In this episode, my guest is Vrishin Subramaniam. Vrishin is a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) who is on a mission to help NRIs achieve financial freedom - by helping them be millionaires. Vrishin helps provide a blueprint that can be followed by anyone in the US in the capacity of a student or a working professional.  We discuss: How to build wealth as a student, best practices and some common pitfalls How to build wealth as a salaried employee on OPT (and STEM OPT) How to deal with student loans Investing in India vs the US When sending remittances to home country is a good plan How to optimize investments including 401ks What to do with investments when one has to head back to home country When becoming a home-owner is a good idea Anecdotes/success stories of helping clients  Resources: Vrishin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrishin/ Timestamps: (00:00) Intro and Background (03:01) Journey from Electrical Engineer to CFP (07:37) Why focus on Financial Planning for NRIs  (10:16) Establishing a CFP practice  (13:37) Best practices to build wealth as students (17:29) Best practices to build wealth as a full-time employee (OPT) (21:22) Investment and student loans - recommendations and playbook (26:09) Remittances to home country and why (29:06) What to do with investments while leaving US forever (35:08) Best practices to build wealth on an H1B (38:54) Home ownership - yay or nay? (42:45) Anecdotal client case-studies from Vrishin’s experience  (46:50) Outro + gratitude

In this episode, featured not-experts are Akshansh Pandey and Harshita Gupta. Akshansh and Harshita are computer science engineering students at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology. Perhaps more notably, they’re also actors and film-makers - having taught themselves how to make short films for their YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@4log_Official) and the Film Society at KIIT. We discuss: -How two engineering students became interested in film-making and their initial experiences with acting. -The art of acting and the idea that everyone might be a better actor than they think. -The process of making a short film, including camera angles, lighting, sound, and video editing. -Helpful hacks and cost-efficient tricks for aspiring filmmakers, such as using beets to simulate blood on screen. -The positive effects and benefits of having film-making as a hobby This discussion is for anyone who is interested in making films and is on the fence about where and how to start. This conversation is with a couple folks who are themselves figuring out film-making and my goal is to simply get you off the blocks from where you’ll be able to access (and hopefully use) a wide plethora of film-making resources by experts available out there. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro and background (02:45) Clubs/extracurricular societies in engg colleges (05:50) Induction to Film Society as actors (09:11) Akshansh’s acting experience and how everyone is an actor (13:36) Experience with first short film - Restart (17:50) Launching YouTube channel for short films - Char Log (20:47) Deep-dive into process of making a short film (27:33) Camera angles and cinematography (30:33) Scripts, using nature elements, sound and lighting (35:25) Editing - video + sound (43:54) Why filmmaking is a great hobby (47:21) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Kaushik Sunder. Kaushik is a Global PhD Fellow at NYU Abu Dhabi. Prior to that, he completed his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University. We discuss: - The circumstances that led Kaushik to move to the UAE and his insights into the country’s rapid development. - The contrasts and parallels in education systems between India, the US, and the UAE, focusing on the unique features of each. - The job market in the UAE, including the challenges of obtaining work visas and the prospects for employment after graduation. - The generous incentives for PhD students in the UAE, such as housing coverage and competitive stipends, positioning them among the best globally. - Kaushik’s firsthand experiences with the Emirati culture of hospitality and the extensive opportunities and incentives for expats. - Key aspects that highlight the UAE’s future-proofing strategies, including lack of taxation, high-quality healthcare, and attractive conditions for expatriates. - Insights for anyone considering a move to the UAE for academic or professional pursuits, based on Kaushik’s lived experiences. Resources: Kaushik Sunder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kausun/ Podcast website - readysetdo.transistor.fm (00:00) Intro + Background (02:29) What prompted a move to the UAE? (04:39) Experience at NYU Abu Dhabi (08:09) What is it like to live in UAE - Kaushik’s favorite things (10:56) Contrasts in education across India, US & UAE (13:19) Contribution of the strong NYU brand towards Kaushik’s experience (15:49) Some struggles/challenges around a move to the UAE (18:53) Stipend and savings during PhD life (21:29) Job prospects in the UAE after graduation - Work visas (24:59) Companies/industries offering employment - fastest growing region in the world (27:29) Indicators that UAE is the fastest growing country to be (30:59) Culture, Language & Safety - Emirati hospitality (34:53) Healthcare (37:43) Extravagant displays of wealth (40:25) Nostalgia catch-up, LinkedIn and adult friendships

In this episode, the featured not-expert is Farheen Hussain. Farheen is a construction management technology professional at Jacobs. Starting out as an architect, she successfully pivoted into a career in construction management, where she is now making a definitive impact while challenging existing norms in a male dominated industry. #construction #constructionmanagement #womeninconstruction #architecture #projectmanagement #constructionsuccess #purdueuniversity #genderequality #womenpower #constructionengineering #projectmanagement #podcast #readysetdo #creator #newpodcast We discuss: - What a degree in architecture entails and Farheen’s motivations to switch career tracks. - How a degree in Construction Management Technology (CMT) fulfilled Farheen's desire to build real-world structures. - The culture shocks Farheen faced when moving to the US for her Master's in CMT. - Addressing the necessary unlearning to excel in CMT academics and the importance of teaching assistantships. - Guidance on finding internships without prior professional experience and lessons learned during Farheen’s internship. - Converting internships to full-time positions in the CMT field. - A Day in the Life of a CMT professional and navigating a traditionally male-dominated industry. - Advice on handling conflicts in the workplace, including when to escalate and maintaining project continuity. This discussion is for anyone who is considering a career in Construction Management Technology, or someone who is looking to make the switch into a career in CMT. Resources: Podcast Website - readysetdo.transistor.fm Farheen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/farheen-hussain-a37953188/ Farheen's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/farheen_hussain/ Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro & Background (00:03:30) What does the study of architecture entail (00:10:00) Path after graduation & motivations for career pivot (00:12:10) First exposure to building real-world actualizations instead of drawings (00:16:20) Possible paths after an undergrad in architecture (00:19:15) Culture shock upon arrival in the US (00:22:40) Academics deep-dive for MS in CMT in the US - unlearning (00:26:00) What exactly does a MS in CMT entail? (00:29:00) Importance of teaching assistantships + how to get one? (00:31:40) Finding and doing internships - resume + networking (00:35:18) Construction Tech industry in the US - overview (00:38:50) First exposure to working in the US as a CMT professional (00:42:00) Day in the life of a Construction Management professional (00:47:30) Insider “secrets” about hospitals (learnt via building hospitals) (00:50:20) Experience with working in a male-dominated field (00:55:40) Dealing with conflict/gender discrimination (00:59:20) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Devendra Chhajer. Devendra has been living and working in France for the past 5 years or so, having moved there to finish his Global Management Program from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR). We discuss:- - Devendra's move to Paris and transition to life in the city - Loves and challenges of living in Paris - Overcoming language barriers and tips for learning French - Reality of academics at IESEG, Paris and Devendra’s experiences - Types of work visas and building a career in France - Parallels between life in Europe and life in India - Planning a career-oriented move to France and setting expectations - Devendra's personal journey through college and beyond in France This discussion is for anyone who is considering moving to France for a higher degree and building a career out there, or anyone who is interested to learn what it’s like to live in one of the most famous, beautiful, and metropolitan cities in the world.Like, comment and subscribe. There may not or may not be an Easter egg hidden in this episode.  