10X Growth Strategies

🎙️ E116: When AI Meets Healthcare — Promise, Proof & the Human-in-the-Loop In this episode of 10X Growth Strategies, host Arthi Vijayaraghavan sits down with Faisal Mushtaq — author of Transforming Healthcare: The Role and Impact of Artificial Intelligence — to unpack how AI is actually changing healthcare beyond buzzwords, demos, and exaggerated claims. Drawing from over a decade of hands-on experience building AI systems across wellness, medtech, and large enterprises, Faisal explains where AI is genuinely delivering impact today — from early disease detection and AI-assisted diagnostics to reducing false negatives in mammography — and where human judgment remains non-negotiable. The conversation dives deep into the idea of augmented intelligence, why “human-in-the-loop” is the most realistic path forward, and how guardrails, regulation, and explainability will decide whether AI earns trust inside hospitals and clinical workflows. Faisal also breaks down why healthcare adoption must be methodical, how AI can relieve clinician overload through back-office automation, and why fully autonomous diagnosis is still a long way off. From generative AI and agent-based systems to regulation, training future clinicians, and the parallels between healthcare AI and self-driving cars, this episode offers a grounded, experience-driven view of what’s possible — and what’s premature. A thoughtful, no-hype conversation on how AI can make healthcare faster, safer, and smarter — without replacing the humans who matter most. 00:00 – First chapter: Why now & motivations for the book 06:50 – Human-in-the-loop AI & guardrails design 13:00 – Impact of AI on training new clinicians 19:07 – Agentic AI in healthcare 35:00 – Investment areas of focus for the author 👉 Links & Resources TechCon Global: https://www.techconglobal.com • iExchange: https://iexchange.co • iExchange Newsletter: https://iexchange.substack.com • Faisal Mushtaq (website): https://faisalmushtaq.co/ • Books by Faisal Mushtaq: https://faisalmushtaq.co/books/

🎙️ E115: Where the Smart Money Is Going — VC Investment Trends & the 2026 Outlook In this episode of 10X Growth Strategies, host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Dawn DeBruyn Novarina to decode what’s really happening inside the venture capital ecosystem — beyond headlines, hype, and surface-level optimism. Drawing from funding intelligence, market data, and decades inside Silicon Valley, Dawn explains how AI infrastructure and applied AI now capture nearly 75% of venture funding, why deal sizes are exploding even as the number of deals is shrinking, and how a small group of mega-funds is quietly reshaping the startup economy. From $100M+ AI rounds and the return of M&A, to the shadow world of secondaries, dry powder, and reverse-acqui-hires, this conversation reveals why liquidity — not innovation — is the real bottleneck in 2025, and why 2026 will likely be a year of slow recovery rather than a blockbuster IPO cycle. 👉 Download the Venture Market Report 2025 Q3 (Link Silicon Valley): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uWePI7o6lgm6FPdIkTUYXvI3PSnHuvzc/view A data-rich, brutally honest look at what it now takes to raise, deploy, and return capital in the age of applied AI. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – 00:45 • Intro & the new funding reality 00:45 – 02:30 • Why this venture market report exists 02:30 – 03:55 • What surprised Dawn in the 2025 funding data 03:55 – 05:30 • The funding rebound — why capital is flowing again 05:30 – 07:10 • AI infrastructure & applied AI — the era of mega-rounds 07:10 – 09:40 • Why most non-AI startups are struggling to raise 09:40 – 11:10 • Median deal sizes, shrinking deal volume & valuation divergence 11:10 – 12:45 • The return of exits — M&A over IPOs 12:45 – 15:10 • Reverse acqui-hires & why big tech avoids buying companies 15:10 – 17:40 • The hidden human cost of these deals 17:40 – 19:25 • IPOs in 2025 — why none were breakout successes 19:25 – 21:00 • Biotech vs AI — what public markets really want 21:00 – 23:30 • Why unicorn-class companies are staying private 23:30 – 25:30 • Secondaries explained — the hidden liquidity engine 25:30 – 27:40 • VC concentration — why a few firms now control most capital 27:40 – 29:15 • Fundraising in 2025 — abundance for some, starvation for most 29:15 – 33:20 • Dry powder, barbell economics & the future of early-stage 33:20 – 45:14 • Outro — Final audience insights, closing advice & what founders must do next

