Shows
Push Pull PodcastSeason One Reflections and ResetThe past few weeks I soft-launched a hiatus, and today I'm making it official. Keep your eyes peeled for Season 2 of the Push Pull Podcast!
2025-08-2804 minPush Pull PodcastNear Misses and New Paths (Throwback Highlight Reel)Today we revisit a couple of “near misses” — where a combination of solid preparation and luck led my guests to thrive or pivot quickly in the face of turmoil in their organizations.Omar Dinar discusses joining Lehman at the onset of the financial crisis, and the impact of the bank's bankruptcy on his career. Being in the real estate division allowed him participation in the acquisition negotiations by Barclays where he excelled for a solid portion of his career.We then revisit our discussion with Annalyn Cruz, at the point where she had years of advisi...
2025-07-2320 minPush Pull PodcastNavigating Treacherous Startup Environments and Prioritizing Burnout Recovery (Throwback Highlight Reel)Navigating the Ups and Downs: From Consulting to Startups and Facing BurnoutToday I revist discussions where my guests faced significant adversity in their work lives. Shalini Chander talks about pivoting to the startup world — and while she gained valuable industry knowledge, the experience was marred by financial instability and unethical practices by the company's founder. This difficult stint was followed by a brief period at another startup focused on diabetes care, where funding issues led to job instability. Ultimately, the she found stability at Abbott, successfully pivoting to Product Management for the rest of her...
2025-07-1615 min
Push Pull PodcastHuman Workplaces: Jess Mendoza on Side Quests, AI, and Building Relationships (pt 2)In this episode I continue my conversation with Dr. Jess Mendoza, cognitive psychologist and UX researcher. Upon wrapping up Dr. Mendoza's transition from academia to UX research, we explore her efforts building community within her new company, and her advocacy for AI literacy across the org. Jess shares insights on the role of critical thinking and communication in prompting, the importance of a supportive work environment for pursuing side projects, and the unique challenges faced by different groups in the job market. You’ll hear Jess emphasize the value of fostering human connections at work and give solid advice fo...
2025-07-0938 min
Push Pull PodcastFrom First-Gen to UX: Jess Mendoza on Redefining the Road to Tech (pt. 1)Today I interview Dr. Jess Mendoza, a cognitive psychologist turned UX researcher. Dr. Mendoza shares her inspiring story of being a first-generation college student, pursuing a doctorate, and eventually transitioning into the tech industry. We explore her academic journey, including conducting social experiments and presenting research globally, to making the leap to user experience. Key topics include the emotional challenges of moving away from family, the impact of community and networking, and the importance of persistence and curiosity in navigating career transitions. Jess also highlights the value of feedback and networking in successfully pivoting careers. 00:00 Introduction to t...
2025-07-0250 minPush Pull PodcastThe Power of Sales, Keeping Passions as Hobbies, and Leaning on Your Network to Define Your Priorities (Throwback Highlight Reel)Today I revisit some of my early converations on the podcast and the incredible insights of my guests. Samir Jain discusses the importance of combining technical skills with the ability to sell and influence. Theresa Freet shares her personal experience of turning a passion into a career and advises caution against it. Finally, Rajan Trivedi talks about his bold career decision to move to Nairobi for a startup, highlighting the support and guidance he received from his network in making this move.00:00 The Power of Sales Skills00:39 Reflecting on Career Success02:52 Balancing Passion and Profession
2025-06-2511 min
Push Pull PodcastFrom War Zones to Work Culture: Julia Levina’s Journey of Resilience and RenewalToday I speak to Julia Levina about her multifaceted career journey. Julia shares her experiences as a counseling psychologist in Ukraine, a CFO of a family-owned pharmacy chain, a business consultant, and now a behavioral scientist and business intelligence analyst at Headversity in Canada. She delves into the challenges she faced during the war in Ukraine and how she transitioned her career multiple times, ultimately finding her place in Canada. Julia discusses her approach to workplace mental health, blending business acumen with psychological insights to help organizations and individuals thrive. Her story is a compelling narrative of resilience, adaptability...
2025-06-181h 29
Push Pull PodcastFinding the Right Fit with your valuesToday I discuss my thoughts on the concept of “fit” between employer and employee. Gallup found in 2023 that disengaged employees cost the world $8.8 trillion in lost productivity annually. I introduce Andre Martin's book 'Wrong Fit, Right Fit,' which emphasizes the importance of finding the right fit at the point of hire rather than adjusting organizational culture post-hire. I elaborate on reciprocity in the workplace and the significance of going beyond a transactional relationship between employer and employee. I also talk through Martin’s focus on trends in workplace branding and the potential pitfalls of focusing too much on employ...
