Ready Set Do

In this episode, featured not-expert is Soundarya Balasubramani. Soundarya is a founder at unshackled.club and the author of two books - Unshackled and Admitted.

Today’s discussion is for anyone who wants to write and publish a non-fiction book today, although we do briefly touch on Soundarya’s next novel which falls into the realm of some fiction as well. We go over the steps to write your first book, choices for how you want to go about publishing, marketing as well as setting up and executing the launch of your book. We also cover steps to optimize sales and some key differences between YouTubers and authors.

My goal with this episode is to highlight Soundarya’s unique journey across the writing and publishing of her two books and what we can learn from it.

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Resources:

unshackled.clubSoundarya - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soundarya-balasubramani/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro + Background

(01:11) WHY do you want to write a book?
(05:03) How to consistently produce output
(06:42) Importance of continual note-taking
(09:18) Tool for organizing research and notes: Roam Research
(13:32) On Soundarya's first book - Admitted
(17:03) Book Chapters vs YouTube videos - comparison
(20:56) On Deep Work
(22:50) On launching a book
(25:28) Strategies for marketing your book (pre-release)
(29:51) Understanding social media algorithms to build a following
(31:50) Cold outreach to influencers for promotion
(35:45) Soundarya's O-1 Visa Journey
(38:06) Writing a book and the O-1 Visa Application Process
(39:32) Soundarya's venture into writing non-fiction
(41:49) UK Global Talent Visa + London Write-cation
(44:07) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Maya Mishra. Maya is a Masters student at Purdue University that has cracked the internship code. She secured offers from Amazon, Tesla (Engineering Program Manager), Walmart (Product Manager), HP (Summer), ABB (Fall) & Unilever (Fall) - and got interview call-backs from: Rivian, Volvo, Eaton, AMD, Schneider, Teksystems, Accenture, Eli Lilly, Honeywell, ServiceNow, Bosch, Carrier & Rockwell Automation. This discussion has every single thing you need to know to crack your first internship position in the US as an international student, and by the end of this episode you will know approaches and application strategies that work vs those that don't in terms of securing these positions. We also discuss how to negotiate your offer, ensure you have the most enriching internship experience possible, and everything in between. My goal with this episode is to capture Maya’s incredible knowhow derived from her personal experiences that anyoen can use to land often the most critical position of them all for international students - your first US internship.

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Resources:Maya’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayamishra/

Podcast YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5yt4hoYmvmpIiw_ENLFQA

Timestamps:

(00:00) Background + Intro

(01:28) Expectations V Realities of moving to the US(03:54) Helpful steps you can take before even landing in the US

(06:17) Academics in India V the US

(08:53) Teaching/Graduate/Research Assistantships + How to get them

(10:39) Maya’s core internship hunting principles

(15:52) How much time should you be spending on applications?

(18:04) The optimal mindset for the internship hunting process

(20:55) Maya’s career background prior to her MS

(23:42) Secret sauce for transitioning into Product Management roles

(28:52) Tailoring resumes - Yay or Nay?

(30:19) Tesla Interview Process and Experience

(35:10) Negotiating offers and other considerations

(39:43) Maximizing internship experiences

Is it possible to build a massive content career while studying for a Master's degree in the US?

Most international students are told to keep their heads down, study hard, and get a corporate job. Parth Vijayvergiya did the opposite. He started documenting his journey from India to Thailand, Sweden, and finally Purdue University—and turned his "vlogs" into one of the most trusted resources for study abroad aspirants.

In this episode, we sit down with Parth to decode how he grew his channel to 180k+ Subscribers while navigating the chaos of visa struggles, student loans, and a full-time career in the US.

This isn't just about "getting views." It's about Trust & Monetization. Parth reveals how he turned his niche (Study Abroad) into a sustainable livelihood, how he deals with the pressure of being "brutally honest" in an industry full of scams, and why he advises creators to treat their community like family, not metrics.

If you are a creator trying to find your niche, or a student wondering if you should start a channel while studying abroad, this conversation is your reality check.

