Ready Set Do

In this episode, my guest is Sanjeev Sharma. Sanjeev is a principle engineer at SpaceX and perhaps one of the most illuminative flag bearers of what the American Dream looks like in practice.

We begin with Sanjeev’s time with the Indian Railways in the early 90s, and he walks us thru the extremely socialist hangover India was just beginning to recover from at the time and exactly what that was like on the ground-level. During his decade with the Indian Railways, Sanjeev contributed to some of the most cutting edge design work and laid the cornerstone for high-speed rails, and then went to Uni of Boulder, CO for his master’s degree in Mech Engineering to deepen his engineering systems design expertise. While he had plans to come back and continue, fate saw him do cutting edge work at Seagate Technology followed by eventually ending up at SpaceX.

This journey from the Indian Railways to SpaceX is a fascinating snapshot in demonstrating exactly why the American Dream attracts tens of thousands of people towards itself, almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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Resources:

Sanjeev - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjeev-sharma-21b17b5/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro + Background(02:34) Starting career with the Indian Railways(06:29) Why pick Railways Institute over IIT Roorkee? (Hint: Gormint)(10:09) What was socialist India REALLY like?(12:45) Driving design and manufacturing in a world-class govt factory in mid 90s(16:47) Exactly WHAT was Sanjeev working on at the Rail Factory?(18:45) Dealing with bureaucracy and corruption(24:22) Problem with IAS and administrative roles in India(26:37) Why MS in US?(29:26) Did experience at Railways help during MS in UC Boulder?(32:50) Making THE biggest life decision - choosing between US and India(38:18) Path to US Citizenship(40:16) Impact of 9/11 (Unreal)(43:37) STRUGGLE of returning to academia after 10 years and being the oldest student(46:02) Going from designing trains to solid-state mini hard-drives at Seagate(49:16) SpaceX(51:37) Interview experience with Elon Musk, the man himself(53:58) On almost not joining SpaceX(55:40) Sanjeev’s advice on advice (and also the philosophy of Ready Set Do)(57:34) Role at SpaceX currently and the road ahead(58:24) The three I’s framework(01:00:53) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Trishita Recs. Trishita is an award-winning playback singer and songwriter whose work has been featured on Netflix, HotStar and Zee5 among other notable places such as live events and concerts.

Perhaps like most of you all out there, one of my longest-standing loves in life has been my love for music. However, I’ve always been fascinated by what its like to produce music. Trishita walks us thru how she was exposed to the world of music as a child though singing reality TV shows, and how she continued to navigate her complex relationship with music into teenage and adulthood. We go over her process for coming up with new songs, performing live, and balancing the art with the business side of things - such as landing gigs, finding work and forging a sustainable income source through her talent.

Indeed, it was rather eye-opening to contextualize the struggle artists face and by the end of this episode, you will definitely learn to appreciate the grit and determination it takes to make it.

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Resources:Trishita - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lB0A51UgKHZ00Uhuta9K4Trishita's instagram - https://www.instagram.com/trishitarecs/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction + Background(02:38) Can people without any inherent singing talent be good singers?(04:23) Getting into singing during early childhood(07:52) Being a child star on a singing reality TV show - Mummy Ke Superstars(11:44) Taking a step away from singing - rediscovering the passion(14:57) Resuming singing journey as an adult(17:19) Inherent sexism in Bollywood - even the music(19:32) On producing music - how do the pros do it?(22:53) Teaching yourself composition + production skills as a singer(25:56) How to compose music digitally? (the "accepted" way to do it)(29:57) On being felicitated by Netflix - Win Story #1(33:26) Impromptu music video for first original track - Win Story #2(36:36) On emotional impact that really matters - Win Story #3(39:50) Defining success (& fame) in the music industry(41:59) Making it in Mumbai(45:28) Standing out on Instagram(50:50) On going VIRAL on YouTube (15 Million views on original track)(54:04) What's new for Trishita Recs?(58:14) Shoutout to Ankan (@trippy_snapper_ on instagram)(58:58) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Pritesh Jagani. Known more commonly as Yudi J online, Pritesh has built and grown his youtube channel to over 280k subscribers - leveraging his knowhow and lived experience to share amazing insights on how to succeed in the US during and after getting your Masters degree .

