EP 58 - Andre Iguodala Shares Golden State Warriors Stories, Playing With Steph Curry

Sriram Krishnan and Aarthi Ramamurthy dissect the mystery of the ideal pitch from an investor's point of view. Don't miss out on the upcoming episode where they delve deeper into the art of pitching, exploring it from the founder's perspective. — Show Notes:   (0:00) Intro (4:19) What is a good pitch? (5:04) People who don’t need to pitch (7:47) Big takeaway about pitching (9:17) Aarthi’s experience working with Netflix’s Reed Hastings (11:22) VC perspective on pitching (15:17) Founder perspective on pitching (18:24) Dangers of bringing too many people to a fundraising meeting (21:39) Aarthi and Sriram disagree on pitching (26:25) Right and wrong way to show power as a founder   (30:04) Important things to get across in a pitch (35:01) Bringing up competition when pitching   (37:17) Aarthi’s mistake while fundraising (39:48) Talking about your startup team (42:07) How VC’s test founders during a pitch (43:30) Knowing who you’re pitching ahead of time (47:50) Pitching process broken down (55:10) Dealing with rejection (1:03:47) Difficulties of being a founder   —   Other episodes you might enjoy:   EP 63 - Lessons From Networking In Silicon Valley EP 61 - The Reality of Raising Kids in the Tech Industry EP 59 - Why We Moved to London, The Elon Musk Book, Should You Get An MBA EP 55 - When To Quit Your Job: Advice From Silicon Valley VCs EP 49 - How To Be A Venture Capitalist, Explained

Vinod Khosla is a renowned Silicon Valley venture capitalist and the founder of Khosla Ventures, known for his instrumental role in shaping the technology landscape. With a rich background as a co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a forward-thinking investment approach, Khosla continues to drive innovation across various industries.

Sriram and Aarthi break down how to actually benefit from networking in your career.

Kevin Kelly played a pivotal role in the establishment of Wired magazine back in 1993, where he assumed the role of executive editor during its formative seven years. His journey in the tech and digital landscape began even earlier when he contributed to the launch of The Well, a groundbreaking online service, in 1985. Prior to Wired, he also held positions as the publisher and editor of a branch of The Whole Earth Catalog. Beyond his media ventures, Kevin Kelly is deeply involved in shaping the future through his role as the co-chair of the Long Now Foundation, a membership-based organization dedicated to promoting long-term thinking and fostering responsibility toward future generations. His accomplishments have made him an iconic figure among the early cohorts of technology professionals. Yet, Kelly's influence extends to the younger generations entering the workforce as he's equally passionate about sharing his valuable insights as a futurist.

Sriram and Aarthi open up about balancing parenthood while working in tech. One of the most common questions Sriram and Aarthi get is “How do you folks handle parenting and your work/schedule/life”. They had resisted for years as they felt everyone’s situation and choices were unique. However, they recently got convinced that this could be useful to listeners.

We had the great David Goyer on to talk about all things Foundation, how he reinvented superhero movies with Batman, his writing process, and much more! Ask anyone about the greatest movies of the last 20 years and the Dark Knight Trilogy will be up there near the top. David Goyer has lived out every nerd’s fantasy and has had a hand in creating some of the most iconic movies and TV shows - the Dark Knight series, Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman among many others. His latest effort is the TV form of what may be the holiest book in sci-fi - Asimov’s Foundation. Aarthi and I love the show and we had a blast talking to David about the new season, working with Nolan and much more.

We are back after the break and we have big news - we moved to London! In this episode, we discuss our move, the new startup scene in London, our new life across the UK, the Elon Musk book, the value of business school, and more. Leave us questions for our next solo episode!

Get ready to be amazed by Zarna Garg, the Indian mom who's taking the comedy scene by storm! Ever wondered how she went from running the household to opening for Tina Fey? Well, wonder no more, because she's spilling all the hilarious details on the Sriram and Aarthi show.

In this episode, we wanted to do something different. We reviewed what is probably the movie of the summer - Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. We wanted to do this for two reasons: a) it might be one of the best cinematic experiences we have had in a while and b) it has many implications for issues we see today.

Is it time for you to look for your next job? Should you haggle over your salary? How should you network while being busy with your current job? Having worked in the tech industry for over a decade and a half, Sriram and Aarthi are here to help you with your job hunt.

