From Blind at Birth to Million-Dollar Founder: Sam Maddula’s People-First Playbook

Born legally blind in rural India, Sam Maddula’s life changed forever thanks to a single act of kindness: a corneal transplant that restored his sight.

That early gift shaped everything that came after, including his philosophy as founder of Bank’s Apothecary Specialty Pharmacy, a company he scaled to $300M in annual revenue before selling at an industry-leading valuation.

In this episode of Don’t Be a Jerk, Sam shares the radical leadership principles that fueled his success, from paying employees 2–3x the market rate to designing company outings where work talk is banned. His approach flips traditional corporate logic on its head — and proves that taking care of your people isn’t just “nice,” it’s the smartest business strategy there is.

We cover:

- The incredible origin story that shaped Sam’s people-first leadership style.

- Why paying 2–3x market rate can *increase* profitability.

- How to build “unreasonable loyalty” in your team.

- The tactic Sam uses to make offshore employees feel true ownership in the company.

- Why culture eats strategy for breakfast and how to make sure yours is strong.

- What private equity can learn from people-first companies.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can “do good” and still scale big, Sam’s story is proof that you can. And that it might even be the fastest way to win.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.