Yudi J shares the exact blueprint he followed to amass such a huge following - covering not just the highs but also the lows that are part of the journey but that not nearly enough creators talk about. We go over the importance of being authentic and consistent, essential steps creators must take to prevent stagnating and continue to accelerate their growth, and specific tools, methodologies and gameplans to scale your creator journey to finally achieve financial stability. Indeed, the part where Yudi talks about how much therapy helped him in times his mental health was taking a hit due to content creation is a stark reminder that even the very best need to take necessary steps to look after themselves - and it is a sign of strength and not weakness to do so.

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Resources:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/priteshjagani/

https://kit.com/

https://www.beehiiv.com/

kajabi.com

podia.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) Background + Introduction(02:47) Where does Yudi J come from?(04:36) Why did Yudi start making content?(09:16) Kickstarting creator journey on YouTube and finding a niche(12:05) Road to first 1000 subscribers(14:39) Dealing with “subscriber cycles” - THIS PART IS CRAZY(17:16) Study abroad creator to vlogger pipeline (cringe)(19:07) On (almost) giving up - therapy helps…(21:11) Stigma around therapy(22:29) Impact of meetups and personal interactions(24:15) Planning and logistics for “fan” meet-ups(25:57) Monetization woes on F1 visa (yes, it’s illegal)(27:19) Building a runway for financial stability(30:44) Baby Yudi(32:21) Does a strong online presence help with getting a job?(33:33) On launching courses as a means of passive income sources(36:24) Tools/websites for hosting courses(38:05) Why do ALL creators have newsletters?(41:43) Affiliate marketing(42:04) When should creators consider hiring a team?(46:04) Balancing revenue and investments as a mid-tier creator(48:13) Funneling views from Instagram reels to YouTube(50:17) Is the study abroad creator space saturated?(53:14) Yudi J’s YouTube creator inspirations(55:02) On Harnoor Singh(56:15) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is  @AdvityaGemawat . Advitya works on Responsible AI at Microsoft as a Machine Learning Engineer 2. I am extremely stoked to present this incredibly nuanced discussion on the ethics and responsibilities that come with building mass-market generative AI tools. We discuss the technical foundations of Advitya’s career that brought him to this cutting edge of technology, and also go over how GenAI tools by big tech navigate critical concerns such as privacy, ethics, inherent biases that creep in all the time; and the aspect I was most curious about - WHO is the actual decision maker when it comes to flagging something as problematic and/or offensive.

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Resources:

Follow Advitya on the handles below:LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/agemawat/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AdvityaGemawatMicrosoft Research https://www.microsoft.com/research/people/agemawatInstagram https://www.instagram.com/advitya_17/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Advitya17/

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro + Background(00:03:51) Advitya’s career snapshot(00:05:22) Landing Microsoft’s ML rotation program role spanning 4 orgs(00:08:25) Experience of studying Data Science at UC San Diego(00:11:11) Day in the life starting out at Microsoft(00:14:52) Hands-on experience working on products at Microsoft(00:20:16) Responsible AI on image classification(00:23:44) Transitioning to working on LLMs(00:25:34) Pillars of Responsible AI(00:30:53) The issue of privacy in LLM responses and LLMs trained on copyrighted content(00:35:46) Regulating (slamming the brakes) on AI and solving for privacy(00:40:44) Who decides if a LLM response is problematic?(00:47:17) Industry landscape of LLM Evaluation tooling(00:52:19) Balancing inclusiveness AND accuracy for evaluating LLMs(00:57:30) Adversarial prompts and defenses against them(00:59:08) How far are we from AGI?(01:05:05) Gen AI sometimes sucks at Math(01:06:59) What a time to be alive(01:08:00) Outro + GratitudeDisclaimer: Opinions expressed by the speaker are solely his own and do not reflect his employer.

In this episode, featured not-expert is Hemant Pandey. Hemant is a Sr software engineer at Meta and has extensive experience as a SWE in companies like Salesforce, SAP, Tesla and Amazon.

We go over a day in the life at Meta, Hemant’s career journey that saw him make timely jumps to bigger and better opportunities, tech stacks used at big tech, how to break into software development as a beginner, qualities of 10x engineers and many other fascinating topics. We also discuss what current students in BTech and/or Masters degrees can do to find employment (yes, simply solving LeetCode problems is not enough) and the fascinating work Hemant does with teen regulatory aspects at Meta.

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Resources:

Sr Engineer Resources - https://github.com/hemantpandey17/top-resources-to-be-a-senior-engineerHemant - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemant-pandey/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Background + Intro(02:26) Day in the life as a Meta SWE(05:12) Transition from engineer to senior engineer(09:42) Educational background and journey to Meta(18:53) Tech stacks used at top companies(22:53) Tech/behavioral interviews and how to LeetCode?(26:36) Importance of "clear communication" in interviews(28:57) Breaking into SDE as a beginner (Masters or Bachelors)(33:04) Qualities of 10x engineers(38:47) Starting a tech newsletter(45:29) Impact of generative AI and how Meta uses it(51:47) Regulating Gen-Z users on Meta products(55:36) On being an Indian SWE in the valley(56:54) Advice for folks in the current market(59:01) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Mayya Perova. Originally from Moscow, Russia, Mayya recently graduated from a Masters of Arts degree from DePaul University but for the purposes of this episode - we’ll be deep-diving into how Mayya kickstarted her DJ career from scratch.

We go over the onset of Mayya’s musical pursuits, how she learnt mixing - which is the fundamental skill every DJ must learn, and how she landed her first gigs. Currently Mayya is one of the hottest DJ-ing prospects in Chicago, and we discuss how she made it to DJ-ing at some of the biggest locations in the city. We also go over music production, steps to becoming a “master” at DJ-ing and some really funny stories of stuff she’s seen at clubs.

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Resources:

Mayya's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mayyaperovaa/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Background + Introduction(02:19) What was it like growing up in Moscow?(04:01) Initial exposure to music growing up(07:04) Beginning of DJ journey(10:12) First gigs and mixing experience (playing for “people” and not just friends)(13:37) Learning from feedback on initial gigs and spotlight effect(15:34) Landing first gigs in Chicago via open decks(18:53) Playing pop crowd-favorites VS “unknown” but rewarding house music(22:40) Should a DJ care about pleasing the crowd?(24:21) “A real DJ never takes requests” - Yay or Nay(27:15) Juicy gossip of stuff that Mayya has seen at clubs(29:41) Freaky starer-s (DJs find this type of people ridiculous)(30:59) What do DJs and their friends talk about during hang-outs(32:50) How to integrate into and leverage the DJ community to break-out(35:20) The three key steps to becoming a competent DJ(38:29) Signing for record labels(40:34) The “final boss” of technical ability in terms of a DJ(43:59) How exactly does a DJ console work(46:38) Why do DJs wear headphones?! - (It’s not JUST for show)(49:44) Advice for DJs starting out right now(54:01) Jokes + Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Unnati Deshwal. Unnati is a fresh MEM graduate student at Cornell University, which is an Ivy League school. She also got admits from Purdue University, University of Illinois, and many others!I always thought that its borderline impossible to get into an Ivy League program unless you have the top 1% profile and/or a ton of work experience from a flagship name-brand big tech or otherwise company. Turns out, even if you have a fairly academic profile in terms of experiences, GPA and GRE scores - you can get into an Ivy League school provided you play to your strengths.This is exactly what Unnati walks us thru, right from preparing for the GRE to crafting a solid Statement of purpose to finally, submitting the applications. If you’re on the fence about applying to your dream school, this episode will destroy any myths, or misinformation that exists out there. This conversation is indeed a masterclass for Master’s degree applications for US colleges.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Background + Introduction(02:01) Career snapshot at the time of applying for MS(04:24) Should you decide the course first or the university?(07:51) Is the GRE mandatory and should I take it?(09:13) Resources for cracking the GRE(11:28) How many hours of GRE prep does one need?(13:30) Study strategies and recommended learnings for the GRE(16:42) Crafting an effective Statement of Purpose(19:42) Answering the "Why this course?" on your SOP(21:23) Is it okay to use ChatGPT for your SOP/LORs?(25:25) On Recommendation letters(27:33) Specific requirements on unis - Technical statements(29:46) Prepping for interviews(33:05) Case Study Based Interview at Cornell(35:37) How to finalize uni after getting all admits(39:19) Economic condition in the US and optimizing for ROI(43:47) Checklist for moving to the US(45:55) Importance of networking with seniors on LinkedIn(47:30) Outro + Gratitude

Resources:

Unnati: https://www.linkedin.com/in/unnati-deshwal/

The job market is broken. Applying online feels like throwing your resume into a black hole. But what if you knew exactly what the person on the other side of the screen was looking for?

In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Grabiner, a Global HR Leader and one of the Top 1% Career Coaches in the World (ranked by Topmate). With over 350,000+ followers on LinkedIn, Melissa has seen every resume mistake, every interview blunder, and every "hiring freeze" myth there is.

This isn't generic "fix your font size" advice. Melissa reveals the insider secrets of Talent Acquisition: Why you MUST DM recruiters after applying (and exactly what to say), why "Resume Quantifiers" are non-negotiable, and how to build a LinkedIn presence that makes jobs come to you—so you don't have to wait to be laid off to start networking.

If you are a student struggling to land your first internship, or a professional navigating a mid-career pivot in a recession, this conversation is your cheat sheet to beating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and getting hired.

🚀 In this video, we cover:• The "Black Hole" Fix: Why you should NEVER just "Easy Apply" and walk away.• Resume Autopsy: The difference between a "good" resume and a "hired" resume.• The Cold DM Strategy: How to slide into a Recruiter's DMs without being annoying.• LinkedIn Optimization: Turning your profile into a 24/7 lead magnet for recruiters.• Red Flags: When to refuse "Free Work" assignments during interview processes.• Ageism & Gaps: How to handle the uncomfortable truths of the job market.

🔗 Connect with Melissa:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-grabiner/• Book a 1:1 Session: https://topmate.io/melissagrabiner

About the Podcast:We explore the real stories behind high-agency individuals—from HR leaders to entrepreneurs—who are just a few steps ahead in the journey. We don't sell you "lottery ticket" success stories; we show you the practical first steps so you can find your own way forward.

#CareerCoach #MelissaGrabiner #JobSearchTips #ResumeTips #LinkedInGrowth #RecruitingSecrets #HiringTrends #InterviewPrep #Layoffs #CareerAdvice #HRInsider #JobMarket2025

Timestamps:

(00:00) Background & introduction(02:03) Recruiting is an underrated profession?(04:06) What do recruiters look for in resumes?(07:53) Resume length and structure - acceptable vs questionable(10:23) Should every experience resume bullet have a quantifier?(14:03) Resume structures for freshers / more than 2 years of work experience(16:52) ALWAYS reach out to the recruiter after applying online(21:30) DON’T wait to be laid-off to optimize your LinkedIn(23:12) How to actually optimize your LinkedIn(25:59) Building a STRONG presence on LinkedIn(29:45) Networking & Referrals via LinkedIn(32:13) Cold DMs/emails WORK!!!(35:04) On the current job market(37:05) FAQs and common pitfalls faced by job seekers (on Topmate)(41:35) Crushing job interviews(43:49) On (not) doing unpaid labor in the name of job applications(46:22) Outro + Gratitude

Is an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad really worth the hype? What actually happens inside the classrooms of India's most elite business school?

Today’s guest is Prof. Viswanath Pingali, a leading voice in Economics and Game Theory at IIM Ahmedabad. He pulls back the curtain on the "Ivory Tower" to reveal how future CEOs are trained to think, strategize, and solve complex problems.

