We're back with our latest episode! It's one that's very close to our hearts for a variety of reasons. Today's guest is Kishore Natarajan, an IITM alumnus and the co-founder of Hyperverge (where Sabya works), a deep-tech startup based out of Bangalore and San Francisco. Interviewing Kishore was something that was always on the back of our minds and we had a great time speaking to him about his time at IITM, the joy of entrpreneurship and the struggles faced by young founders. He shares several fascinating stories, right from how the team came up with the name 'Hyperverge' to how they handled failure and retained talent. We had a lot of fun speaking to him and we hope y'all will enjoy the episode as well!

We're back with Episode 3 of Season 2.1! Today's episode is a crash course on entrepreneurship, creativity and hope. Our guest today is Vinamra Pandiya, a serial entrepreneur who's currently working on his latest venture, GoNuts, a platform that connects celebrities to fans like never before. Vinamra has founded four companies over the last 15 years, and in this episode, he talks about the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur. Much of his life does feel like a movie (he was almost kidnapped!) and his riveting anecdotes certainly make this episode one to keep coming back to. Besides the startup stories, Vinamra also gives a healthy dose of life gyan that's bound to motivate you if you've had a few bad days. In his words - "Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen"

In today's episode, we take a break from regular programming to welcome a very special guest, *drumroll please*, our very own host, Surya. Over the past few months, Surya has received offers from IIM A, B & C. and scored a 770 on the GMAT. In this episode, he takes us through the pattern and difficulty level of both these exams while also sharing some valuable tips from his own preparation journey. We also talk about the infamous IIM interviews, and Surya shares some pointers on how one can go about preparing for them. If you're someone looking to ace these entrance exams and secure an MBA admit (or just have a good laugh), this is the episode for you.

For queries related to CAT and GMAT prep, you can reach out to Surya at surya.sureshiitm@gmail.com

We're finally back after what feels like a very long time! It's been over a year since our first ever episode, and today we're here with Season 2.1, our attempt to salvage a rather short Season 2. Today's guest is the coolest professor you'll ever meet. He's a cyclist, wilderness explorer, TedX speaker, and all-around amazing person. Today, we welcome Prof. Ganesh Nayak from Manipal to the podcast, and in this episode, we start out by talking to him about what prompted him to start cycling. He talks about his struggles with nicotine addiction and about how he built a cycling habit to replace his smoking habit. We then talk about his adventures in the Himalayas, and he shares some truly riveting and inspiring stories. If these stories don't renew your faith in human potential, we don't know what will :p. He also takes us through his stint at the Outdoor Leadership Academy in Alaska and his current role at Manipal. It's a truly amazing story, and hopefully, it'll help each one of us take the first steps towards leading a more fulfilling life.

You can connect with Prof. Ganesh on IG - @ganeshabybike

How much can one person do during a lifetime? After this interview, we had to go back to our drawing boards and rethink our answers to this question. Today’s guest is Dr. Ganesh Natarajan. He has been a CEO for nearly 2 decades; he’s authored several books; he holds both a Ph.D. and a management degree; he's held board positions on several companies; he has been the chairman of NASSCOM, and he is actively involved in social work. Oh, and he’s also an investor and an entrepreneur, currently building The 5F World, an organization dedicated to realizing the dream of a Digital India. At heart, however, Dr. Ganesh is a communicator, and in this episode, we begin by talking about the importance of communication and how anyone can become a better communicator. Dr. Ganesh also talks about his leadership principles and shares some fascinating anecdotes from his time as the CEO of Aptech (Keep an ear out for the Biriyani parties :p). All this makes for an enlightening and fun episode that holds several useful insights for every student and young professional. 

You can find Dr. Ganesh here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ganeshnatarajan/?originalSubdomain=in

https://twitter.com/GaneshNatarajan?s=20

We're back with Episode 3 of Season 2. Last time, we spoke to Kainaz Messman, the founder of Theobroma, about building a traditional brick and mortar business. This time around, we speak to an entrepreneur on the other side of the spectrum, Karthik Sridharan, the founder of Flexiple, a tech-enabled business that helps companies hire freelance developers. Karthik graduated from BITS Pilani, spent a couple of years in IB, and then completed his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, where he realized that what he really wanted to do was to be an entrepreneur. 4 years later, that startup is now raking in $700,000 in revenues. In this episode, we talk to Karthik about the process of entrepreneurship, how does one get the 'idea', how do you build a team, how do you market your service and how do you build a brand. Karthik shares anecdotes and insights from his journey as an entrepreneur, making this an episode no budding business enthusiast can afford to miss.

We're back with Episode 3 of Season 2. Last time, we spoke to Kainaz Messman, the founder of Theobroma, about building a traditional brick and mortar business. This time around, we speak to an entrepreneur on the other side of the spectrum, Karthik Sridharan, the founder of Flexiple, a tech-enabled business that helps companies hire freelance developers. Karthik graduated from BITS Pilani, spent a couple of years in IB, and then completed his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, where he realized that what he really wanted to do was to be an entrepreneur. 4 years later, that startup is now raking in $700,000 in revenues. In this episode, we talk to Karthik about the process of entrepreneurship, how does one get the 'idea', how do you build a team, how do you market your service and how do you build a brand. Karthik shares anecdotes and insights from his journey as an entrepreneur, making this an episode no budding business enthusiast can afford to miss. 