We are thrilled to host the incredibly talented Marc Guggenheim, the genius behind the Arrowverse. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of comic books, superheroes, and TV show production. From his memorable work on Arrow to the pressures of delivering a successful TV show, we explore the genius of J.J. Abrams and the weaponization of nostalgia. Marc shares his insights on managing fans' expectations, establishing themes in storytelling, and offers a glimpse into his information diet. Plus, we discuss the exciting Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what TV should explore next from comic books. Don't miss this engaging and informative conversation with the visionary behind some of your favorite superhero stories!

In this episode, we sit down with music industry titan Steve Stoute to delve into his remarkable journey from getting fired to becoming a music mogul. Discover how Steve's visionary thinking and groundbreaking strategies forever changed the landscape of the music industry. Join us as we explore the resilience and innovation that propelled Steve Stoute to reshape the game and leave an indelible mark on music history. 

Join us for an amazing conversation featuring Robin Arizon as she shares her remarkable journey from lawyer to Peloton Instructor. Robin opens up about her transformation and provides insights into her week as a fitness professional. Gain valuable tips on becoming a great workout instructor and discover the relatability of women in the fitness world. Robin also reflects on her experiences as a founder, offering advice on branching out and finding confidence through hard work. Get ready to be motivated as she discusses living up to fame and reveals her exciting future plans. Additionally, learn valuable tips on getting started with your own fitness journey.

Join us as we welcome Vitalik, the co-founder of Ethereum, on our podcast! In this episode, Vitalik shares his thoughts on recent news and lessons learned from the crypto industry. From discussing financialization and incentives in crypto to exploring the aftermath of the crypto craze, we delve into what the future holds.

In this episode, we dive deep into his latest piece on 'Why AI Will Save the World'. We get into the piece and some of the critiques and really go all out.  🎙️ The Aarthi and Sriram Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.   🔊 Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CuAlPdZGhV1yxShmdcYh6?si=1f1ef00601ce46d0 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aarthi-and-srirams-good-time-show/id1624345213 📕 Subscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/profile/113921987-aarthi-and-srirams-podcast  📷 Follow Sriram on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sriramk/ 🐦 Follow Sriram On Twitter: https://twitter.com/sriramk?s=20 📷 Follow Aarthi On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarthir/?hl=en 🐦Follow Aarthi On Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarthir

Welcome to this podcast episode featuring Olivia Moore and Bryan Kim from a16z, where we dive deep into the world of venture capital! Join us as we explore the secrets of becoming a successful VC and learn invaluable insights on stepping into the thrilling VC landscape. Discover the crucial dynamics between founders and VCs and gain expert advice on building strong relationships in this ever-evolving industry. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation that will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the world of venture capital with confidence! Subscribe now and unlock the secrets to VC success! 🎙️ The Aarthi and Sriram Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.   🔊 Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CuAlPdZGhV1yxShmdcYh6?si=1f1ef00601ce46d0 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aarthi-and-srirams-good-time-show/id1624345213 📕 Subscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/profile/113921987-aarthi-and-srirams-podcast  📷 Follow Sriram on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sriramk/ 🐦 Follow Sriram On Twitter: https://twitter.com/sriramk?s=20 📷 Follow Aarthi On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarthir/?hl=en 🐦Follow Aarthi On Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarthir

Join us for a captivating episode with Congressman Ro Khanna as we explore an array of thought-provoking topics. From his early life and the immigrant experience to his impactful tenure in Congress, Ro Khanna shares his remarkable journey. Gain valuable insights into the dynamics between Silicon Valley and Washington DC and discover his compelling message for the tech hub. Dive into the future of artificial intelligence, as Ro Khanna discusses its potential benefits and drawbacks. Explore the decentralization of tech, the US-India tech landscape, and Ro's reflections on patriotism. Don't miss this enlightening conversation that delves into the tensions between policymakers and tech while providing a vision for a harmonious tech ecosystem. Tune in now to be inspired by Congressman Ro Khanna's legacy and the intersection of policy and technology. 🎙️ The Aarthi and Sriram Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.   🔊 Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CuAlPdZGhV1yxShmdcYh6?si=1f1ef00601ce46d0  🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aarthi-and-srirams-good-time-show/id1624345213 📕 Subscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/profile/113921987-aarthi-and-srirams-podcast  📷 Follow Sriram on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sriramk/  🐦 Follow Sriram On Twitter: https://twitter.com/sriramk?s=20  📷 Follow Aarthi On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarthir/?hl=en  🐦Follow Aarthi On Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarthir

0:00 Introduction to Nathan Myhrvold 5:40 Nathan's early years 13:33 Meeting Bill Gates 16:44 Understanding your audience 27:54 Microsoft culture 38:03 Nathan's passion for cooking 44:40 Archeology & Nathan's study of dinosaurs 49:23 Learning across multiple fields 52:30 Nathan's advice for you In this captivating podcast episode, renowned entrepreneur and visionary Nathan Myhrvold takes us on a fascinating journey through his extraordinary life. From his groundbreaking contributions at Microsoft, where he played a key role in shaping the tech giant's success, to his unexpected foray into the world of cooking as a renowned chef and culinary innovator, Myhrvold's insatiable curiosity is revealed as the driving force behind his remarkable achievements. Delving even further into his diverse interests, Myhrvold shares his passion for paleontology and the thrilling adventures that led him to become an esteemed dinosaur enthusiast. Prepare to be inspired by the boundless curiosity that unlocked Myhrvold's fortune across multiple domains. 🎙️ The Aarthi and Sriram Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.

0:00 Intro 1:23 Strauss' passion for fitness 14:50 Career Trajectory 25:15 Balancing the creative and the business 32:32 The culture of WWE 36:52 Strauss' career advice We dive deep into the world of business and fitness with none other than Strauss Zelnick. Strauss is the founder, CEO and managing partner of private equity firm ZMC, and is the Chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc, responsible for a broad portfolio of video game franchises such as BioShock, Borderlands, Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K, and Red Dead among others. Join us as we uncover the secrets behind his remarkable success in both business and fitness and explore how he manages to maintain a perfect balance between his demanding role as a business leader and his unwavering commitment to personal fitness. Discover the mindset, habits, and strategies that have propelled Zelnick to the top of the corporate ladder while keeping his physique in peak condition. Get ready for an inspiring conversation with a true powerhouse who proves that achieving excellence in both business and fitness is not only possible but essential for a fulfilling life. 🎙️ The Aarthi and Sriram Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.

0:00 Intro 01:17 Gina's book - Good Power 03:39 Ginni on becoming IBM's CEO 07:00 The Infinite Game 10:00 Ginni's childhood adversity 14:23 Is hard work controversial? 18:34 Obstacles, risk-taking, victimhood 24:30 Should you fit in or should you stand out? 33:54 What should change and what should endure 42:53 Chat GPT, the state of AI 46:44 Lessons from Ginni's book We had the privilege to host Ginni Rometty, former IBM CEO and author of the thought-provoking book "Good Power." Join us as she shares her remarkable journey of overcoming adversities and navigating her illustrious career in the tech industry. From her early struggles to becoming a trailblazing leader, Ginni Rometty's story is one of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of embracing challenges. Discover her insights on leadership, innovation, and the pursuit of good power in this inspiring conversation. 🎙️ The Aarthi and Sriram Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.

0:00 Intro 0:47 The song and dance of WWE 4:02 The final whistle 6:55 Why did Rob take on the Wrexham FC challenge 13:53 The bromance of Rob and Ryan 17:48 The emotional weight of running a football club 22:49 Mythic Quest and the gaming community 28:25 Gareth Bale to Wrexham FC? 29:05 On Sriram We sit down with Rob McElhenney, American actor, producer, writer and podcaster, and more recently, Rob is the co-owner of Wrexham FC. We discuss the club's remarkable promotion journey. Join us as we delve into the thrilling behind-the-scenes stories of Wrexham's rise to success, led by McElhenney's vision and passion. From acquiring the club alongside Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds to implementing transformative changes, McElhenney shares his insights on the revitalization of this historic football institution. 🎙️ The Aarthi and Sriram Show - Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.

