Minus One

Having been a key part of building Google and Meta, and helping scale DoorDash and Block, Gokul Rajaram joins Aditya Agarwal to share his principles and patterns for deciding what’s truly worth building. Together, they draw on real stories from Silicon Valley and reflect on what it will take to unlock India’s deep tech potential. The investor gives crucial insight into the mindset, the team, and the personal qualities required to build meaningfully in the age of AI. Apply to SPC membership: https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/form Connect with us: 1. Gokul Rajaram - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1/ 2. Aditya Agarwal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 01:00 Introduction 03:42 The Importance of Passion in Startups 08:27 The Role of Serendipity in Finding a Mission 12:01 User Storytelling vs. User Research 18:24 The Obsession of Great Founders 28:44 The Evolution of AI and Its Impact on Startups 38:23 The Future of AI in the Physical World

If you want to know what it’s like to be the architect of nations, not just platforms - you ask a man like Nandan Nilekani . In this episode of Minus One, Nandan breaks down the ideas, effort and intent behind building Aadhaar for 1.4 billion people, his next chapter in using AI to drive social impact across India, and what his vision of the future looks like. Connect with us here: ​ Nandan Nilekani - https://x.com/NandanNilekani ​ Aditya Agarwal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ ​ South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 01:36 Introduction 02:12 Curiosity and Conviction: Keys to Success 15:11 AI and India's Future 25:46 The Startup Boom in India 27:03 Challenges and Opportunities in Ease of Business 31:38 AI and Digital Public Infrastructure 40:26 Future of Energy and Final Thoughts

SPC alum Tuhin Srivastava sits down with Aditya Agarwal to break down how a failed four-year startup, plus early chapters in finance and biotech, shaped the way he is scaling Baseten into one of the fastest-growing AI infrastructure companies today. His approach is simple: kill what doesn’t work, don’t scale before you’re ready, and stop pretending you can see past three months in AI. Apply to SPC membership - https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/form Connect with us here: 1. Tuhin Srivastava- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuhin-srivastava/ 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 00:56 Introduction 01:28 Insights from Cricket to Startups 03:30 Career Journey: From Finance to Tech 08:16 Navigating the Startup Ecosystem 22:48 Embracing Change and Customer Focus 25:38 Unique Company Philosophies 30:14 Compensation and Team Dynamics 39:29 Cricket Predictions

Rahul Chari is a leader in India’s tech evolution, from building Flipkart’s foundations, to architecting PhonePe’s planet-scale platform. Simply put, there are very few people in a country of over a billion, who have not used what he built. In this episode of Minus One, he reflects on forming lasting partnerships, building for the future, and building to last. Connect with us here: 1. Prateek Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/ 2. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

After years of operating at scale at companies like Facebook and Dropbox, Ruchi Sanghvi , founding partner of South Park Commons , and Aditya Agarwal , General Partner, turn the mic on each other to revisit the early days that grew this community to over 1,000 founders and technologists. They reflect on what it takes to build something enduring together, and why the best ideas rarely emerge from comfort. Apply to SPC membership- https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/form Connect with us here: 1. Ruchi Sanghvi- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsanghvi/ 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ (00:00) Trailer (01:15) The Journey of Founding SPC (05:33) The Importance of Constructive Conflict (15:51) Scaling and Leadership Insights (28:39) Embracing the Learning Journey (29:43) The Power of Storytelling in Startups (33:19) Balancing Optimism and Realism (49:13) Navigating the Complexities of Markets

Akshay Kothari has built tools that transform the everyday by making technology feel effortless, like Pulse and Notion. He joins Aditya Agarwal to share the counterintuitive lessons behind enduring products, why selling can sometimes be the braver choice, and how constraints often spark lasting creativity. Apply to SPC membership - https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/form Connect with us here: 1. Akshay Kothari- https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/ 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 01:02 Welcome to the Minus One Podcast 01:49 Navigating the Early Days of Pulse 06:59 The Silicon Valley Influence and Ambition 21:07 The LinkedIn Journey and Its Impact 22:39 Balancing Patience and Urgency in Silicon Valley 25:25 The Vision and Early Days of Notion 36:46 Personal Reflections and Philosophies

Tarun Mehta , co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy, joins Prateek Mehta, to unpack how Ather lived the “minus one” philosophy. By taking risks, locking in on what they truly wanted to build for the next 10 years, and then proceeding to just doing it - with India’s first smart electric scooter. Connect with us here: 1. Tarun Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarunsmehta/ 2. Prateek Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