We go beyond the textbooks to discuss the real value of an MBA in 2025. Prof. Viswanath breaks down why the CAT exam might be flawed, how he keeps students engaged in the age of Instagram/Reels, and the critical difference between "Business Administration" and true "Entrepreneurship."

We also dive deep into his groundbreaking research on Healthcare in India (specifically the Tuberculosis crisis) and ask the burning question: When will India produce its own Elon Musk?

If you are an MBA aspirant, a policy geek, or just curious about how the world works through the lens of Game Theory, this conversation is a masterclass you can't afford to miss.

🚀 In this video, we cover:• The "Shock" students feel when joining IIM Ahmedabad• How to become an IIM Professor (The PhD Journey)• The flaws in the CAT Exam & Indian Education System• Can you teach "Game Theory" to the Instagram generation?• Diversity in MBAs: Why engineers shouldn't be the only ones getting in• India vs. USA: Should students move back home?

🔗 Connect with Prof. Viswanath:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishypingali/• His Game Theory Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/strategy-and-game-theory-for-management

#IIMAhmedabad #GameTheory #Economics #MBA #CATExam #IndianEducation #Professor #ViswanathPingali #BusinessSchool #HealthcareIndia #Entrepreneurship #StudyAbroad

Resources:

Game Theory course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/strategy-and-game-theory-for-managementProf Viswanath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishypingali/

About the Podcast:We explore the real stories behind high-agency individuals—from artists to economists—who are a few steps ahead in the journey. We don't sell you "lottery ticket" success stories; we show you the practical first steps so you can find your own way forward.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro + Background

(01:12) What draws Prof Viswanath to teaching?

(03:22) Experience at Northwestern University

(05:36) Process of becoming a Professor at IIMs

(08:06) Things that catch new IIM-A students by surprise

(11:02) What would Prof Viswanath change about the CAT exam

(15:49) Teaching Microeconomics and Game Theory @ IIM Ahmedabad

(20:57) What makes IIMs elite?

(22:52) Engaging students in the era of social media

(25:34) Healthcare & Tuberculosis research

(28:24) Things IIMs could be better at regarding business education

(30:06) Future of business education in India

(31:47) Check out the Prof’s Game Theory course on Coursera!

(33:15) Do you need an MBA for starting a business?

(35:09) Does Diversity actually matter - and why?

(39:47) Should Indian students in the US move back to India?

(43:15) When will we have an Indian Elon Musk?

(45:12) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Sai Kumar. Sai is the Lead Data Analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina.

Coming from an electrical engineering background, Sai managed to not only get into a top Data Analytics program at University of Connecticut, but also break into his current position without having any prior work experience whatsoever.I believe anybody who is currently in the job market can immediately appreciate what a gargantuan task that is - and Sai breaks down for us his exact strategy using which he was able to succeed. He also shares how he networked effectively, and grew his LinkedIn following to over 57,000 followers in just over a year. Finally, we also cover the exact resources and tools he used to break into his first data position.

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Resources:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/saibysani18/

jobhire.ai

sonara.ai

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro + Background

(01:22) Sai’s meteoric rise to 50k followers on LinkedIn within a year
(05:52) Transitioning from Electrical Engineering to Data Analytics/Science
(07:42) Curating profile for MS in BA admits using online courses
(10:17) Masters experience + Job-hunting journey
(12:27) Job Search Challenges and how to overcome them
(16:58) Job-hunt regrets and lessons learned
(19:30) Interview process for data science/analytics roles
(20:55) How to prep for technical rounds in data roles oriented interviews
(22:09) Platforms/sites for upskilling + practicing data technical skills
(25:28) On having ZERO work experience as a huge hurdle & how to overcome that
(29:02) On FAKE job offers 😮
(31:17) Day in the life of Data Lead at BCBS South Carolina
(32:19) Relevant tools & technologies for data analytics
(34:23) Importance of efficient data cleansing + storytelling
(37:18) AI Tools for Job Hunting and Applications
(40:09) Giving back to the community + FAQs asked by students/job-seekers
(44:08) Importance of mock interviews for technical expertise
(46:19) Outro + Gratitude