0:00 Intro 01:08 Creating as a couple 04:50 Lauryn and Michael's origin 07:58 The Skinny Confidential: Product-market fit 11:25 Dealing with criticism and cancel culture 22:00 Advice for new creators 25:34 Dear Media, explained 32:41 What makes a good podcast guest? 36:08 Cultivating the right energy, human connection 49:07 Elon Musk 50:47 Creating for different platforms 52:38 Growing: Dear Media and Skinny Confidential 56:06 The reward of podcasting 57:07 The future of Dear Media Lauryn Evarts and Michael Bosstick are the dynamic hosts of The Skinny Confidential. Lauryn's unwavering passion for beauty, wellness, and unfiltered advice has transformed her blog, The Skinny Confidential, into an iconic online platform. Complementing her blog, Lauryn has authored The Skinny Confidential Lifestyle Guide and introduced the BODY GUIDE, a monthly subscription service offering exclusive workouts and meal plans. Meanwhile, Michael Bosstick wears multiple hats as the CEO of Dear Media, founder of Bosstick Media, co-founder of Jetbed, Inc., and co-host of the TSC podcast. With his diverse range of accomplishments, Michael brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the table. Together, Lauryn and Michael epitomize the epitome of entrepreneurial success, combining their individual talents and passions to create an influential brand and a thriving podcast that captivates audiences worldwide.

0:00 Intro 7:16 Working with iconic founders, Steve Jobs 15:00 What would Steve Jobs have thought of crypto and NFT 16:15 The craft of iPod 20:00 The Evolution of Apple 27:00 Ian Rogers' career arc 31:20 Do hard things 36:50 Ian making tech cool 44:15 Sustainability and Optimism to Solve the climate crisis 48:05 The Legacy of Ian and Tony In this episode, Ian Rogers and Tony Fadell discuss their experiences working with Steve Jobs and the evolution of Apple, as well as their insights on the future of technology, sustainability, and climate change. From the craft of the iPod to the impact of crypto and NFTs, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on the intersection of design, innovation, and social responsibility. Tune in to learn from two industry veterans with a wealth of knowledge and passion for their craft. Tony Fadell is an engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and investor. He was senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple Inc. and founder and former CEO of Nest Labs. Fadell joined Apple Inc. in 2001 and oversaw all iPod hardware, software, and accessories development. He is known as the "father of the iPod". As the co-creator of the iPhone, he also worked on the first three generations of the iPhone and oversaw all iPhone hardware, firmware, and accessories development from March 2006 to November 2008. Ian Rogers is the Chief Experience Officer at Ledger, a cryptocurrency startup. Prior to this, Ian was the Chief Digital Officer at LVMH for five transformative years, working with a portfolio of nearly one hundred brands across luxury including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora, and Hennessy. Ian also sits on the boards of Dr Marten’s and Lyst. Ian spent twenty years bringing digital music to the mainstream, first with Winamp then Yahoo!, Beats, and Apple. Ian contributed to the 2015 launch of Apple Music including Beats 1, their digital streaming channel.

0:00 Intro 1:54 How Stephen Wolfram approaches productivity 6:12 Stephen's day-in-life 7:45 Stephen's outlook on artificial intelligence 13:05 The human brain-artificial intelligence analogy 16:40 Wolfram's unique approach to GPT 31:00 The Pi computation 34:14 Risks of AI 45:32 Stephen's X factor 51:36 Are things as complex as they seem? 1:03:00 Do the simple things right Renowned physicist, mathematician, and computer scientist Stephen Wolfram joined us on the podcast to discuss AI, physics, and more. We explored the state of artificial intelligence and the challenges and opportunities it presents. Stephen shared his insights into the computational universe and cellular automata and their relationship to physics. 🎙️ The Good Times Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.

0:00 Intro to Paul Buccheit 8:14 History of different emails 13:03 Building in public, 100 happy users 19:43 Gmail, over the years 27:35 Platforms built on open APIs 33:00 Iterate internally, User Experience 36:00 Advice for founders and startups, YC culture 50:00 Founders: Keep trying! Learn from failures 53:00 The state of Artificial Intelligence 1:00:00 I am nothing - identity, imposter syndrome, ego   Paul Buchheit is a computer engineer and entrepreneur who is best known as the creator of Gmail. He worked at a number of Silicon Valley companies, including Intel and Compaq, before joining Google in 1999. At Google, he played a key role in the development of a number of products, including AdSense and Google's search infrastructure.

