Claim OwnershipMinus One
Subscribed: 11Played: 112
Subscribe
© South Park Commons
Description
A show about the winding journeys the world's most interesting people take to becoming great—and what they do when figuring out a question we all face: What's Next? Because before you launch at Zero, you have to figure out what to launch at Minus One. Hosted by South Park Commons Partner Aditya Agarwal and members of the SPC community.
40 Episodes
Reverse
If you want to know what it’s like to be the architect of nations, not just platforms - you ask a man like Nandan Nilekani.In this episode of Minus One, Nandan breaks down the ideas, effort and intent behind building Aadhaar for 1.4 billion people, his next chapter in using AI to drive social impact across India, and what his vision of the future looks like. Connect with us here: Nandan Nilekani- https://x.com/NandanNilekani Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer01:36 Introduction02:12 Curiosity and Conviction: Keys to Success15:11 AI and India's Future25:46 The Startup Boom in India27:03 Challenges and Opportunities in Ease of Business31:38 AI and Digital Public Infrastructure40:26 Future of Energy and Final Thoughts
SPC alum Tuhin Srivastava sits down with Aditya Agarwal to break down how a failed four-year startup, plus early chapters in finance and biotech, shaped the way he is scaling Baseten into one of the fastest-growing AI infrastructure companies today.His approach is simple: kill what doesn’t work, don’t scale before you’re ready, and stop pretending you can see past three months in AI. Apply to SPC membership -https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/formConnect with us here:1. Tuhin Srivastava- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuhin-srivastava/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer00:56 Introduction01:28 Insights from Cricket to Startups03:30 Career Journey: From Finance to Tech08:16 Navigating the Startup Ecosystem22:48 Embracing Change and Customer Focus25:38 Unique Company Philosophies30:14 Compensation and Team Dynamics39:29 Cricket Predictions
Rahul Chari is a leader in India’s tech evolution, from building Flipkart’s foundations, to architecting PhonePe’s planet-scale platform. Simply put, there are very few people in a country of over a billion, who have not used what he built. In this episode of Minus One, he reflects on forming lasting partnerships, building for the future, and building to last. Connect with us here:1. Prateek Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/2. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/
After years of operating at scale at companies like Facebook and Dropbox, Ruchi Sanghvi, founding partner of South Park Commons, and Aditya Agarwal, General Partner, turn the mic on each other to revisit the early days that grew this community to over 1,000 founders and technologists.They reflect on what it takes to build something enduring together, and why the best ideas rarely emerge from comfort.Apply to SPC membership- https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/formConnect with us here:1. Ruchi Sanghvi- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsanghvi/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/(00:00) Trailer(01:15) The Journey of Founding SPC(05:33) The Importance of Constructive Conflict(15:51) Scaling and Leadership Insights(28:39) Embracing the Learning Journey(29:43) The Power of Storytelling in Startups(33:19) Balancing Optimism and Realism(49:13) Navigating the Complexities of Markets
Akshay Kothari has built tools that transform the everyday by making technology feel effortless, like Pulse and Notion.He joins Aditya Agarwal to share the counterintuitive lessons behind enduring products, why selling can sometimes be the braver choice, and how constraints often spark lasting creativity. Apply to SPC membership - https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/formConnect with us here:1. Akshay Kothari- https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer01:02 Welcome to the Minus One Podcast01:49 Navigating the Early Days of Pulse06:59 The Silicon Valley Influence and Ambition21:07 The LinkedIn Journey and Its Impact22:39 Balancing Patience and Urgency in Silicon Valley25:25 The Vision and Early Days of Notion36:46 Personal Reflections and Philosophies
Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy, joins Prateek Mehta, to unpack how Ather lived the “minus one” philosophy. By taking risks, locking in on what they truly wanted to build for the next 10 years, and then proceeding to just doing it - with India’s first smart electric scooter.Connect with us here:1. Tarun Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarunsmehta/2. Prateek Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/
