10X Growth Strategies

In this episode our host Saradha Sriram discusses the book “The Moonballer” with the author Nirupama Vaidyanathan. Nirupama is a former professional tennis player, a respected media commentator, an accomplished author, and an influential coach. They explore the multifaceted world of tennis through the experiences and insights of a true veteran of the game and talk about Nirupama’s maiden book ‘The...

In this episode, our host Arthi Vijayaraghavan discusses the book “ The Art of Strategic Execution ” with the author Ms. Priyanka Shinde. The Art of Strategic Execution dives into the intricate world of Technical Program Management (TPM) and shares the insights and wisdom she has gained through her personal journey from an introverted individual to a successful Silicon Valley TPM leader. From acti...

In this episode, our host Saradha Sriram discusses the book ‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael A. Singer with Donna Yates Ferris. Donna is an MBA and CFA by designation with a yoga teaching and therapy certification. The Untethered Soul is a thought-provoking book that delves into the nature of consciousness and the pursuit of inner freedom. Donna talks about her journey and how the practical wisdom...

In this episode our host Arthi Vijayaraghavan, VP of Products at OJO and Lakshmi Bhaskaran, VP of Engineering at Metadata, discuss the book Think Faster, Talk Smarter by Matt Abrahams. The book is a testament to the critical skill of decoding the after intimidating world of spontaneous communication and coaching us to approach it with less fear and more empathy. Check out this engaging discussion...

In this episode our host Saradha Sriram has an insightful discussion with Akila Agrawal, a leading M&A lawyer from New Delhi, about the book “The Subtle art of not giving a f*ck” by Mark Manson. Akila shared her journey of how she chose the speciality of M&A in private practice. Akila talks about how she  has acquired the  art of embracing life's challenges and, believe it or not, learning...

In this episode our host Preethy Padmanabhan had a thought provoking discussion with Divya Raghavan, an early stage VC at NGP Capital. Divya shared insights on passion and perseverance among startup entrepreneurs she meets, how to cultivate grit in the workplace and learning lessons that helped her to become a successful VC. So, grab your headphones, get comfortable, and join us on this audio adve...

When we iterate without a clear vision or strategy, our products become bloated, fragmented and driven by irrelevant metrics. They catch “product diseases” that often kill innovation. The book “Radical Product Thinking : The new mindset for innovating smarter” offers refreshing solutions that go against conventional wisdom. It offers a framework for building vision driven products that create impa...

In this episode I had a thought provoking and humorous conversation with Roshan Cariappa, VP of Marketing for Vymo. We discussed the book “Skin in the Game” and the Incerto series of books by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Roshan is a host for “ The Startup Operator ” podcast. Check out our conversation to hear valuable insights from Roshan on:  How to deal with uncertainty Take risks to amplify rewards M...

The 21 Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell insights learned from Maxwell’s 30-plus years of leadership successes and mistakes with observations from the worlds of business, politics, sports, religion, and military conflict. In the book the author explains the different laws with real world examples, takeaways. One of the advise in the book for leaders to learn about leadership is to practice by lea...

In the episode our host Preethy Padmanabhan had an insightful discussion on the book Play Bigger with Maryanne Morrow, Chairman, Founder and CEO of 9th Gear. Maryanne shared how she is creating a new category within the Fintech space.  "Play Bigger" is a business book by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, and Kevin Maney that explores the concept of category design as a strategic app...

The book Tribes will make you think (really think) about the opportunities for leading your fellow employees, customers, investors…etc. It is not easy, but it’s easier than you imagine.  In today’s episode, Arthi Vijayaraghavan, VP of Products at OJO had the chance to talk to Nidhi Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder of SheTO.org .  Nidhi is committed to addressing the vast gender gap in engineering and spe...

In the book “Built To Sell” author John Warrillow provides specific steps to entrepreneurs to build a valuable company which is sellable. Warrillow shows exactly what it takes to create a solid business that can thrive long into the future. In this episode our host Preethy Padmanabhan discusses the book “Built to sell” with our guest Catherine Montgomery. She is the founder and CEO of Better Toget...