Based in San Francisco, Lenny Rachitsky is a Product specialist with a strong focus on growth. He spent seven years at Airbnb, where he started as a Product Manager in 2012 and later became a Product lead for supply growth. Lenny now works as a writer, investor, and consultant for product growth. He creates content on Substack, YouTube, and other podcasting platforms. Subscribe to Lenny's newsletter: https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/ 🎙️ The Good Times Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.

➡️ Are you curious about the future of work and the rise of remote teams? Meet Alex Bouaziz, the innovative leader behind Deel, a groundbreaking platform that simplifies global hiring, payments, and compliance for businesses of all sizes. In this episode, we sit down with Alex to learn more about his mission to make work more flexible, accessible, and rewarding for everyone. 🎙️ The Good Times Show: Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan host conversations with leading builders, and CEOs and reveal what it takes to make it to the inside.

In this episode, we talked to Emil Michael, who is Silicon Valley's best dealmaker. This was a masterclass in negotiation, art of making deals, when to walk away from them, his story, working with Travis Kalanick at Uber, and so much more. Emil Michael is an investor and strategic advisor to many high growth tech startups. He was the Chief Business Officer at Uber, during it’s period of expoential growth where it was the most valuable startup in the world. He’s also held leadership roles at Tellme Networks which was acquired by Microsoft, and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense under the Obama administration. Today he advices founders on fundraising, M&A, corporate strategy and culture, global expansion and building exec teams. Born in Egypt, with degress from Harvard and Stanford, to us, Emil is the embodiment of the American Dream, and how an outside can truly make it and become an insider.

In this episode, the gang gets back together! Marc Andreessen and Steven Sinofsky are back to talk about all things AI. We cover the rise of ChatGPT, Bing's AI powered chat Sydney, AI ethics, sentience, whether AI will take over jobs, the economic impact, AI startups vs tech incumbents, and whether it is time for AI to become sentient. This was an incredibly fun episode! Marc Andreessen is an American entrepreneur, venture capital investor, and software engineer. He is the co-author of Mosaic, the first widely used web browser; co-founder of Netscape; and co-founder and general partner of Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Steven Jay Sinofsky is a former president of the Windows Division at Microsoft. He was responsible for the development and marketing of Windows, Internet Explorer, and online services such as Outlook.com and SkyDrive.

In this episode, our special guest is Marc "Tryndamere" Merrill, co-founder of Riot Games, the game developer and publisher behind League of Legends. This was an awesome episode and Marc is a fantastic guest. We talk about the origin of League of Legends, building a gaming startup, player focused culture, fundraising, building 'Arcane' the popular Netflix show and so much more. Enjoy!

In this episode, we talk to Anders Hejlsberg, the creator of programming languages such. as C#, Typescript, Turbo Pascal and Delphi, on a life spent on building programming languages, the history of Java, his systems and setup, and what the future of programing languages looks like. Anders is someone we have looked up to for a big part of our lives, and this episode was a treat for us!

In this episode, we talked to Elad Gil - a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, operating executive, and investor or advisor to companies including AirBnB, Pinterest, Square, and Stripe. He is also the author of High Growth Handbook, the playbook for turning a startup into a unicorn, and for navigating the most complex challenges that confront leaders and operators in high-growth tech startups. We covered a wide variety of topics during this chat - the current economic conditions and what it means for tech startups, his investing philosophy, how he finds founders, on AI and the AI market map, on energy and the politics of nuclear energy and so much more. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:42 Who is Elad Gil 2:42 What motivates Elad 4:56 Elad’s first investment(s) 6:24 Who to invest in? How has it changed over time 8:48 What Elad looks for in a founding team 13:47 Startups during COVID 21:33 Bloated companies and layoffs 30:16 M&A and the state of seed market 33:30 Why Elad does it all by himself 35:35 What to do if you got laid off 38:27 The state of Artificial Intelligence startups 44:26 The AI market map and used cases 55:12 Will AI replace human jobs? 58:30 Elad’s history in energy 1:00:00 Carbon footprint & nuclear energy 1:01:49 The history and politics of Nuclear energy 1:11:30 Talent and human capital flow 1:16:26 How Elad finds the smartest builders 1:18:07 Looking back and predictions 1:20:20 Passing the baton in Silicon Valley

This week, we're doing a quick 'solo episode' where we talk about layoffs in tech, what to do if you are impacted, the power of networking, shifting careers, consulting, and hitting the reset button. If you've been impacted by the recent tech layoffs, or have wondered how to think about layoffs and their impact, this episode is for you.