2025-06-1115 min
Push Pull PodcastFrom Consulting to Law School and Back with Ashwin Aravind (pt. 1)In this episode, I reconnect with Ashwin Aravind, Head of Operations at Lightyear. Ashwin has been a high-octane performer all his life, spanning school and career. Starting with his undergrad years at UC Berkeley, where Ashwin majored in Molecular and Cell Biology as well as Business Administration, we follow his forays into consulting and law school before ultimately transitioning to the tech sector. Ashwin reflects on the proactive and strategic nature of his career decisions, consulting mentors, and evaluating trade-offs, only to recognize in retrospect how some choices didn't align with his true motivations.We wrap this...
2025-06-041h 09
Push Pull PodcastI Didn’t Want to Leave. I Just Wanted to Grow.Today I discuss my personal journey of leaving prior jobs in search of greater fulfillment. I compare my experience to what I learned in 'Job Moves' by Bob Moesta, Ethan Bernstein, and Michael B. Horn, highlighting how people's motivations for staying in or leaving jobs often go beyond compensation and job features. This book deftly expands to the role of employers in fostering employee growth and satisfaction, the potential for flexible role designs in the workplace, and the benefits of understanding what truly excites and motivates employees.00:09 Personal Career Reflections02:53 Features vs. Experiences in Job Descriptions
2025-05-2919 min
Push Pull PodcastThoughts on the Great DetachmentIn this episode, I delve into the emerging concept of the “Great Detachment.” We discuss the impact of team dynamics, job longevity, and fulfillment on employee engagement and performance. Referencing recent Gallup surveys, I highlight issues like disruptive changes in organizations, hybrid and remote work challenges, and declining employee engagement. I ponder how I may shift the podcast's focus towards research on organizational changes, team morale, and building trust within companies to foster long-term employee commitment and growth.00:00 Introduction00:56 Shifting Focus: Job Longevity and Fulfillment01:56 The Great Detachment: Employee Disengagement02:45 Impact of Disruptive Changes...
2025-05-2212 min
Push Pull PodcastOmar Dinar on Career Setbacks and Starting Over in Wealth Management (pt. 2)In this episode of the Push Pull podcast, we continue our conversation with Omar Dinar, diving deeper into his career journey. Omar shares his experiences transitioning from aerospace engineering to finance, joining Lehman Brothers during the financial crisis, and later getting integrated into Barclays post-acquisition. He details his ascent into a management role, his pivot back to an individual contributor role to stay connected with markets, and his eventual leap into wealth management. Omar reflects on the importance of aligning work with personal values, the complexities of managerial roles, and the impact of setbacks like being passed over for...
2025-05-1540 min
Push Pull PodcastFrom Student Affairs to Soul Work: Annalyn Cruz on Leadership, Risk, and Rewriting the ScriptToday I interview Annalyn Cruz, a dream life and embodiment coach and the CEO of Grounded in Wisdom, LLC.We discuss Annalyn’s career journey from higher education in student affairs to learning and development in the corporate world, and back to higher education. With each transition, we revisit her commitment to empowering others, and the role of strong personal relationships in building trust and self-confidence.00:00 Introduction03:09 Interview Begins05:05 Early Career and College Experience08:17 Discovering a Career in Higher Education18:17 Graduate School Experience20:26 First Job in Higher Education22:46 Challenges an...
2025-05-071h 16
Push Pull PodcastFrom Helicopters to Lehman Brothers: Omar Dinar on Taking a Bet Before the Crash (pt. 1)In this episode of the Push Pull podcast, we explore the fascinating career journey of Omar Dinar, currently a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. Omar transitioned from an engineer working on military helicopters to working in financial services, starting his finance career in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis at Lehman Brothers. Omar shares insights into the challenges he faced, the impact of the macroeconomic environment on his career path, and how he leveraged his education and networking opportunities to pivot successfully. Omar's story of resilience, adaptability, and relationship-building offers valuable takeaways for anyone navigating career transitions.
