Are you afraid to hit "post" on LinkedIn? Do you worry that your employer might judge you, or that you don't have anything valuable to say?

In this episode, we sit down with two of the biggest Indian Study Abroad creators on LinkedIn: Sohan Sethi and Sai Kumar Bysani. These two haven't just built followers; they’ve built empires, careers, and life-changing opportunities solely through the power of writing online.

We deep dive into their exact journey—from zero followers to becoming the go-to voices in the Study Abroad niche. We cover the "scary" stuff: dealing with hate comments, navigating corporate policies while building a personal brand, and the transition they are now making from text-based LinkedIn posts to visual storytelling on Instagram.

If you want to unlock the power of personal branding in 2025, this conversation is your blueprint.

• The "Cold Start" Problem: How to write your first post when you have zero audience.

• LinkedIn vs. Reality: How writing online creates offline opportunities (jobs, speaking gigs, and income).

• The Corporate Trap: How to handle employer perceptions and "moonlighting" concerns.

• The Strategy: How to build a content process so you never run out of ideas.

• The Pivot: Why top LinkedIn creators are now aggressively moving to Instagram.

00:00 - Intro: Meeting the Giants of LinkedIn02:20 - Why Start? The Hidden Motivations Behind Content Creation05:17 - Going Viral: How Community Engagement Changes the Game08:01 - "Will I Get Fired?" Navigating Employer & Corporate Concerns11:12 - The ROI of Writing: Real World Value of Content14:14 - The Blueprint: Building a Sustainable Content Strategy16:09 - Life-Changing Rewards: What Happens When You Commit?19:09 - Skill Stacking: How Content Makes You Better at Your Job21:39 - Scaling Up: The Importance of Delegation & Teams29:07 - Process Deep Dive: How Sohan & Sai Actually Write31:23 - Data-Driven: Analyzing Audience Engagement & Trends32:46 - The Dark Side: Dealing with Hate Comments & Trolls36:22 - The Creator Journey: Highs, Lows, and Burnout38:27 - The Pivot: Expanding from LinkedIn to Instagram Reels43:27 - Overcoming the "Cringe" Factor & Other Challenges46:40 - The Secret Sauce: Consistency & Relatability52:29 - Final Advice for Aspiring Creators

Follow Sohan Sethi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohansethi/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sohansethi/

Follow Sai Kumar Bysani:

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

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/datawithsai/

Subscribe to your favorite new podcast! We interview top performers to focus on the FIRST few steps of their strategies for success.

Subscribe for more insights on Career Growth, Study Abroad, and Personal Branding!

Are you an NRI, student, or expat living in the USA who feels sluggish, bloated, or heavier despite "eating healthy"?

You are not alone. Millions of Indians move abroad and immediately switch to a diet of salads, cold sandwiches, and protein bars, thinking they are making better choices. Yet, the "Freshman 15" turns into the "expat 20," and gut health issues skyrocket.

In this deep-dive episode, we uncover the uncomfortable truth: The American definition of "healthy" might be destroying your gut.

We explore the concept of Diaspora Nutrition—the bridge between where you live and where you come from. This isn't just about nostalgia; it's about biology. We discuss why your body craves the warm, cooked, spice-rich foods of your ancestors and how the hyper-processed nature of the US food supply chain (even the "organic" stuff) differs vastly from what you grew up with.

We cover everything from the science of the Indian gut to the logistics of finding authentic ingredients in an American city.

If you are tired of feeling lethargic and want to reclaim your energy without giving up the foods you love, this episode is your blueprint.

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The "Healthy" Food Trap: Why substituting dal-chawal for cold salads might be wrecking your digestion.

• Sourcing Secrets: How to find authentic, chemical-free Indian ingredients in the US (beyond just the local Patel Brothers).

• The Cost of Nutrition: Breaking down the math—why investing in quality food now is cheaper than healthcare costs later.

• Meal Prep for Busy Professionals: Practical, time-saving tips to cook traditional meals while managing a 9-to-5 or grad school schedule.