Resources: Devendra's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkc1996/ Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro + Background (00:02:40) SPJIMR Global Mgmt - Moving to France (00:07:57) Favorite aspects of living in France (00:13:51) Challenges and struggles of living in France (00:20:29) Facing language barriers (French) and how to overcome them (00:24:25) What is it like on the ground-level in Paris city? (00:26:30) Addressing the “Are French People Jerks?” stereotype (00:31:58) Academic Experiences & Job Prospects in France (00:34:56) Process of obtaining a work visa in France (00:39:42) Types of work contracts and why they matter - CDD & CDI (00:41:23) Work Visa deep-dive (00:45:19) Unemployment benefits and how to avail (if necessary) (00:49:05) Personal Growth and Perspectives from starting a new life (00:53:22) Advice for students moving to France for higher studies (00:56:15) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, my guest is Kati Hutsell, who is a career advisor at Purdue University and a former recruiter for Google, Amazon, and Meta. We discuss: Kati's experience and insights from recruiting at top Big Tech companies What makes a resume stand out and Google’s 3 criteria for successful applicants The impact of online courses and certifications on resumes Debunking myths about the job application process and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Differences in recruiting for early careers vs. senior tech roles at Amazon and Meta Kati’s career pivot back to higher education and her motivations for the same Identifying and developing your personalized job application “style” Traits of students who land their dream jobs and how to develop them Common pitfalls in job applications and interviews Effective networking strategies and a blueprint for success Specific advice for Indian students in the US This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the job search process and looking to gain valuable hiring insights from someone with extensive experience in Big Tech as well as higher education. Resources: Kati Hutsell Naman Pandey - Please find my resume on my profile readysetdo.transistor.fm Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro & background (00:03:18) Kati’s career overview (00:08:40) Resume review experience at Google and ATS (00:13:05) 3 criteria for success for Google positions and indicators of strong performance on resumes (00:16:39) Importance (or lack thereof) of online course and certifications (00:18:45) Busting myths around the job application process and ATS (00:21:08) Importance of GPAs (00:22:54) Writing bulletproof resume bullets (00:25:54) ATS hacking - advisable or not really? (00:28:38) Hiring for senior tech lead/individual contributor positions at Amazon & Meta (00:31:02) Career pivot to higher education after time at Big Tech (00:34:30) Common traits among students successful in the job market (00:39:00) Pitfalls preventing students from getting interview call-backs (00:42:25) Optimizing your job application style for max chance of success (00:45:16) Pitfalls preventing students from converting interviews (00:47:55) A blueprint for networking effectively on LinkedIn (00:54:38) Advice for Indian international students in the US (00:58:17) Outro & gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Utpal Nadiger. Utpal is a co-founder at Digger, but perhaps more notably, a life-long cricket fanatic. He has played semi-professionally in India and continues to play club cricket in the UK as of May 2024, and has also co-founded The Cricket Revolution, which is a product for cricketers to leverage to get better at the sport.  One striking theme underlines Utpal’s remarkable life-journey thus far - his belief that when faced with making an important life-decision, the outcome that guarantees the most fun is the best option to pick. We discuss: What it takes to make it as a professional cricketer (generalizable to making it at a pro-level of any sport out there) Applying for and getting accepted for a Masters of Sport-Biomechanics at one of the top universities in the world in that field - Loughborough University, UK Living, conducting research and playing club cricket in the UK Applying for Founders’ Associates positions and what that entails Spearheading growth of a tech start-up company as its co-founder  Using a simple “optimizing for most fun” at each decision level in life to get best results In keeping with our theme of learning from someone just two steps ahead instead of an expert. I’d like to emphasize that it is not lost on me that I’m making most generalizations that are broad at their best and ill-advised at their worst. Having said that, my goal is merely to highlight that