Shows
Pavement ConversationsEpisode 32: Being Free with AnaghaBorn and brought up in a small village in Kerala, Anagha then went on to go to college in Pondicherry and work in Chennai. In this freewheeling conversation, Anagha recounts her experiences of moving from a small village to living in cosmopolitan cities. Along the way, we also go down rabbit holes on how women perceive the men around them.
2026-01-231h 37
Documentors UnpluggedS02E09 - Looking at data with SriparnaIn this episode, I speak to Sriparna Saha about looking at data to demonstrate the value and performance of our documentation. Contact me on LinkedIn at Vinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-09-2239 minDocumentors UnpluggedS02E08 - GenAI in technical writingIn this episode, I speak to Balasubramanyam Kosuri about the challenges, benefits and changes that GenAI brings to technical writing. Contact me on LinkedIn at Vinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-08-1123 minDocumentors UnpluggedS02E07 - Managing remote teamsIn this episode, I speak to Bindu Smruthishree about the challenges and benefits of remote work and managing remote teams.Contact me on LinkedIn at Vinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-07-2841 minDocumentors UnpluggedS02E06 - An Intentional Career with SuragIn this episode, I speak to Surag Ramachandran on building a career intentionally, the importance of practice, and of course the use of comics in technical writing and instructional design.Contact me on LinkedIn at Vinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-07-1441 minDocumentors UnpluggedS02E05 - Responsible and ethical AI with Menka PuthalathIn this episode, I speak to Menka Puthalath about the key role documentation plays in recording how AI systems or solutions are built. Contact me on LinkedIn at Vinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-06-3033 minDocumentors UnpluggedS02E04 - The importance of communication with Tarun AmembalIn this episode, I speak to Tarun Amembal about how technical writers should communicate with the product team. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/want-better-documentation-start-sme-conversations-tarun-amembal-9pf7fContact me on LinkedIn at Vinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-04-0757 minDocumentors UnpluggedS02E03 - The STC Salary Survey with Paresh and DevalIn this episode, I speak with Paresh Naik and Deval Patel who run the STC India Salary Survey. In our conversation we delve into: How salary growth in India and the US are almost parallelThe salaries freshers can expectHow to get more people to respond to the survey....and a lot more.Contact me on LinkedIn atVinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-02-2441 minDocumentors UnpluggedS02E02 - Making freelancing work with ShwetaIn this episode, I speak toShwetawho has built a successful freelance career for herself even though she lives in a tier-three town. In this conversation, we delve into:Challenges and benefits of working out of a tier-three cityBuilding a pipelineThe importance of marketing yourselfThe importance of moneyPricing yourselfUsing online platformsUseful linksContact me on LinkedIn atVinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-02-1059 minDocumentors UnpluggedS02E01 - Documenting for the armed forcesIn this episode, I speak to Shivranjini Krishnamurthy on the opportunities and challenges of documenting military hardware.
In the course of the conversation, we dive into the challenges around,
Documenting for the military
Translating content
Creating unique document sets for different customers
Writing for an audience that may not be part of the purchasing decision
...and so much more
Contact me on LinkedIn at Vinay Antony Payyapilly
2025-01-1330 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 31: Fighting PatriarchyMridula Menon is a successful woman by any standards. But she has had her own challenges to overcome. In this conversation, we dive into a variety of topics that affected her on her journey so far.
The excitement of working for start-ups
The magic of writing letters
Growing up in a patriarchal family
Navigating male-dominated spaces
The importance of telling your story
The challenges of being a single mother
Message to male managers who have female team members
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2024-12-131h 05Documentors UnpluggedS01E11 - Leading large tech writing teamsIn this episode I speak to Sachin Shenoy - Director, Technical Writing at OpenText - on the challenges of leading a large team of technical writers; in this case, over 100 writers.
In the course of the conversation, we go down many rabbit holes such as:
Sachin's journey into technical writing
Challenges of leading a large team
How to get your company to let you speak to customers
What makes a good technical writer
How can a tech writer showcase their skills to a hiring manager
Three things a TW needs
- Ability to explain
- Mastery...