This week we dive deep with Noam Shazeer, founder of Character.AI, Google veteran, and inventor of much of the current revolution in large language models including transformers, Mesh-Tensorflow, T5, and Google’s LaMDA dialog system. We cover: the evolution of Google and AI, transformers, LLMs, neural networks, commercialization of Google’s research, future of ChatGPT and AI, engineering philosophy, his work at Character.AI, and much more!

Andy Weir is the New York Times bestselling author of The Martian, Artemis, Project Hail Mary, and Cheshire Crossing. His 2011 novel The Martian was adapted into the 2015 film of the same name directed by Ridley Scott. In this episode, we talked about his story from being a software developer to a sci-fi author, getting a movie deal for The Martian starring Matt Damon, how humanity can go to another planet, his favorite sci-fi authors and what's next for him. As sci-fi nerds, this was a really fun episode for us - we hope you enjoy it too!

Brian Grazer is an Academy and Emmy award winning producer and writer. Grazer was personally nominated for four Academy Awards for Splash (1984), Apollo 13 (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), and Frost/Nixon (2008). His films and TV series have been nominated for 47 Academy Awards and 217 Emmy Awards. In 2002, Grazer won an Oscar for Best Picture for A Beautiful Mind (shared with Ron Howard). In this episode, we talked to Brian about his unique career path going from an outsider to a Hollywood insider, his curiosity, working with Ron Howard, making epic movies and so much more.

In this episode, Aarthi and Sriram talked to James Clear, bestselling author of Atomic Habits (that sold over 9m copies!) and the popular 3-2-1 newsletter. We talked to him about writing and marketing a NYTimes bestseller, how to pick up good habits, the collective impact of small actions, and so much more. Check it out!

'tis the time for our year end roundup - we talk about our favorite episodes this year, and our favorite other content - books, movies, in-person meetup, tech trends, and what is getting us excited about 2023. Happy holidays!

This week's special guest is Steven Sinofsky, one of our favorite techno-optimists responsible for shipping Windows and Office products at Microsoft used by billions of people. He is also the author of one of the most popular Substack books - https://hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com In this episode we talked about Steven's early days at Microsoft, his famous internet memo, working with Bill Gates, and the traits he sees in good leaders and founders, how to set company culture, his experience leading Office and Windows teams at Microsoft, and the secret behind his ability to write well.

Indra Nooyi joins us this week as our special guest. In this episode we talked about her upbringing and early life, her career including leading PepsiCo, her leadership lessons, making it as an immigrant, and her experience meeting Steve Jobs. Born in Madras (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu, India, Indra Nooyi is an American business executive and former chairperson and CEO of Pepsico. She has consistently ranked among the world’s 100 most powerful women. She serves on the boards of Amazon and ICC. In 2007, the Government of India awarded her the Padma Bhushan, the country’s 3rd highest civilian honor. For more conversations with creators, builders and thinkers, subscribe to Aarthi and Sriram's Good Time Show - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheGoodTimeShowAarthiSriram

In this 'solo' episode, Sriram and Aarthi talk about their trip to India and hosting the first in-person meetup in Chennai for fans of the podcast, as well as Sriram's take on Elon's first few weeks at Twitter and what he learned from watching Elon at work.

In this episode, Aarthi and Sriram talk to Alexandr Wang is the founder and CEO of Scale AI. Alex is a 25 year old dropout from MIT, and is the youngest self made billionaire. Scale AI is the data platform for AI, providing high quality training data for leading machine learning teams. In this episode we talked about Alex's background and upbringing, how he stumbled onto the idea for Scale while building a camera in his refrigerator, the state of artificial intelligence, YCombinator (YC) program, department of defense and AI contracts, US vs China, use cases for artificial intelligence, how to solve for attribution and monetization for artists' IP in the world of AI, advice for founders. how to develop active thinking, company building and culture building.