• Community & Culture: Why food is about more than calories—it's about identity and community building in a foreign land.

Join the Conversation:Are you team "Salad" or team "Sabzi"? Let us know in the Q&A below! If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars and share this with a friend who is struggling with their diet in the US.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro + Background

(03:08) Understanding Traditional Indian Nutrition

(10:21) The Journey of Diaspora Nutrition

(16:52) Sourcing Authentic Indian Foods in the USA

(24:09) Health Benefits of Sourcing Local Foods

(24:55) Cost and Value of Quality Nutrition

(26:52) Nutritional Choices and Their Impact

(29:02) Success Stories in Nutrition

(33:37) Cultural Relevance in Dietary Practices

(37:02) Bridging Traditional and Modern Nutrition

(40:15) Meal Prep Tips for Busy Individuals

(45:56) Vision for Diaspora Nutrition

(47:26) Overcoming Challenges in Building a Community

Most people take trips to relax. Beaches. Cocktails. Photos for Instagram. This conversation is not about that kind of trip. This is about the kind of travel that changes what you think a vacation is for. It is about showing up in a small community somewhere in the world and leaving it a little better than you found it. That idea sits at the center of GlobeAware, a nonprofit that builds one week volunteer programs where anyone can contribute to real projects run by local communities.

My guest today is Kimberly-Haley Coleman, the founder of GlobeAware. Two decades ago she built an organization around a simple question. What if everyday people could experience a new country in an honest way and also serve the people who live there. Not as a savior. Not as a tourist with a camera. Just as a fellow human who is ready to help.

In this episode Kimberly opens up about how GlobeAware started and what it takes to keep an organization like this alive. We get into the practical side of things. How do you choose projects that matter. How do you avoid the trap of voluntourism. What happens when volunteers show up and do not know the culture. What about safety, logistics, and the fact that people are literally paying to do work. We speak about her favorite projects from across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. We talk about the program in India where volunteers work shoulder to shoulder with local women. They cook, fix, build, teach, and play with children. That connection is the whole point. You arrive as a stranger and in seven days you feel like part of a family.

There is also a real business challenge here. Running a volunteer organization is not a feel good hobby. There are coordinators on the ground. There are safety rules. There are governments to work with. There is the constant pressure to maintain dignity in the communities you serve. Kimberly shares how she has stayed committed even when it was hard to find funding or when people misunderstood the mission.

If you have ever wondered how to travel with purpose, this will help. If you have thought about taking a week off and giving your time to something bigger, you will hear the truth about what that looks like. It is not glamorous. It can be uncomfortable. It is also deeply joyful. That is why so many volunteers return home feeling different. They learn that a break from routine does not have to be a break from meaning. It can be the most meaningful trip of your life.

Search terms people use to find interviews like this include volunteer abroad, ethical volunteering, meaningful travel, volunteer vacation, GlobeAware review, and community service trips. If you found this episode because of one of those searches, welcome. My goal is that you learn something real, feel something real, and maybe take action after listening.

Listen in. Consider where you might go next. Not to escape. To serve. To connect. To feel alive in a new place while making someone else’s life a little easier. That is what this conversation is about.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro + background

01:51 GlobeAware and Its Mission

03:25 The Essence of Meaningful Volunteering

07:14 Kimberly's Journey to Globaware

09:59 Project Examples and Community Engagement

12:58 Challenges in Managing a Volunteer Organization

15:34 Is it fun or like man vs wild?

19:49 Volunteer Experience and Safety Concerns

23:15 Cultural Sensitivity and Practical Advice for Volunteers

26:20 Balancing Work and Free Time in Volunteer Programs

28:48 Global Reach: Exploring Project Locations

30:14 Adapting to Local Needs: Projects in India

32:28 Recruitment Strategies for Volunteer Leaders

35:01 The Future of Globaware: Expanding Awareness

38:57 Finding Joy in Service and Everyday Life

In this episode of Ready Set Do, my guest is Umang Chaudhary, a Machine Learning Engineer at TikTok and former Applied Scientist at Amazon. Umang’s story is one of momentum — a reminder that you don’t need decades of experience to reach the top tiers of tech. What matters more is the mindset: continuously learning, adapting fast, and being ready to leap when opportunity strikes.