2025-04-3046 min
Push Pull PodcastVarun starts reading Job MovesI just picked up the book 'Job Moves' by Ethan Bernstein, Michael B. Horn, and Bob Moesta! I haven’t gotten far into it yet but my bells are already ringing. Listen to me appreciate how much I already love the message. Also hear me betray my mixed feelings about how people smarter and more famous than me have concurrently came to the same conclusions I have.00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast00:49 Exploring the Book 'Job Moves'02:17 Defining Pushes and Pulls05:11 The Four Categories of Job Changers06:27 Progress Over Perfection07:34 Understanding Pa...
2025-04-2310 min
Push Pull PodcastVarun talks about why Push Factors matterToday I reflect on some key lessons learned from my initial work on this podcast. In particular, I’ve received feedback about how challenging it is to detail push factors for three reasons: They’re often emotional before we place logic to themThey may not be flattering to share publicly, andReframing them diplomatically feels disingenuous I give you my take on why the process of fleshing out your push factors help you better understand yourself and make empowered career decisions.00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast00:18 Reflecting on the Podcast's Thesis01:01 Emotional vs. Logica...
2025-04-1611 min
Push Pull PodcastFrom Construction to Tech Sales to Capital Strategy: Marshall Robins on Burnout and Career RedirectionSuch a pleasure to reconnect with Marshall Robins after several years. Starting off in construction, pivoting to finance and then tech sales, to come all the way back around to financing construction projects — Marshall’s story is a master class in taking chances on something new and committing fully to seeing it through.We had an honest discussion about burnout, recovery, and how the balance between social pressures and his internal compass helped him navigate a healthy dynamic with his work life.00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast00:15 Meet Marshall Robbins: A Journey from Cons...
2025-04-091h 03
Push Pull PodcastFrom Pharma to Product: Shalini Chander on Process, Advocacy, and Building Human TeamsToday I interview my cousin Shalini Chander, Director of Product at Align Technologies. Shalini shares her journey from consulting in pharmaceutical manufacturing to becoming a software product leader. We track her career progress through process, storytelling, relationship-building, and advocacy. Shalini also emphasizes the importance of building visibility and sharing learnings within a company for advancement.00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast03:05 Meet Shalini Chander: Career Overview04:03 Early Career in Pharmaceutical Consulting12:01 Transition to In-House Roles and Grad School16:43 Business School Experience and Lessons19:50 Post-Business School: Consulting and Startups22:41 Challenges in Startups...
2025-04-031h 08
Push Pull PodcastFrom Public Policy to Product: Rajan Trivedi on Navigating Risk and ReinventionIn this episode, I interview Rajan Trivedi, a seasoned product leader who has made significant transitions across various industries. Rajan shares his unique framework for career transitions, focusing on the utility of making switches focused on either industry or function. He delves into his journey from consulting to the public sector, a startup in Kenya, and finally to product management roles at Prudential and Chegg. Rajan also discusses his changing risk appetite, the nuances of being a people manager, and the critical role of data in driving product decisions. Don’t miss this in-depth discussion on career growth, adaptability, an...
2025-03-261h 08
Push Pull PodcastFrom Food Industry to Tech Ops: Theresa Freet on Building Around What Lights You UpIn this episode, I interview Theresa Freet, a Strategy & Operations leader with over 12 years of experience in the ed-tech field. Before her rise as an operator, she traveled internationally and immersed herself in the food industry, exploring the world and ruling out alternative career paths. Theresa emphasizes the importance of finding the right overlap between personal fulfillment and career growth, being comfortable with uncertainty, and effective delegation in management. Her experiences highlight the importance of recognizing what truly 'lights you up' and trusting the journey, even through transitions and unexpected shifts.00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast
2025-03-191h 16
Push Pull PodcastSamir Jain’s Path Through Engineering, Consulting, and Product LeadershipIn this episode, I interview Samir Jain, Sr. Director of Product at Medidata Solutions, discussing his career journey and key transitions. We discuss how relationships, sales skills, and increasing levels of responsibility factor into career growth. We also explore what informed Samir's transitions: emphasizing the importance of mission alignment and finding the right kind of ownership (i.e. executing on the solution vs. defining the problem) in each Product leadership opportunity.
2025-03-1259 min
Push Pull PodcastIntroducing the Push Pull PodcastIntroducing the Push-Pull Podcast! I'm Varun Rajan, a Product Manager and Career Coach. I'll be interviewing mid- to senior-level professionals about their careers to share their stories.If you’re looking to make a meaningful change in your professional life — contemplating a switch in your role, company, or industry — or if you’re just curious about how others chose their paths…I hope you pick up something useful or inspiring from my guests and their hard-earned wisdom.
