The Neon Show podcast

#Business #Siddhartha Ahluwalia #Entrepreneur

26:18

How do you know when it’s time to make your next big career move? With International Women’s Day around the corner, we are excited to feature Avni Patel Thompson, Founder and CEO of Milo. Avni is building technology that directly supports the often overlooked emotional and logistical labor that falls on parents—especially women. Milo is an AI assistant designed to help families manage that invisible load more efficiently. In this episode, Avni shares her journey from studying chemistry to holding leadership roles at global brands like Adidas and Starbucks, to launching her own ventures. She discusses how she approaches career transitions, the importance of unpleasant experiences, and why she’s focused on making everyday life easier for parents. [01:26] Avni's University Days and Early Career [04:36] Non-Linear Career Paths [05:16] Pursuing Steep Learning Curves [11:51] Entrepreneurship and Safety Nets [15:22] Lived Experiences and Milo [19:55] Avni’s In Her Ellement Moment [20:03] Reflections Links: Avni Patel Thompson on LinkedIn Suchi Srinivasan on LinkedIn Kamila Rakhimova on LinkedIn Ipsos report on the future of parenting About In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element? About The Hosts: Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030. Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders. Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.…

The Neon Show

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Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journey from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.

Hence was born the Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.

303 episódios

The Neon Show

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303 episódios

#Business #Siddhartha Ahluwalia #Entrepreneur

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The Neon Show

1
Winning the Best Deals & Building a Top VC Firm | Avnish Bajaj, Z47 Founder 1:18:01

há 4 dias1:18:01

1:18:01

In this episode, Avnish Bajaj, Founding Partner at Z47 (formerly Matrix Partners India), shares what it takes to build one of India's most competitive VC firms and land the best startup deals. With over 20 years of experience, Avnish has been at the forefront of India’s venture capital industry. He co-founded Matrix Partners India in 2006 after a successful entrepreneurial journey with Baazee.com, which he later sold to eBay, serving as its Chairman & Country Manager. From founder to angel investor to VC, Avnish has done it all—scaling businesses, backing category-defining startups, and navigating the challenges of venture investing. His portfolio includes Ola, Razorpay, Country Delight, Practo, Quikr, and many more. Tune in as we dive into his insights on winning the best deals, building a top-tier VC firm, and the evolving startup ecosystem in India. 0:00- Introduction 2:58 - How Founders Should Choose VCs? 9:02 - Z47 as an Operator-Led VC 15:32 - Generalist vs. Specialist VCs 20:24 - India’s VC Ecosystem in Last 20 Years 6:38 - First-Time vs. Second-Time Founders 31:48 - Founder-Market Fit Explained 35:18 - How LPs Allocate Money in India? 46:22 - How Investors Bet on Countries & Assets 52:09 - Can Tech Founders Run Multiple Businesses? 57:06 - Is India’s Market Ahead of Entrepreneurs? 1:01:10 - Rapid Fire: How Z47 Picks Founders 1:03:44 - Is Seed Stage Funding the Only Battle? 1:11:21 - When VCs Like the Founder, Not the Market 1:14:11 - Z47’s Work Ethic ---- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ---- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ---- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
Sharad Sharma On India’s Digital Playbook, UPI’s Rise & AI’s Future 1:59:10

