The Sunday Draft

Everyone’s spending big on AI coding tools — but is anyone actually measuring if it’s working? In this episode, we’re joined by Brenn Hill, a Berlin-based engineering leader and author of “The Delivery Gap,” to break down the AI ROI myth: why token-based pricing is nearly useless for real business planning, why companies like Uber and Microsoft have pulled back on major AI investments, and the thr...

Nabil went from spray-painting harassers' backs in Cairo to building a framework for how humans survive AI displacement. He's not pessimistic. He's proposing three interconnected ideas: a methodology for using AI to sharpen your thinking, a path to collective intelligence, and a vision of global citizen governance. This isn't abstract philosophy. It's actionable right now. And somewhat radical. Or...

Varun and Aneesh flew into one of the world’s most dangerous airports, laced up their boots, and started walking. No warm-up day. No easing in. Just a 17-seat plane, a thin cotton curtain between them and the cockpit, and a Sherpa named Prakash setting the pace. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Raj sits down with Varun and Aneesh to relive their March EBC trek — from the frantic weather de...

My cohost Nidhin and I have a complicated personal history with cockroaches. Growing up as NRI kids in the Gulf in the 80s and 90s, the first thing every household bought was a can of Piff Paff. You’d spray it into every crack in the bathroom, hold your breath through what felt like light chemical warfare, and watch the cockroaches scatter — only for more to show up the next week. Years later, whe...

In the episode of The Sunday Draft, Raj sits down with his oldest friend and fellow IT veteran Nidhin for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the one question nobody wants to answer at work: are we actively enabling AI to replace us? These are two guys who started their careers in the post-dot-com era, survived every wave of tech change since — Java, cloud, mobile-first — and are now staring...

This month’s AMA started with a question most of us have never thought to ask: what if the anxiety your child carries isn’t theirs? What if it was handed down — through rituals, rules, and family beliefs — before they were old enough to question any of it? Tvarita Iyer Vemuri , award-winning child psychologist and our resident expert on The Sunday Draft, joined श्रीraj and co-host VarunVijayNair f...

🎙️ Episode Overview In this episode, we address, dismantle, and answer the most common (and sometimes wacky) questions, misconceptions, and online trolling points regarding India’s massive, diverse population and rich heritage. From language barriers to cultural traditions, we dive deep into what it truly means to navigate Indian identity in the digital age. 📌 Key Topics Covered * The Reality of...

In this deep-dive episode of The Sunday Draft , Raj and Varun unpack the shifting landscape of global energy, geopolitical power plays, and what it means for the future of American society. From escalating military conflicts threatening trade routes to high-level diplomatic summits, they explore the fragile systems keeping the modern world running. Is the era of cheap energy officially over, and i...

Varun just got back from trekking to Everest Base Camp. Fourteen days through Nepal, no signal, no news. Meanwhile, a war had started and it’s been escalating. And an airline many budget travelers relied on closed its counters, grounded their planes, fired their staff, and stranded their passengers. Spirit Airlines collapsed on May 2nd, 2026. 3am. No warning. Seventeen thousand jobs gone before mo...

One Month In — Five episodes. Stories that matter to people paying attention. This week marks one month of The Sunday Draft, and instead of the usual format, the tables got flipped. Alicia — globetrotter, Substack regular, and the very first person Raj ever went live with — sat across from him and asked the questions. What followed was an honest, unhurried look at what this show is actually trying...

Your Questions. Real Answers. Honest Conversation. In this inaugural Ask Me Anything episode of The Sunday Draft Podcast, we sit down with Tvarita Iyer Vemuri , an award-winning child psychologist, to tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing parents and caregivers today: how technology is reshaping childhood development . Whether you’re worried about your toddler’s tablet time, concerned...

EPISODE SYNOPSIS In this special episode of The Sunday Draft, we tackle one of the most troubling immigration cases currently gripping the US justice system — the detention of Meenu Batra , a 53-year-old court interpreter who has spent 35 years building a life and family in America. On March 17, 2026, Meenu was arrested at Harlingen Airport in Texas while traveling to Milwaukee for court interpret...

War doesn’t just destroy lives — it erases culture, art, and centuries of human heritage. In this episode of The Sunday Draft, we examine how conflict, political corruption, and government decisions under Trump and Modi are putting art and cultural heritage at risk — and what is lost when culture becomes collateral damage. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subs...

The first generation to grow up entirely inside the algorithm is already here. They have AI tutors, social media feeds, and screen time that rivals their hours in school — and the research on what this is doing to developing brains is more alarming than most parents realise. In this episode we examine the anxiety epidemic quietly taking hold in children as young as six, what studies from Pew, Loca...

In India, a Hindu gym owner legally changes his name to Mohammed Deepak — a deliberate act of defiance in a country where identity has become increasingly weaponized. To some, he's a symbol of courage. To others, an affront. What follows is a story about religion, belonging, and the cost of crossing invisible lines. This episode doesn't take sides — it asks harder questions about who gets to defin...

This is the debut episode of The Sunday Draft , a weekly podcast co-hosted by Raj (based in the US) and Kanti (based in India). The show is framed as a thoughtful, leisurely conversation — akin to reading a Sunday newspaper over coffee — where the two hosts blend storytelling with current affairs analysis, aiming to give listeners context and perspective rather than telling them what to think. Key...