🚀 In this video, we cover:• The "Niche" Advantage: How focusing on "Study Abroad" skyrocketed his growth.• Monetization Reality: AdSense vs. Affiliates vs. Your Own Products (Gradicle).• Balancing Act: Managing a YouTube channel while working a full-time job in the US.• The "Trust" Economy: Why being honest about the negatives (Visa rejections, loneliness) built his brand.• Sustainability: How to keep creating content for 7+ years without burning out.

🔗 Connect with Parth:• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ParthVijayvergiya• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parthvijayvergiya/

About the Podcast:We explore the real stories behind high-agency individuals—from creators 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.

#ContentCreator #ParthVijayvergiya #StudyAbroad #YouTubeGrowth #InternationalStudents #PurdueUniversity #CreatorEconomy #EducationInfluencer #MastersInUSA #SideHustle #VloggingTips

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro and background

(01:12) The Mind of a Creator

(05:10) The first 1000 subscribers on YouTube

(08:10) On Parth’s first video that BLEW UP

(11:56) On providing value and giving away good information

(13:33) On almost quitting YouTube forever

(15:30) Creators should have a duty towards their audience

(20:16) On hitting 1000 subs vs 100,000 subs

(22:42) In-person events

(25:08) Fame as a motivator instead of altruism

(27:60) Challenges of monetizing channel due to F1 visa

(30:59) How to grow on YouTube

(33:37) Creating both short-form and long-form content

(38:01) On funneling Instagram traffic to YouTube effectively

(40:45) Leveraging various social media platforms effectively

(43:56) Staying motivated over 6 years of content creation

(46:58) On hiring a team - when and how?

(52:21) Parth's advice for all creators

(54:38) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Aditi Paul.  Dr. Aditi is an ex-tenured professor, published author, and founder of Dr. Paul & Co., where she helps Indian immigrants take charge of their immigration journey - by means of securing the EB1 visa, which she holds; and other talent visas.We discuss:- Aditi’s journey moving from STEM field to non-STEM field for higher education- Getting her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Communication- Breaking Bad- How her research paper on dating, after being fired from her department during her PhD, led to being featured on major news channels- The psychology of immigration- How Indian immigrants can assimilate to the culture in the US- Importance of self-awareness for immigrants and realizing how the US is a PR machine- How anyone can build their profile to get an EB1 visa and WHY?

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Resources:

Dr. Aditi’s Site - draditipaul.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/draditipaul/Podcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ready.set.do/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro + background

(01:37) Switching from STEM background to non-STEM for PhD

(07:09) On Breaking Bad 

(08:24) On being a professor and teaching while conducting research 

(11:53) On (almost) getting fired from PhD program 

(13:19) On writing a VIRAL research paper 

(19:03) The psychology of immigration and imposter syndrome 

(25:28) Cultural differences & why self-awareness is key 

(32:31) The US runs on PR - how everything is “marketing” 

(37:23) The EB1 Visa journey 

(43:11) Taking control of your immigration journey 

(49:05) How to build your profile for the EB1 visa- LIVE DEMO 

(54:36) On Brian Cranston’s autobiography - A Life in Parts 

(57:11) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Tushar Gupta. Tushar is a Senior Product Designer at Microsoft, having over 3 years of experience working on Microsoft AI capabilities for Edge browser.

We discuss:

- Tushar’s reasons for studying MS in Human-Computer Interaction at Georgia Tech

- HCI Curriculum at GA Tech and what one can expect to learn there

- Experiences with Product Design at Google and Microsoft 

- Comparison of first months as a Product Designer vs 3 years later

- Difference between UI/UX and Product Design

- How Big Tech ships product improvements

- Culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at Microsoft 

- Design tips that anybody can use for their visuals

- Future of web browsers with AI implementation

This discussion is for anyone who is interested in learning about product design; or anyone who envisions a career in a field related to the design arts - tech or not. 