We dive deep into how Umang built his way into machine learning roles in Big Tech without prior ML experience, and the exact principles that helped him accelerate his career both internally at Amazon and externally to TikTok. His path shows that success in tech isn’t about luck — it’s about strategic preparation, deliberate skill-building, and understanding where the industry is heading next.

Umang breaks down his early struggles, from navigating graduate school in the U.S. to handling the uncertainty of job hunting as an international student. He explains how to find leverage in every stage of your journey — whether that’s converting an internship into a full-time offer, pitching yourself for roles outside your comfort zone, or developing credibility in a field as competitive as machine learning.

We also talk about the hidden truth of career acceleration: the importance of consistency over intensity. Umang shares how he prepared for months before landing interviews, why most people give up too early, and what separates those who get rejected once from those who eventually break into elite teams. His advice on managing rejections, reframing failures, and staying mentally sharp during transitions is refreshingly real and actionable.

Another major insight from this episode is Umang’s perspective on risk and adaptability inside Big Tech. At Amazon, he learned how scientific rigor meets business impact — and how every algorithm, no matter how elegant, must tie back to measurable outcomes. Moving to TikTok introduced a whole new dimension of risk management, scale, and data culture. We discuss how these environments differ, what machine learning looks like behind the scenes in companies like TikTok, and how engineers can future-proof their skill sets as AI continues to evolve.

For anyone eyeing a transition from software development to machine learning, this conversation is a masterclass in how to position yourself for that leap. Umang breaks down what kind of projects actually stand out on a resume, how to build a real portfolio even without official ML job titles, and how to think like an applied scientist before you even become one.

Whether you’re a student preparing for your first ML interview, a software engineer exploring a move into AI, or a professional stuck wondering what your “next big jump” could be — this episode will give you a framework to act, not just plan.

It’s a story about breaking inertia, not waiting for permission, and redefining what “ready” really means.

🎧 Listen now to learn how Umang built his way from Amazon to TikTok, how he approaches learning as a lifelong system, and how you can apply the same principles to build a faster, more intentional career in tech.

Follow Umang on Instagram: @umangabroad
Explore all links and episodes: readysetdopodcast.com

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro + Background
04:36 Controversial Opinions on Moving to the US
07:03 Opportunities in the US for Future Students
10:55 Master's Journey and Lessons Learned
16:15 Internship Experience at Amazon
25:31 Transitioning Roles at Amazon and Career Growth
30:36 Navigating the TikTok Interview Process
32:27 Prioritizing Preparation for Interviews
35:03 Learning from Rejection: The Journey to Success
37:12 The Importance of Consistent Preparation
39:41 Motivation Behind Career Transitions
41:23 Understanding TikTok's Role in Risk Management
43:20 Future Aspirations and Mentorship in ML

I’m Naman Pandey — this is the Ready Set Do Podcast — and in this episode I talk with Hrohaan Malhotra, a Data Scientist at Wells Fargo who actually landed his role through a career fair. If that sounds lucky, it isn’t. Hrohaan rewired the usual career-fair playbook: he didn’t show up to collect business cards — he showed up to build one great, memorable interaction. That single idea changed everything.

Here’s the distilled playbook we unpacked — practical, no-fluff, and proven.

