90,000 Hours

In this week’s 90,000 Hours, Rahel Philipose speaks to Kirthiga Reddy, Meta India’s first hire, SoftBank’s first woman investing partner, and now founder of blockchain-powered credentialing platform, Verix.From taking a 40% pay cut after Stanford to steering an all-women SPAC through a turbulent market, she shares lessons on risk, reinvention, and building culture.This episode is also a first for us: a full-length conversation instead of our usual narrative. We would love to know what you think and who you would like to hear from next. Write to Rahel at rahel@the-ken.com This episode was edited by our wonderful in-house sound engineer, Rajiv CN. Tune in. P.S. Are you a manager, recruiter or founder who has been part of a hiring process in the last year? I want to hear from you. Take our survey.  If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

What happens when AI at work isn't optional anymore? Across the board, companies are investing in AI tools for their teams. But with that access comes a new kind of pressure to work smarter, move faster, and think more creatively. So what does that actually look like in practice? And how does it feel on the ground? In the latest episode of 90,000 Hours, Razorpay CEO Harshil Mathur, The Ken's Deputy Editor Arundhati Ramanathan, and others break it down.Tune in. Check out Arundhati's story.Got a favourite AI tool at work? Tell us here  If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

For decades, networking was about being seen: showing up in the right rooms, handing out the right cards, and saying the right things.Today, a new generation of founders and VCs is rewriting that script with sweat, sneakers, and a shared goal to win the next point.In this debut episode of 90,000 Hours, host Rahel Philipose heads to a pickleball court in Bengaluru to explore how the startup world is quietly staging a revolt against traditional networking.You’ll hear from:🎾 Arjun Vaidya – Founder of Dr Vaidya’s and now an investor at V3 Ventures. He’s launched Pickle & Pitch, a new way for founders to raise capital on the court, not in a conference room.🎾 Vaniya Dangwal – Former professional tennis player and founder of Courtside Club. She’s bringing startup folks together through curated sports mixers, where the serve matters more than the sales pitch.🎾 Piyush Jain and Pravruth BH – Founders of Sprentzo, a platform building grassroots sports communities across India. Their fastest-growing sport? Pickleball.Why are people trading name tags for paddles?What happens when connection becomes the goal and not the card you walk away with?And what does it say about the future of work?This episode is about something deeper than just a game. It’s about belonging, access, and how we build relationships that actually matter over our 90,000 hours.Tune in. 🎓 Are you an Indian student in the US or recently graduated? Tell us what your journey’s been like: Take the survey If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

You’ll spend 90,000 hours at work in your lifetime. How do you make that time count?90,000 Hours is a weekly podcast from the newsroom of The Ken that helps you navigate today’s changing world of work, where the traditional 40-year career is gone, entry-level jobs are being replaced by artificial intelligence, and staying relevant means constantly reinventing yourself.Hosted by Rahel Philipose, the show features conversations with the people creating, breaking, and rewriting the way we work.