In our season finale, we catch up with Shivam Singla, Founder of Leegality (https://leegality.com) - an eSign, eStamping, and document workflow platform. Shivam is a lawyer by training graduating from the National Law School of India University in 2016.  He straight up got bit by the entrepreneurship bug, kicking off Leegality for helping businesses "digitize and optimize documentation workflows, enabling them to execute and manage 'paperwork' 100x better - without paper".  Describing Leegality as "we are to agreements what email has been to postcards", Shivam gives a fascinating account of his company's business model, product, and differentiation.  He is a passionate proponent of the role of digitization in our lives and has chosen a domain often seen as most resistant to any change i.e. legal paperwork!  Enough said, now listen :)

Transfin. LongShorts

71: Finish the Paperwork

In our final episode of this season of Transfin. Adda, we journey back in time to understand why the RBI's accounting year is different from the Government's fiscal year, and why that is different from our calendar year. The answer takes us to 12th century Europe and Rome in the 1st century BCE! Then, we travel back to the present and discuss how Google has one leg in the future. The tech giant is engaged in a unique experiment to use architecture and aesthetics to encourage its employees to eat and live healthy. What is it doing right and what can we learn from its endeavour?   PS: Transfin.'s Virtual Seminar on "Investing Essentials: Where Should I Invest?" will be held on Saturday, February 22nd. Sign up here if you haven't already: http://bit.ly/TransfinSeminar

70: Adda: A Brief History of Time and Google's Health Experiment

Nakul Jain heads Inverted Prism (https://www.invertedprism.in/about-us/) and has been designing and executing career exploratory programs for more than five years.  In his own words, he's an "on paper" Mechanical Engineer who found his true calling in the world of education, realising how travel experiences can be powerful in shaping one's views around academic and professional choices. In this fascinating conversation, we reminisce on our own journeys and how the Indian educational system often misses the point when it comes to helping kids plan their future, the sensitive considerations for parents and teachers, and the merits of a cash generative quality business. PS: We're kicking off a new virtual seminar series (via YouTube Live Stream) called Investing Essentials - starting with the question: "Where should I Invest?" It will be a free online live session followed by Q&A which can be participated in virtually. Register on this link http://bit.ly/TransfinSeminar to receive the streaming link when it goes live! Day, date: Saturday, February 22, 2020 Time: 12:30pm Venue: Anywhere! RSVP: http://bit.ly/TransfinSeminar Also if you know someone who would be interested in this, feel free to share the registration link (http://bit.ly/TransfinSeminar) with them too :) 

69: LongShorts: To Infinity and Beyond!?

This week, we begin our chat by discussing why bullet trains' engines are elongated, why airplanes are shaped like bats, and what sharks and professional swimmers have in common. We do this by delving into the colourful world of biomimicry - the science of finding solutions to human problems by searching nature's designs for answers. And then we take a wide detour into the world of sports - specifically, the controversy surrounding the Nike Vaporfly shoes in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics. Listen in for some fun facts and insights! PS: You can sign up for Transfin.'s Virtual Seminar on "Investing Essentials: Where Should I Invest?" by filing this form: http://bit.ly/TransfinSeminar

68: Adda: Engineering Lessons from Nature and The Nike Vaporfly Controversy

We touch on two topics today. First, the counterfeit goods industry - how big it is, how powerful, how damaging, and how we can ensure that the things we buy online are real and original. (Spoiler alert: Simi says she'll go home and smell her shoes to make sure they're not fake!) And then we discuss the gaming industry, which is bigger than you may think. We delve into its often-ignored dark side - overtime, no extra pay, cyclical lay-offs, and generally dubious labour conditions.