2024-12-1150 minDocumentors UnpluggedS01E10 - Docs as a product with Sriparna SahaSriparna is the Director of documentation at RazorPay where she leads the move towards treating documentation as a product. In this conversation, I dive deeper into the concept with her. There is much to learn in this chat.
Contact me
2024-11-1149 minDocumentors UnpluggedS01E09 - The Annual STC ConferenceA special episode where I spoke to the Admin Council members of STC about the upcoming Annual Conference to be held in Bengaluru.
Sachin Shenoy
Rajib Borkataki
Paresh Naik
Vinay Payyapilly
2024-11-0446 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 30: Ordinary lives, extraordinary momentsSo often we take the extraordinary for granted because we see it every day. In this conversation with Limmy, we get to peer into one such life. At the outset, Limmy's life seems like a normal, every day life. But when we sit down and talk about it, we begin to see just how far from ordinary it is.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Related episodes:
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/tcp8GE3aZNb
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/LPTfYk8aZNb
2024-10-2634 minDocumentors UnpluggedUX design and UX writing with Adit KohliAdit Kohli is the Director of UX Design at Zenoti. As colleagues, we spent long hours discussing how UX and UI text can improve product experience. True to form, this conversation too went down many interesting rabbit holes.
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman.
Host: Vinay Payyapilly
2024-10-1155 minDocumentors UnpluggedBuilding your brand with Nibu ThomasNibu has one of the most interesting LinkedIn feeds I know. In this conversation we talk about the importance of building your personal brand, how to become recruitable, and of course, his exciting journey from the floors of Mico Bosch to technical writing leader.
The unforgettable JD for a product manager
This JD was written for me example
Vinay Antony Payyapilly | LinkedIn
2024-09-1154 minDocumentors UnpluggedA product manager's view of documentationMrityunjay, or MJ as he is affectionately known, has owned products across multiple organizations. In this conversation, we dive deep into how PMs look at documentation, how documentation teams can get a place at the table, and the need for formal education in the field.
Mrityunjay Kumar | LinkedIn
Vinay Antony Payyapilly | LinkedIn
2024-08-1243 minDocumentors UnpluggedThe business of documentation with Uday ChavaIf you want to spend an evening dicussing product documentation, you can't do better than Uday Chava. In this episode I talk to Uday about running a documentation business, the benefits of writer collectives such as TWT, STC, TWIN, and so much more.
Contact Uday Chava (https://www.linkedin.com/in/uday-chava-63b469/)
Contact Vinay P (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinayjap/)
2024-07-1346 min
Documentors UnpluggedMaking documentation relevant with Sagar GarudaConnect with Sagar -
Sagar Garuda | LinkedIn
Connect with Vinay:
Vinay Antony Payyapilly | LinkedIn
2024-06-1158 minDocumentors UnpluggedManaging a technical writing team with MridulaConnect with Mridula Menon:
Mridula Menon | LinkedIn
Connect with Vinay:
Vinay Antony Payyapilly | LinkedIn
2024-05-1158 minDocumentors UnpluggedTechnical writing, UI text and remote working with ShrutikaResources mentioned in the show:
Books:
Microcopy-The Complete Guide- Kinneret Yifrah -
https://www.microcopybook.com/
Strategic UX Writing- Torrey Podmajersky(Available on Amazon India)
https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/strategic-writing-for/9781492049388/
Links:
UXCC: https://uxcontent.com/
NN Group: https://www.nngroup.com/
IDF: https://www.interaction-design.org/
Apart from these, Bright talk has a lot of good sessions
Connect with Shrutika:
Shrutika Dhake (Kalgutkar) | LinkedIn
Connect with Vi...