Facebook’s early culture was chaotic, fun, and fueled by a belief that "you can just do things." Andrew Bosworth, Meta CTO, joins Aditya Agarwal to revisit that foundational energy. He covers the creation of News Feed, the grit behind the pivot to mobile, and how Meta is tackling long-term hardware innovation for the AR/VR future. Apply to SPC membership - https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/form Connect with us here: 1. Andrew Bosworth - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bosworth-8247a01/ 2. Aditya Agarwal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

After building companies that made their mark, Joe Lonsdale launched 8VC to tackle institutional decay, backing ambitious startups and encouraging the next generation to build what’s missing. Now overseeing $6B+ in assets, he joins Aditya Agarwal to break down where the Valley lost its way, and what real builders must remember. Connect with us here: 1. Joe Lonsdale- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtlonsdale/ 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 00:52 Introduction 01:24 Warrior mindset 07:36 Paving the way 13:38 Early stage eligibility 19:57 Rocket ships are rare 22:52 8VC 26:49 Great founders and discipline 29:43 Cicero Institute 33:04 Hairy messy real-world problems 38:18 Outro

What does it take to build great companies? Mukesh Bansal, founder of giants like Myntra and Cure.fit, and now building at the frontier of deep tech with Meraki Labs and Nurix, joins Prateek Mehta in a chat at SPC Bangalore. He shares lessons from his early Silicon Valley “startup MBA”, the pivots that defined his journey, and how culture, trust and health have shaped his approach to building generational companies driven by resilient teams. Connect with us here: 1. Prateek Mehta - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/ 2. South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

Baiju Bhatt helped millions learn to invest through Robinhood. He’s since taken the leap to aerospace with his new company Aetherflux. Baiju joins Aditya Agarwal to cover what building from first principles looks like the second time around, the true meaning of the American Dream, and how he aims to make space a functional layer of the global energy system. Connect with us here: 1. Baiju Bhatt- https://www.linkedin.com/in/bprafulkumar/ 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ (00:00) Trailer (01:10) Introduction (02:30) Early history (07:12) Huge courage (11:54) Extraordinarily driven (17:31) Making the system work (24:09) Enamored by space (29:36) Energy company in space (35:41) Power scaling (39:54) Keeping the momentum up (43:14) Outro

How do brands like PepsiCo and Chanel convert consumer attention into real business growth? Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia and multiple New York Times Bestselling Author, joins Dylan Itzikowitz to share how his agency helps these brands turn culture, AI, and data into measurable impact. Apply for the SPC Founder Fellowship by August 3rd: https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagdT5QLZFC3weCJq/form Connect with us here: 1. Gary Vaynerchuk- https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyvaynerchuk/ 2. Dylan Itzikowitz- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanitzikowitz/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ (00:00) Trailer (00:50) SPC's Founder Fellowship (01:35) Introduction (03:36) Kindness and business (07:12) AI tech and the human spirit (11:11) “Google search is dead” (13:58) Obsessed with today (14:59) Posting in today’s world (22:15) AI influencers (24:01) Nice guys finish first (26:34) Q&A: Directionally correct (30:27) Q&A: Preserving humanity (34:29) Q&A: Consumer mind (39:17) Q&A: Businesses distribution (43:19) Q&A: Creator-owned brands (47:15) Q&A: Crypto (52:02) Outro

“If there's one lesson I wish I could give my younger self, it's to focus less on the technology and more on the customer need.” Bret Taylor has helped shape how billions interact with the internet, and now with Sierra, he’s rethinking customer interactions through AI that feels more human. Apply for the SPC Founder Fellowship by August 3rd: https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagdT5QLZFC3weCJq/form Connect with us here: 1. Bret Taylor- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettaylor/ 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

What does it take to build a global ad-tech company from India? In this episode, Naveen Tewari, Founder & CEO of InMobi and Glance, gets candid about his early failures and the grit it took to bet on mobile before India was ready. He’s now reimagining commerce on lock screens through AI-powered platform Glance. Connect with us here: ​Prateek Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/ ​South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

Rana Adhikari , winner of the 2019 New Horizons in Physics Breakthrough Prize, joins Aditya Agarwal to discuss his 'minus one' journey as an experimental physicist, the current state of LLMs, and the vision that led to the creation of India’s own LIGO facility. Connect with us here: 1. Rana Adhikari- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rana-adhikari-26bb73165/ 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 01:03 Introduction 01:58 Figuring things out 07:30 Toughest lesson 12:27 Bad mentor 15:33 LIGO and Quantum Science 19:34 Intuition 26:01 LLMs 30:47 Learning the outcome = winning 35:07 Learnings from LIGO 43:43 Black hole myths 47:12 Outro

