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In this timeless conversation from 2021, Kumar Vembu reflects on how enduring organisations are built—not through control, pedigree, or process-heavy management, but through deep trust in people and an uncompromising belief in ownership. Drawing from his own journey and the early days of Zoho, he explains why academic excellence is a poor proxy for professional excellence, and how responsibility—when given early—can transform individuals into high-performing contributors.

This episode unpacks what it truly means to design for ownership at scale. From trusting people from day one, to creating decision-makers instead of escalators, Kumar shares practical, culture-defining principles that help close the education–work gap and build organisations where people don’t wait for permission—they take responsibility. This is a masterclass on leadership, culture, and long-term thinking.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Trust must come before performance:High-performing cultures are built by trusting people early—not after they’ve “proven” themselves.
2. Academic success ≠ workplace effectiveness: Attitude, learning ability, empathy, and ownership matter far more than grades or fluency.
3. Responsibility from day one accelerates growth: Treating people as professionals from their first day builds accountability faster than any training program.
4. Ownership means solving problems, not escalating them: Mature organisations create decision-makers who bring recommendations, not just issues.
5. Culture is shaped by daily signals, not slogans: Policies, feedback loops, retrospectives, and leadership behaviour quietly but powerfully define how people think and act.

Listen to the full episode: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
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Across a year of conversations on ContraMinds and The Super CMO Show, a pattern quietly emerged. No matter the domain—AI, careers, marketing, health, or leadership—the same deeper questions kept surfacing, demanding better judgment rather than easy answers.
⸻
Summary of the 12 Guest Perspectives

•Sai Gaddam explored the shifting boundary between human intuition and machine intelligence, arguing that relevance lies not in competing with AI on prediction, but in owning judgment, context, and responsibility.

•Prof. Rohit reflected on careers and identity, highlighting how growth often stalls not because of missing skills, but because people cling too tightly to familiar versions of themselves.
Listen on Spotify:

•Steven Puri examined creativity in an age of abundance, emphasizing that taste, discipline, and clarity of intent—not access to tools—separate enduring creators from forgettable ones.

•Neeraj Sagar reframed longevity as a career problem, challenging the idea of linear success and arguing for slower pacing, sustainable ambition, and long-term energy management.

•Jillian Reilly surfaced the invisible permissions people wait for, showing how agency is often constrained less by external barriers and more by internalized rules we never question.

•Prof. Vasant Dhar addressed accountability in an AI-driven world, reminding us that even as machines improve at prediction, humans must remain responsible for values, trade-offs, and consequences.

•Prof. Jeevanjyoti critiqued formal education systems, pointing out the widening gap between how institutions teach and how adults actually learn through experience, curiosity, and feedback.

•Prof. Prasad Naik spoke about leadership under pressure, highlighting the importance of discernment—knowing what to protect, what to cut, and what to double down on when growth is no longer easy.

•Akhil Almeida warned against false signals in modern marketing, showing how overreliance on surface-level metrics can create confidence without clarity.

•Nitin Seth unpacked why transformation is emotionally hard for organizations, even when intellectually accepted, revealing that change fails more from fear than from strategy.

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

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In this powerful conversation, Prof. Jeevanjyoti Chakraborty of IIT Kharagpur breaks down something we all struggle with — how to really learn. Most of us study for exams, memorize formulas, follow structured notes… yet never develop the mental muscle of learning on our own.

Prof. Jeevanjyoti explains why students today feel lost when confronted with uncertainty, why our schooling ignores curiosity, and why tinkering, breaking things, and exploring messiness is essential for growth.

He talks about:
– The curse of coaching and predefined learning paths
– Why learning to learn is more important than any degree
– How students can build “research instincts” early
– Why mechanical engineering is deeply connected to biology
– How India can rethink teacher training and lifelong professional upskilling
– The need for continuous education for engineers, just like doctors

He also shares deeply human moments—from his vulnerabilities as a professor to the mentors and mathematicians who shaped his thinking. This episode is a must-watch for students, parents, teachers, leaders and anyone who wants to stay relevant in a fast-changing world.

Chapters
00:04:01 – Students Forget Professors Are Human
00:07:10 – Learning How to Learn Opens Your World
00:12:57 – Build Your Learning Muscle Slowly
00:21:44 – Words Are the Gateway to Knowledge
00:26:39 – India Needs a Culture of Tinkering
00:36:46 – Teachers Must Evolve How They Teach
00:39:39 – Professionals Must Keep Upgrading Themselves
00:49:27 – Success Is When I Impress Myself
00:49:44 – Time Management Solves Most Problems
00:50:23 – I’d Tell My Grandparents I’ve Done Okay
00:52:00 – Learn in Class — Don’t Postpone Learning

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.
⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.