há 10 dias1:59:10

1:59:10

In this episode of The Neon Show, we have Sharad Sharma, founder of iSPIRT, the technology think tank behind India Stack, Health Stack, and other digital public goods. If you want to understand where India’s digital space is headed, how AI can shape its future, and why strategic autonomy is critical, this episode is a must-watch! 0:00 – Introduction 03:12 – India’s aim to prevent digital colonization 05:00 – Democratising digital infrastructure 07:09 – UPI’s 2012 vision: intraday loan for Rajni 12:50 – The origin of ‘DPI’ & misconceptions in India 14:46 – Can India keep its first-mover advantage in DPI? 16:15 – How UPI lost to Brazil’s PIX 17:49 – Introduction to MOSIP & DEPA 19:22 – Did UPI fail to detach from government control? 20:33 – The world evaluates DPI with India’s 5 sutras 22:48 – DPI interoperability & India’s global leadership 25:23 – Managing $2-3 billion funding in India’s DPI ecosystem 27:03 – Why India must stay paranoid: The David vs. Goliath mindset 30:09 – Sam Altman doubted India’s AI, now wants in 33:25 – Facebook opposed net neutrality in India, backed it in the U.S. 36:46 – Regulatory Innovations: Cable TV, mutual funds & OTAs 40:19 – Did GST replace 4 tax filings with 36? 44:05 – Does India have a regulatory framework for digital? 51:06 – Scaling 10-100 with help from educational institutions 53:02 – Breaking away from Visa & Mastercard 55:47 – The ‘Stay in India’ checklist to bring back talent 59:58 – Grading India on DPI globalization 01:00:57 – U.S. antitrust battles & how they shaped big tech 01:08:25 – Building India’s AI ecosystem using its data advantage 01:12:50 – Picking India’s battles in AI: healthcare as an opportunity 01:15:00 – Can India build its own AI assistants? 01:17:56 – Why India must update academia & build industrial labs 01:22:18 – DEPA: Enabling Low-Cost Access to Non-Public Data 01:27:55 – UPI was age & color blind, DEPA won’t be 01:31:06 – How will India approach AI regulation? 01:39:05 – Creating ‘landing spots’ for Indian AI talent 01:41:53 – Five key actions for India’s AI success 01:45:01 – Hiring call for India’s AI & DPI visionaries 01:51:55 – Building Co’s for India’s strategic autonomy ---- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ---- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ---- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
Zerodha’s Move Into A ₹68 Lakh Cr Industry | Vishal Jain On Expanding India’s 8% Investor Base 43:45

há 18 dias43:45

43:45

In this episode, we have Vishal Jain, CEO of Zerodha Fund House, who brings over two decades of experience in building ETFs and passive investment products. From launching India’s first-ever ETF with Benchmark AMC in 2001 to now leading the country’s first passive-only AMC, Vishal has contributed through various roles to India's financial markets. We break down: - The history of mutual funds in India from the 1960s to today’s ₹68 Lakh Cr AUM industry. - Why index funds & ETFs are transforming retail investing. - How retail participation is growing (but why 2/3rd of investors still hesitate). - Vishal's investing philosophy is rooted in a belief in India's growth story, beyond the obvious goal to beat inflation. - The role of gold as a portfolio hedge, even for those bullish on India. - Zerodha Fund House’s vision—Can passive investing truly take over? If you're curious about where India's investment space is headed and how you can position yourself wisely, this episode is a must-watch! 2:10 - History of mutual funds in India 7:09 - Exchange-traded funds 10:13 - Employee Provident Fund in ETFs 11:01 - Why COVID increased trading activity? 12:36 - Is now a good time to invest? 14:02 - How Vishal builds his portfolio 16:18 - Trends in India’s mutual fund adoption 17:44 - Why only 1/3rd of retail investors buy mutual funds? 21:36 - Can investment markets learn from OTT growth? 22:52 - Does India need more mutual fund providers? 23:51 - Is India’s growth limited to the top 1%? 27:06 - Can you buy mutual funds w/o a demat account? 28:07 - Physical gold vs. gold ETFs 29:34 - Who’s buying mutual funds? 33:11 - What’s driving usage of financial products? 34:26 - AI’s role in customer acquisition 36:40 - What’s Zerodha Fund building? 38:32 - Risk & return across asset classes 40:12 - Is Vishal bullish on India’s future? --- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. --- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ------------- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
Investor And Policymaker Jayant Sinha On Indian Economy And India’s Net Zero Goals 1:18:57