Start with a 30–60 second elevator pitch that does one job: communicate your unique value. Treat the pitch like a headline for your future self — name, current focus, one concrete win, and the role you want. Practice it until it sounds like a normal sentence, not a scripted announcement. Career centers and recruiters recommend short, targeted pitches that tie your skills to employer needs. Center for Career Development

Research before you show up. Don’t wander booth-to-booth. Make a short list of companies you actually want to talk to, learn one recent thing about each, and tailor your opening line. Recruiters notice curiosity that’s informed, not generic. Harvard career services calls this deliberate preparation a game-changer. careerservices.fas.harvard.edu

When a recruiter seems uninterested, don’t freeze or plead. Use the signal. If they’re distracted, ask one smart, specific question about their team’s current priorities or a recent announcement — that tiny pivot can flip boredom into engagement. And if it doesn’t, move on quickly and follow up later by email with a short note and a one-line reminder of what you discussed — timely follow-up often outperforms a long on-floor conversation. Remote-First Coaching+1

Charisma matters — but not in the fake, theatrical sense. Warmth, confidence, and curiosity make you memorable. Show energy, listen actively, and mirror small signals (eye contact, brief smiles). Research shows charisma helps form quick rapport and increases the chance a recruiter keeps your name after the fair. PMC

If you’re an international student: be prepared and transparent about your visa status. Employers legally evaluate work authorization, so learn your options, bring clear answers, and use campus career services to surface employers who sponsor. NACE and university career centers offer practical guidance so you’re not blindsiding recruiters or yourself. Default+1

Finally — the tactic Hrohaan swears by: convert means creating one memorable reason for the recruiter to follow up. It could be a specific project you’d add value to, a concise idea to improve a product, or a thoughtful question that only someone with your background would ask. Leave them with one clear next step: a time to talk again, a referral name, or a direct ask to apply to a particular opening. Small clarity, big results.

If you want the full conversation (real examples, exact phrases Hrohaan used, and the “rizz” moment that seals the deal), tune in to the episode. You’ll walk away with concrete lines to practice, and a mindset that treats career fairs like conversion labs — one focused, prepared interaction at a time.

Listen, try one tactic at your next fair, and tell me how it goes. Full episode and links at readysetdopodcast.com.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro + Background
(01:55) How Hrohaan Got his Job at a Career Fair
(04:31) Crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch
(07:19) How To CONVERT At A Career Fair
(11:05) When Recruiters Aren't Interested in Talking To You
(16:25) Rizz Will Get You Very Far
(20:56) Re-defining Success Criteria for Career Fairs
(26:13) Navigating Conversations and Selling Yourself
(29:05) Advice for Intl Students

Moving abroad for studies often gets reduced to a checklist: applications, visas, internships, and landing that first good job. In this episode of Ready Set Do I sit down with Bhushan Chougule, a graduate student at Purdue University studying Engineering Management, to talk about what most study-abroad advice misses — the small, human things that actually make your time overseas feel like living instead of surviving.

We start with the practical moves: how to move to a new city for an internship or job without burning cash, how to scout housing that balances convenience and safety, and simple rent-optimization tactics that make a real difference to your monthly budget. Bhushan and I dig into cost-of-living trade-offs and everyday money hacks — from grocery strategies to budgeting apps — that compound into meaningful savings over a semester. We also cover safety in a non-alarmist way: neighborhood research, campus resources, transit awareness, and routines that keep you secure while giving you freedom.

Beyond logistics, the episode is about people. We talk about building social connections from scratch — how to find activities, meet people beyond class groups, and make genuine friendships that last. Bhushan shares candid stories about embracing solo dining, showing up to events alone, and how those small, awkward choices open doors to a city’s social life. We dig into the importance of intent when socializing: being curious, generous, and consistent beats clever networking hacks every time.

Work culture differences come up honestly — the practical expectations around punctuality, initiative, and feedback that often separate success in India from success in the US. Bhushan’s perspective as a Purdue student makes these contrasts real and actionable: how to adapt quickly without losing your identity, how to ask the right questions at work, and how to translate academic experience into career currency.

Dating, relationships, and boundaries are part of the conversation too. We talk consent culture, online dating norms, and how to balance romance with personal growth while you’re focused on studies. Mental health and homesickness are treated with empathy; we discuss campus counseling, peer groups, and tiny habits that rebuild routine and resilience when home feels far away.

Quick housing tips: find reliable roommates, when to sublet, landlord questions that matter, and why transit proximity saves money. Bhushan points to campus boards, local groups, and budgeting apps. We cover part-time work and mental health resources.