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Resources:

Tushar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tushargupta10/

Ready Set Do Podcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ready.set.do/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro and Background

(02:00) Career outline thus far

(07:14) MS in Human-Computer Interaction at Georgia Tech

(12:26) Course curriculum specifics of MS in HCI at GA Tech

(14:52) Day in the Life @ Microsoft Product Designer - Then vs Now (3 years)

(20:46) Internet Explorer memes

(23:02) Overlap between Design and Technology

(26:04) Collaboration between Designers, PMs and Devs at Big Tech

(29:52) Difference between UI/UX and Product Design

(34:09) Design tips for Laypeople : Intention & Minimalism

(39:56) Design iterations in Big Tech - a culture of innovation

(48:01) AI and the future of web browsing

(52:00) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode my guest is Prateek Behera. Prateek is a co-founder at gradCapital, which provides funding for college students in india whose projects can change the world. If you’re a student and have an idea you’re building towards, gradCapital will invest $40k for 4% in you.

We discuss:

-How Prateek and his co-founder started gradCapital.

-The journey so far across multiple rounds of raising investment funds.

-How they shortlist projects to invest in.

-Their contribution to Zepto’s meteoric rise.

-Managing 4-week in-person cohorts with state-of-the-art resources and mentors.

-The creation of the perfect ecosystem to enable success for student founders.

-Incredible discoveries about the value-system of students.

-Qualities Prateek looks for before shortlisting an idea.

-Inspiring narratives of wild projects by gradCapital founders, including a bl00d-bank delivery drone.

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Resources:

gradcapital.in

https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateekbehera96/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Background and Introduction

(02:07) Why gradCapital - the beginning of gC

(03:52) Why fund student founders?

(06:10) Helping student founders apply to YCombinator

(08:03) First stint with raising capital - brush with ZEPTO!

(10:47) What gC looks for in students - belief systems?

(14:28) The importance of moving fast and DOING

(16:13) Raising the first million dollars

(20:22) How to network to raise funds

(24:13) Mentoring student founders

(28:04) Notable companies/projects gradCapital has funded - drone bl00d bank

(32:16) Dance India Dance to SAAS Founders

(34:42) Advice for student founders

(36:14) Focusing on strengths for success

(39:19) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, my guest is Melissa Weinmann. Melissa is a huge travel enthusiast, with her current tally of countries and territories visited being 44 at the time of recording. Having explored most of this by herself, over the years Melissa has learned a multitude of travel hacks and tools that anyone can leverage while planning out their next trip. 

We discuss: 

-Melissa’s experiences in Europe, Melanesia, and Southeast Asia during her time with the Peace Corps. 

-The instagramization of travel and its implications for the future of travel. 

-Experiences in Vanuatu and Cambodia with the Peace Corps 

-Affordable travel experiences. 

-The essence of what makes traveling a fulfilling hobby for many.

-Identifying tourist traps and optimizing experiences while traveling. 

-Lesser-known websites with hidden travel gems in every region of the world. 

-Credit cards and hostels 

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Resources: 

https://www.atlasobscura.com/ 

https://www.spottedbylocals.com/ 

https://freetoursbyfoot.com/ 

Timestamps: 

(00:00:00) Intro + Background 

(00:02:00) Melissa’s experience with traveling 44+ countries! 

(00:05:22) Usual vs affordable traveling and “peak seasons” 

(00:08:52) Identifying where to go - maybe where people don’t like traveling to? 

(00:12:30) The instagram-ization of travel 

(00:16:50) Transportation hacks 

(00:20:30) Peace-corps experiences in Vanuatu 

(00:23:50) Culture training in the Peace Corps 

(00:27:25) Experiences in South-East Asia - Cambodia 

(00:31:10) Tools for optimizing Food and experiences while traveling - Europe and Asia

(00:37:35) Dodgy experiences with food in China and Syria 

(00:40:15) Identifying tourist traps 

(00:44:07) Identifying itinerary items that are “worth it” 

(00:48:52) Atlas Obscura, SpottedByLocals and WalkingToursByFoot 

(00:53:51) Credit Cards, Currency Conversion 

(00:57:40) Hostels 

(01:02:00) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Sohan Sethi. Sohan is a data visualization aficionado and loves effective story-telling using data. He’s also been Top Data Visualization Voice on LinkedIn on numerous occasions, spreading the knowledge and empowering others to excel at business analytics and data visualization.