We are not in the food business, but we are in the business of making people happy. Iconic words from a guest that needs no introduction. In this episode, we are honored to welcome the founder of Theobroma, Kainaz Messman, onto the podcast. If you're among those who haven't had the chance to visit one of their stores yet, put it on your bucket list, right at the top. That's where it deserves to be. We are huge fans of Theobroma, as you can see, and in this episode, we talk to Kainaz about how it all began, the obstacles along the way, and about what has kept her going for nearly 17 years. Theobroma was built as a traditional family business and it still is one to a large degree, so in this episode, you'll hear about how a typical brick and mortar business is built without all the glitz and glamour of external funding. Kainaz is also candid about her struggles to emerge as a leader, and she talks about the importance of creating an environment of trust and mutual respect as an entrepreneur. If you're someone looking to start a business, this is a must-watch, and even if you're not, there's a lot to learn from this tale; about failure, passion, and the power of following your dreams. 

We received some amazing feedback about our first episode with Samarth. As promised, here we are with Part 2. In this episode, Samarth talks about his YIF experience at Ashoka University, what made it different from his engineering education, and how an incident near the end of the fellowship cemented his desire to continue pursuing filmmaking.  Samarth also shares his most memorable moments from filmmaking, some of which are certain to stay with you long after this episode. Near the end of the episode, he also promises to share his list of must-watch films and you can find this list on our Insta handle (@theotherside_podcast) by late evening today. 

We're back! Welcome to Season 2 of 'The Other Side'. We hope you missed us as much as we missed you. Our never-ending quest for diversity and inspiring stories continues in Season 2 and we're thrilled to inform you that we have achieved a modicum of success in this regard. Today, we are excited to welcome Samarth Mahajan onto the podcast. Samarth is a National Award-winning filmmaker and an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and Ashoka University. He is currently directing and producing 'Borderlands' - a documentary about how everyday lives intertwine with borders in the Indian sub-continent. In this episode, we talk to him about his life at IIT Kgp, his brief stint in the corporate world, and about what prompted him to take the plunge into film-making. Samarth is painfully candid about the misconceptions he had about life after college and about the struggles he faced as a budding filmmaker. In the first episode of Season 2, we have brought back the best of TOS, inspiring stories, hilarious anecdotes, and a dollop of life lessons. 

PS: Our famously long introductions are back as well. You can choose to skip it and head on to 3:50 to hear from Samarth:P. 

What better way to end our series on networking than by getting an insider to share her take on the topic? This week, we're joined by Astha Srivastava (a former program manager at LinkedIn), who has plenty to share about online hygiene checks, creating an online repository of your professional journey, and returning value to the networking platforms we use. That's not all, she also uncovers the ranking system within  LinkedIn and discusses how to make the best of one's Social Selling  Index (SSI). Join us for all this and more on the last episode of Networking on License to Skill. We hope we didn't bore you with an excess of Networking tips (but if you have a word or two to offer as feedback, don't hesitate to drop a message on our DMs!)

What should you spend your undergraduate life doing? What makes the IIT  experience special? How can you build strong and long-lasting relationships? How can you find your calling? If you're wondering about these questions, this episode is a must-watch. (For the episode with video, visit our YouTube page TOS: The Other Side). In this episode, Girish Ananthanarayanan - COO, Peepul and ex-McKinsey,  IIMA, and Dr. Nithin Sivadas - NASA, Boston University talk about their experiences at IIT Madras and how it shaped their lives. They talk about the importance of building strong relationships, having a sustainable lifestyle, and of fiercely protecting your individuality in college and beyond. Nithin and Girish share some fascinating (and hilarious)  anecdotes from their own lives and talk candidly about their own missteps and the lessons they've learned along the way. Given their unique paths since graduation, they also have some interesting insights about the opportunities available to one after graduation.

25000+ followers, 100+ posts, and over a million views. By all measures, Kamalika Poddar is a bona fide celebrity on LinkedIn. And in today's episode she shares the secret behind her success: content. We talk to Kamalika about her thought process, her approach to content creation, and how one should handle criticism on social media. She also talks about the benefits of content creation on LinkedIn and gives a few pointers on how one can get started with posting on LinkedIn. There's definitely a dearth of good content creators on LinkedIn and this could be your starting point to become LinkedIn's next influencer :P,

500+ connections, 100 followers, and 1000 profile views -- Do numbers mean anything in networking? Well, License to Skill is back with our next segment, in which we dissect the conundrums of networking on  LinkedIn. How strong is your network? Being a student, how can you reach out to a senior executive on LinkedIn? Can LinkedIn help you land that dream internship? Our guest this week is Pratyush, a final year student at IIT-BHU, and an incoming Solutions Architect at AWS who has done all the above. One of Pratyush's most prized accomplishments is a one-on-one virtual interaction with Satya Nadella, an opportunity that arose because of (no prizes for guessing) Linkedin. Pratyush is also a  techno-management professional with cross-functional experience in solving complex strategic, operational, and technological challenges. He has completed internships at AWS, Pfizer, RB, and Lybrate, some of which he landed through LinkedIn.   In this episode, we discuss network-building, expanding one's  connections, co d-emailing, and leaving a mark on LinkedIn. Listen in for a fun and engaging conversation!

