“To put it in perspective, every hour spent sitting beyond four hours daily increases mortality risk by 10%. I tackle this with a walking desk, using a treadmill at a low speed throughout my workday.”
— Darshan Shah

The quote archive

Wisdom in fragments

A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.

Our core belief is in the immense potential of technology as a force multiplier, particularly when it's rendered accessible and intuitive. From the onset, we have viewed the internet through the lens of software, rather than merely brochureware.

— Ajaz Ahmed

India boasts a robust workforce with nearly 5 million developers, a vast, young demographic, a burgeoning middle class, and a tech-enabled, English-speaking workforce. All these factors combine to offer what could be the opportunity of the decade for India.

— Girish Mathrubootham

Founder and CEO of Freshworks, cloud-based software company

My experience has shown me the importance of hiring problem solvers and builders, not just those who impose pre-established templates. The idea is not to forcefully superimpose their previous experience onto our company, but to adapt and innovate.

— Girish Mathrubootham

Founder and CEO of Freshworks, cloud-based software company

Rather than recruiting someone who assumes they've mastered it all, we seek those who regard their roles with awe. It's essential for us that they are moved by our journey and mission, and harbor an eagerness to learn, not just contribute.

— Girish Mathrubootham

Founder and CEO of Freshworks, cloud-based software company

I'm genuinely convinced that the upcoming decade will be the era of India as a product nation. The product revolution has begun, what we're terming as 'India SaaS' – the development of global SaaS products originating in India, not merely for the Indian market, but for the world.

— Girish Mathrubootham

Founder and CEO of Freshworks, cloud-based software company

Open-source evidence is essentially public information available to anyone and can be traced back to its original source. We've always maintained transparency in our methodologies and the step-by-step processes we employ.

— Eliot Higgins

Founder of Bellingcat, open-source investigation journalism network

If someone can take our findings and draw out additional insights, we consider it a triumph. Our aim is to constantly enhance our understanding of the world, and contributions from others are invaluable in this pursuit.

— Eliot Higgins

Founder of Bellingcat, open-source investigation journalism network

For instance, while AI can generate images that appear real, it cannot create convincing backgrounds that can be geolocated, since they do not correspond to actual places.

— Eliot Higgins

Founder of Bellingcat, open-source investigation journalism network

It's essentially a democratic revolution, wresting control from the conventional gatekeepers like intelligence agencies and the media.

— Eliot Higgins

Founder of Bellingcat, open-source investigation journalism network

By the time you've spoken to the 30th person, you'll have a good idea if your problem is substantial or not. Validation can be pretty straightforward. All it takes is communicating with people.

— Uri Levine

Co-founder of Waze, GPS navigation app acquired by Google

Customer retention is the solitary metric indicating product-market fit. If you offer value, your customers will return; if you don't, they'll disappear.

— Uri Levine

Co-founder of Waze, GPS navigation app acquired by Google

If you manage to attain product-market fit, you'll thrive, but if you fail, your venture will falter. It's that simple. Product-market fit boils down to creating value for your customers.

— Uri Levine

Co-founder of Waze, GPS navigation app acquired by Google

If you start with a solution, there's a risk you might construct something that no one finds useful, leading to immense frustration. But when you centre your efforts on the problem, it serves as the guiding North Star of your journey.

— Uri Levine

Co-founder of Waze, GPS navigation app acquired by Google

The most straightforward way to create value is to solve a problem. When you provide a solution to someone's problem, by default, you're generating value for that person. Consequently, my perspective is that this journey must always begin with a problem.

— Uri Levine

Co-founder of Waze, GPS navigation app acquired by Google

He approached me, asking what he should do, to which I responded, 'You're the boss. Why are you asking me?' My conviction has always been that it's crucial to operate this business as an institution; I don't have to always be glued to my chair.

— Onkar Kanwar

Chairman of Apollo Tyres, Indian businessman and industrialist

Throughout my career, my vision for the company has not changed – creating an institution. I find this the most challenging task, not just getting in the sales and growing year on year but creating an institution that is considered part of the family by those within it.

— Onkar Kanwar

Chairman of Apollo Tyres, Indian businessman and industrialist