#LearningHowToLearn, #LifelongLearning, #CuriosityMindset, #EducationReform
#StudentSuccess, #EngineeringEducation, #IITKharagpur, #TinkeringMindset
#ContinuousLearning, #ContraMindsPodcast

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

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In this deep and wide-ranging conversation, Professor Vasant Dhar( @NYUSternBusiness ) NYU professor, AI researcher, investor and author of Thinking With Machines—breaks down how artificial intelligence is reshaping judgment, expertise, work and society. He explains why the future isn’t “AI vs. humans” but humans thinking with machines, and why sense-making, question-framing, and domain expertise will determine who thrives in the AI era. If you want to understand how AI will transform your work, your learning, and your decision-making over the next decade, this is a must-listen episode.

Order your copy now on amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Thinking-Machines-Brave-New-World-ebook/dp/B0FY46ZK3K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QWFVXWM6XPBW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QAmd26NZIHy0tIeYIGVA9wvWljQv9YbpT7dVn5Z_CsSu8yGu7NFctEIu-iDWXad6GunWWKCMnaRyvt__e_tfi11CiYvt20oq-_MeJANKPT6GHAsyavm_PtNpxQsVdaKpFLk_673aPz2pHbeiuoi6fFUQTXOEz3mzlWKFXGJRDS3Deg6v-iAhkc182XN9vl0ZSP5Fm5O6J4Y4tJtRdH7pb1v5fPajSXVaBcT3MiC4RKY.Ctza_MtdSMwkOgdCD26V1hTDzPexrVmU3gOhKYn5-6M&dib_tag=se&keywords=thinking+with+machines&qid=1763633694&s=digital-text&sprefix=thinking+with+amchine%2Cdigital-text%2C208&sr=1-1

⭐ 5 Key Takeaways

1. The future is “thinking with machines”—there is no opting out.
2. Sense-making is going to become the most valuable human skill.
3. AI will bifurcate humanity into superhuman performers and de-amplified dependents.
4. AI agents can now execute complex, multi-step workflows—data gathering, analysis, valuation, critique—mirroring expert reasoning.
5. Trust in AI depends on predictability and consequences of error.

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.
⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business processes.

#AI, #ArtificialIntelligence, #VasantDhar, #ThinkingWithMachines, #FutureOfWork, #AIAgents, #MachineLearning, #SenseMaking, #ContraMinds, #TechPodcast

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

Let's know what you liked and learnt!

The 10 Permissions: From Stuck to Self-Directed in a Fluid World

In this thought-provoking conversation, author and change-maker Jillian Reilly joins Swami to explore her powerful framework — The 10 Permissions — a new rulebook for navigating today’s fluid, unpredictable world. Together, we unpack what it means to upgrade our Adult Operating System, move from I am to I can, and replace fixed plans with curiosity-driven action. Jillian reveals how giving ourselves permission — to experiment, think small, go astray, and feel our way — transforms anxiety about change into agency and adaptability. From reimagining education and parenting to rebuilding culture at work, this episode is an invitation to stop waiting for approval and start designing a life that’s responsive, alive, and truly self-directed.

Order the Book: https://tenpermissions.com/

Key Insights

1️⃣ Permission Is the Bridge Between Intent and Action

Real change begins when we stop waiting for validation and give ourselves the authority to move.

2️⃣ Update Your Adult Operating System

Bring unconscious “rules for living” into awareness — and rewrite them for today’s fast-shifting realities.

3️⃣ Experiment and Think Small

Progress now comes from micro-moves and low-stakes trials, not grand five-year plans.

4️⃣ Feel Your Way Forward

Whole-body intelligence — instinct, emotion, and reflection — is becoming as critical as data and logic.

5️⃣ Redefine Success as Relevance

In a fluid, AI-driven world, sustained success depends on curiosity, continual reinvention, and embodied learning.
———

Timestamps

00:00:00 Intro — Welcome and Context

00:04:12 “We’re Living Through the Great Unraveling.”

00:08:10 “We’re All Running on an Old Operating System.”

00:14:11 “Shift from ‘I Am’ to ‘I Can.’”

00:18:57 “Permission Is the Bridge Between Intent and Action.”

00:22:21 “You Can’t Think Your Way to Growth.”

00:30:25 “Take Small Bets. Learn Faster.”

00:34:59 “Schools Are the Blackberry.”

00:40:01 “You Are Your Best Security.”

00:43:29 “Don’t Raise Obedient Kids. Raise Capable Ones.”

00:50:08 “Look for a Teacher, Not a Fight.”

