We like to believe we’re rational. That we think, then act.

But most of the time, behaviour is shaped elsewhere by habit, perception, context, and a special kind of chaos.

In this episode, I’m in conversation with Pratyush Pillai, Head of Behavioural Design at TinkerLabs.

We explore what it really means to design for people as they are not as we assume them to be. From irrational decisions to the gap between knowing and doing, this is a deep dive into how behaviour actually works in the real world.

Along the way, we cover his personal journey into behavioural design, the thinking behind TinkerLabs and what makes the practice unique, how innovation often comes from the most unexpected places, and the nuances of behaviour in the Indian context from stereotypes to social cues.

There are second thoughts, contradictions, and a lot to take away on the other side of this one.

Tune in!

Yash Pradhan is a self-taught illustrator and designer whose creative education happened online.

A 90s baby shaped by internet culture, he began his career as an accountant before turning his obsession with design into a full-time practice. What started as small experiments shared online became commissioned work for brands like Coach, Real Madrid, Meta, Kingfisher and lots more!.

In this conversation, we unpack:

• what it means to build taste in public
• how digital curiosity becomes a competitive edge
• why understanding IP, ownership, and pricing is non-negotiable for creators today
• genre-building
• nostalgia as aesthetic strategy
• why the best work often comes from designing for yourself first

More than anything, this is a conversation about playing the long game: making the work, owning it, and not taking the process so seriously that you stop enjoying it.

Follow Yash below:

Website, Instagram

PG Aditiya is the Co-Founder and CCO of Talented, one of India’s sharpest and most awarded creative agencies, built on the belief that great work begins with great people.

Titles, however, only partly describe his role. His thinking extends well beyond the mechanics of advertising, shaped by a deep reverence for craft, an archival curiosity for its history, and a visible pride in the people behind the work.

In this episode of On Second Thought, he reflects on the changing agency model, the thinking behind Talented’s internal handbook, and why talent density - rather than scale has become the organising principle of the company.

Drawing on family lore, objects of close affection, and years spent in the business of advertising, he speaks candidly about creative ambition, and how Talented responded to a long-standing need in the market.

He also considers the history of advertising and its influence on modern culture, alongside his own journey as a founder.

The conversation also covers culture and attention, touching on matcha raves, soft clubbing, and the fragmentation of media and meaning online. Taken together, it is a portrait of a creative leader thinking carefully about what endures and where advertising still feels alive.

About Talented:

Talented is on a mission to be the greatest creative company in the world. It is an independent creative agency founded in 2022 in Bangalore by Gautam Reghunath and PG Aditiya. The firm has quickly built a reputation for thoughtful, nuanced work for both legacy and modern brands, and has been recognised on the global stage: Talented has won multiple Cannes Lions, including a Silver Lion for its Avani’s Gold campaign for Britannia Marie Gold at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, among other metals for work across media and storytelling.