2025-03-0602 min
First PrinciplesThe Final Supercut Part 2: Founders 21-41Hello, we're back again with part 2 of our final, final supercut where we’ve spliced together one interesting bit of conversation from the last 21 guests I interviewed on First Principles. And like the last episode where we covered founders 1 to 20, you’ll hear super sharp slices of a few minutes each which are reflections on their approach to organization building, risk taking, decision making and life living.Here are the guests you’ll get listen to in this episode: Krish Subramanian, co-founder and CEO of Chargebe...
2024-07-111h 28
First PrinciplesThe Final Supercut Part 2: Founders 21-41Hello, we're back again with part 2 of our final, final supercut where we’ve spliced together one interesting bit of conversation from the last 21 guests I interviewed on First Principles. And like the last episode where we covered founders 1 to 20, you’ll hear super sharp slices of a few minutes each which are reflections on their approach to organization building, risk taking, decision making and life living.Here are the guests you’ll get listen to in this episode: Krish Subramanian, co-founder and CEO of Chargebe...
2024-07-111h 28
Let's talk Decor by Beautiful HomesVarun Duggirala, on making space for creativity while working from homeCovid is the biggest design influence since World War 2. Nothing else from the 20th century and certainly not from the 21st has had more impact on the way we live and design our spaces.In this episode, Manju's going to be speaking with one of the rock stars of the podcasting scene in India - Varun Duggirala on how Working-from-home has changed the way he perceives spaces, consistency in be creative and many more. This podcast is brought to you by Beautifulhomes.comAbout Beautiful Homes:Beautiful Homes Services brings customised...
2022-02-0948 min
Our Own Devices with Nandagopal RajanHow Apple is making inroads into enterprise computing in IndiaIn this episode, Varun Babu (Systems Engineer) from Jamf, an Apple enterprise management company, joins host Nandagopal Rajan to discuss how the company helps fill the gap between what Apple builds and what enterprises require, the recent boom in enterprise technology, and a lot more.
2021-10-2313 min
SaaSBoomiInside Innovaccer’s journey to $100 million ARR; bold pivots and relentless learningAbhinav Shashank pitched a 400-pages report as a trainee inside a Fortune 500 company and managed to get $20 million funding for the same, much before he actually became an entrepreneur. After getting his idea approved, Abhinav worked on building the product in Bangalore, scoped out manufacturing in Shanghai apart from spending time in Dallas, U.S., giving him an overall experience in building a truly global product. “By the time I left, it was already a $40 million revenue business,” Abhinav tells me in this podcast. Is there a path to doing this on my own, he rememb...
2020-10-2144 min
Stars & Startups with Varun VummidiConsumer & Fintech Investing, and 54x returns {Vikram of 8i Ventures}EP44: {Vikram Chachra, Co-Founder of 8i Ventures}Hi Stars!We’ve had 4 of Vikram’s portfolio companies on the podcast already; Madhu of YAP, Ankit of Signzy, Rajan of Slice and Matt of BlueTokai! Vikram is in the process of launching his $ 50 million fund and took the time to have a chat with me about his investment philosophy and the journey being a founder.Vikram is a SRCC, XLRI & NYU grad who started up a mobile shopping startup in early 2000's and later went on to run the mobile division @ Snapfish ( acquired by HP...
2020-10-0146 min
Stars & StartupsEP44: Consumer & Fintech Investing, and 54x returns from angel investing {Vikram of 8i Ventures}EP44: {Vikram Chachra, Co-Founder of 8i Ventures}
We’ve had 4 of Vikram’s portfolio companies on this show already. Madhu of YAP, Ankit of Signzy, Rajan of Slice and Matt of BlueTokai!! Vikram’s in the process of launching his $ 50 million fund and took the time to have a chat with me about his investment philosophy and the journey being a founder.
Vikram is a SRCC, XLRI & NYU grad who started up a mobile shopping startup in early 2000's and later went on to run the mobile division @ Snapfish ( acquired by HP ). He invests in India...