00:55:03 “Preorders Are Permission in Action.”

00:57:14 “Success Will Be Measured by Relevance.”

00:58:50 “Curiosity Is the New Career Plan.”

01:00:34 “Don’t Stifle Your Strongest Ideas.”

01:02:15 “Permission-Givers Change the World.”

01:06:07 “You Can’t Think Your Way Into Being.”

#The10Permissions, #AdultingRules, #FutureOfWork, #AdaptiveMindset, #PersonalGrowth, #WholeBodyIntelligence, #CuriosityDrivenLife, #ReinventYourself, #ThinkSmallLearnFast, #EmotionalIntelligence, #BeWilfulGoAstrayFeelYourWay, #ContraMindsPodcast, #JillianReilly

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://www.goeffortless.ai

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

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Marketing attribution is one of the toughest challenges for modern marketers — and most get it wrong. In this episode of the ContraMinds Podcast, we sit down with Scott Desgrosseilliers, Founder & CEO of Wicked Reports, to decode what really works in measuring marketing impact.

Scott shares his journey of building Wicked Reports and explains why accuracy alone isn’t enough — attribution has to be actionable. He covers practical insights on choosing the right attribution model, measuring KPIs beyond ROAS, connecting online and offline journeys, and balancing experimentation with accountability.

If you’re a CMO, performance marketer, or entrepreneur looking to cut through the noise and understand what truly drives growth, this episode is packed with actionable wisdom.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
•Why marketing attribution isn’t about perfection but profitability
•How to align attribution models with campaign intent
•Which KPIs go beyond vanity metrics (like NCAC and New Visit %)
•How to bridge online and offline sales data
•The mindset every marketer needs: persistence + accountability

About Scott Desgrosseilliers
Scott Desgrosseilliers is the Founder & CEO of Wicked Reports, a pioneering marketing attribution platform built to give businesses clarity on what really drives growth. Today, Scott is known for his no-nonsense approach to attribution: transparent, actionable insights that cut through the noise and focus on profitability.

📌 Watch the Full Episode & Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:28 Accuracy Is Table Stakes—Actionability Wins
00:06:18 Pick the Right Model for the Job, Not a Holy Grail
00:10:37 Start from Real Sales, Tag Everything, Build the Timeline
00:21:33 You’ll Never Get 100%—Stack Signals and Move On
00:26:34 ROAS & CAC Aren’t Enough—Track NCAC and New-Visit %
00:31:34 Let Intent Decide the Model
00:36:57 Think TOF–MOF–BOF: Different KPIs at Every Stage
00:39:16 Bridge Online & Offline: Tie Every Sale to an Identifier
00:42:18 Offline Ads? Start from Test Drives, Not TV Ratings
00:45:26 Black-Box Models? Hard Pass. I Want Transparent Journeys
00:47:13 Use Last-Click When It Fits—Save Heavy Math for Real Journeys
00:51:26 Experiment Boldly. Be Accountable. Do Both
00:52:59 Start Local, Get Wins, Build a Portfolio
00:55:14 Skip the Textbooks—Follow Practitioners Who Ship
00:56:08 Persistence Beats Brains and Budget—Focus on Outcomes

#MarketingAttribution #DigitalMarketing #MarketingAnalytics #CustomerJourney #BusinessGrowth #MarketingTips #EcommerceMarketing #MarketingStrategy #AdTech #CMOInsights #PerformanceMarketing #DataDrivenMarketing #Entrepreneurship #Growthmindset #MarketingPodcast

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

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Discover how to prepare for the biggest career changes in your 50s with tips on lifelong learning, curiosity, and adapting to the future of work. Start investing in your personal growth and professional excellence now!

Essential listening for anyone wondering how to navigate the reality that 50 is just the beginning of your second professional act.

Why 50 is the Half-Time of Your Professional Career
In this thought-provoking conversation, Neeraj Sagar, founder of Wisdom Circle and Stanford Centre for Longevity Global Ambassador, challenges everything we think we know about career planning and retirement in the age of longevity.

Key Insights:

1. With lifespans extending and retirement ages shifting, your 50s mark the midpoint, not the wind-down, of your professional journey.

2. India has one of the world's youngest median ages yet 150 million people over 60 (that'll be 300 million by 2050). We're unprepared for what people will actually do with extended lifespans.

3. Experienced professionals offer what AI cannot - institutional memory, judgment about what NOT to do, and hard-earned shortcuts that only come from decades of practice.

4. Successful post-50 professionals must structure their weeks around multiple pillars: 2 days monetizing expertise, 1 day teaching, 1 day social impact, and 3 days for learning, family, and personal growth.