há 25 dias1:18:57

1:18:57

A seasoned investor who ran India's Finance Ministry. This week on The Neon Show, we welcome Jayant Sinha—Investor, Policy Maker, and former Minister of Finance & Civil Aviation. Mr. Sinha shares how the government builds innovative investment solutions for startups and large-scale funding programs for institutions. He played a key role in launching a ₹2,000 crore Fund of Funds, which invests in startups through domestic VCs. He was also instrumental in establishing India’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, managing ₹39,000 crore in assets as of 2024. As Civil Aviation Minister, he worked on policies like UDAN to make aviation more inclusive and played a key role in DigiYatra, driving digital transformation in air travel. Mr. Sinha is focused on policies that drive India’s economic growth in a climate-conscious way. From research to action, he is working across policy, investment, and technology to shape India’s path towards Net Zero. Read Jayant Sinha’s Latest book : “India’s Green Startups:Entrepreneurs That are Driving Growth” - https://www.amazon.in/India%EF%BF%BDs-Green-Startups-Entrepreneurs-Paperback/dp/9353458633 00:00 - Highlights 03:01 – Growing up in a diplomat household 05:34 – Working at McKinsey 06:48 – The Opportunity cost of a political career 08:03 – From Harvard to Hazaribagh 09:18 – Exposure to Policymaking & elections 11:52 – First electoral win in 2014 14:37 – Twice chosen as Union Minister 15:33 – Arun Jaitley: Also an Excellent Advocate 16:55 – India’s Sovereign Wealth fund 18:17 – Higher Education Financing Agency 19:32 – Taxation of Alternative Investment Funds 20:17 – Fund of Funds for Domestic VC’s 21:47 – Aviation Reforms: UDAN & Digiyatra 30:26 – Privatization of Air India 33:32 – India’s vision to lead globally 35:42 – India's path to a green future 39:31 – The CO₂ blanket effect 42:04 – Nuclear fusion as a zero-carbon solution 44:24 – Why land will be hotter 46:13 – How climate change affects Economy 48:57 – India’s Net Zero Goals 50:04 – $1 Trillion Investment to Finance Net Zero 55:00 – Scaling green businesses in India 56:26 – Global North’s carbon responsibility vs India’s emissions 1:00:52 – Chronic health effects of pollution on children 1:02:07 – What India can learn from Beijing 1:06:42 – India’s Net Zero Bill & global legislation 1:08:08 – Personal connection to The Environmental Cause 1:12:47 – Trump’s impact on the global green mission 1:15:05 – Why India must invest in R&D --- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. --- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 --- This video is for info Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
2X SaaS Founder: How To Sell Global Tech Products From India | Sharath Narayana 1:27:00

há 4 weeks1:27:00

1:27:00

In this episode, Sharath shares his journey of building two successful AI-driven enterprise solutions. Sharath Keshava Narayana, founder of Sanas and Observe shares his market-product fit approach of winning enterprise clients in the US- Identifying large, underserved markets and solving their biggest problems. He also dives into fundraising stories, from getting into Y Combinator to attracting top VCs, leading to an $8 million seed round. Sharath emphasizes why founders must be great sellers and how building the right team early on is crucial for scaling a business. If you're looking to build a SaaS company, expand into the US market, or understand the power of AI-driven enterprise solutions, this episode is a must-watch! ________ 00:00 - Trailer 01:50 – Early Entrepreneurial Days: From India to the US 07:10 – Building a US Clientele for an Indian Product 10:55 – Idea Stage of Observe.AI 15:20 – Raising the First Cheque 16:35 – Y Combinator: From Application to Selection 20:38 – Inbound from Top VC’s 24:53 – Meeting the Sanas Co-Founders 27:29 – Raising Funds Pre-Product & Pre-Revenue 30:10 – The Sanas Investment Thesis 34:03 – What Drove Success at Observe & Sanas 38:09 – Drawing Parallels in Building Two Companies 45:00 – Scaling Challenges: Hiring & Team Building 50:15 – Fundraising Lessons: Always Be Ready 54:17 – Market-Product Fit vs. Product-Market Fit 57:10 – Solving the Black Box of Call Centers 59:12 – Solving for Speech-to-Speech in Real Time 1:05:15 – Thoughts on The Neon Fund 1:07:03 – Bengaluru vs. Bay Area 1:11:10 – Founders Must Be Sellers 1:19:42 – Do Indian Founders Underprice? 1:23:13 – Final Thoughts: Likeability as a Founder --- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. --- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 --- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
How We Closed Our Biggest Fund ($300M) | Alok & Ritesh | Stellaris Venture Partners 1:29:11