In this episode of Minus One , Facebook’s second designer, Soleio shares how he helped build the emotional layer of the internet and is now backing tools like Figma and Framer to push it further. Connect with us here: Soleio Aditya Agarwal South Park Commons 00:00 Trailer 01:00 Introduction 01:41 Early days 07:37 Paradigm shift and the moments 13:45 Undirected expression and exploration 21:45 Greatness has a high bar 25:46 Expressing emotions 32:17 Back to -1 44:10 More founders 47:54 Outro

Balaji Srinivasan , angel investor and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Network State, joins Aditya Agarwal on Minus One to challenge prevailing assumptions about global tech and opportunity. Connect with us here: 1. Balaji Srinivasan- https://x.com/balajis 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 00:59 Introduction 02:07 Building Counsyl 03:40 The science and math 08:45 Founder energy 12:38 Funding opportunities 16:47 Geographical connectivity 23:47 Recentralize tech 26:21 Millionaire migration 33:07 Outside success 39:08 Outro

In this episode of Minus One, host Dylan Itzikowitz sits down with Roblox’s chief blocksmith to trace a minus one to zero prototype that evolved into a full blown digital economy, now serving more than 100M DAUs. Connect with us here: 1. David Baszucki- https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbaszucki/ 2. Dylan Itzikowitz- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanitzikowitz/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 01:06 $275M Fund III 01:56 Two-year "minus one" 05:32 Platform of creation 06:59 More than lifestyle 08:03 Motivation = obsession? 09:09 Investing in growth 10:45 Virality hack 14:44 Building an ecosystem 20:32 Roblox in education 21:30 Building for all ages 22:48 Dress to Impress 24:58 Augmented and virtual reality 27:09 Non-boring AI 30:26 Safety and mental health 33:21 Vibrant economy 34:32 Founders should build 37:05 Q&A 57:32 Outro

What unfolds when those who imagine the future sit across from those building it? In this special SPC panel, worlds converge. Sci-fi legends Neal Stephenson and Ken Liu join visionary investor Cyan Banister and researcher Joscha Bach to explore how narratives shape reality, how fiction becomes a roadmap, and how builders and dreamers influence each other across time. Connect with us here: 1. Neal Stephenson- https://x.com/nealstephenson 2. Ken Liu- https://x.com/kyliu99 3. Cyan Banister- https://x.com/cyantist 4. Joscha Bach- https://x.com/Plinz 5. Cristian Cibils Bernardes- https://x.com/life_of_ccb 6. Jonathan Brebner- https://x.com/JPBrebner 7. South Park Commons- https://x.com/southpkcommons 00:00 Trailer 01:03 Introduction 04:25 AI and nuclear tech parallel 10:26 Progress. Disappointing? Significant? 13:31 The present and the future 17:04 Wrong specifics, right methodology 25:13 Satire and reality 33:14 World building 40:19 Parallels and perpendiculars 44:19 Artificial general intelligence 54:02 Searching for something not forward-looking 57:20 Understanding consciousness 1:04:08 Lightning round 1:14:13 Outro

In conversation with Aditya Agarwal , Adam D’Angelo reflects on his early days at Facebook, the founding of Quora, his early conviction in OpenAI, and why he believes the recursive nature of AI is grounded in a first-principles approach. Connect with us here: 1. Adam D’Angelo- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangelo/ 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ 3. South Park Commons – https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

During his three-decade career in academia, Niall Ferguson has explored the critical inflection points that have shaped the course of history — and the future it continues to inform. In this conversation, hosted by Aditya Agarwal and Jonathan Brebner , he delves into why we may be living through a civilizational minus one, how history leaves subtle traces of what’s to come, the rise of AI, and much more. Connect with us here: 1. Niall Ferguson- https://x.com/nfergus 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://x.com/adityaag 3. Jonathan Brebner- https://x.com/JPBrebner 4. South Park Commons- https://x.com/southpkcommons 00:00 Trailer 00:59 Introduction 02:02 Civilizational -1 05:33 Warfare 08:45 Media and history 13:05 Tech doesn't want the past 17:26 Our awesomeness knows no bounds 19:34 Narrativizing your personal history 26:55 Big moves framework 33:22 Institutions 37:15 Artificial general intelligence 39:52 Vision for the future 45:30 Outro