It's great to be back! (The video of this episode is out on Youtube - (https://youtu.be/tTRTbVxKuUM). Today's episode is a very special one and brings down the curtains on our series 'From Insti and Beyond', which we ran in collaboration with the Alumni Relations Team of IIT Madras. Our guest today is Prof. Anima Anandkumar, a Bren Professor at Caltech and the  Director of ML Research at NVIDIA. Prof. Anima has acquired near-legendary status in both corporate research and academia and in this episode she talks about her life journey so far. We also talk to her about why she chose research as her path, about the AI revolution today and much more. Prof. Anima is also very vocal about furthering the cause of women in STEM and we talk to her about diversity (or lack thereof) in technical fields, the effect of patriarchy on Indian and American culture, and what we can do to create a better future. An episode peppered with fascinating anecdotes and a lot of sound life advice.

Networking has always been the buzz word in college circles. It's how you get that dream job or prestigious internship. In today's digital  age, LinkedIn has gained prominence as the finest networking tool there is. But just how can college students use Linkedin? Our first episode 'Linking-In' in our brand new series License to Skill drops today! We were fortunate to have Swathi Chandrasekaran (NIT-T, Columbia, a4 Advertising) join us as our first guest. In this episode, she takes our through her networking journey and reflects on how LinkedIn helped her in finding the right breaks. The episode also addresses some important myths surrounding LinkedIn: Is registering on LinkedIn the same as uploading my resume online? What's the one thing I should do and shouldn't do on LinkedIn? Listen on for answers to such questions and more, and don't forget to check out the video of the same on YouTube!

TOS is all set to launch yet another mini-series: License To Skill with a brand new host - Ranjani. In the first leg of the series, she will walk you through actionable pointers that you can apply to improve your existing network or make one, right from scratch. 

But that's not all, the License to Skill series will also cover:

- Content writing and SOP writing 

- Typesetting and Graphic Design

- Fitness and mental health

...and a bunch of other interesting topics seen through the eyes of students and fresh graduates with considerable expertise in these domains. 

Stay tuned and follow us for updates and all kinds of career advice (we're only sharing what we're hunting for ourselves, trust us!)

But before that, do tune into a fun informal episode featuring Sabya, Surya, and Ranjani, where they discuss what the new series promises and look back at their internship experiences (link in bio). Before we sign off, a huge shoutout to Gayathri (@iamascribble on Insta) for sacrificing sleep to meet our ill-advised eleventh-hour deadlines. (check our insta page for her work:D)

It's great to be back! Wish you a very happy Independence Day and we're here with the 5th episode of From Insti & Beyond, which we're running in collaboration with the Alumni Relations Cell of IIT Madras. Our guest today is Sarvesh Agrawal, Founder and CEO of Internshala, one of the most recognizable names among college students today. Before starting up, Sarvesh had spent a few years in the banking sector, and in this episode, he talks about why he made the transition to entrepreneurship, the importance of leaving a legacy, and the differences between entrepreneurship and the traditional ascent up the corporate ladder. We also talk to him about his life at IITM, about how his idea of success has changed over the years and about his advice for all the college students out there. An episode peppered with fascinating anecdotes and a must-listen for all the budding entrepreneurs out there. (Skip to 3:10 to hear from Sarvesh directly)

It's great to be back! We're here with the 4th episode of From Insti & Beyond, which we're running in collaboration with the Alumni Relations Cell of IIT Madras. Our guest today is Mithun Sundar, CEO of Lendingkart, one of India's most accomplished fintech startups. Over the course of his career, Mithun has occupied senior strategy and operational roles at Pepsi, Myntra, and McKinsey, and he also holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. In this episode, Mithun talks about what it takes to be successful (Hint: It's in the title) and about the lessons he has learned from his journey since graduating from IITM. We also talk to him about the Indian startup ecosystem, his appetite for risk, and his passion for Yoga (Mithun is a certified Yoga teacher!). An episode peppered with interesting stories and sound advice for the college grads out there - this is one we're sure you'll enjoy.  (Skip to 2:40 to hear from Mithun directly)

We're back! This time with the 3rd episode of our all-new series, From Insti & Beyond, which we're running in collaboration with the Alumni Relations Cell of IIT Madras. This week, we are thrilled to welcome Manoj Madhusudanan, CEO of India Operations at Dunnhumby - a global leader in customer data science. Over the course of his career, Manoj has primarily worked in consulting and professional services but he also started his own venture a couple of years ago. In this week's episode, he brings all that rich experience to the fore in one of the most candid and insightful conversations our hosts have had on the show. We cover a wide range of topics right from mentorship and leadership, to camping and meditation in an episode that is truly one to remember.