Facebook’s early culture was chaotic, fun, and fueled by a belief that "you can just do things."Andrew Bosworth, Meta CTO, joins Aditya Agarwal to revisit that foundational energy. He covers the creation of News Feed, the grit behind the pivot to mobile, and how Meta is tackling long-term hardware innovation for the AR/VR future.Apply to SPC membership -https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/formConnect with us here:1. Andrew Bosworth - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bosworth-8247a01/2. Aditya Agarwal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/
After building companies that made their mark, Joe Lonsdale launched 8VC to tackle institutional decay, backing ambitious startups and encouraging the next generation to build what’s missing.Now overseeing $6B+ in assets, he joins Aditya Agarwal to break down where the Valley lost its way, and what real builders must remember.Connect with us here:1. Joe Lonsdale- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtlonsdale/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer00:52 Introduction01:24 Warrior mindset07:36 Paving the way13:38 Early stage eligibility19:57 Rocket ships are rare22:52 8VC26:49 Great founders and discipline29:43 Cicero Institute33:04 Hairy messy real-world problems38:18 Outro
What does it take to build great companies? Mukesh Bansal, founder of giants like Myntra and Cure.fit, and now building at the frontier of deep tech with Meraki Labs and Nurix, joins Prateek Mehta in a chat at SPC Bangalore. He shares lessons from his early Silicon Valley “startup MBA”, the pivots that defined his journey, and how culture, trust and health have shaped his approach to building generational companies driven by resilient teams. Connect with us here:1. Prateek Mehta - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/2. South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/
Baiju Bhatt helped millions learn to invest through Robinhood. He’s since taken the leap to aerospace with his new company Aetherflux. Baiju joins Aditya Agarwal to cover what building from first principles looks like the second time around, the true meaning of the American Dream, and how he aims to make space a functional layer of the global energy system.Connect with us here:1. Baiju Bhatt- https://www.linkedin.com/in/bprafulkumar/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/(00:00) Trailer(01:10) Introduction(02:30) Early history(07:12) Huge courage(11:54) Extraordinarily driven(17:31) Making the system work(24:09) Enamored by space(29:36) Energy company in space(35:41) Power scaling(39:54) Keeping the momentum up(43:14) Outro
How do brands like PepsiCo and Chanel convert consumer attention into real business growth?Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia and multiple New York Times Bestselling Author, joins Dylan Itzikowitz to share how his agency helps these brands turn culture, AI, and data into measurable impact.Apply for the SPC Founder Fellowship by August 3rd: https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagdT5QLZFC3weCJq/formConnect with us here:1. Gary Vaynerchuk- https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyvaynerchuk/2. Dylan Itzikowitz- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanitzikowitz/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/(00:00) Trailer(00:50) SPC's Founder Fellowship(01:35) Introduction(03:36) Kindness and business(07:12) AI tech and the human spirit(11:11) “Google search is dead”(13:58) Obsessed with today(14:59) Posting in today’s world(22:15) AI influencers(24:01) Nice guys finish first(26:34) Q&A: Directionally correct(30:27) Q&A: Preserving humanity(34:29) Q&A: Consumer mind(39:17) Q&A: Businesses distribution(43:19) Q&A: Creator-owned brands(47:15) Q&A: Crypto(52:02) Outro
“If there's one lesson I wish I could give my younger self, it's to focus less on the technology and more on the customer need.”Bret Taylor has helped shape how billions interact with the internet, and now with Sierra, he’s rethinking customer interactions through AI that feels more human.Apply for the SPC Founder Fellowship by August 3rd: https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagdT5QLZFC3weCJq/formConnect with us here:1. Bret Taylor- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettaylor/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/
What does it take to build a global ad-tech company from India? In this episode, Naveen Tewari, Founder & CEO of InMobi and Glance, gets candid about his early failures and the grit it took to bet on mobile before India was ready. He’s now reimagining commerce on lock screens through AI-powered platform Glance.Connect with us here:Prateek Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/