In this episode of 10X Growth Strategies, host Saradha Sriram sits down with John Boccuzzi — author of The Art of Seducing Your Customers and President of Research at ISG — to unpack why the best businesses don’t sell harder, they build emotional connection, trust, and clarity. Drawing from decades of research and real-world experience, John reframes sales and customer experience through an unconventional but powerful lens: seduction over manipulation. From the origins of his TEDx talk to stories spanning Uber, Kodak, UPS, and Zappos, he explains how storytelling, friction reduction, and employee empowerment quietly separate companies that retain customers for decades from those that lose them overnight. A sharp, experience-backed conversation on why sales is a job of rejection, why cost-cutting often destroys customer experience, and how leaders can immediately diagnose friction inside their own organizations. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – 00:45 • Intro 00:45 – 01:30 • Saradha introduces John Boccuzzi & his work 01:30 – 02:40 • Why “Seduction” — The TEDx origin behind the book’s title 02:40 – 04:30 • The Frame Store Story — Confidence, storytelling & 27 years of loyalty 04:30 – 05:50 • Seduction vs Manipulation — Emotional appeal, trust & value creation 05:50 – 08:35 • Sales Is Dating — Listening, timing & relationship-building 08:35 – 10:40 • The Seduction Framework — Empowering employees & retention-first design 10:40 – 12:25 • Friction Hunting — How Uber exposed broken customer experiences 12:25 – 13:45 • Operational Insight — UPS, right-hand turns & invisible efficiency 13:45 – 14:45 • Kodak’s Failure — Fear, disruption & missed opportunity 14:45 – 16:15 • Hiring the Wrong Way — Jobs vs careers & the EQ gap 16:15 – 17:25 • The Cost-Cutting Trap — Why CX isn’t a savings exercise 17:25 – 18:55 • Handling Rejection — Knowing when to walk away 18:55 – 20:00 • Storytelling That Endures — The Budweiser Super Bowl lesson 20:00 – 21:40 • B2B vs B2C — Why customer principles don’t change 21:40 – 23:45 • Losing $300M Deals — The 500-page contract mistake 23:45 – 25:40 • Immediate Action — Running a friction audit 25:40 – 26:55 • The Missing Chapter — AI & the future of customer experience 26:55 – 28:45 • What’s Next — Keynotes, research & closing thoughts

In this special 10X Growth Strategies panel, host Preethy Padmanabhan brings together three top voices from venture capital and private equity to decode how investors really evaluate startups today — beyond hype, beyond flashy demos, and beyond the AI noise. Kayvan Baroumand (Founder, SignalRank), Patti Pan (General Partner, Solaris Venture Partners), and Aditya Naganath (Partner, Kleiner Perkins) share how the power-law plays out in real portfolios, what deep engagement metrics actually look like, why later-stage PE is shifting toward infrastructure and robotics, and how world-class funds pressure-test founders. A fast, sharp conversation on what separates companies that scale — from those that stall. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – 00:24 • Host Welcome – Preethy sets the stage 00:24 – 02:03 • Kayvan’s Intro – Power-law VC & AI-driven fund scoring 02:03 – 03:27 • New Venture Hub & Founder Support 03:27 – 04:36 • Patti’s Intro – PE, Data Centers & Robotics 04:36 – 06:03 • Founder Mindset & Why Artistry Matters 06:03 – 07:54 • Aditya’s Intro – Kleiner Perkins, History & Focus 07:54 – 09:20 • Investing in Early Enterprise & AI Trends 09:20 – 12:00 • Power Law in Action – Doubling Down & Pattern Recognition 12:00 – 15:00 • Picking Winners: What Real Signals Look Like 15:00 – 17:30 • Case Study: Sigma & Deep Engagement Metrics 17:30 – 19:40 • Evaluating Founders, Teams & Due Diligence 19:40 – 21:22 • High-Steam Companies & Early Red Flags 21:22 – 22:10 • What VCs Look for in AI Products 22:10 – 23:20 • Lightning Advice for Founders 23:20 – 24:00 • Closing & Next Session Transition

