We have all heard the founder's story. The kind they make movies about. The kind of founders who see unimaginable success and build massive brands that the whole world knows about.Or the other kind of founder story. The founder whose startup fails. Who loses the company, the money, and sometimes even themselves along the way.But there’s another version of the founder story. What happens when the startup ends… but the founder doesn’t start again? What if instead, they take their entrepreneurial skills and instincts to another organisation as an employee?In this episode, we talk to Printo’s co-founder Lalana Zaveri and Leap.Club’s co-founder Anand Sinha to unpack what it means to think like a founder even when you are not one anymore. It’s got lessons for everyone on ownership and finding the rhythm amidst ambiguity and chaos.Have thoughts about this episode? Write to Rahel (rahel@the-ken.com) or Vidhatri (vidhatri@the-ken.com).Here is the link to our survey on AI and productivity: https://theken.typeform.com/to/yQTIGKihCredits:Written and produced by Rahel Philipose, Vidhatri RaoEdited by Rajiv CN
It started with a satellite dish arriving on a bullock cart. Back in 1985, that scene outside Texas Instruments’ new Bengaluru office quietly marked the birth of India’s first multinational R&D centre and opened the doors for hundreds more to follow. They were all looking for a slice of India’s vast, educated, English speaking, and most importantly, affordable, talent pool. GE. CitiGroup. JP Morgan. Motorola. Just like that, India’s back office revolution began. These centres weren’t the sleek innovation hubs we know today. Not yet. They were built for efficiency, process, and most importantly, output. Imagine rows of cubicles, long hours and precise deliverables. Four decades later, those once-humble “back offices” employ millions and look nothing like they used to. Today, there are nearly 2,000 GCCs across India. They employ over 2 million professionals and generate more than $40 billion in annual revenue. The kind of work they do has also completely transformed. Few things capture that shift as vividly as the physical workplaces they now inhabit.Think yoga studios, digital twins of storefronts, and world-class design. In the latest episode of 90,000 Hours, we explore how India’s GCC workplaces tell the story of their post-Covid glow-up. Tune in. Have thoughts about this episode? Write to Rahel (rahel@the-ken.com) Credits: Written and produced by Rahel PhiliposeEdited by Rajiv CN
Do you remember the first job you ever applied for? Maybe it was during your college placement cycle. Or perhaps it was a frantic search on Naukri.com or LinkedIn right after graduation. However you did it, and whatever role it was for, the struggle was more or less the same. You probably spent hours tweaking your résumé, asking a friend to review your cover letter, even rehearsing answers in front of a mirror for that dreaded interview round. That was the old way of applying. It was slow, deliberate, and more often than not, exhausting. Fast forward to today, and that old slog feels almost quaint. Today, a founder posts one role and wakes up to hundreds, sometimes thousands of applications. Most look perfect: tailored résumés, keyword-rich cover letters. But half were evidently written or polished by AI. By the first screen no one’s sure who actually did the work. Recruiters don’t trust résumés. Candidates don’t trust filters. Which is why, some employers are starting to rewrite the hiring funnel. In this episode of 90,000 Hours, we explore how. Featuring insights from:- Manav Garg, Founding Partner, Together Fund- Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-founder, Scaler- Sanam Rawal, Founding Partner, MetamorphListen in to understand the new rules of getting hired and how to stand out in an age when everyone looks perfect on paper.Write to Rahel with your thoughts on the episode or something you have noticed at work that you would like her to explore next: rahel@the-ken.com
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.
India’s $283 billion IT industry is in the middle of a perfect storm: AI is rewriting old playbooks, GCCs are pulling away top talent, and clients are tightening budgets. But this isn’t the first time the sector has had to recalibrate.In the latest episode of 90,000 Hours, we explore what’s next for Indian IT with:Krishnakumar Natarajan – Co-founder of Mindtree, Managing Partner at Mela VenturesAakash Dharmadhikari – Co-founder of Realfast, an AI-first IT services firmNitish Mittal – Partner, Technology at Everest GroupAbhijit Bhaduri – Talent expert and former Chief Learning Officer at WiproVikram Ahuja – Co-founder of ANSR and CEO of Talent 500Plus, insights from hundreds of IT professionals who shared their experiences in our exclusive survey. Tune in. Write to me with your feedback at rahel@the-ken.com Check out this episode of Two By Two, where my colleagues Rohin Dharmakumar and Praveen Gopal Krishnan talk about the impact of the GCC boom on India's IT sector.
For decades, studying in the US was seen as a golden ticket: a degree that promised not just world-class education, but a clear path to jobs, visas, and a better life abroad.But in 2025, that promise looks very different. We surveyed 50 Indian students and recent graduates in the US. Almost half told us they’ve either already moved back to India or are planning to.In this episode of 90,000 Hours, we follow the journeys of Indian students who chased the American dream and discovered the reality was far more complicated. From shrinking job markets and tougher visa lotteries to the hard decision of whether to stay or return home.The American Dream isn’t gone. But for Indian students, it has shifted from a one-way ticket to something far less certain.Tune in.Do you work in IT? Take our surveyWant to join The Ken's team? Apply here
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
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
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.