Grit

#197 CEO, Chairman & Founder Zscaler, Jay Chaudhry: No Attachment

Jul 1, 2024

CEO and founder of Zscaler, Jay Chaudhry, shares his journey from humble beginnings in India to financial success by focusing on family values, risk-taking, and simplicity. He discusses authenticity, family time, customer meetings, self-improvement, and the importance of hiring exceptional talent. Jay's mindset of detachment from money has been a key factor in his success, allowing him to take risks and focus on doing his best.

43:17

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Jay Chaudhry

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Quick takeaways

Jay Chaudhry's non-attachment to money enabled him to take risks and achieve financial success.

Balancing self-confidence with self-criticism is crucial for personal and professional growth.

Deep dives

The Power of Conviction and Execution

Having a vision is common, but what sets apart successful individuals is their burning desire and conviction. It is the relentless pursuit of execution that distinguishes dreamers from achievers.

Balancing Confidence and Criticism for Self-Improvement

01:30

Intro

2min

Navigating Acquisition Offers and Making Strategic Decisions

5min

Journey from Scarcity to Success with a Simple Mindset

10min

Balancing Work, Family, and Nature

2min

Journey to Happiness and Success

6min

CEO's Dedication to Customer Meetings and Company Success

16min

Always Hiring for Exceptional Talent and Embracing Grit

3min

Guest: Jay Chaudhry, CEO, chairman, and founder of Zscaler

Much of the media coverage of Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry is quick to identify him as the wealthiest Indian-American person, with a net worth of $10.8 billion. But to hear Jay himself tell it, that number has never been very important to him: “My family had no money,” he says of his childhood in India. “I had no attachment for money. There was no feeling of ‘I must buy this, buy this.’ ... And it hasn’t changed a bit.” Perhaps surprisingly, he says not caring about money is one of the big reasons for his financial success: With no attachment to money, “I could take risks.”

In this episode, Jay and Joubin discuss startup “gambling,” Jay’s wife Jyoti, scarcity and risk, wasting time, “bonding walks,” family vacations, self-confidence and self-criticism, gardening, seven-minute aerobics, Marc Andreessen and Netscape, and IBM.

Chapters:

(01:54) - Selling SecureIT to Verisign
(06:49) - Jay’s humble beginnings
(09:12) - The worst way to describe him
(11:42) - Working harder than ever
(14:15) - Authenticity and selflessness
(16:36) - Family time
(18:53) - Happy childhood
(21:33) - Setting an example
(24:48) - Customer meetings
(27:30) - Conviction and execution
(31:07) - Do your best
(33:16) - Turning off your brain
(38:23) - Getting experience
(40:17) - Who Zscaler is hiring
(41:12) - What “grit” means to Jay

Links:

Connect with Jay

Connect with Joubin

Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

This episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

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Grit

#197 CEO, Chairman & Founder Zscaler, Jay Chaudhry: No Attachment

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Power of Conviction and Execution

The Importance of Developing a Strong Team

Balancing Confidence and Self-Criticism

Prioritizing Health, Family, and Work

Balancing Confidence and Criticism for Self-Improvement

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts