Down and Dirty with Dr. T.

Why would a waterproof paint ad leave out the rain?

Naveen Murali, now VP of Marketing at SUGAR Cosmetics, looks back on a campaign from his Asian Paints years. At the time, exterior paint ads in Kerala shared rain as a common theme. After spending time in consumers’ homes across the state, the team behind Asian Paints Ultima Protect discovered something about how customers judged a good paint. That insight led them to take a different route with the campaign. By Naveen’s account, sales doubled within three months of the new campaign going out.

In this episode of Down and Dirty with Dr. T., host Taapsi Ramachandani explores the business of insights from the brand side: how a marketing team decides which consumer findings deserve a campaign, how leadership comes to back them, and how an insight travels from a living room to a script, a pack and a retail counter.

The Aha moments:

• How a first market visit reset Naveen's picture of who buys a premium product
• A recent Sugar launch where a format that won pre-launch consumer trials met a mass audience that used it differently, and how reviews, a founder video and an on-pack sticker closed the gap
• Why Ultima Protect plateaued in Kerala with satisfied buyers, and what a side-by-side screening of category ads showed about sameness in communication and the pull of a strong parent brand over its sub-brand
• How the team structured its immersions: homes of Ultima Protect buyers, Ultima buyers and competitor buyers, plus the painters who influence what gets bought
• How one painter's remark about what he saw in the paint became the central idea of a campaign, and how that idea reached dealer counters through painters' written purchase lists
• Why the campaign went without rain, and how the front of the pack carried the same cue as the ad so shelf and screen told one story
• Why Tamil Nadu and the Telugu markets called for a different territory from Kerala, with an ingredient-led idea in one state and a process-led idea in the others, and how that learning shaped the national campaign
• How taking brand managers, marketing leadership and other functions into the field produced alignment before the debrief
• Naveen's advice on briefs and research: keep each ad to one message, observe people while they use the product, and enter research ready to be surprised

About guest: 

Naveen Murali is VP of marketing at Sugar Cosmetics, where his remit covers performance marketing, the in-house creative agency and consumer insights. His earlier career includes marketing leadership at Pepperfry, years at Asian Paints and a role at Oracle. He has been named to the Impact CMO 40Under40 list and recognised as an Economic Times Young Leader, and he is an alumnus of NIT Warangal and IIM Kozhikode.

Learn more about Poocho

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:53 The first market visit

04:40 Packaging and consumer insight

06:03 The Sugar gloss stick story

11:14 The Ultima Protect case

18:55 Why growth stalled

22:09 Home visits across Kerala

28:20 The fiber moment

31:11 The ad with no rain

40:15 Aligning stakeholders

46:20 Tamil Nadu and the Telugu markets

50:20 Advice for marketers

53:14 Rapid fire round

In this episode, Arvind Chandrasekar, Director of UX Research at Glance, walks through how insights actually move, or stall, inside organizations. He talks through 96 interviews conducted in three weeks, product decisions that went wrong because of missed cultural context, and how he makes the case for research budgets using the same logic as a hotel doorman.The Aha moments:Why a red colored news app nearly derailed a product built for global audiencesThe habit most researchers are guilty of: never turning the research lens on their own stakeholdersHow to read the incentives hiding behind a formal research briefThe ongoing form versus function debate, and how data ends up settling itWhy sorting findings into hygiene, satisfiers, and delighters changes what gets adoptedThe doorman analogy that makes the case for why research is worth fundingThis episode covers how to stop treating stakeholders as adversaries and start understanding what's actually driving their asks. Arvind also gets into why the question a stakeholder voices out loud is rarely the one they actually need answered, and how that gap shapes the way he pitches research inside a ship-and-fix culture without giving up on rigor. He's candid too about how recommendations actually get adopted: not through a single convincing pitch, but through slow, repeated pressure until it sticks.About the guest: Arvind Chandrasekar is the Director of UX Research at Glance, where he runs the Foresight and Behavioral Insights unit out of Bangalore, studying US consumers through long-distance ethnography. His work sits at the intersection of consumer behavior, brand intelligence, and agentic AI, including how people shop with AI assistance, tracking share of voice in agentic commerce, and building decision frameworks for what content gets aired, re-cut, or killed. Before Glance, he spent 13 years in UX research, including work on Google Pay focused on Tier 2 markets in India. He holds a master's degree in political science and economics, and has also published fiction under the pen name Athul DeMarco.

Chapters:00:00:00 - 00:03:05 Intro: Arvind Chandrashekar & Down and Dirty's new format

00:03:06 - 00:06:06 Arvind's uncommon schedule & remote ethnography

00:06:07 - 00:08:20 The indispensable role of research operations

00:08:21 - 00:09:58 Case study unveiling

00:09:59 - 00:14:29 Wardrobe audit case study: Global product challenges

00:14:30 - 00:18:45 Proactive research vs. "Ship and Fix"

00:18:46 - 00:23:02 Proactive research and budget justification

00:23:03 - 00:28:31 The business case for research investment

00:28:31 - 00:32:01 Generative vs. Validation research insights

00:32:01 - 00:32:50 Researching internal stakeholders and bridging divides

00:32:50 - 00:34:48 Effective stakeholder communication and retention

00:34:48 - 00:36:35 'Ambient screen' product case study

00:36:35 - 00:38:40 Navigating product decisions with data and persistence

00:38:40 - 00:42:10 Prioritizing research recommendations for stakeholders

00:42:10 - 00:45:54 Rapid fire

Down & Dirty with Dr. T. is back with yet another episode, and our featured guest this time is Jared Neutel.

Jared is an entrepreneur with over 14 years of experience in the tech space. He has led product and engineering teams across multiple companies, bootstrapped Neutech, a senior software staff augmentation team for seed and series A startups, and also co-founded Tixologi, a venture-backed, blockchain-based ticketing platform.

In this episode, Jared shares what an average day in his life as a founder looks like, starting with early mornings and a commute to the office, followed by back-to-back calls with clients, leads, and internal teams while he keeps systems and processes running smoothly. He also talks about the ongoing challenge of delegation and learning to step back as his team takes ownership. He then highlights the Arc browser as a key part of his workflow, explaining why he moved away from Chrome and how its structured workspaces, cleaner tab management, shortcuts, and seamless syncing across devices help him stay organized and manage conversations, documents, and tasks in one place.

Highlights from the episode:

• A day in the life – Jared’s day usually begins early, waking up between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m., and he tries to wrap up by 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. Most of his day is spent in back-to-back meetings with clients, leads, and internal teams, focused on quick decisions and problem solving. After work, he heads to the gym and ends the day with a no-phone dinner with his wife.

• Delegation as an ongoing challenge – One of Jared’s biggest personal hurdles is delegation. He finds it difficult to hand off tasks where he feels he could execute them better himself. Letting go becomes especially challenging when he notices small details going off track, but he also recognizes that allowing the team to own most of the work is essential for long-term growth.

• Arc Browser for staying organized – He talks about the Arc browser, built by The Browser Company. He moved from Chrome because Arc helps him structure his work through organized tab folders, separate workspaces for different companies like Neutech and Tixologi. Tabs sync across his phone and computer and clear automatically if unused, while Chrome-based syncing keeps passwords and bookmarks intact.

Learn more about our research shenanigans:

Website:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Blog:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/resources/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://in.linkedin.com/company/justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/poochonetwork⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 A day in the life of an entrepreneur

00:03:34 How Jared allocates his time across meetings, decisions, and boundaries

00:04:42 The founder’s role in systems, processes, and setting teams up for success

00:09:44 Personal challenges

00:14:46 Team relationships

00:16:00 Communication dynamics

00:17:51 Why communication matters deeply in the service industry

00:19:44 Core tools used daily to manage operations and coordination

00:22:34 Arc Browser and its impact on organization and workflow

00:24:41 Arc vs Chrome, features, workflows, and syncing across devices

00:30:16 Key USPs of Arc and other essential tools for running the business

00:32:57 Arc’s vertical navigation and efficiency for entrepreneurs

00:34:32 Using Arc to manage information, tasks, and priorities

00:36:54 Visual hierarchy, prioritization, and tab organization systems

00:39:21 Defining the ideal Arc user and who benefits most

00:41:45 Arc’s role in reducing decision fatigue and mental load

00:43:21 How Arc was discovered and adopted

00:44:32 Tool recommendations

00:46:23 Closing reflections 

Down & Dirty with Dr. T. is back with yet another episode, and our featured guest this time is Nistha Goel.

Nistha is the co- founder of Alikeu Marketing, a social media marketing agency that assists founders, coaches, and consultants in establishing their personal brands. She has been working in the industry for about two years and has helped her clients achieve multiple viral reels and generate leads worth over $600,000.

In this episode, Nistha shares what an average day in her life looks like, the different kinds of outputs her company delivers, focusing primarily on organic marketing, and finally the tool that helps her manage her team and client deliverables: ClickUp. She discusses why her team switched over to ClickUp from tools like Google Sheets, Google Docs, and its advantages over Trello.

Highlights from the episode:

• A day in the life – Nistha’s day usually starts with a workout, followed by logging in around 10:30 a.m. for team updates. Most of her time goes into resolving issues faced by the team, and stepping in on client requests, especially when strategy is involved. She typically wraps up by 7 p.m., though late evenings aren’t uncommon when working with clients across Australia and the US. Outside work, she makes time to read and tries to call it a day by midnight.

• ClickUp for team and client management – As the team scaled, Nistha moved from Google Sheets and Docs to ClickUp to bring more structure and visibility to their work. Better notifications helped close gaps, while features like deadlines and recurring tasks made planning easier. ClickUp also lets clients track project progress as guests. Compared to tools like Trello, it offers greater depth, making it a more sustainable choice for the long run.

• Aligning vision and strategy – Alikeu Marketing focuses on organic, done-for-you marketing, spanning content direction, strategy, sales, and funnel creation. Nistha leads the creative side, while her partner, Raj, handles client acquisition and relationships. Together, they work to align their creative and strategic approach with each client’s vision, designing a system that meets clients where they are. Their aim isn’t just to work around constraints, but to solve them in a way that respects the client’s comfort and long-term goals.

Learn more about our research shenanigans:

Website:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Blog:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/resources/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://in.linkedin.com/company/justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/poochonetwork⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 A day in the life of Nistha Goel

00:03:19 Team structure and time management

00:05:32 Strengths, team dynamics, and creative focus

00:06:53 Aligning creative vision with client expectations

00:09:10 Overcoming implementation roadblocks with clients

00:11:58 Tools used for team and client management

00:16:10 Task management workflow and team coordination

00:18:04 Transition from Google Sheets to ClickUp

00:21:23 The inflection point of team size and client load

00:23:13 Why ClickUp over Trello and other tools

00:30:11 ClickUp’s advantages and key learnings

00:35:47 Rapid fire round and closing thoughts

Down & Dirty with Dr. T is back with a new episode featuring Harsh Maskara, an independent qualitative market researcher with over 14 years of experience working across brands like HUL, Amazon, and Tata Motors.

A moderator at heart, Harsh has spent years leading focus group rooms and one-on-one conversations. After starting his career in full-service research agencies, he chose to freelance so he could stay closer to fieldwork and moderation.

In this episode, he sits down with Dr. Taapsi Ramchandani to talk about how YouTube has become a key learning and awareness tool in his daily life. By watching long-form interviews and political conversations, and closely observing how experienced interviewers frame questions, use silence, and navigate conversations, Harsh shares how YouTube adds to his “arsenal, so to say” as a moderator. The conversation also briefly touches on the smaller role of tools like Spotify, LinkedIn, Google, Groww, and Netflix in supporting how he learns, unwinds, and stays informed.

Highlights from the episode:

• Transition to freelance moderation: Harsh shares his journey from a full-time role at Quantum Consumer Solutions in Mumbai to becoming a freelance moderator, explaining that a senior, desk-bound role became too taxing, and he wanted more excitement from field work and life.

• The significance of running: Running is a significant factor in the speaker's life, as it makes him "clear-headed", and he finds that it allows him to become "more conscious of yourself and your thoughts".

• The moderator's need for current affairs: As a freelance moderator, he emphasizes the importance of staying in sync with current affairs, media, and entertainment because consumers often reference what they have been exposed to, and the moderator needs to understand those references.

• YouTube as a key information source and learning tool: The speaker uses YouTube as a primary source for up-to-date information, news, and media, choosing video content not only because it offers a potentially less-biased perspective than traditional media but also because he learns from watching how others conduct interviews.

Learn more about our research shenanigans:

Website:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Blog:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/resources/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://in.linkedin.com/company/justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/poochonetwork⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 A day in the life: routine and interests

00:02:41 Running, insomnia, and mental state

00:03:45 Transition to freelancing: reasons and challenges

00:06:49 Early freelance days: extreme lifestyle and diet

00:09:08 Freelancing from Kolkata and current pursuits

00:11:50 Staying relevant as a moderator: skills and networking

00:16:53 Technology and conscious running

00:18:43 YouTube as a news source

00:21:23 Daily media consumption

00:23:47 Google app and stock market news

00:25:43 YouTube's rise as a news source

00:27:30 Favorite YouTube channels and content preferences

00:30:34 Other content platforms and motivation

00:32:56 Content preferences: politics and sports

00:36:13 External content sources: newsletters and running

00:39:02 Rapid fire questions

Down & Dirty with Dr. T is back with a new episode featuring Neeraj Shah, LinkedIn Faculty on GeniusU and founder of Titan Masterminds.

A people-savvy and business-savvy leader, Neeraj helps entrepreneurs use LinkedIn and AI to attract the right clients and build consistent systems for growth. His journey has been anything but linear, from running his family business to trading commodities, to building India’s largest business networking organization, and now coaching entrepreneurs to build purposeful, scalable businesses.

In this episode, he sits down with Dr. Taapsi Ramchandani to talk about how he stays on the cutting edge of LinkedIn strategy and generative AI, and how he’s built ChatGPT into his daily workflow to design lead magnets, write LinkedIn profiles, and even create digital products that power his coaching business.

Highlights from the episode:

• A day in the life of Neeraj Shah: Neeraj shares how he divides his day into four parts – mornings for learning and deep work, afternoons for client sessions and content creation, and evenings for reflection with family. It’s a simple system that helps him stay balanced, productive, and curious about what’s next in the world of generative AI and LinkedIn.

• Solving business problems with AI: Neeraj talks about how many entrepreneurs get caught up doing repetitive tasks like writing outreach messages, creating lead magnets, or updating their LinkedIn profiles. Through his AI Mastermind, he teaches them how to use ChatGPT and custom GPTs to handle this busywork, so they can spend more time focusing on growing their business.

• How Neeraj uses ChatGPT for LinkedIn: Neeraj shares his screen and walks through how he uses ChatGPT to improve LinkedIn profiles. He shows how custom GPTs can write profile headlines, “About” sections, and banner pitches that fit each person’s brand, hence throwing light on how AI can make personal branding simpler and more consistent.

Learn more about our research shenanigans:

Website:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Blog:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/resources/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://in.linkedin.com/company/justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/poochonetwork⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 A day in the life of Neeraj Shah

00:05:14 Energy rhythms and productivity

00:08:17 Responsibilities and generative AI

00:10:07 Lead magnets and ChatGPT

00:12:46 Challenges and strengths

00:16:54 Neeraj Shah as a business coach

00:18:03 Daily tools and AI engagement

00:19:52 ChatGPT’s impact on marketing and course creation

00:22:00 AI mastermind and problem-solving approach

00:25:09 Using AI for LinkedIn optimization

00:27:10 Ecosystem of tools and strategies

00:30:15 LinkedIn profile optimization

00:33:07 Custom GPTs for LinkedIn profiles

00:36:23 Strategic use of LinkedIn for personal branding

00:38:56 AI’s role in enhancing personal expertise

00:41:16 Prompting strategies for ChatGPT

00:45:31 Building a personal brand with ChatGPT

00:48:00 Avoiding detection when using ChatGPT

00:50:23 Closing thoughts

Down & Dirty with Dr. T is back with a new episode featuring Nishita Mohta, Creative Business Consultant, Design Educator, and author of the book “Inspired: The A–Z of Creative Unblocking”.

In this episode, Nishita explains what a Design Operations Consultant does and why design studios are increasingly looking for project management expertise. She shares how her work focuses on bringing structure to creative processes so founders can focus on growth and strategy.

Sitting down with Taapsi, she talks about how simple tools like Toggl can make time management easier, not by enforcing productivity, but by helping her stay aware of how her time is being used.

Highlights from the episode:

• Project Planning and Tracking Systems: She discusses how she creates custom project planning and tracking systems, translating founders’ subconscious ways of working into usable frameworks for their teams and clients. Each setup is tailored to the studio’s specific needs.

• Tools That Bring Structure to Creativity: To gain visibility into how her time is spent, Nishita turns to Toggl, valuing its intuitive interface and simple design. Alongside Google Calendar and Notion, it helps her manage anxiety and stay organised.

Down & Dirty with Dr. T is back with a new episode featuring Sai Dheeraj, co-founder at Sigmaverse.

Sai walks us through how he leverages Microsoft 365 Copilot to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and make data-driven decisions across his team. From automating Excel operations and creating presentations to generating new ideas and strategy documents, he shares how Copilot has become an integral part of his daily work.

In this episode, he sits down with Taapsi to talk about managing cross-platform workflows, balancing Google Sheets and Excel with Copilot, using the tool to generate ideas and making professional productivity smarter and more efficient.

Highlights from the episode:

• A day in Sai’s workflow: Sai shares how he manages his work on a Mac while collaborating with teams using Microsoft 365. His mornings involve checking dashboards, Google Sheets, and planning strategy documents before diving into client work.

• Using Copilot to simplify work and analysis: Sai explains how Microsoft 365 Copilot helps him turn documents and PDFs into presentations, summarize videos, and handle large data sets. It also simplifies Excel tasks like creating pivot tables or pulling subsets of data without worrying about formulas, saving time on repetitive work and making complex analysis more accessible.

• Streamlining collaboration and workflows: Sai talks about how integrating tools like Copilot with existing platforms and sharing outputs with team members helps coordinate work across different devices and software, reducing duplication and keeping projects on track.

Learn more about our research shenanigans:

Website:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Blog:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/resources/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://in.linkedin.com/company/justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/poochonetwork⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 A day in the life of the founder

00:03:37 Morning routine and team management

00:05:20 Continuous learning and marketing trends

00:07:01 Job responsibilities at Sigmaverse

00:08:17 Leveraging AI with Copilot for efficiency

00:13:37 Copilot vs. ChatGPT and prompt engineering

00:16:00 Introduction to Copilot and prompt engineering

00:18:26 Demonstration of Copilot for product launch planning

00:20:57 Integrating Copilot with Microsoft 365 and export functionality

00:23:45 Copilot vs. ChatGPT and its advantages

00:26:03 Practical applications and cost efficiency of Copilot

00:29:11 Workflow integration and the role of Google Sheets

00:32:02 Excel vs. Google Sheets with large datasets

00:33:49 Copilot integration and cross-platform use

00:36:00 AI tools: precision, flexibility, and creative inspiration

00:38:31 Rapid fire round

00:40:48 Closing remarks

Down & Dirty with Dr. T is back with a new episode featuring John Richard, former Consumer Insights Manager at Practo (now at United Breweries Ltd).

With nearly a decade of experience in brand research, John has worked across FMCG, healthcare, and now beverages, helping brands make smarter decisions by understanding what consumers really think and feel. Known for his strength in brand advocacy and voice-of-consumer work, John brings a researcher's eye to business performance and cultural nuance.

In this episode, he sits down with Taapsi to talk about how researchers can make their work more actionable, how to align teams around the consumer journey, why not every research output needs to prove ROI and how he’s been using ChatGPT to bring more structure and scalability to the research function.

Highlights from the episode:

• A day in John’s life: John starts his day at 5:30am with a 10k run, followed by planning and clearing out his inbox. As someone who manages multiple stakeholders across the org, his mornings are about getting grounded before jumping into meetings and insight-sharing.

• Making insights usable across teams: John walks us through how Practo built a central tracker to log and reference previous studies, so teams don’t redo the same work twice. It’s a small shift that’s helped drive bigger impact across functions.

• Using ChatGPT to cut research time and make insights usable: John explains how he takes thousands of open-ended survey responses and with ChatGPT, quickly organizes them into themes, creates word clouds and generates process maps. This helps him save hours of manual work and makes it easier for product, marketing and service teams to use the research.

• Challenging the ROI mindset in research: He reflects on the pressure researchers face to prove ROI, and why expecting a measurable outcome from every single insight is unrealistic, especially when no one asks finance or SaaS teams for the same.

Learn more about our research shenanigans:

Website:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Blog:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/resources/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://in.linkedin.com/company/justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/poochonetwork⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction to John Richard

00:01:39 A day in the life of a consumer insights manager

00:04:35 Stakeholder and agency management

00:07:30 Lean six sigma and research

00:09:38 Applying lean in research

00:12:33 Data challenges, ChatGPT, and the 5S methodology

00:16:49 Introduction to 5S methodology

00:20:04 Standardization and sustaining improvements

00:21:40 Real-world application of methodologies

00:23:42 Lean six sigma and data analysis

00:25:44 Introduction to ChatGPT for research

00:29:06 Enhancing desk research with ChatGPT

00:31:49 Strategic thinking and ChatGPT

00:33:47 Using ChatGPT for consumer data analysis

00:37:30 Generating process images with ChatGPT

00:39:55 Data validation and pictorial representation

00:44:36 Analyzing course data and visualizing processes

00:47:48 Integration with lean tools and personal efficiency

00:51:17 Closing remarks

Down & Dirty with Dr. T is back with a fresh episode featuring Abhimanyu Sirothia, Design Director at Designit!

With nearly 15 years of experience designing for everything from early-stage startups to large corporations, Abhimanyu is a design leader who blends craft, clarity, and curiosity. Known for his expertise in accessible design, design systems, and intuitive UIs, he brings an engineering mindset to every project and a deep passion for productivity.

In this episode, he sits down with Taapsi to talk about how he leads his design teams in high-pressure environments and how Raycast helps him manage his time better. He also shares his daily rituals and how he juggles multiple clients and parenthood.

Highlights from the episode:

A day in Abhimanyu’s life:

Abhimanyu walks us through his weekday flow, starting with dropping his child to playschool, followed by a quiet hour of focused work before calls begin. With 10+ projects across 4 to 5 clients, he shares how he structures his day to stay on top of priorities and support his team effectively.

Using Raycast to save time:

Abhimanyu explains how Raycast helps him cut down on small repetitive tasks like launching Figma files or switching Slack workspaces, so he can focus better and move faster without breaking flow. For him, Raycast is not just a launcher but a tool that enables smoother task switching and deeper focus.

Making time for focused work and intentional collaboration:

Abhimanyu shares how he carves out focused work blocks in his schedule and avoids back-to-back meetings. He talks about designing a rhythm that helps his team collaborate without constantly being in calls.

Mentoring and team support:

Abhimanyu shares how he supports his team by helping define project goals clearly and then stepping out of the way. He reflects on how trust, clarity, and fewer meetings create an environment where the team can do meaningful work without micromanagement.

Learn more about our research shenanigans:

Website:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Blog:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.poocho.co/resources/blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://in.linkedin.com/company/justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@justpoocho⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/poochonetwork⁠⁠

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction to Abhimanyu Sirothia  

00:01:25 A day in the life of a design director  

00:03:27 Team dynamics and work-life challenges  

00:06:05 Finding personal time and hobbies  

00:08:09 Enablers for professional success  

00:10:43 Challenges and obstacles  

00:12:31 Daily tools and operating systems  

00:16:19 Introduction to Raycast  

00:17:52 Raycast value proposition and use cases  

00:21:48 Raycast as a time-saving tool  

00:25:12 Raycast in action: features and usage  

00:28:47 Advanced features and availability  

00:32:44 Introduction to Raycast  

00:34:58 Raycast capabilities and use cases  

00:37:27 Raycast as a personal assistant and future potential  

00:40:25 Final thoughts and rapid fire