We discuss:

1. General tips for job-seekers seeking employment as business analysts

2. What makes a good dashboard and how to effectively perform story-telling using data

3. Sohan’s 3-step framework anyone can use to build effective dashboards

4. How to become Top Voice on LinkedIn (and why it matters!)

5. Deep-dive on the role of Copilot and Generative AI as a whole on data visualizations 

6. An impromptu turn-the-tables moment with Sohan becoming host on my own show!

This discussion is for anyone who is a current or aspiring business analyst, or anyone who wants to learn story-telling using data. The theme of the show being “Learn from not-experts”, this episode is only supposed to get you thinking about what exactly story-telling using data means and how to be a good business analyst.

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Resources:

Sohan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohansethi/

Datacamp - datacamp.com

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Intro + Background 

(03:13) Tips for job applicants on landing Business Analyst roles 

(05:51) Benefits of tracking applications? 

(07:53) Why Business Analytics in the US? 

(09:48) Work experience in the US thus far 

(12:16) Key soft skills for Business Analysts working on Data Visualizations 

(18:34) What makes a good dashboard? 

(24:28) Is pie chart criticism legit? 

(26:04) Some underrated and underutilized data visuals? 

(27:56) How to become Top Voice on LinkedIn? 

(32:35) Should job-seekers start learning Copilot/Generative AI for Data Viz? 

(35:53) Application of PowerBI Copilot and the future 

(39:58) Sohan asks a Question to Naman! 

(46:16) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, my guest is Vrishin Subramaniam. Vrishin is a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) who is on a mission to help NRIs achieve financial freedom - by helping them be millionaires. Vrishin helps provide a blueprint that can be followed by anyone in the US in the capacity of a student or a working professional. 

We discuss:

• How to build wealth as a student, best practices and some common pitfalls

• How to build wealth as a salaried employee on OPT (and STEM OPT)

• How to deal with student loans

• Investing in India vs the US

• When sending remittances to home country is a good plan

• How to optimize investments including 401ks

• What to do with investments when one has to head back to home country

• When becoming a home-owner is a good idea

• Anecdotes/success stories of helping clients 

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Resources:

Vrishin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrishin/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro and Background

(03:01) Journey from Electrical Engineer to CFP

(07:37) Why focus on Financial Planning for NRIs 

(10:16) Establishing a CFP practice 

(13:37) Best practices to build wealth as students

(17:29) Best practices to build wealth as a full-time employee (OPT)

(21:22) Investment and student loans - recommendations and playbook

(26:09) Remittances to home country and why

(29:06) What to do with investments while leaving US forever

(35:08) Best practices to build wealth on an H1B

(38:54) Home ownership - yay or nay?

(42:45) Anecdotal client case-studies from Vrishin’s experience 

(46:50) Outro + gratitude

In this episode, featured not-experts are Akshansh Pandey and Harshita Gupta. Akshansh and Harshita are computer science engineering students at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology. Perhaps more notably, they’re also actors and film-makers - having taught themselves how to make short films for their YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@4log_Official) and the Film Society at KIIT. We discuss:-How two engineering students became interested in film-making and their initial experiences with acting.-The art of acting and the idea that everyone might be a better actor than they think.-The process of making a short film, including camera angles, lighting, sound, and video editing.-Helpful hacks and cost-efficient tricks for aspiring filmmakers, such as using beets to simulate blood on screen.-The positive effects and benefits of having film-making as a hobby

This discussion is for anyone who is interested in making films and is on the fence about where and how to start. This conversation is with a couple folks who are themselves figuring out film-making and my goal is to simply get you off the blocks from where you’ll be able to access (and hopefully use) a wide plethora of film-making resources by experts available out there.

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Timestamps:(00:00) Intro and background(02:45) Clubs/extracurricular societies in engg colleges (05:50) Induction to Film Society as actors(09:11) Akshansh’s acting experience and how everyone is an actor(13:36) Experience with first short film - Restart(17:50) Launching YouTube channel for short films - Char Log(20:47) Deep-dive into process of making a short film (27:33) Camera angles and cinematography(30:33) Scripts, using nature elements, sound and lighting(35:25) Editing - video + sound(43:54) Why filmmaking is a great hobby(47:21) Outro + Gratitude