Darshan's Diary

In this episode, we sit down with Arun Murugesan, Head of Design at MoneyView, to pull back the curtain on the complex world of Fintech design. With nearly two decades of experience, Arun shares how MoneyView bridges the gap between high-level business goals and deep user empathy.We dive into the evolution of the Indian consumer, debunking myths about the "tech-illiteracy" of rural users and exploring how personalization is the secret sauce to a successful "Super App." Arun also shares his unique leadership philosophy, including his unconventional hiring process and how he fosters a culture where designers feel empowered to challenge the status quo.Whether you're a designer, a product manager, or a fintech enthusiast, this episode offers a masterclass in building products that solve real-world money problems.

In this episode, I sit down with Ankit Gupta, a seasoned product leader at Reliance Retail, to deconstruct the complexities of building AI-driven products for India’s massive and diverse ecosystem.Ankit breaks down the "unlearning" required when moving from online to offline retail, explaining how Reliance uses proxies like RFID and standardized rack space to track customer behavior in the physical world. We dive deep into his "Sense-Predict-Act" framework for inventory optimization and why he believes a product team isn't taking enough risks if they aren't failing 70% of the time.Beyond the tech, we explore the cultural divide between building in San Francisco versus India, the power of the "Pyramid Principle" in communication, and why the most successful PMs are those who master the art of documentation.Don't forget to subscribe for more deep dives into the minds of India's top product and design leaders!

In this episode, we sit down with Nitin Pulyani, the Senior Vice President of Product Management at Cashfree Payments, and a seasoned product leader with over two decades of experience building large-scale fintech and consumer products in India.

Nitin shares how Cashfree designs and operates mission-critical payment infrastructure—covering everything from onboarding and risk to the systems that keep money moving reliably at scale. Before Cashfree, he led product functions at Jupiter, PhonePe, NeoGrowth, Ola, and TaxiForSure.

At PhonePe, he led the merchant ecosystem for 25M+ merchants, scaled Financial Services, and launched major revenue-driving categories like insurance, mutual funds, and digital gold, achieving 3× growth in mature segments.

This conversation explores:

• How Cashfree’s product culture identifies real merchant problems using UX, data, and tight feedback loops
• How fintech teams innovate under regulatory pressure, and why constraints often create product advantages
• What makes B2B product building fundamentally different from B2C, and how Nitin blends both mindsets
• Practical advice for PMs moving into leadership roles, including habits, frameworks, and mental models that accelerate growth

Whether you’re building fintech products, scaling in regulated environments, or growing into a product leadership role, this episode is full of sharp insights and practical takeaways you can apply immediately.

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube—your support helps us bring more conversations from top operators to help you level up your product career.

In this episode, I sit down with Achyutha Sharma, Head of UX Research at Flipkart, to uncover how research shapes bold product decisions and drives business impact. With over 17 years of experience across B2C, D2C, and B2B sectors, Achyutha shares deep insights on leading large research teams, navigating billion-user demographics, and uncovering overlooked opportunities in commerce.

We discuss how strategic, impact-driven research fuels innovation, the challenges researchers face today, and how initiatives like User Research India are empowering the community. Whether you’re a product leader, researcher, or founder, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on turning human insights into measurable outcomes.

#UXResearch #ProductDesign #UserExperience #Ecommerce #ProductManagement #DesignLeadership #CustomerInsights #BusinessImpact #ResearchDriven #Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Sreeram Narayan, Director of Product at Pine Labs, to explore the art and science of building impactful fintech products. With over 15 years of experience across payments, lending, and digital finance, Sreeram shares how he turns complexity into clarity—crafting roadmaps that balance user needs, business goals, and long-term scalability.We discuss:How merchant feedback loops shape product evolution.Insights from transaction behavior that inspire new features.Decision frameworks and mental models that drive product strategy.How the PM role is transforming with AI and automation.Whether you’re a product manager, designer, or founder, this episode offers practical takeaways on building with intent, scaling with systems, and staying grounded in customer impact.Tune in now and gain first-hand lessons from one of fintech’s sharpest product minds.