há 6 weeks1:29:11

1:29:11

Venture Capitalists on Venture Capital In this episode we have Alok Goyal and Ritesh Banglani, Partners at Stellaris Venture Partners, one of India’s top VC firms. We go into details on running a VC firm in India. We discuss the ambition of Indian founders, what are the next B2B SaaS billion-dollar outcomes, market-first vs. founder-first investments, decision-making process at Stellaris and why DPI (Distributed to Paid-in Capital) is the ultimate measure of success. If you’re curious about how top VCs invest, what makes a great fund, and what advantages Indian startups have in the AI race then this episode is for you. 0:00 - Stellaris Venture Partners Introduction 0:50 - How Stellaris Measures Success 3:16 - Deal Sourcing in Venture Capital 5:40 - Coverage Ratio in Venture Capital 7:39 - Contrarian Bets: Mamaearth and Whatfix 9:34 - Independent Conviction in Venture Capital 12:03 - Trust in Venture Partnerships 15:12 - The War Stories Behind Stellaris’ First Fundraise 18:10 - Fundraising during COVID 22:30 - How Stellaris Raised Its Third Fund 26:31 - Stellaris’ Investment Strategy 30:08 - Founder-First Vs. Market-first Investments 36:32 - Strengths of Stellaris’ Four Partners 41:07 - Culture of Open Disagreement in Decision-Making 48:08 - The Ambition Levels of Indian Founders 50:08 - Next Billion-Dollar SaaS Companies From India 56:17 - How Venture Investing in India Has Changed 57:38 - Decision-Making in Stellaris vs. Other VC firms 1:07:43 - Global AI Trends and Stellaris’ Investment Thesis 1:11:31 - Opportunity For Indian AI Startups 1:16:17 - How Stellaris is Evolving with Time 1:17:24 - The Need for Bigger Outcomes in Fund Three ------------- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ------------- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ------------- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
75 Minutes Of Pure Business Insights From The Man Behind BigBasket, BlueStone & HomeLane 1:15:49

há 8 weeks1:15:49

1:15:49

Ganesh Krishnan is the man behind some of India’s most iconic startups, including BigBasket, Bluestone, Homelane, and TutorVista—India’s first ed-tech startup before ed-tech was even a category. Ganesh explains how he thinks about business opportunities in India, why he keeps it simple, and why Indian entrepreneurs need to keep it simple. He shares candid stories—from raising BigBasket’s first $10M on a flight to successfully exiting an ed-tech company 15 years ago. If you’re curious about India’s startup ecosystem and want to understand what works in India, this episode is for you! Read Ganesh Krishnan's latest book: Mastering Disruption: A Practical Guide to Understanding New-Age Business Models Timestamps 00:00 - Trailer 01:37 - Introduction to K. Ganesh 02:05 - Ganesh's Entrepreneurial Journey 03:32 - The Growth Story Model 06:28 - Challenges and Successes in Fundraising 09:25 - Case Study: The BigBasket Story 22:12 - Business Models and Market Timing 33:51 - Opportunities in India's Broken Systems 41:44 - The Evolution of Business Models 42:15 - Valuation of Loss-Making Companies 42:51 - Network Effects and Demand Economies of Scale 43:51 - Platform Businesses vs Traditional Businesses 46:27 - Challenges in Platform and Marketplace Ventures 50:36 - Exploring SaaS and FinTech Opportunities 51:41 - Growth and Monetization Challenges 57:44 - Consumer Behavior and Microtransactions 01:06:08 - The Rise of Quick Commerce 01:09:21 - Vertical Software and Generative AI 01:15:43 - What’s Next for India’s Startups Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ------------- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ------------- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
Nvidia’s Success, Chip Race, India’s Semiconductor Mission, & Hardware Vs Software with Raja Manickam 1:06:26

há 8 weeks1:06:26

1:06:26

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the fascinating history of semiconductors, their evolution over the years, the rise of old giants and new disruptors, and explore why India has yet to produce a leader in one of the most important technological races of all time. Raja Manickam, a serial entrepreneur in the semiconductor industry, shares from his decades of experience about the business and science of semiconductors and offers a glimpse into the future Timestamps 0:00 - Trailer 1:20 - Introduction 2:10 - History of Semiconductors 2:56 - Raja Manickam’s Journey in the Semiconductor Industry 7:02 - Evolution of Semiconductors Over Time 9:49 - Why Silicon Valley? 11:30 - NVIDIA: A Leader in Chips 14:55 - Competition in the Semiconductor Industry 17:31 - Building Microprocessors 23:08 - The Race for Top Talent 27:41 - NVIDIA’s Journey with CUDA and Artificial Intelligence 32:03 - NVIDIA’s Market Dominance 35:07 - How Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Became NVIDIA’s Key Customers 36:13 - IBM’s Transformation: Market Leader to Reinvention 37:48 - India’s Journey in Semiconductors and IT Services 43:22 - Why India Lacks Semiconductor Giants 48:00 - India’s ₹100,000 Crore Semiconductor Plan 57:28 - IVP: Outsourcing Chipmaking and Focusing on Design 1:01:22 - Cost of Starting a Semiconductor Manufacturing Company 1:05:38 - India’s Vision for Its Semiconductor Future Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ------------- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ------------- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
How India’s Leadership is Shaping the Future with R. Balasubramaniam, Capacity Building Commission 58:08