If you’re moving abroad, this episode gives practical moves you can use. Visit readysetdopodcast.com

All links and resources are on readysetdopodcast.com — tune in, share with a friend who’s planning a move, and try one small habit from the episode this week. Small decisions — the routes you take, the people you show up for, the questions you ask — shape the quality of your time abroad far more than any single internship or paycheck.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro + Background
02:07 Navigating the International Student Experience
05:08 Housing Strategies for International Students
08:09 Rent Optimization and Cost of Living
11:19 Safety Considerations in New Environments
14:04 Building Social Connections in a New City
17:12 Work Culture Differences India vs US
26:12 Building Connections in a New City
29:43 Finding Activities to Meet People
31:48 The Importance of Intent in Socializing
33:55 Embracing Solo Dining Experiences
38:15 Navigating Dating and Relationships
41:53 The Value of Diverse Connections
47:35 Genuine Conversations and Building Friendships

I’m Naman Pandey — welcome to Ready Set Do. If you want a ruthless, recruiter-grade breakdown of how to actually get hired in 2025, press play. This episode features Shreya Mehta — professional growth coach and former recruiter at Microsoft, Amazon, and TikTok — and she does something rare: she publicly evaluates (nay, lovingly roasts) my podcast producer Deep’s LinkedIn profile and uses that teardown to teach every listener the exact moves that win interviews and offers.

Why this episode matters
Most job-search advice is vague. Shreya gives tactical, field-tested playbooks recruiters use to judge candidates in sixty seconds. From application strategy to interview answers, from ATS hacks to sponsorship questions — this is the kind of inside view you won’t find in generic career blogs. If you’re job hunting, switching industries, or nervous about sponsorship, these are the specific changes that move your profile from “meh” to “hireable.”

What you’ll get (real, usable takeaways)
• A recruiter’s POV on LinkedIn: what to keep, what to delete, and how to build a headline and about section that actually convert views into messages.
• Resume tailoring that passes ATS and wins human readers: format rules, keyword placement, and what recruiters actually scan for.
• Networking that works: scripts for outreach, timing, and how to turn a cold message into a coffee chat.
• Application strategy: how to pick roles to apply to, when to use referrals, and when “easy apply” is sabotaging you.
• Sponsorship advice: how to answer “Do you require sponsorship?” without tanking your chances.
• Interview prep: high-impact answers, de-risking techniques, and the tiny habits that remove interview anxiety.
• Live diagnosis: Deep’s profile teardown — watch us fix errors in real time and model the changes for your own profile.

Who this episode is for
Early-career professionals, mid-career pivoters, international applicants who need sponsorship, and anyone who’s tired of ghosting and wants predictable results. If you’re applying for roles at FAANG, startups, or corporate teams, these frameworks scale.

How to use this episode
Listen with your LinkedIn and resume open. Pause after each section and implement one change immediately. Pick one outreach script and send three messages today. Run a two-week experiment: apply to five roles using these techniques and track responses.

Quick promise
Do this work, and you’ll see a measurable difference in recruiter replies, interview invites, and the quality of interviews you get. The job market is unforgiving — but predictable. This episode hands you the predictability.

If this helped, subscribe to Ready Set Do, leave a rating, and tell me which profile you want us to roast next. Ship the micro-changes. Get the offer. Then DM me — I want to hear your wins.

00:00 — Intro + Background
01:45 — Avoid these Pitfalls that most job-seekers make
04:55 — NON-generic advice for struggling job-seekers
08:23 — Effective Networking Strategies
11:01 — Understanding Recruiter Dynamics
14:25 — Building a Strong LinkedIn Profile
16:43 — Live LinkedIn Profile Review
21:51 — How to write a good about me
26:36 — The Importance of Portfolios and Featured Sections
29:38 — Maximizing LinkedIn Skills and Experience Sections
33:19 — The Role of Education in Job Applications
37:11 — Understanding the Recruitment Process and ATS
41:23 — Stop making these resume mistakes!!
43:15 — Does easy apply work?
44:37 — Navigating Sponsorship Questions
48:15 — Preparing for Screening Calls
54:48 — The Role of Career Coaches in Job Search
58:30 — The Fulfillment of Mentorship