The book “ The Power Law ” is an astonishingly frank and intimate story of Silicon Valley’s dominant venture capital firms. How their strategies and fates have shaped the path of innovation and the global economy.  In today’s episode, Arthi Vijayaraghavan, VP of Products at OJO had the chance to talk to Ashmeet Sidana, Chief Engineer at Engineering Capital, a VC firm investing in startups founded...

In this episode our host Preethy Padmanabhan discusses the classic management book “The Goal” with Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting. Andy shares valuable insights on how to apply concepts from the book to a modern SaaS business. Check out the podcast to gain time tested knowledge on how to effectively identify and reduce bottlenecks in your business and successfully achieve your goal. "The Goal"...

How do you turn around a failing project, team, or even an organization? That is the main focus of the book Turnaround. Arthi Vijayaraghavan, VP of Products at Ojo had pleasure of hosting the author of the book Lisa Gable in our podcast today. Lisa Gable is a former U.S. ambassador, United Nations delegate, and CEO of several organizations. She has orchestrated the successful turnarounds of a numb...

In this episode our host Preethy Padmanabhan has a thought-provoking conversation with Kay Sarathy, SVP Insurance Applications, Berkley Technology Services about the book Subtract:The Untapped Science of Less by Leidy Klotz. Kay Sarathy shares her experiences deploying some of the techniques from the book in the digital transformation journey she is leading.  In the book Subtract, the author draws...

The book Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind. System 1 of our mind is fast, intuitive and emotional. System 2 is slower, more deliberative and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything can be unders...

When we try new, innovative things we are going to fail. If we put ourselves out there and love with our whole hearts, we are going to get hurt. In the book “Rising Strong”, author Brené Brown says that when we own our story and feel through these experiences of failure, we then write our own brave endings. Truth is falling hurts,  and the dare is to keep being brave, face our emotions and feel ou...

Networks and network effects are fascinating in this era and their economic value is augmented by technology. Andrew Chen who led the “Rider Growth” program at Uber has a fascinating insider view on companies who have leveraged network effects in recent years. The book “The Cold Start Problem” provides an in depth view of how to understand and build networks, the various items which are at play in...

In this episode, our host Preethy Padmanabhan had a thought provoking discussion with Prith Banerjee about his book “Innovation Factory”. Prith is Chief Technology Officer at ANSYS, a leader in engineering simulation. He has a rich career journey as a successful serial entrepreneur, senior executive in large companies. Prior to working in the industry he held distinguished roles in academia. He wa...

In this episode Madhavi Ravanan, Service Deliver Head, Nokia had an insightful discussion with Anusha Vaidyanathan, Director Product Line Management, Zscaler about the book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There". "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" is a self-help book by Marshall Goldsmith that explores how successful people can continue to grow and achieve even greater success. Goldsmith arg...

"Your promotion is not just about you; it's about everyone around you who has supported you and everyone who will follow in your footsteps." - Stacy Mayer Promotions Made Easy doesn't just talk about how you move up the corporate ladder. It is a guide on how you can enjoy your job more, build relationships, and support other people to succeed in their careers. And there is no better person to talk...

The general advice usually given and something you will often hear is to specialize and specialize early in your chosen field in order to reap success. But David Epstein says otherwise. In his book, Range, WHY GENERALISTS TRIUMPH IN A SPECIALIZED WORLD, he asserts that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists are primed to excel.  In today's episode, I had the...

What is Blitzscaling? How do you use it to grow and scale your business? Discover the secret sauce of silicon valley startups. Learn how companies like AirBnB, LinkedIn, Zara and several others embrace Blitzscaling to achieve massive scale in a short time.  We are excited to feature the book Blitzscaling authored by Chris Yeh and Reid Hoffman. A writer, investor, and entrepreneur, Chris has had a...

Our host Preethy Padmamabhan sat down with Elena Elkina to talk about the book "The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels", by Michael Watkins. Elena is a Partner and Privacy & Data Protection Management Executive at Aleada Consulting. She shared how the book helped her secure early wins, align goals up and down the chain, build coalitions, stay balanced, and avo...