há 9 weeks58:08

58:08

India’s leadership story is a fascinating journey full of lessons for anyone looking to make an impact. In just two years, opening up the space economy has led to over 100 new startups in aerospace, sparking innovation and fueling the dreams of a new generation of changemakers. And it doesn’t stop there—India is heavily investing in future-focused areas like green hydrogen, quantum computing, and the blue economy, showing a clear vision for industries that will define tomorrow. Drawing from its rich heritage, India blends ancient wisdom with modern governance. Texts like the Arthashastra guide policies that empower people and prioritize collective welfare. Initiatives like Aadhaar and participatory governance models reflect these principles in action, bringing millions into the financial mainstream and fostering inclusive growth. Experts believe India’s leadership also addresses the need for decolonization—not just in reclaiming cultural pride, but in rediscovering its intellectual confidence. This leadership model, rooted in inclusivity, resilience, and innovation, is steering India into a brighter future. In this episode of The NEON Show, Dr R. Balasubramaniam, author, member of the Capacity Building Commission (Government of Bharat), and Chairperson of the Social Stock Exchange Advisory Committee at SEBI, shares the essence of Indic leadership as explored in his book Power Within. Time stamp 00:00 Intro 00:12 Dr. Balu’s contributions to rural service 00:41 Current roles: Capacity Building Commission member & Rhodes Professor 00:55 Overview of "Power Within" 01:13 Journey: From physician to policymaker 02:16 India’s traditional wisdom in governance 03:08 PM Modi’s leadership focus in Balu’s analysis 05:24 Modi’s ethos of service (Seva Bhaav) 08:09 Modi’s leadership during Morbi tragedy 10:06 RSS philosophy: Cultural nationalism & service 13:15 Overcoming colonial mindsets to restore pride 17:09 Participatory governance: Janbhagidari & Mission Karmayogi 23:57 Revamping civil services training 26:08 Influence of Ramakrishna Mission’s seva philosophy 28:01 Panch Pran: Vision for a self-reliant India 29:51 Chanakya Niti: Ancient leadership principles 34:38 Decisive actions: Doklam, surgical strikes, Pulwama 38:14 Challenges in implementing farm laws 45:51 Repeal of Article 370: J&K integration 50:05 India’s balanced foreign policy (Russia-Ukraine, Qatar) 52:03 Comparing Modi’s leadership to global icons ----- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ----- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ----- This video Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
Celebrating Ratan Tata’s Contribution To India’s Success Story with Harish Bhat Ex-Brand Custodian, Tata Group 55:31

há 10 weeks55:31

55:31

Harish Bhat, ex-Brand Custodian of the Tata Group, joins us to share unique moments from the extraordinary life of Ratan Tata. From creating India’s first indigenous car, Tata Indica, to his on-ground response during the 26/11 Taj Hotel attacks, to the Tata Finance crisis, to leading India’s fight against cancer, Ratan Tata led from the front. Harish shares how he first met Ratan Tata and the personal note he received, highlighting Ratan Tata’s integrity, humility, and more-than-a-businessman philosophy. Tune in to know more about one of India’s greatest icons. Timestamps 00:00 - Trailer 02:20 – Introduction 02:39 – Reflecting on Jamshedji Tata’s Legacy 04:13 – Celebrating Ratan Tata’s Life 05:46 – First Meeting with Ratan Tata 08:26 – The Birth of Tata Indica 16:31 – Ratan Tata’s Dedication to Healthcare 19:23 – Handling the Tata Finance Crisis 25:19 – Ratan Tata’s Response to 26/11 29:05 – A Story of Grace and Dignity 31:33 – A Personal Note from Ratan Tata 33:20 – Defining Characteristics of Ratan Tata 34:03 – Influences and Inspirations 35:49 – Ratan Tata’s Vision for the Tata Group 37:53 – Fondness for Dogs and Bombay House 40:01 – Legacy and Transformation of the Tata Group 43:31 – Philanthropy and Nation Building 46:18 – Reflections on Ratan Tata’s Leadership 52:50 – Lessons and inspirations from Ratan Tata’s life Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ------- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ------- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
Facebook India's First Employee: "How I Built A $1B Business" | Kirthiga Reddy 1:06:08