67: Adda: When Nike Fakes It and The Dark Underbelly of Gaming

We catch up with Ravi Kaushik, Partner at WaterBridge Ventures, an early stage Venture Capital (VC) firm, as he reflects on his philosophy to identify disruptive VC opportunities.  From spotting great Founders, going deep dive when it comes to addressable markets, to the value of primary research during diligence, Ravi is "inherently excited by India's consumer opportunity" and looks out for any product that passes the "tooth brush test". He also shares his take on what filters can make more sense of the Indian market story, dynamics of startup exits, and the potential role played by policy makers in shaping the ecosystem.  If you're keen to understand a first-hand "VC perspective" towards startup funding, listen in.

66: LongShorts: The Art of Scale with Ravi Kaushik from WaterBridge Ventures

Kinner Sacchdev has been closely tied with the knowledge economy for close to a decade now. From education consulting, crafting stories for brands and products, to creation of Knorish (https://knorish.com/), Kinner is a firm believer in the power of learning.  In the gig economy where content can be one's single biggest differentiator, Knorish enables hobbyists, professionals and experts to create and monetize their content.  And while chatting about different models at play in this space, we also manage to put in the usual digressions, discuss a bit of Netflix, Spotify, Razorpay, and strangely Account Aggregators (on related and rather unrelated notes). To understand how diverse content use-cases can be integrated and cross-sold via technology, listen in. 

65: LongShorts: Monetizing Knowledge

Did you know that pandas are more than just cute, squishy animals? They're also symbols of China's geopolitical ambitions and diplomatic outreach. This week in Transfin. Adda, we delve into the dark underbelly of China's "Panda Diplomacy" to panda-stand (sorry) Beijing's motives. And then, we take a sharp turn and discuss something very different happening on the other side of the world. Silicon Valley's tech giants are joining hands with healthcare institutions (like hospitals and research centres) to monetise people's personal health data. What does this mean for privacy rights and how is this the epitome of Big Tech gone bad? Listen in for thought-provoking insights!

64: Adda: China's Panda Diplomacy and The Healthcare-Tech Nexus

We're joined by Umang Jain, Co-Founder of StudyPad (makers of Splash Learn (https://www.splashlearn.com/) ), a company of "hard-working and slightly nerdy people who are passionate to change the way an entire generation of kids learn". Umang started his journey as an EdTech entrepreneur almost a decade back, and having scaled up SplashLearn from being a Math-focused learning product for kids in the US, to now expanding to other geographies, new subject matter and broader age groups, he has had a front row seat of how technology is and can transform the world of Education and Pedagogy.  He reflects on the Indian EdTech ecosystem with its homegrown challenges, differentiates between Education-led and Entertainment with a "dash of education" models, and shares his philosophy on the role of wider stakeholders, be it schools, teachers, and parents in refining how we see and perceive Learning as a whole. All in all a super interesting chat to understand the Education value chain, the growth levers at play, and the innovations which future EdTech entrepreneurs should watch out for. 

63: LongShorts: Making Education Work

One of the biggest trends of 2019 was the rise of the Influencer industry. Approached by virtually all sectors for brand marketing and charging by the millions, Influencers are the ambassadors of the zeitgeist. What drives this unique industry, why is it experiencing a sudden boom, and how big is it really? These are some questions we tackle in this week's Adda. Second, we talk about skin whitening (or skin lightening or the more Indian sounding fairness creams) - an industry that is objectively racist and colorist, but also an industry that is lucrative and growing swiftly. But being morally dubious isn't the only issue with this industry - skin whitening products are also dangerous for our health. Listen in to know more!

62: Adda: What Influences the Influencer and Why Fair Isn't Really Lovely

This episode is very different from our usual routine. We will not talk about Business or Finance.  Because let's face it...nobody's talking about it right now! Even with the United States conducting air strikes against Iran, no one in India seems to notice.  What is being noticed is the ongoing sense of disillusionment, rage, and confusion that has gripped many Indian cities and academic campuses thanks to Article370-Ayodhya-CAA-NRC-Jamia-JNU in the age of WhatsApp and Twitter.  It is the Elephant in the room.  So we thought, let's dig in.  Nevertheless, this is a one-off break from our weekly ritual. We shall continue to fanatically (wrong choice of word maybe!) ignore political content...until the next elephant shows up. Enjoy the show!