2024-04-111h 00Documentors UnpluggedDocumenting semiconductors with AmandeepConnect with Amandeep:
Amandeep Singh Talwar | LinkedIn
Connect with Vinay:
Vinay Antony Payyapilly | LinkedIn
Check out my other podcast - Pavement Conversations
2024-03-1155 min
2023-06-2503 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 29: Relationships todayAs young women find their feet in the world, they are also defining how they want to be viewed and treated. In this conversation, I speak with Shruthi, a smart, young woman who is confident about herself and demands the respect due to her as a person.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Related episodes:
Chasing dreams
Perception of women
Single living
Being a single woman in India
2023-04-1635 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 28: Pangs of lossIt is never easy losing a child. No matter what your age or the circumstances, it changes you. This week, I speak with Shailaja about loss and life.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Related episodes:
A life less ordinary
The price of loss
2023-04-0244 min
2023-03-1208 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 27: The marriage surveyI sent out a survey that was answered by 89 women on why did they or will they get married. In this episode, Lalitha and I discuss the results of the survey.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Episode art by: Limmy Susan
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-12-1139 min
2022-12-0407 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 26: The value of little joysIn this conversation, I speak with Shreeja on what happiness is, the search for a life partner, how it was growing up in Bihar and so much more.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Episode art by: Limmy Susan
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-11-2750 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 25: Chasing dreamsIn this conversation, I speak with Neena who has consistently chased down her dreams and lived the life she chooses. Her clarity of thought has often led me to think in directions I never expected, and in this conversation, she doesn't disappoint.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Episode art by: Limmy Susan
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-11-1336 min
2022-11-0706 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 24: A life less ordinaryIn this conversation, I speak Shanti about a life that threw her curveballs one after another. What do you do when you suddenly find yourself a single mother of triplets? Well, you learn from life and we are fortunate to learn from her experiences. Shanti is one of the calmest people I know. She is someone who looked life in the eye and didn't back down.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Episode art by: Limmy Susan
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-10-301h 23
2022-10-2307 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 23: Perception of WomenHow do we perceive the women around us? Does a woman working in an office have to adjust her behavior to fit in to a male-dominated world? This and a lot more in this conversation with my guest in this episode.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Episode art by: Limmy Susan
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-10-1634 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 22: The Price of LossLife is full of surprises. Some good and others not so good. Our guest this week lost her father as a young girl. Her mother and aunt took up the reins of running the home. How did they cope? How did she cope?
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Episode art by: Limmy Susan
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-10-0233 min
One New CommandmentEpisode 42: The voices we hear
Photo by cottonbro: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-brown-coat-sitting-beside-man-in-black-coat-6763604/
2022-09-2505 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 22: Rewriting her happily ever after with Ranjani RaoRanjani on Insta
Buy Rewriting my happily ever after by Ranjani Rao
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-09-1846 min
One New CommandmentEpisode 41: David – Mass murderer or plain crazy
Photo by Olga Lioncat: https://www.pexels.com/photo/colorful-busts-placed-in-store-7245308/
2022-09-1111 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 21: Marriage, is it past its sell-by dateDoes marriage have any use any more? Sirisha and I discuss this subject in this episode.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-09-0433 min
One New CommandmentEpisode 40: Abraham – Hero or Wimp
Photo by Luis Quintero: https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-man-holding-bible-1759525/
2022-08-2810 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 20: Woman as the property of manA freewheeling conversation with Lalitha on women being treated as the property of man.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-08-2438 min
One New CommandmentEpisode 39: Deconstructing the Old Testament
Photo by Luis Quintero: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-holding-a-bible-2294873/
2022-08-1400 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 19: The First AnniversaryPavement Conversations is 1....Yay!
In this episode, I reached out to guests who appeared on the show over the last year and asked them what rule, spoken or unspoken, that applied to girls but not to boys they would like to change.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-08-0715 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 18: Being Different with AnushaIn this episode I speak to Anusha about being herself in a world that constantly wants her to conform. In this episode, we take a walk through her life, her choices, and the reactions to her many individual choices.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-07-2427 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 17: Return to work with Prachi SIn this episode I speak to Prachi about her experience of getting back to work after her maternity break. We also go into her experience of caring for a new born baby while she had COVID.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-07-1027 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 16: Taking a break...and we have our first male guest on the show!