há 11 weeks1:06:08

1:06:08

In 2010, Facebook opened its first office in India, four years after it went online. They needed someone bold to lead their journey in India which had a major customer base potential. That someone was Kirthiga Reddy. Under Kirthiga’s leadership, Facebook not only grew its user base but also planted deep roots in a complex and rapidly evolving digital ecosystem. Today, India has the most Facebook users with over 448 million, followed by the US (258 million). After six years of phenomenal growth at Facebook, Kirthiga decided it was time for a new challenge. In 2018, she became the first female partner at SoftBank Vision Fund, managing over $5 billion in investments. Today, Kirthiga leads her own venture, Verix, focusing on trust, transparency, and community-driven solutions. In this episode of the NEON Show, Kirthiga Reddy shares her inspiring journey. From a small-town upbringing in India to building Facebook in India, Kirthiga takes us through the challenges of scaling operations, transforming workplace culture, and driving growth. She also opens up about her transition to SoftBank. From leading the fund’s first investments in quantum computing and additive manufacturing, Kirthiga shares how she worked closely with founders to shape strategies and scale businesses. Timestamps 00:00 - Trailer 01:51 - Intro 02:09 - Kirthiga’s career from Facebook India to SoftBank 03:17 - Childhood in Nanded shaping values 04:46 - Early career programming for Let Us C 06:20 - Masters in the US and arranged marriage 08:33 - Syracuse University and joining its Board 09:30 - Silicon Graphics high-tech projects 12:20 - Stanford MBA and transition to business 17:58 - Startup role in product management 21:20 - Motorola acquisition and return to India 23:08 - Meeting Sheryl Sandberg 27:32 - Joining Facebook as its first Indian employee 28:50 - Facebook’s 100-100-100 strategy 30:40 - Building a Facebook culture 35:30 - Personally hiring Facebook India’s first 100 employees 36:45 - Success stories of early hires 37:50 - Leaving Facebook to balance family and career 45:20 - Joining SoftBank & managing $5B in investments 47:19 - Key investments in IonQ and 8fold.ai 52:38 - Transition from SoftBank to new ventures 56:14 - Founding Verix and Virtualness 57:00 - AI-first companies and tech vision 01:00:28 - India’s thriving tech ecosystem 01:03:51 - Vision for Verix, Virtualness, and social impact Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ----- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ----- This show is for informational purposes only. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
How Erik Allebest Built $150 Million+ Chess Empire 1:12:38

há 12 weeks1:12:38

1:12:38

How a 1,500-Year-Old Game Became an Online Sensation It started as a simple idea in 2005—a hub for chess enthusiasts to connect, chat, and share their love for the game. Erik Allebest and Jay Severson, two college buddies with a shared passion for strategy, had just purchased the domain Chess.com for $55,000. Initially, it was a forum, but then the demand for online play began to soar. In 2007, they launched the first subscription-based version of Chess.com. Within a few years, the platform began to gain members and marked its place as the go-to site for chess lovers. In 2023, it hosted the first-ever Champions Chess Tour, offering a record-breaking $2 million prize pool. Last year alone, 12.5 billion games were played on Chess.com—an astonishing 35 million games per day. In this episode of the NEON Show, Erik Allebest, co-founder of Chess.com, discusses his journey from a chess enthusiast to creating the world's largest online chess platform. He talks about his entrepreneurial start, the hurdles in building a sustainable business, and key moments in Chess.com’s success, including lawsuits, early VC rejections, a $600 million valuation, and scaling during the pandemic. Timestamp 00:00 - Introduction 02:06 - Family influence on Erik’s entrepreneurial mindset 05:00 - Falling in love with chess at 18 through books 07:25 - Selling an e-commerce business to fund chess.com 09:00 - Founding challenges and initial growth struggles 13:50 - Why conventional careers didn’t suit Erik 18:30 - Settling lawsuits, including the vodka-based case 21:50 - Persevering despite doubts about the chess market 22:55 - General Atlantic’s investment in chess.com 26:10 - Key insights learned from investor partnerships 29:56 - Shifting from entrepreneur to CEO 33:24 - Erik’s passion for creating products 37:18 - How media boosted chess’s popularity globally 44:23 - The downsides of rapid monetization 46:53 - Managing chess.com’s pandemic-driven growth 50:06 - Erik’s focus on sustainability and future growth 56:00 - India’s cultural impact on global chess 59:24 - Erik’s views on digital security risks 01:03:40 - Why employees stay for passion, not just pay 01:07:26 - Erik’s belief in chess’s continued global growth 01:09:00 - Embracing errors as learning opportunities ----- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ----- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ----- This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
How Trade Wars Reshape Countries and The Future of India-US Relations with Matein Khalid 57:37