5. While everyone chases general management roles, the real value lies in deep specialization. Companies desperately seek true experts.

6. Adaptability requires dual curiosity - understanding yourself and staying current with the changing world. The ability to continuously learn, unlearn, and relearn becomes your career insurance policy.

7. Early savings, compound interest, and proper health insurance become critical foundations for later-career flexibility.

Timestamps
00:05:18 “we’re all living longer, but doing what?”
00:12:14 “big companies will struggle, new ones will define the future of work”
00:17:48 “white hair made people treat me as wiser — whether I was ready or not”
00:25:10 “the per-unit cost of wisdom gets cheaper with age”
00:31:00 “curiosity is the fuel — without it, your runway is short”
00:35:58 “this is what a happy 65-year old’s life should look like”
00:44:07 “ai tells you what to do, good experts tell you what NOT to do”
00:47:51 “today, success is not titles — it’s the joy of impact”
00:50:22 “do more with your hands — mow lawns, print books, flip burgers”
00:52:12 “the real dream is learning how to keep going, no matter what”
00:54:00 “you are who you are when no one is looking”
00:55:11 “don’t worry about what others think—just own your beliefs”

This episode was made possible by the great folks at https://goaffortless.ai.
⁠Effortless⁠ has been designed to be user-friendly, aiding you in your journey to streamline financial tasks. Experience the convenience of achieving e-Invoicing and E-way Bill Generation in just a couple of clicks, simplifying your business pr

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds

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In this ultimate guide, we'll dive into the world of marketing to Gen Z, the most digitally savvy generation yet. As a business leader, entrepreneur, or marketer, it's crucial to understand what makes this generation tick and how to engage with them effectively and successfully.

In this episode of the Super CMO Show, Srinjoy Das, a young marketing leader of par excellence, having hands-on experience at digital-first companies like Krafton, Tencent, and Airtel, reveals the future of marketing. From his civil engineering background at NIT Trichy to his finance-heavy education at IIM Calcutta, Srinjoy brings a unique analytical perspective to modern marketing.

He discusses why marketers must become fluent in finance to gain credibility with CEOs and CFOs, shares the science behind viral content creation, and explains how to engage Gen Z audiences authentically. The conversation covers everything from building content-first campaigns to understanding the metrics that matter in digital marketing, offering actionable insights for marketers navigating today’s competitive landscape.

This conversation will serve as a master class for great learning, personal development and self-improvement, will act as an inspiration and motivation to any aspiring marketer, business leader, entrepreneur or founder, and to enhance their marketing skills and understanding to market to Gen Z.

About Srinjoy
Srinjoy Das is a marketing professional with extensive experience in digital-first companies including Krafton (PUBG Mobile), Tencent, and Airtel. He has worked across gaming, entertainment, and telecom sectors, specialising in viral marketing, Gen Z engagement, and data-driven marketing strategies. At Krafton, he has led marketing campaigns that achieved record-breaking engagement and helped launch BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) with the “India Ki Heartbeat” campaign.

5 Marketing Insights from Krafton's Srinjoy Das:

💰 Speak Finance or Stay Irrelevant CMOs must know ROC & margins to get CEO buy-in. Finance-fluent marketers win budgets; brand-only thinkers get sidelined.

🎬 Entertainment > Advertising Nobody remembers Airbnb's slogan, but viral content builds loyalty. Create stories, not ads.

🔄 Gen Z: Always Be Surprising Zero switching costs = constant innovation needed. One boring campaign and they're gone forever.

🚀 Virality = Science, Not Luck Track shares over views. Master: 5-second hooks, high AVD, authentic insights. Views are bought; engagement is earned.

💬 Comments > Focus Groups 2-3 lakh monthly comments beat any traditional research. Real users give real insights—skip the glass walls.

Timestamps
00:03:00 - 00:05:21 - From Civil Engineering to Marketing
00:05:21 - 00:08:48 - Why Choose Startups Over Traditional Companies?
00:08:48 - 00:15:31 - Why Finance Knowledge is Critical for Marketers
00:15:31 - 00:23:01 - Finance-First Marketing: Convincing CEOs with ROC & Margins
00:23:01 - 00:29:32 - Building Engagement Through Content & Context
00:29:32 - 00:34:19 - Does Content Marketing Work for Traditional Brands?
00:34:19 - 00:

🔗 Links & Resources:
ContraMinds: https://www.contraminds.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://blog.contraminds.com

🎧 Listen on Podcast Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xceASphmwAjJONTlsvo2Y
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contraminds-decoding-people-minds-strategy-and-culture/id1485202972

Follow ContraMinds:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contraminds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contraminds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contraminds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contraminds