In this episode, we sit down with Ayush, Head of Design at Jupiter, where he led a multidisciplinary team of 20+ designers across product design, design systems, research, illustration, and motion. At Jupiter, Ayush has spearheaded the end-to-end redesign of the Jupiter app and website, launched 30+ new features, and led large-scale initiatives like a 100-member internal hackathon, all shaping how millions of users experience the product.Before Jupiter, Ayush co-founded tiosworld, an e-commerce marketplace for sustainable products, and held leadership roles at Crux Intelligence, Healofy, and Housing.com, driving impactful design across AI, commerce, and consumer tech.In this conversation, we cover:Key takeaways from the Jupiter app redesign and the process behind it.How to measure the success and impact of a design team’s output.The way design reviews are structured at Jupiter.Leveraging AI to strengthen the marketing-to-product funnel.The evolving role of designers and career opportunities in the AI era.If you’re curious about building design teams, scaling impactful experiences, and navigating the AI shift in product design, this episode is packed with lots of insights.Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to the channel for more conversations with industry leaders.

In this episode, we sit down with Deepak Jose, a seasoned design leader who has shaped product experiences at companies like Hike, Dunzo, and Ola. With over a decade of experience building and leading design and research teams, Deepak shares stories of creating impactful features while balancing user delight with business outcomes.You’ll hear insights on:Bridging the gap between “wow” moments and business impactLessons from Hike and Dunzo on building for customer lifetime valueHow storytelling shapes design leadership and product buildingBuilding creative trust and fostering deeper team ownershipDriving collaboration across cross-functional teams to amplify the user’s voiceIf you’re passionate about design leadership, storytelling, and product growth, this conversation will give you practical takeaways and fresh perspectives.

In this episode, we sit down with Vaishnavi Devi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gvaishnavi/) , Director of Product Management at Swiggy, to explore what it takes to build products for delivery partners at scale. With over 13 years of industry experience across Swiggy, Ola, and Zipdial, Vaishnavi brings deep insights into solving for operational complexity and driving adoption in high-growth consumer ecosystems.

We cover:Designing product fundamentals for non-tech-savvy delivery partnersBridging adoption gaps between consumers and driversTackling unique operational challenges in large-scale platformsLeveraging gamification to boost partner motivationVaishnavi’s approach to ideation and roadmappingThe underrated skills every product manager should master

Whether you’re a product builder, designer, or aspiring leader, this conversation is packed with actionable lessons on scaling impact in challenging environments.

#ProductManagement #Leadership #Swiggy #ConsumerTech #Gamification #UXDesign #ProductLeadership #TechForGood #DigitalTransformation

In this episode, Ankur Sardana, Head of Design & Research at Tata Neu, shares how he’s leading one of India’s most ambitious super app design missions—uniting diverse brands like Croma, BigBasket, Titan, and more under a single seamless experience.With over 19 years of experience across Samsung, Amazon, Philips, Honeywell, and OLX, Ankur dives deep into:The UX challenges of blending multiple brand identities.Building scalable design systems without losing brand soul.His support–improve–ignite framework for prioritizing design work.Lessons from working in diverse global cultures.How designers can future-proof their careers in the AI era.Whether you’re a UX designer, product leader, or founder, this conversation is packed with real-world strategies to scale design, empower teams, and stay relevant in a rapidly evolving industry.#UXDesign #ProductDesign #DesignSystems #SuperApp #DesignLeadership #FutureOfWork #CustomerExperience #TataNeu #DesignThinking #AnkurSardana

Building innovative fintech products isn’t just about great ideas—it also requires the right ecosystem. In this episode, Aditya, former Sr. Director of Product at INDMoney and now VP of Product at mPokket, shares how government policies and regulatory support have played a crucial role in unlocking opportunities in investing, lending, and tax management.

From enabling cross-border stock investments to simplifying ITC claims and digital banking, Aditya dives into the challenges and breakthroughs behind scaling fintech products in India. Whether you're in fintech or looking to break into the space, this episode is packed with insights on navigating regulations, driving adoption, and building for scale. Tune in!

#Fintech #ProductManagement #DigitalBanking #Investing #CrossBorderPayments #LendingTech #RegTech #StartupGrowth #FinanceInnovation #UXForFintech #Scalability #ProductStrategy #FinancialInclusion #IndiaFintech #GovernmentPolicies