In this episode of Minus One, Vinod Khosla joins Aditya Agarwal to reflect on his four-decade journey shaping Silicon Valley. They discuss making high-conviction bets, why the team you build becomes the company you build, Khosla’s first investment in OpenAI, and why he is convinced that AGI sits among us now. Connect with us here: Vinod Khosla- https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinod-khosla-65387416/ Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ South Park Commons – https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer 00:58 Introduction 01:53 Aligned values 07:59 The early conviction 11:29 Did Silicon Valley lost its edge? 14:46 10x better 16:21 Top down or bottoms up 19:45 What does a great investor look like 23:17 What's not going well 25:41 AI and a belief system 38:23 AGI and the future generation 40:46 Reasoning model 46:55 Consequences of success 49:24 Questions and answers 55:57 Outro

In this episode of Minus One, Aditya Agarwal and Jonathan Brebner sit down with Blake Scholl , who went from Groupon product leader to founder & CEO of Boom Supersonic, to discuss his pursuit of reviving supersonic travel. With a vision to make high-speed air travel accessible to millions, Scholl is working to bring back a capability many believed was lost after the Concorde era. They explore the key factors in building a legacy company (hint: it’s not funding or technology), Boom’s pivotal challenges—and how he continues to push forward, and the “slacker index”. Connect with us here: 1. Blake Scholl- https://x.com/bscholl 2. Aditya Agarwal- https://x.com/adityaag 3. Jonathan Brebner- https://x.com/JPBrebner 4. South Park Commons – https://x.com/southpkcommons 00:00 Trailer 01:56 Introduction 05:46 From Amazon to supersonic flight 09:39 Overcoming challenges and fear of failure 16:44 The importance of shorter gratification cycles 23:35 Storytelling in hard tech 25:09 Building a dream team 27:42 Lessons learned in progress 29:52 Building our own jet engines 38:53 Challenging conventional wisdom 44:01 Inspiration and legacy 45:55 Future plans

While he hardly needs an introduction, few leaders have shaped the future of technology quite like Satya Nadella . He stepped into Microsoft’s top job at a catalytic moment—making bold bets on the cloud, embedding AI into the fabric of computing, all while staying true to Microsoft’s vision of becoming a “software factory.” In this conversation with Aditya Agarwal and Ruchi Sanghvi , Satya discusses: • his approach to building early at Microsoft and why we all need to continue “refounding” • the future of AI and why critical thinking will remain at a premium • Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI, his vision for quantum, and more Connect with us here: 1. Satya Nadella – https://x.com/satyanadella 2. Ruchi Sanghvi – https://x.com/rsanghvi 3. Aditya Agarwal – https://x.com/adityaag 4. South Park Commons – https://x.com/southpkcommons 00:00 Trailer 00:57 Introduction 02:03 Joining Microsoft 06:39 Culture and relevance 11:21 Winning and not winning 17:37 Making that turnaround happen 22:30 Contrarian leadership belief 23:35 Investments in startups 27:33 Foundation models 31:07 Artificial intelligence 36:32 The future 40:39 Quantum computing 44:53 Multiverse 45:33 The next generation 50:10 Being competitive 52:34 Outro This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/

Kirsten Green , founder of Forerunner Ventures and 8-time Midas List investor, sees the next wave of breakout brands emerging at the intersection of shifting consumer behavior, novel business models, and technological inflection points. In this conversation with Ruchi Sanghvi , she unpacks the investment frameworks behind early bets on companies like Warby Parker and Glossier—breaking down structural shifts that fueled their scale. They explore: • AI’s role in reshaping consumer distribution and brand-building • the enduring mechanics of advertising and its evolution across platforms • the biggest misconceptions about early-stage consumer investing • what defines the next generation of category-defining brands Connect with us here: 1. Kirsten Green – https://x.com/kirstenagreen 2. Ruchi Sanghvi – https://x.com/rsanghvi 3. South Park Commons – https://x.com/southpkcommons This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00 Trailer 00:56 Introduction 02:25 Humble beginnings 05:12 Vague misconceptions 07:44 Consumer AI direction 11:43 How to win in consumer AI 18:32 Where is distribution now 22:49 "What caught your attention?" 24:45 The problems and the solution 27:35 Consumer traction and engagement 30:50 Giving venture the finger? 34:06 Counterintuitive Traits of Founders 37:03 Effective channels and connections 39:53 Business of saying no 41:49 Agents 43:04 Search experience 44:09 Education and healthcare economy 46:36 Physical personalization 48:31 Healthcare and social 51:55 Key roles 54:51 Outro