In this episode Preveeth and I go into how he decided to take a sabbatical from work. We talk about how to listen to our bodies and respond to it, how to go about having the conversations around taking a break, and much more.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2022-06-2632 min
2022-04-0300 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 15: Friendships between the sexesIn this episode Srilakshmi and I go into how friendships between the sexes evolves and changes. We take interesting detours to discuss how married women perceive their unmarried women friends and whether a feminine girl is seen differently from a more tomboyish one.
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2021-10-3145 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 14: Single Living with SirishaIn this episode, I talk to Sirisha about how it is for a young woman to leave her home and move to a new city to start a career and a life on her own. During the conversation we go into what a bachelorette pad looks like, how much time do young women spend talking about men, what should a young woman look out for as she navigates a world made for men.
Sirisha's LinkedIn profile
Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
2021-10-2450 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 13: Cycling with NihaIn this episode, I talk to Niha about how she took to long-distance cycling. We talk about her early struggles to get acceptance and her achievements as a randonners.
Niha's Strava profile
Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
2021-10-1735 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 12: Mentoring Women with Lalitha VIn this episode, I talk to Lalitha Vaidyanath about her work with the Thrive with Mentoring initiative. This group of experience women take younger, less experienced women under their wing and mentor them through their careers.
Lalitha's Linkedin profile
Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
2021-10-1039 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 11: Ride for the ChildrenA very different format this time. Instead of me asking my guest questions, Srilakshmi asks me about my Ride for the Children initiative where I do a 450-km ride over three days to raise funds for underprivileged children.
This year I am riding for the Missing Link trust who work to prevent sex trafficking among the most vulnerable populations.
Click here to contribute.
Missing Link
Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
2021-10-0341 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 10: Lockdown experiences with Leena KIn this episode, I talk to Leena Kejriwal about how she navigated the lockdown in a new city.
Leena's website
Missing Link Trust
Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
2021-09-2631 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 9:Lockdown Blues with MariamIn this episode, I talk to Mariam about her life under the lockdown. One of the earliest shows I recorded, you can hear how much fun we had recording it as we going through the variety of experiences she had in the last year and half.
Mariam's Insta page: Zulfyina
Mariam's Book: Amber in his eyes
Mariam's short story in the Bombay Review: Blue, Red Green
Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
2021-09-1936 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 8:Solo Traveling with ShrutiIn this episode, I talk to Shruti, who takes up solo travels to explore the country. Her experiences, insights, and tips form the core of this conversation.
Shruti's Insta page: ghumakkadshruu
Websites Shruti uses:
Zostel
CouchSurfing
HostelWorld
Thrillophilia - to find out about things to do at a given place
Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
2021-09-1238 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 7: Lalitha Vaidyanath on Menstrual LeaveIn this episode, I talk to Lalitha Vaidyanath, who is a creative director in advertising, about menstruation, menstrual leave and all the misinformation and confusion around it.
2021-09-0534 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 6: Being a Single Woman in IndiaIn this episode, I talk about what it means to be a single woman in India. My guest has chosen to stay anonymous and so we do not identify her in the show.
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2021-08-2935 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 5: COVID Experiences - LavanyaContact Lavi: Strong is the new pretty
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2021-08-2225 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 4: Menstrual Leave with NischaliContact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2021-08-1533 minPavement ConversationsEpisode 3: Dr. Kuiljeit UppaalKuiljeit is the world's first Image Scientist. I am in conversation with her about image science, the lockdown, and Amar Chitra Katha comics.
Contact Kuiljeit on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2021-08-0839 minPavement ConversationsEp002: Covid Experiences: SreelakshmiContact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap
Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
2021-08-0133 minPavement ConversationsIntroductionHi and welcome to Pavement Conversations, a podcast that in its own humble ways tries to bridge the understanding gap between women and men. While we may belong to the same species and inhabit the same spaces, the fact is that we experience and see things in very different lights. For example, a man rushing towards an elevator in which there are five women may not think twice about getting into the elevator. On the other hand, a woman approaching an elevator that has five men in it would immediately calculate the danger she is in.
2021-07-2803 min