Rana Adhikari, winner of the 2019 New Horizons in Physics Breakthrough Prize, joins Aditya Agarwal to discuss his 'minus one' journey as an experimental physicist, the current state of LLMs, and the vision that led to the creation of India’s own LIGO facility.Connect with us here:1. Rana Adhikari- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rana-adhikari-26bb73165/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer01:03 Introduction01:58 Figuring things out07:30 Toughest lesson12:27 Bad mentor15:33 LIGO and Quantum Science19:34 Intuition26:01 LLMs30:47 Learning the outcome = winning35:07 Learnings from LIGO43:43 Black hole myths47:12 Outro
In this episode of Minus One, Facebook’s second designer, Soleio shares how he helped build the emotional layer of the internet and is now backing tools like Figma and Framer to push it further.Connect with us here:SoleioAditya AgarwalSouth Park Commons00:00 Trailer01:00 Introduction01:41 Early days07:37 Paradigm shift and the moments13:45 Undirected expression and exploration21:45 Greatness has a high bar25:46 Expressing emotions32:17 Back to -144:10 More founders47:54 Outro
Balaji Srinivasan, angel investor and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Network State, joins Aditya Agarwal on Minus One to challenge prevailing assumptions about global tech and opportunity.Connect with us here:1. Balaji Srinivasan- https://x.com/balajis2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer00:59 Introduction02:07 Building Counsyl03:40 The science and math08:45 Founder energy12:38 Funding opportunities16:47 Geographical connectivity23:47 Recentralize tech26:21 Millionaire migration33:07 Outside success39:08 Outro
In this episode of Minus One, host Dylan Itzikowitz sits down with Roblox’s chief blocksmith to trace a minus one to zero prototype that evolved into a full blown digital economy, now serving more than 100M DAUs.Connect with us here:1. David Baszucki- https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbaszucki/2. Dylan Itzikowitz- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanitzikowitz/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer01:06 $275M Fund III01:56 Two-year "minus one"05:32 Platform of creation06:59 More than lifestyle08:03 Motivation = obsession?09:09 Investing in growth10:45 Virality hack14:44 Building an ecosystem20:32 Roblox in education21:30 Building for all ages22:48 Dress to Impress24:58 Augmented and virtual reality27:09 Non-boring AI30:26 Safety and mental health33:21 Vibrant economy34:32 Founders should build37:05 Q&A57:32 Outro
What unfolds when those who imagine the future sit across from those building it?In this special SPC panel, worlds converge. Sci-fi legends Neal Stephenson and Ken Liu join visionary investor Cyan Banister and researcher Joscha Bach to explore how narratives shape reality, how fiction becomes a roadmap, and how builders and dreamers influence each other across time.Connect with us here: 1. Neal Stephenson- https://x.com/nealstephenson2. Ken Liu- https://x.com/kyliu993. Cyan Banister- https://x.com/cyantist4. Joscha Bach- https://x.com/Plinz5. Cristian Cibils Bernardes- https://x.com/life_of_ccb6. Jonathan Brebner- https://x.com/JPBrebner7. South Park Commons- https://x.com/southpkcommons00:00 Trailer01:03 Introduction04:25 AI and nuclear tech parallel10:26 Progress. Disappointing? Significant?13:31 The present and the future17:04 Wrong specifics, right methodology25:13 Satire and reality33:14 World building40:19 Parallels and perpendiculars44:19 Artificial general intelligence54:02 Searching for something not forward-looking57:20 Understanding consciousness1:04:08 Lightning round1:14:13 Outro
In conversation with Aditya Agarwal, Adam D’Angelo reflects on his early days at Facebook, the founding of Quora, his early conviction in OpenAI, and why he believes the recursive nature of AI is grounded in a first-principles approach.Connect with us here:1. Adam D’Angelo- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangelo/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons – https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/
During his three-decade career in academia, Niall Ferguson has explored the critical inflection points that have shaped the course of history — and the future it continues to inform.In this conversation, hosted by Aditya Agarwal and Jonathan Brebner, he delves into why we may be living through a civilizational minus one, how history leaves subtle traces of what’s to come, the rise of AI, and much more.Connect with us here: 1. Niall Ferguson- https://x.com/nfergus2. Aditya Agarwal- https://x.com/adityaag3. Jonathan Brebner- https://x.com/JPBrebner4. South Park Commons- https://x.com/southpkcommons00:00 Trailer00:59 Introduction02:02 Civilizational -105:33 Warfare08:45 Media and history13:05 Tech doesn't want the past17:26 Our awesomeness knows no bounds19:34 Narrativizing your personal history26:55 Big moves framework33:22 Institutions37:15 Artificial general intelligence39:52 Vision for the future45:30 Outro
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States