there is a possibility that answers to seemingly infinite philosophical questions such as “how to make life-changing decision accurately” can in fact be as simple as just doing the thing that’s most fun. Resources: 1. digger.dev 2. thecricketrevolution.com 3. Ready Set Do instagram Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro and background (00:03:09) Exposure to cricket as a kid - the obsession begins (00:06:14) What it takes to go pro at cricket (or any sport) (00:10:01) Balancing an engineering degree with cricket (00:12:19) Getting certified as a stand-in conditioning specialist + COVID (00:16:01) Ideating and building The Cricket Revolution (00:18:47) What problems did The Cricket Revolution solve? (00:21:40) Masters in Sport Biomechanics at Loughborough (00:27:26) How to get accepted for a Masters in Sport Biomechanics (00:29:23) Experience of living, conducting research and playing club cricket in the UK (00:35:52) Path after graduation - STOA MBA bootcamp (00:41:12) Competing against elite UK grads for employment in the Startup space (00:42:59) Getting hired as a Founders’ Associate (00:47:48) Accepting position of co-founder at Digger (00:50:04) Exposure to the Bay Area and the US (00:52:02) Looking back and forward  (00:55:52) Outro and gratitude

In this episode, my guest is Shivangi Sharma, who at the time of recording is an upcoming MBA graduate at UCLA. While each person’s experience of getting an MBA degree can be very distinct, Shivangi’s experience is best described with a term I contrived - the 360 MBA. We discuss:  a framework for how to choose and get into your dream school in the US. Shivangi helps lay down a framework for exactly where to start, how to assess your options once you graduate, and how to find and reach out to your resume twins How to leverage rankings, reports and reach out to current students on LinkedIn to finalize your shortlist and the importance of the right location How to get the most well-rounded and holistic experience possible during your Masters Prioritization tool to not lose sight of your goals and evade FOMO Academics, courses, conferences, leadership positions in student clubs and organizations Social Life and how the Masters/MBA is such a transformational experience This discussion is for anyone who is either contemplating getting their MBA in the US, is a current MBA student in the US OR just is an international student in the US as a lot of the 360 MBA topics are generalizable to most Master’s courses as well. In keeping with our theme of learning from someone that’s just two steps ahead instead of an expert, I’d like to emphasize that this discussion centers on Shivangi’s MBA experience that covers the entire breadth of everything one can do while they’re in a business school. Resources & List of Conferences: Grace Hopper Celebration - https://ghc.anitab.org/ Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Annual Conference - https://we24.swe.org/ SHPE National Convention - https://shpe.org/nc2024/ Collegiate Leadership Conference (CLC) - https://www.tridelta.org/events/clc/ Timestamps: (00:00:00) Overview and Background (00:03:25) Why MBA (Product Management to MBA pipeline) (00:05:36) Applying to the earliest deadline possible (00:07:07) GRE vs GMAT for MBA applications in the US (00:09:27) How to shortlist MBA programs - Rankings & Reports (00:13:19) Reaching out to current students/alumni for reviews (00:17:06) Tool: Finding resume twins for insight into suitable MBA programs (00:20:14) Tool: How to find resume twins using LinkedIn (00:21:34) Career pathways after an MBA and how to set long-term goals (00:24:30) Location as a potential parameter + Resilience of Indian international students (00:28:33) Academics - Case-Based Learning deep-dive (00:32:11) Grade non-disclosure and picking courses that cause mind expansion (00:35:43) Conferences - deep-dive (360 MBA pillar) (00:38:45) Tool: Monthly/Quarterly goals prioritization technique  (00:40:34) Insights on the annual Grace Hopper conference (00:43:39) Leadership positions in college clubs and organizations (360 MBA pillar) (00:49:05) Ability to build leadership and org skills using leadership roles (00:51:50) Social life - Traveling + Party time (360 MBA pillar) (00:55:27) A transformational experience - 10/10 would recommend (00:57:56) Working at Gates ventures and the horizon beyond (01:01:00) Outro and Gratitude