In this episode, Arthi Vijayaraghavan, IBM Product Leader, speaks with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking and a globally respected product strategist and advisor. Radhika dives into her groundbreaking new framework on why traditional goals and OKRs fail, and how organizations can shift toward puzzle thinking — a mindset built on experimentation, learning, and continuous adaptation. She breaks down how objectives, hypotheses, and honest reflection can help teams solve the right problems, collaborate better, and build products that create meaningful, long-term change. Through real stories of companies reframing their strategy and unlocking growth, Radhika reveals how leaders can replace rigid targets with curiosity, clarity, and shared purpose. This conversation is a powerful reminder that in a world shaped by AI, uncertainty, and rapid shifts, true progress comes not from chasing numbers — but from solving the puzzles that matter. Chapters 00:00: Intro 1:57 : Motivations for the book 3:25 : Problems with OKRs 5:45 : Anchors created by the goals 8:37 : Rethinking the framework 12:54 : Puzzle setting and solving framework 13:14 : Puzzle setting for sales 27:47 : Performance evaluation and planning 34:31 : Strategic planning how can it be improved 45:41 : What’s next

🎙️ E111: A practical guide to Living Fearlessly with Susan Nefzger In this episode, Saradha Sriram, Business Technology Strategist, speaks with Susan Nefzger, international PR mentor, author, and marketing consultant. Susan reflects on her journey of writing A Practical Guide to Living Fearlessly and A Practical Guide to Awareness, exploring how mindfulness and conscious living help us overcome fear, find purpose, and live authentically. Through her story of transformation and self-discovery, she reveals how awareness can turn challenges into growth, and how true fearlessness begins the moment we choose presence over control. This conversation is a gentle reminder to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters — within and beyond work. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:33 Catalyst Behind A Practical Guide to Living Fearlessly 02:10 The Conscious Writing Journey 04:45 Overcoming Life Challenges 07:20 Finding Purpose and Awareness 10:30 The Power of Mindfulness 13:45 Lessons from A Practical Guide to Awareness 17:00 From Writing to Transformation 20:40 Fulfillment vs. Success 23:10 Conscious Living and Daily Choices 26:10 Balancing Work, Purpose, and Peace 27:05 Closing Reflections and Takeaways

In this episode, Wen Sang (Co-Founder & COO, GenSpark.ai), Christian Jester (Partner & TMT Markets Leader, PwC), and Jason Hirsch (Partner & Head of AI, Digital Platforms & Emerging Technologies Practice, Nixon Peabody) join the 10X Strategies Podcast to decode the evolving landscape of Agentic AI — what’s hot, what’s not. The panel explores how AI is reshaping work and productivity, how enterprises are navigating adoption at scale, and the legal and ethical implications of this rapid evolution. They discuss real-world use cases, sustainable business models, the no-moat reality of AI, and why open-source innovation might define the next phase of the AI revolution. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:45 Meet the Panel: Wen Sang, Christian Jester, and Jason Hirsch 02:20 What’s Hot in AI — New Use Cases and The Future of Work 05:00 Empowering Knowledge Workers through AI Agents 08:15 Enterprise AI Adoption and The Governance Challenge 11:20 Legal Risks and AI Whitewashing — When Hype Becomes Hazard 15:00 Differentiation in a No-Moat World — Finding Real Value 18:30 The GenSpark Story — Building AI for Knowledge Workers 21:00 Sustainable Business Models in the AI Ecosystem 25:10 Authenticity, Self-Awareness and Investor Confidence 28:30 Governance, Security and Data Integrity in Practice 31:20 What’s Not Hot — Pitfalls, Liabilities and Legal Oversights 35:00 Licensing AI — Who Owns the Risk When Things Go Wrong? 38:30 Challenges for Founders — Regulation and General Counsel Gaps 41:15 Open-Source AI and The Thousand-Model Future 43:30 Audience Q&A and Closing Reflections

In this episode, Madhavi Ravanan, Engineering Leader at Nokia, interviews Ashish Agrawal, Managing Director at Nagarro. Ashish reflects on Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha — exploring themes of wisdom, balance, and letting go. He shares how the book has influenced his personal and professional life, discussing the power of experience over knowledge, the meaning of parenthood, and the idea that true peace comes when we stop searching and start living. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:00 Driving Non-Linear Growth at Nagarro 01:45 The Habit of Reading 03:30 Why Siddhartha? 05:45 The Message of Letting Go 08:15 Learning Through Experience, Not Knowledge 11:00 Parenting and the Circle of Life 13:45 Balance Over Extremes 16:30 Soft Is Stronger Than Hard 20:00 Truth Has Two Sides 23:00 The Inward Journey 25:30 Let Life Happen to You 28:30 Closing Thoughts and Reflections