61: LongShorts: The Only Thing Indians are Talking About

We begin the first Adda episode of the New Year by discussing what could be the overarching theme of 2020 - the shifting sources of news. We live in an online world, in an age of Instagram Stories and WhatsApp Universities, where social media has become a news platform on its own. How will this affect the dissemination and reception of news? And how are teenagers driving this tectonic shift? Then, we chat on what we do - i.e., podcasts! How and why has this medium blossomed in recent years and why do people like listening to podcasts? Listen in to our conversation for some riveting insights!

60: The New Age of News and Podcasts to Beat the Blues

We hear a lot about solar energy and how it can help the environment. But as retail customers does that pitch really work? What if we rather start looking at solar energy as an investment opportunity?  Well...Pranesh, our guest this week, has made a viable business out of it, so we thought its best to ask him ;) Pranesh (Chaudhary) has worn many hats. From the world of analytics at Capital One to transformation strategies for large financial institutions - more than three years ago he decided to move away from his rather "desktop" origins to the tech/operations heavy realm of installing solar rooftop systems for homeowners.  Starting ZunRoof with his IIT Kharagpur batchmate Sushant Sachan, Pranesh now wants to broaden ZunRoof's focus from being India's largest Solar Rooftop provider to a wider Home-IoT solutions company. While sharing his story, he talks about ZunRoof's model and differentiation, the task of communicating the solar investment idea to a customer, and wider comments on the dynamic and myths around residential solar energy sector at-large.  If you're remotely keen to understand the solar energy sector from the grass-root level up, this podcast episode is for you. 

59: LongShorts: Sun is Shining

Ankit Agarwal is the spokesman for Digital. His journey, which started from setting up a personal finance blog (Getting Money Wise https://gettingmoneywise.com/) to heading Digital Media & Performance Marketing at Uber India is fascinating.  Sitting on the crux of content, product, and marketing, Ankit reminisces on how the internet has permanently changed the way we consume and perceive brands. We go deep into content monetization and changed customer narratives, discuss the overlaps between Fortnite and Star Wars, and wonder why it makes sense for pure play Indian digital brands to opt for offline advertising. A mighty interesting chat. At least for those of us who claim to be digital-first ;) P.S. You know we have neat website, right (https://transfin.in (https://transfin.in/) )? You folks may have chanced upon it through these podcasts...making you a rather special lot ;). But most discover us through Google. Precisely why we’re looking for a rockstar SEO Specialist and equally rocking Full Stack Developer.  If that's you, apply here: SEO Specialist: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/1578805399 Full Stack Developer: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/1581971130 Nevertheless, if you know someone who may fit the bill, feel free to spread the word.

58: LongShorts: The Great Digital Tamasha

Hello, folks! We're back with another episode of Adda! This week, we dwell on the global security camera industry and the implications of facial recognition technology. Both have serious privacy and security implications, and different countries are dealing with them in different ways. We delve through the data points and points of view to find out what the future of surveillance looks like. And then we make a turn to discuss the growing significance of vocational courses - and how, contrary to what one might have assumed, they are more financially rewarding than many engineering or MBA degrees. Happy listening/learning!

57: Adda: A Billion Security Cameras and Why Gemology is in Vogue

We like to talk Business and Finance. Figured we should do it for a living. Presenting LongShorts - weekly podcast by Nikhil Arora (https://twitter.com/Nikhil26A) (ex-investment banker at Nomura, HSBC - London) and Sharath Toopran (https://twitter.com/SharathToopran) (former equity research analyst at Canaccord Genuity - Toronto). Live every Thursday at 5pm IST. We run Transfin. (https://www.transfin.in), an Online News Company with a special emphasis on Business, Finance, and Consumer through expert Opinions, concise Explainers, and curated Insights.

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Transfin. LongShorts

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