2020-09-3046 min
Stars & Startups with Varun VummidiRegTech & Moving on from Blockchain {Ankit of Signzy}EP42: {Ankit Ratan, Co-Founder of Signzy}Hi Stars!Regulation is probably one of the key pillars of banking. Sometimes it does become an excuse for being the thing that ails the experience. All of that is changing now with the emergence of Reg-Tech. The use of Video KYC, Aadhar authentication layer, digital lockers & the India Stack is enabling a lot of that change. One of those companies that is quietly enabling the BFSI sector is Signzy.Ankit, a silver medalist from IIT Delhi (2011), had worked in New York deploying fraud analytics solutions at...
2020-09-2453 min
Stars & StartupsEP42: RegTech & Moving on from Blockchain {Ankit of Signzy}EP42: {Ankit Ratan, Co-Founder of Signzy}
Regulation is probably one of the key pillars of banking. Sometimes it does become an excuse for being the thing that ails the experience. All that is changing now with the emergence of Reg-Tech. The use of Video KYC, Aadhar authentication layer, digital lockers & the India Stack is enabling a lot of that change. One of those companies that is quietly enabling the BFSI sector is Signzy.
Ankit, a silver medalist from IIT Delhi (2011), had worked in New York deploying fraud analytics solutions at Citi Bank and Metlife. In 2013...
2020-09-2353 min
Stars & Startups with Varun VummidiServing the the Millennial Customer {Rajan of Slice}EP41: {Rajan Bajaj, Founder of Slice}Hi Stars!On the episode I speak with Rajan Bajaj, the founder of Slice, an IIT grad who spent a few months in Flipkart before wanting start out on his own. He went on to start a business that morphed into what is today Slice - a prepaid card that has a credit line that caters to first time job seekers. Slice is targeting 5 million first time credit seekers every year who have little access to credit products designed specifically for them. We chat about how India’s fi...
2020-09-2244 min
Stars & StartupsEP41: Serving the the Millennial Customer {Rajan of Slice}EP41: {Rajan Bajaj, Founder of Slice}
On the episode I speak with Rajan Bajaj, the founder of Slice, an IIT grad who spent a few months in Flipkart before wanting start out on his own. He went on to start a business that morphed into what is today Slice - a credit line that caters to first time job seekers.
Slice is targeting 5 million first time credit seekers every year who have little access to credit products designed specifically for them. We chat about how India’s first payment card startup focussed on the millennials is d...
2020-09-2144 min
Stars & Startups with Varun VummidiValue SaaS, the Indian SaaS landscape and why it's the best time to build SaaSEP26: {Prasanna Krishnamoorthy, Partner & CEO of Upekkha}Hi Stars,My guest from EP04 Krishi Fawani had spoken highly about the Upekkha Value SaaS Accelerator that his company Hashtag Loyalty was participating in. Had a chance meeting with Prasanna and loved what they had to say and invited him to be on the Podcast. Value SaaS means great founder outcomes, we want to help a 1,000 founders build great businesses that deliver on a lot of value for customers, employees and themselves.Apple Podcast | Google Podcast | Spotify | StitcherWe talk about what i...
2020-08-021h 04
Stars & StartupsEP26: Value SaaS, Indian SaaS landscape and why its the best time to build SaaS {Prasanna of Upekkha}EP26: {Prasanna Krishnamoorthy, Partner & CEO of Upekkha}
My guest from EP04 Krishi Fawani had spoken highly about Upekkha Accelerator that his company Hashtag Loyalty was participating in. Had a chance meeting with Prasanna and loved what they had to say and invited him to be on the Podcast.
We talk about what it means to build a Value SaaS business, Pricing for SaaS, exploring some concepts of Effectuation as popularized by Dr. Saras Sarasvathy, and also what it is to be a startup in itself. There is a lot one can take away from this...
2020-07-291h 04
Stars & StartupsEP03: {Manuj, co-founder of MyUpchar} on serving half a billion users of vernacular India, hitting 150 million views on their content and creating the healthcare platform that Bharat needsEP03 of Stars & Startups : Manuj shares the incredible rise of MyUpchar from an obscure platform for health content in 2016 to being at the forefront of startups that prioritized the vernacular web in India. The story behind monetizing a content service and having offered 1 million FREE consultations offered by the 50,000 doctors who have signed up for no cost.
"As per our data 80% medical queries can be solved through tele-consultation, of the remaining 15% can be solved through video consultation. There are only 5% queries which need a physical checkup" say Manuj.
"We live in a nation where people love...
2020-05-101h 06