In this episode of 10x Growth Strategies, host Preethy Padmanabhan speaks with Vicki Johnson — founder of ProFellow and author of Pitch Your Potential. Vicki shares her proven Match Me formula, a powerful framework for winning competitive jobs, fellowships, awards, and elite opportunities. She opens up about her personal journey, from breaking into top schools to securing globally competitive fellowships, and reveals how anyone can leverage storytelling, clarity of mission, and future-focused narratives to stand out. The conversation covers overcoming mindset challenges, avoiding common mistakes, mastering memorable pitches, and using networks effectively. Vicki also provides insights into her upcoming book, exclusive preorder bonuses, and why pitching your future potential is more powerful than your past accomplishments. This episode is packed with actionable advice for students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to win in highly competitive environments. ⸻ Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Guest Welcome 00:46 Meet Vicki Johnson & ProFellow 01:32 Hidden Opportunities & Human-Centered Strategies 03:13 Early Life & Breaking into Top Schools 04:20 Storytelling to Win Cornell & Fellowships 05:44 Why Future Potential Matters More Than the Past 06:01 The Match Me Formula Explained (7 Elements) 08:35 Matching Mission & Defining Your Goals 09:14 Mindset Challenges: Fear, Comparison & Gatekeepers 13:28 Overcoming Negativity & Finding Supportive Voices 14:20 Defining Goals & Personal Mission for Social Impact 16:07 Midlife Crisis & Reinventing Career Paths 18:03 Common Mistakes in Applications & Researching Missions 20:11 Importance of Future-Focused Applications 21:18 Crafting Memorable Pitches & Elevator Stories 22:30 Networking, Referrals & The Power of LinkedIn 24:22 Storytelling with Anecdotes & Emotional Connection 26:21 Structuring Your Application Story (Past, Future & Selectors) 29:42 Building Confidence Through Future Vision 31:12 Success Story: From Shark Tank to Y Combinator 33:28 Book Release, Preorder Bonuses & ProFellow Platform 35:23 Final Advice: Be a Storyteller of the Future 36:06 Closing Remarks

🚀 What does it take to build a truly AI-native startup? In this episode of the 10X Growth Strategies Podcast, host Preethy Padmanabhan speaks with three visionary founders who are redefining the future of enterprise AI: • Kapil Chhabra – Co-Founder & CPO, WisdomAI • Wen Sang – Co-Founder & COO, Genspark.ai • Leila R. Golchehreh – Co-Founder & CSO, Relaynce AI From hyper-growth journeys to ransomware recovery stories, they share insider lessons on scaling AI-native companies, navigating enterprise adoption, embedding governance and compliance, and why solving your own pain point often leads to the best products. If you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or AI enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights you can’t afford to miss. ⏱ Chapters 00:00 – Introduction by Host Preethy Padmanabhan 00:27 – Kapil Chhabra introduces WisdomAI 00:49 – Wen Sang introduces Genspark.ai 01:00 – Leila Golchehreh introduces Relaynce AI 01:52 – Why Leila started Relaynce AI 03:23 – Wen: AI promotes knowledge workers, not replaces them 04:47 – Kapil: The genesis of WisdomAI and BI tool gaps 06:38 – Enterprise adoption challenges & early demand (Kapil) 07:59 – Leila: From prototype to enterprise-ready product 09:20 – What does “AI-native” really mean? (Kapil) 11:53 – Wen: How AI changed his workflow (“throw it at AI first”) 14:40 – Leila: Balancing innovation with compliance and governance 16:53 – Kapil: Governance must be designed from the start 19:12 – Wen: Real estate client story & compliance lessons 20:46 – Leila: Ransomware recovery customer story 22:14 – Kapil: Cisco case study – saving 2800+ hours 25:02 – Founders’ advice to entrepreneurs 28:06 – Leila: Due diligence on VCs and co-founders 30:39 – Kapil: Pricing experiments – outcome vs usage vs seats 33:15 – Competing with Oracle & big tech in AI 35:34 – Build vs Buy: When to integrate vs build in-house 37:01 – Final takeaways from each founder