a wide ranging discussion with Prof. Narahari. We spoke about the work and influence of John von Neumann, the convergence of AI, Economics, and Game Theory, and the Principles that form the foundation of a Good Incentive.

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Dr. Annapurni Subramaniam serves as the Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore.

Her research work focuses on Star Clusters, Stellar Evolution and Population in Galaxies and Magellanic Clouds.

In this episode, Dr. Annapurni speaks to us about her childhood fascination with the night sky, her thoughts on a long-term vision for Scientific Research in India, and balancing leadership and contributor roles in projects with grace and humility.

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Neil Hoyne serves as the Chief Measurement Strategist at Google and is a Senior Fellow at The Wharton School.

He is most recently the author of Converted: The Data-driven Way to Win Customers’ Hearts. 

The book focuses on how companies can build trust at the most fundamental level in the the age of Big Data, Analytics, and Machine Learning.

In this episode, Neil speaks to Swami and Vignesh about:

1. Why a Wealth of Data creates a Poverty of Real Human Relationships
2. The Use and Abuse of Metrics in Corporations
3. What it takes to be a Well-Rounded Individual in the 21st century

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Roger Forsgren served as the Chief Knowledge Office (CKO) of NASA from 2013 to 2021. As CKO, he led NASA’s Knowledge Management efforts, ensuring that the agency’s workforce had access to the critical knowledge needed for mission success. 

He also served as Director of the NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership, internally known as APPEL, the agency’s education and training program in the fields of Project Management, Systems Engineering, Engineering, and Leadership Development.  

Roger most recently is the author of the book, “Lean Knowledge Management: How NASA Implemented a Practical KM Program” where he lays out the principles, tactics, and strategies he implemented at NASA during his tenure as the Chief Knowledge Officer.

In this conversation, Roger talks to Swami and Vignesh about his career at NASA, the foundational ideas that underlie the practice of Knowledge Management, and why being at the intersection of history and engineering is a unique competitive advantage.

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Amit Ranjan is best known as the co-founder of Slideshare, the world's largest community for sharing professional content including presentations, infographics, documents, and videos. In 2012, Slideshare was acquired by LinkedIn and as of 2020, it has been acquired by Scribd.

Amit is also an Angel Investor and Advisor to several early stage startups in India, Singapore and the United States such as Open, Tracxn and Khatabook, among many others.

Amit is currently the Architect of two projects under the Digital India Mission at the National eGov Division, Ministry of Information Technology. These are:

1. Digital Locker: A national ecosystem for paperless governance by digitizing citizen records & enabling digital usage of these records.
2. Open Forge: An open source initiative aimed at building a national source code sharing platform for collaborative development of egov applications.

In this episode, Amit speaks to Swami and Vignesh about crossing the startup-government chasm, what it takes to build a digital nation project at scale and why technology alone isn’t enough to build a great product company.

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Col. Vijay Chadda served in the Indian Armed Forces for more than two decades, following which, in 1992, he transitioned to the Private Sector. After holding leadership positions in various large multinationals in the logistics, travel and tourism space, he became the CEO of the Bharti Foundation in 2008.   

Today, he serves as the CEO of the Air Pollution Action Group, a Foundation set up to assist the Central and State Governments in India’s fight against Air Pollution.  

In this episode, Col. Chadda speaks to Swami and Vignesh about his time at the National Defence Academy, how Leadership Principles do not change whether one is on the Battlefield or in the Boardroom, and his thoughts on what ails the Primary School System in India.

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Allison Hartsoe is a three-time entrepreneur and is currently the CEO of Ambition Data.

She is, most recently, the author of the book, "The Age of Customer Equity: Data-driven Strategies to Build a Sustainable Company".

In this episode, Allison speaks to Swami and Vignesh about Data-driven Marketing, the difference between Brand Value and Customer Value, and her Favourite Books.

Click here to buy a copy of Allison's latest book: https://amzn.to/3FKVD43

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Radhika Dutt is an Entrepreneur and Product Leader, who is most recently the author of "Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter".

She is currently Advisor on Product Thinking to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Singapore’s financial regulator and central bank.

In this episode, Radhika speaks to Vignesh and Swami about setting the right Product Vision, the similarities between Vision Statements and APIs, and how to think about Ethics in the realm of Product Management.

Quick Connect

Radhika Dutt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-dutt/

Vignesh S.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vigneshs1994/

S. Swaminathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-swaminathan-9856501/

Radical Product Thinking

Buy the Book: https://amzn.to/3n2oquq

Download the Toolkit: https://bit.ly/3kLZYw7

Become a ContraMind

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Bipindra N.C. is the Founder and Editor of Defence.Capital, a publication which tracks the business and politics of India’s growing defence, homeland security, aerospace and maritime trade and market.

In this episode, Bipin speaks to Swami and Vignesh about the role of startups and entrepreneurship in Defence Tech, the structure of India’s Defence ecosystem, and the Knowledge and Skills Veterans bring to the Private Sector.

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Suresh is the Co-Founder and CEO of Crayon Data, a Big Data and Artificial Intelligence company with a vision to simplify the world’s choices.

In this episode, Suresh speaks to Swami about spotting trends, limitations in being only a left-brained or a right-brained company, and the three types of personalities you need to have when building a company.

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Narayan Parasuram is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of the Karadi Tales Company.

In this episode, Narayan speaks to Swami and Vignesh about his journey and the lessons learnt in setting up Karadi Tales, the challenges he has faced as an Independent Movie Producer, and why we need to rethink the value of Traditional Institutions in India.

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Thomas Kolster is the Founder and Creative Director of Goodvertising Agency, one of the pioneers in turning environmental, societal and health risks into market opportunities where growing the bottom line goes hand in hand with creating better communities and a better planet.

In this episode, Thomas speaks to Swami about the new Unmarketing Movement, why Sustainability has a Storytelling Problem, and his latest book, "The Hero Trap".

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Kumar is the Founder and CEO of GoFrugal, one of India’s leading Point-of-Sale solutions for Retail, Restaurant and Distribution businesses.

He is also a Co-Founder of Zoho Corporation, one of the world’s leading companies in the domain of Online Productivity Tools and SaaS Applications.

In this episode, Kumar speaks to Swami about what it takes to build a great Company Culture, the Importance of an Ownership Mindset, and what it means to be a 'Happiness-first' Company.

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Prof. Manish Jain is an Associate Teaching Professor at Center for Creative Learning (CCL), a lab in IIT Gandhinagar, whose goal is to create and foster makers who can take innovation to the next level.

In this episode, Prof. Jain speaks to Swami about how the education system robs children of their sense of wonder, the role of the CCL in training teachers and helping students rekindle their joy of learning science, and his Khichidi Theory of Education.