há 13 weeks57:37

57:37

These farmers lost around $1.72B in a single morning. It was all because of tit-for-tat import taxes. But what really happened and who were these farmers? It all started when Donald Trump walked into the White House in January 2017, promising to take on what he called “unfair trade” with China. March 2018, Trump slapped $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, aiming straight at the heart of China’s industrial ambitions—its "Made in China 2025" strategy. This marked the start of the trade war. April, 2018, Beijing hit where it hurt—Trump’s voter base. It announced a 25% tariff on American soybeans, cars, and chemicals. And it wasn’t just any random pick. China was the biggest buyer of U.S. soybeans, importing 60% of all U.S. exports. The markets reacted immediately and soybean prices went into free fall, erasing $1.72 billion in market value by morning. Farmers who relied on China as their primary buyer suddenly found themselves staring at massive losses. In this episode of The NEON Show, Matein Khalid, a seasoned financial advisor, shares his fascinating four-decade journey. Starting as a teenage trader in Dubai, he later advised corporate boards and family offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the US. Matein talks about global trade, geopolitics, and economic strategies, providing insights on the US-China trade war, Trump's economic policies, and shifting global power dynamics. Check out Matein's writings here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mateinkhalid/ Timestamps 00:00 – Trailer 01:17 – Introduction 02:38 – Matein’s early trading and wealth management 04:37 – Trump’s unpredictability in geopolitics 06:04 – Rise of China hawks in US policy 07:40 – India’s edge in US-China tensions 09:50 – Starlink vs. Indian telecoms 10:30 – US Steel and political influence 12:51 – China’s slowdown and unemployment 19:02 – US K-shaped recovery and inequality 21:46 – US debt crisis and risks 26:41 – Adani controversy’s geopolitical angle 31:17 – Possible end to Russia-Ukraine war 33:55 – Israel weakens Iran’s air defense 37:35 – Trump’s isolationist policies 41:02 – Trade and capital flows in forex 42:39 – South Korea’s political turmoil 48:04 – Syria’s proxy wars reignite 52:04 – Modi’s UAE visit boosts financial flows 54:34 – India’s entrepreneurial spirit ------------ Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ------------- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ------ This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professio Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
Lessons From 25 Years of Investing with Boris Wertz, Founder and GP, Version One Ventures 53:28

há 14 weeks53:28

53:28

In this episode of the NEON Show, Boris Wertz, a renowned venture capitalist and entrepreneur, shares his extensive journey through the tech and investment world over the past 25 years. From founding a company that was acquired by Amazon to becoming an investor and backing emerging fund managers globally, Boris offers a rich and unique perspective on the evolution of venture capital. Timestamp 00:00 - Trailer 01:40 - Introduction and background 03:17 - Journey as a venture capitalist 04:49 - Boris’s first investments in emerging managers 07:32 - Why is Boris so focused on the Indian market? 09:48 - Fund sizes and strategy 13:03 - VC returns and liquidity 16:06 - Boris’s key learnings from successes and failures 21:20 - Themes like AI, crypto, and climate tech 25:00 - India as the next frontier 28:50 - Challenges Indian entrepreneurs face 35:46 - Boris’s concept of minimum viable fund 39:10 - Cycles in venture capital 43:46 - A16z board partner program 48:45 - Evolution of venture capital mindsets ------------- Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. ------------- Check us out on: Website: https://neon.fund/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww Connect with Siddhartha on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/ Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7 ------ This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice. Send us a text…

The Neon Show

1
India's Silent Economic Revolution with Ashok Lahiri, Former Chief Economic Advisor 1:04:14

há 15 weeks1:04:14