In this episode, my guests are Ritwik and Kartik Khator. The twin brothers Ritwik and Kartik are the founders of Startup Indian, which is a company that offers research, analysis, and financial expertise services to startups and founders. We discuss: the twins’ journey to becoming Chartered Accountants (the equivalent for which is CPA in the US), and how to avoid the numerous pitfalls that make it such an uphill battle how Kartik and Ritwik chose to go out on their own instead of being employed by various firms that offered them positions entrepreneurship, and how one can determine if starting up is the right move for them (3 "checks") writing effective and immensely information-rich newsletters to drive inbound marketing and stand-out from their competitors - with an example of exactly how to add your own unique perspective while writing content their experience working with high net-worth individuals, some traits they’ve notices in these individuals; and how to scale a company without losing sight of the present. a hidden gem of a work management tool that the twins swear by and finally, what it is like to grow up with another human identical to you. Note: 63,000 crore INR = $7.5B USD Resources: Work management tool - ⁠SuperWorks⁠ Timestamps: (00:00:00) Introduction and background (00:04:26) What makes becoming a CA so formidable? (00:07:59) Positive reinforcement (from a twin sibling) (00:09:14) Path after graduation - How R&K chose the next step (00:11:33) How to crush real-world problems as a Chartered Accountant (00:13:39) Beginning of R&K’s entrepreneurial journey (00:16:26) Setting up for long term success + WHY entrepreneurship? (00:19:09) Traits of successful entrepreneurs (P.S It’s not for everyone) (00:23:42) Writing newsletters to win clients (solicitation NOT allowed!) (00:28:00) Reaching investors and founders (00:30:05) How to write an effective newsletter (00:32:32) Tool: Using your unique perspective to differentiate yourself (00:34:56) Working with High Net-Worth Individuals and Investors (00:38:01) On “challenging” HNIs and Investors (00:41:49) How to scale your start-up/business (00:44:48) On Hiring smart (00:46:43) Goal setting for your start-up and driving the India Growth Story (00:50:46) Work management tool recs (00:53:05) Growing up with a twin sibling - secrets finally revealed (00:55:39) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, my guest in this episode is Raghav Taparia. Raghav is a financial investment aficionado who has successfully built out robust systems for making strides towards his financial goals. During this episode, he shares a wealth of knowledge starting with a brief investment for dummies section, investing principles, paycheck allocation methods, and most importantly, how anyone can build their own investment plan to steadily progress towards their own financial goals. Raghav discloses the tools and strategies that enabled him to accumulate impressive dividends by investing in a little known stock using only his skills, research, and some resources that he shares with us. This discussion is for anyone who would like to explore the captivating world of personal finance, and practical strategies to live the life they want without compromising their future goals and ensuring long-term success. As always, all sections are time-stamped on Youtube and Spotify (and wherever else you get your podcasts) In keeping with the theme of learning from someone that’s just two steps ahead instead of an expert, even more so than other episodes, I’d like to emphasize that this discussion centers around Raghav’s journey through learning and implementing personal finance strategies and systems. I do not intend for this to be financial advice. Rather, my goal is to get you to a point where you can appreciate the landscape of investing and an accessible starting point to build towards your goals. 1. One up on wall street 2. The Dhandho Investor Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro and background, passion for investing (00:03:22) Investing 101- Jargon you should probably know (00:06:38) Investing as a student vs a salaried professional (00:10:08) Changing spending and investing habits (00:11:58) Raghav’s paycheck allocation strategy (00:16:31) Philosophy - Making the smartest people in the world generate money for you (00:21:43) Resources/practices to get started with investing (00:24:56) Raghav’s principles of investing + how to find your own principle (00:26:15) Finding undervalued companies - how and why? (00:29:57) Raghav’s win story with cashing in BIG after finding an undervalued stock using research and resources (00:39:11) Tools for personal finance (00:42:25) Getting scrappy - credit card gaming 101 (00:48:22) Proactive approach to personal finance  (00:53:12) How to cut down on non-essential expenditure (00:58:56) Question Request 1 - how to build credit score as an international student in the US? (01:03:23) Question Request 2 - S&P 500, set and forget? (01:05:16) Outro