I’m Naman Pandey — welcome back to Ready Set Do. If you’ve ever felt blindsided by the US visa interview process, this episode is your map. My guest is Duden Freeman: a former U.S. diplomat who served over nine years with the Department of State and now runs Visas 101 — the first education platform built by former visa officers to teach applicants exactly what consular teams look for. Duden tears down the opacity of the visa system and gives clear, no-nonsense advice you can use whether you’re applying for a visitor visa, student visa, work visa (including H-1B), or an extraordinary ability petition.

Why listen? Because most visa advice is hearsay. Duden served on the other side of the glass. She explains what a visa officer is actually assessing, why the default mindset for every application is “rejected until proven otherwise,” and how small changes in preparation can dramatically improve your chances. We walk through real examples — including my own visitor visa rejection — and translate those lessons into actionable steps you can follow.

What you’ll learn from this conversation:
• Exactly what visa officers test for and how to present the truth clearly and concisely.
• How to treat your DS-160 — the form most people rush through — as a central part of your story, not a checkbox.
• Practical techniques for interview framing: how to answer, what to avoid, and when brevity wins.
• A breakdown of visa categories (visitor, student, H/L/O/P, EB), what each officer is focused on, and how to tailor your evidence.
• What to do — and absolutely not do — if your visa is rejected, including next steps that actually work.
• Myths about body language, “tricks” recruiters use, and why transparency beats theatrics in a consular interview.

Duden also pulls back the curtain on training for consular officers and shares the human, sometimes surprising perspective behind decisions — including how institutional pressures and busy caseloads shape outcomes. If you’re preparing for a US visa interview, this episode will give you the confidence to tell your story the right way.

Who should listen: international students, professionals applying for work visas or H-1B interviews, travelers worried about visitor visa denials, and anyone who needs a practical, evidence-based guide to the US consular process.

If this episode helps you, subscribe to Ready Set Do, leave a rating, and share it with a friend who’s filling out a DS-160 right now. Got a visa question after listening? DM me — I’ll pass it along to Duden for future episodes. Press play, take notes, and treat your next visa interview like a product you can design and iterate — because you can.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Intro + Background
02:17 — Duden's Journey to US Diplomacy
07:46 — Duden's experience as a visa officer in Spain
09:48 — Training to be a visa consular officer
12:18 — Naman's visitor visa rejection - live retrospection
17:27 — What is the visa officer trying to assess?
21:26 — Every applicant's visa result defaults to rejected
22:39 — Dealing with God complex
26:45 — Navigating H,L,O,P,EB Visa Categories
29:47 — The Visa Officer's Unheard Perspective
34:14 — Does body language really matter?
36:05 — The DS160 should not be taken lightly
40:18 — Navigating H1B Visa Interviews
45:04 — Success Stories from Visas 101 and Lessons Learned
49:33 — Visa acceptance after multiple rejections

I’m Naman Pandey — welcome back to Ready Set Do. If you want to break into product management from a totally different career, this two-part jam with Jackie Henning is everything you need. In Part 2 Jackie walks us through the exact pivot she made — from medicine to product management — and the surprising, simple moves that opened the first PM door for her. This episode is practical, honest, and short on buzzwords: if you’re an aspiring PM working in a different industry (medicine, finance, design, teaching — whatever), you’ll leave with a clear, actionable roadmap.

Why this episode matters
Most career advice about “breaking into PM” feels theoretical. Jackie’s story proves the opposite: real transitions are tactical and repeatable. She shares the mindset shifts, the micro-skills, and the concrete projects that signaled product credibility to hiring teams. We break down what hiring managers actually look for, how to translate non-PM experience into product language, and which early wins accelerate your path from applicant to hire.