In this episode, Aarthi and Sriram talked to the one and only Marc Andreessen who is back by popular demand. For those of you (who are clearly living under a rock) who don't know him, Marc Andreessen is the co-founder of Netscape and co-founder and General Partner of Andreessen Horowitz. He is an innovator and creator, one of the few to pioneer a software category used by more than a billion people and one of the few to establish multiple billion-dollar companies. He is, without exaggeration, one of the smartest person we've ever met. In this episode we talked about Elon Musk and what makes him really successful, how to know if your startup idea is good, how to find a co-founder, how to persevere, Marc's favorite books, and one of our favorite topics - how to have the courage to think creatively and independently without worrying about repercussions. We packed a lot into this one. Enjoy!

In this episode, Aarthi and Sriram talk to Rich Roll, an ultra-endurance athlete who is vegan, a chart-topping podcast host and author of multiple bestselling books, on his journey from being in college at Stanford, becoming an alcoholic, and then at the age of 40, recovering from his addiction, finding purpose and becoming an ultra endurance athlete. We talked about his early life, recovery, resurgence, role of spirituality in his life, what a typical week of diet and exercise looks like, why he champions plant based nutrition, how to get started with making lifestyle changes, what makes people like Andrew Huberman and Robin Arzon so successful and what it means to him to find so much success later in life.

In this episode, Aarthi and Sriram talked to Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus and now the founder and CEO of Anduril. We talked about Palmer's unique childhood, how he started Oculus and essentially made re-ignited the VR movement, sold to Meta, got fired, and then went on to start another challenging company called Anduril which focuses on building defense technology. We talked about Palmer's recent trip to Ukraine, the current state of the Ukraine/Russia, China/Taiwan and the threat of nuclear war. We also talked about John Carmack, Elon Musk, dealing with haters, working on hard problems and what drives incredibly productive people and his advice for founders.

In this episode, Aarthi and Sriram talked to Tanmay Bhat, arguably India's most famous comedian, YouTuber, scriptwriter, actor, performer, producer and startup investor. We talked about Tanmay's early start with Youtube (a decade ago!), getting into live streaming, what a 'plandid' is, breaking down the construction of a joke, how comedy varies for different cultures and audiences, getting marriage proposals (!), dealing with haters, what makes Dave Chapelle, Andrew Shulz and other comedians successful, and finally Tanmay's foray into health and wellness, and getting into crypto investing and building with Superteam.

In this episode, Aarthi and Sriram talk to Emad Mostaque, the founder and CEO of Stability AI, the company behind Stable Diffusion AI (Artificial Intelligence). We covered everything from Emad's unique background, his religious beliefs as a Muslim, his son's autism diagnosis and how that shaped the building of Stable Diffusion, on LLMs (Large Language Models), how he thinks about AI ethics, how developing countries like India can leverage AI, and why he believes in open sourcing and democratizing access to AI technology. AI and it's role in everyday life, especially in art and creativity is all the rage right now, and there are many questions on the role of humans and the ethical questions that arise from leveraging Artificial Intelligence.

In this episode, Aarthi and Sriram talked to the one and only Gary Vee (Gary Vaynerchuck). Gary talked about his decade-long history with the hosts, what it takes to be a good online creator, the power of creating content that is contextualized, his advice to young people, his views on Logan Paul, on why Mr. Beast is incredibly successful, and how to be a good parent. Enjoy!

In our first ever 'solo' episode (as Sriram says - 'we don't have a guest, but we have...each other'), Aarthi and Sriram talk about how to successfully onboard a new employee - both from the employer's perspective and for the new employee. And also, how to handle that first 1:1 with your manager, and the different tactics for onboarding for small startups vs bigger companies. And finally, how to think about promotions at work.

In this episode, hosts Aarthi and Sriram interviewed THE internet celebrity couple, Anthony "Pomp" Pompliano and Polina Marinova. We covered everything from their life stories, how they met, their current work and building an online audience, thoughts on Andrew Tate, The Rock and others, and their lessons on parenting, building content together and finding happiness.

In this episode of The Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram interviewed Laura Deming. Laura Deming is a partner at and founder of The Longevity Fund, a venture capital firm focused on aging and life extension. At age 8, Deming became interested in the biology of aging, and at age 12 she joined the lab of Cynthia Kenyon at the University of California, San Francisco. Deming was accepted to MIT at age 14 and later dropped out to accept the Thiel Fellowship and start a venture capital firm. We covered topics on aging, longevity research, the philosophical implications of living 'forever', contrarian thinking, beauty of mathematics (and the number 28), homeschooling and why research funding is a popularity contest now.

