The Value Creation Mindset Podcast

Why Sustainable Businesses Start With Integrity | Rakesh Tiku | The Value Creation Mindset In this episode of The Value Creation Mindset, host A.J. Singh is joined by Rakesh Tiku, President and CEO of Infield Solutions, for a deep conversation on why sustainable businesses start with integrity, ethical leadership, and long-term thinking. Rakesh shares his journey from an academic upbringing to becoming a serial entrepreneur focused on solving real problems through technology, IoT platforms, and workflow automation. The discussion explores decision-making with incomplete information, forgiveness in leadership, fairness in negotiations, and why people are the only asset that truly increases in value over time. If you are a founder, CEO, CTO, or business leader building for the long term, this episode offers practical insight into values-driven leadership, creating real customer value, and building teams that thrive on trust. 00:00 Why integrity matters 01:00 Rakesh’s origin story 04:30 Solving real problems 06:00 Happiness as a choice 07:40 Forgiving yourself 10:00 Letting go of baggage 12:10 Ethics and fairness 15:00 Sustainable profit 17:10 Trust and leadership 20:00 Redefining success 24:00 Building trust at scale 27:00 Leadership styles 30:00 Strategy and focus 33:00 Working on the business 36:00 People as the core asset 39:00 Loyalty and culture 43:00 Global productivity 47:00 Quality over hours 50:00 Identity and culture 53:00 Being on the right path 55:40 Defining legacy 58:30 Purpose and joy 01:01:00 Final reflections

In this episode of The Value Creation Mindset, host A.J. Singh speaks with Eyal Katz, CIO of Priority Software and a serial product builder with decades of experience in commercial software and platforms.Eyal shares a practical, experience-led perspective on building real products versus one-off projects, scaling teams, and creating value in an increasingly AI-driven world. The conversation explores why probabilistic AI systems are risky in enterprise environments, how human-in-the-loop and deterministic design unlock trust, and why simplicity, persistence, and first principles still matter more than speed alone.This episode is essential listening for founders, CEOs, CTOs, product leaders, and engineers who want to understand how to use AI responsibly, build scalable products, and create lasting value without sacrificing discipline or judgment.Episode Highlights and Timestamps00:01:16 – The electricity of building softwareWhy the ability to turn ideas into working products is addictive for builders.00:02:34 – Always saying yes and learning the hard wayEarly career lessons on responsibility, growth, and paying your dues.00:05:22 – Software engineers are still building productsWhy thinking like a manufacturing engineer leads to better software.00:07:10 – Hiring engineers who can solve real problemsWhy interviews rarely tell the full story and how great teams are built.00:12:21 – Agile versus waterfall misses the pointWhy extremes fail, and structure still matters.00:19:35 – Why probabilistic AI is dangerous in enterprise systemsTrust, accuracy, and the risks of relying on 90% answers.00:21:10 – Human-in-the-loop and deterministic AI designHow to combine AI speed with reliability and control.00:26:27 – AI as a force multiplier, not a replacementWhy AI increases job security when used correctly.00:35:15 – Never give upPersistence is the real secret behind long-term success.01:18:10 – Time to value is now dramatically fasterHow experienced builders can create and deliver value at unprecedented speed.

In this episode of The Value Creation Mindset, host A.J. Singh sits down with Pieter van Schalkwyk, CEO of XMPro, to explore how real value is created in complex, technology-driven businesses.With a background spanning mechanical engineering, industrial IoT, and enterprise software, Pieter shares hard-earned lessons on leadership, first principles, and decision-making under real-world constraints. The conversation dives into why many software and AI initiatives fail, how poor strategic focus can destroy millions in value, and why staying rational matters more than ever in an era of hype-driven innovation.This episode is essential listening for CEOs, CTOs, product leaders, and engineers who want practical insight into building scalable, profitable, and durable technology products while avoiding the costly mistakes that derail growth.Episode Highlights and Timestamps00:05:16 – First principles and staying rationalHow Pieter’s engineering background shaped his approach to leadership and decision-making.00:07:30 – Why design must come before codeThe dangers of jumping from the whiteboard straight to the keyboard.00:09:17 – Building software close to the physical worldHow real-world consequences force better discipline in engineering teams.00:14:16 – The cost of avoiding hard truthsA candid story about uncovering millions in wasted investment and what happened next.00:21:05 – The four buckets every decision must fit intoRevenue retention, new revenue, lifetime value, and cost reduction as a universal framework.00:26:00 – What makes software a real productWhy stability, scalability, profitability, and serviceability all matter.00:29:28 – AI without structure creates noise, not valueWhy most of the work in AI happens outside the model itself.00:47:40 – Human judgment in AI-driven systemsWhy automation should reduce noise, not replace decision-makers.01:03:33 – Legacy, leadership, and lifting othersA closing reflection on purpose and long-term value creation.