What you’ll get from listening
• A step-by-step recount of Jackie’s pivot from the medical field into health-tech PM — the decisions, mistakes, and small experiments that worked.
• Actionable tips you can implement this week: how to reframe your resume, build a PM-style project, and run mini-experiments to prove product impact.
• Clear differences between health-tech PM and general PM roles — what to emphasize when applying to clinical or regulated products.
• Practical advice on stakeholder management in healthcare environments — a must if you want to ship responsibly and quickly.
• The “threshold concept” Jackie uses to get unstuck — a mental model that turns vague career change goals into daily habits and measurable progress.

Who this episode is for
Aspiring product managers who aren’t currently in product, career pivoters curious about health-tech, and anyone who prefers blueprints over pep talks. If you want a direct playbook — not theory — press play.

How to use this episode
Treat it like a mini workshop. Listen with a notebook, pick one micro-project Jackie suggests, and run a two-week experiment. Share your results with me — I love seeing people ship things inspired by the show.

If you liked this, check Part 1 for Jackie's tactical tips and frameworks. Subscribe, leave a rating, and tell me which non-PM background you want us to break down next. Build something — then tell us about it.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Intro + Background

02:16 — Breaking into Product Management: Misconceptions and Realities
04:51 — Jackie’s Journey: From Medicine to Product Management
07:49 — The Evolution of Product Management: Learning by Doing
10:54 — Health Tech vs. General Product Management
13:51 — Navigating Stakeholder Relationships in Health Tech
16:43 — Advice for Aspiring Product Managers: The Threshold Concept

I’m Naman Pandey — welcome back to the Ready Set Do Podcast. This episode is a goldmine for builders: my guest is VJ Swaminathan, a serial entrepreneur you probably already know from Pathfinders and Authentic Hustle. VJ does something rare on this show — he literally pops the hood on his AI recruiting product, Recruitt.ai, and walks us through the exact tool stack, architecture decisions, and development trade-offs that got him from idea to demo. If you’re building voice-powered AI, hiring tech, or just curious how modern recruitment tooling is assembled, this conversation will save you months of guesswork.

Why listen? Because VJ doesn’t do vague platitudes. He shows the demo, explains where voice helps (and where it doesn’t), and breaks down the metrics that matter when you’re trying to make hiring both faster and fairer. We get into practical topics like: how voice naturally fits into candidate screening, how analytics shape recruiter workflows, and which parts of the pipeline you should optimize first to move the needle without overengineering.

I love this episode because it’s both tactical and inspiring. VJ shares the actual stack — the APIs, model choices, orchestration patterns, and third-party tools — plus why he made those choices. He talks through latency, cost, and user experience trade-offs; how to instrument the system for recruiting analytics; and how to iterate on an MVP that actually gets adoption inside hiring teams. If you’ve ever wanted a blueprint for a voice-first product or wondered how to stitch together modern LLMs, speech-to-text, and recruitment systems, this is the blueprint.

Beyond tech, VJ’s energy is contagious. You’ll pick up mindset hacks for staying productive, approaches to rapid experimentation, and a founder’s lens on building for long-term product-market fit. We also talk about staying current in the fast-moving AI landscape — how to evaluate new model releases, when to swap providers, and how to protect your product from brittle dependencies.

Resources: if you want more of VJ’s thinking, I’ve been on his show — check my Pathfinders episode here: https://youtu.be/Lh2JnM9Xxt8?si=P9nNqeWnI34b6WeC — and show his podcasts some love.

Who this episode is for: founders building voice-enabled products, engineers exploring AI stacks, recruiting leaders curious about automation, and anyone who likes practical, no-fluff product conversations. Expect concrete takeaways you can apply the next day.

If you like deep-dive founder conversations, hit subscribe, leave a rating, and tell me what product you want us to break down next. Press play, take notes, and if you build something inspired by this episode, ping me — I want to see it.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Intro + Background
03:59 — Recruitt AI Demo and Its Applications
07:51 — AI in Recruitment: Efficiency and Analytics
14:17 — Building the AI System: Tools and Technologies
19:26 — Staying Updated in the Fast-Paced AI Landscape