In this episode of The Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram talk to Saagar Enjeti who is a journalist, political commentator and the Co-Host of Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar and The Realignment Podcast. We covered a wide range of topics from Trump and the White House, Joe Rogan, woke culture, US Presidents, Lex Fridman, bro culture and fitness, and why he believes in the American Dream.

In this episode of the Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram talked to one of our favorite economist, blogger, podcast host and author, Tyler Cowen. Tyler Cowen is an American economist, columnist and blogger. He is a professor at George Mason University, where he holds the Holbert L. Harris chair in the economics department. He also writes the economics blog Marginal Revolution and hosts the podcast Conversations with Tyler.

In this episode of The Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram talk to our special guest Andrew Yang, American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, and political candidate and is the co-chair of the Forward Party. We talked about his new party, his books, the 2020 US Presidential election, ranked choice voting, UBI and his thoughts on Trump, being a social media phenomenon and author.

In this episode of the Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram chatted with A.R. Rahman, Oscar-winning music composer, singer, songwriter and recently movie director, fondly known as "The Mozart of Madras". This was a very unique interview - we covered a wide range of topics from his music to movies, working with world class directors, his family and kids, spirituality and the meaning of life, his creative process, technology and AI and the future of India. This was a really interesting episode and was a bucket list interview for Aarthi and Sriram, and we hope you enjoy it too!

In this episode of the Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram talked to Cleo Abram, a top creator on YouTube and TikTok, on her journey from Vox to being a full-time creator, how to be good on camera, how she made the now iconic videos on F1, artificial wombs etc. and why she's optimistic about the future!

In this episode of The Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram talked to Balaji Srinivasan, who is a tech founder, former CTO of Coinbase, multi-disciplinarian thinker and the author of The Network State (thenetworkstate.com). We covered a wide variety of topics ranging from transhumanism, what it takes to build a new country, how Balaji predicted the first and second order effects of the pandemic, why he's bullish on Indians, future of crypto, his productivity tips, thoughts on Elon Musk and Andrew Huberman and a lot more. Enjoy!

In this episode of the Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram talk to Andreas Kling who has a remarkable story from discovering his love for building things at a young age, his career at Apple, struggles with addiction, and the creation of Serenity OS -- which he is building from scratch, in public.

On this episode of The Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram interviewed the one and only NBA Champion Metta World Peace (fka Ron Artest). Metta is an amazing human being - warm, genuine, optimistic with a fantastic second career building a technology company and being a founder. We covered some great Kobe stories, lessons on winning the NBA championship, the brawl (IYKYK), cultivating a winning mindset and overcoming obstacles, on mental health and building a tech company.

In this episode of The Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram covered a timely yet tricky topic - politics in the workplace - with special guest, Marc Andreessen. We covered the history of politics at work, with companies like IBM, where we are currently, advice for founders and startups as they think about setting policies on "bringing your whole self to work" and more.

In this episode of the Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram covered what it takes to build an NFT project, how to think about community and culture in web3, aligning incentives between creators and community and how crypto unlocks a new creator economy. Our special guests were Justin Blau, the founder and CEO of Royal, a web3 company revolutionizing the music industry, and Nass and Stephane, crypto builders and founders of Rebels, a new NFT project.

On this episode of The Good Time Show, we interviewed Brian Armstrong, the founder and CEO of Coinbase, along with our usual guests, Marc Andreessen and Steven Sinofsky. We covered the current crypto market, the economic downturn and what it means for web3, on building a mission driven organization and whether it was ok to bring politics to the workplace, and advice for founders building companies and fundraising in this current economic climate.

On this episode of The Good Time Show, Aarthi and Sriram cover the current economic conditions and what it means for technology startups and founders, as well as what it could mean for the future of Web3. We interviewed some of the best people in the business - Marc Andreessen and David George from a16z, former Microsoft exec and author Steven Sinofsky, veteran founder and investor Elad Gil, as well as Coinbase exec turned startup founder Dan Romero.

On this episode of the Good Time Show, we have our special guests - Marc Andreessen and Steven Sinofsky - joining us. We covered memes and meme culture, Marc's latest set of tweets on The Current Thing, on not eating bugs/living in pods, and on the current economy and what it means for all of us.