About Guest:Srikanth Velamakanni is the Co-Founder and Executive Vice-Chairman of Fractal, one of India’s first AI unicorns. With over 25 years of leadership, he has helped Fortune 100 companies make billion-dollar decisions by blending artificial intelligence with behavioral science. A former investment banker, he now serves on multiple boards, including NASSCOM and ideaForge, and is deeply involved in shaping India’s AI future across business, defense, and education.In this episode, Fractal Co-Founder Srikanth Velamakanni shares how he built a billion-dollar AI company by combining math, psychology, and deep human insight. He talks about making better decisions, building a people-first culture, learning from Jeff Bezos, and designing businesses that last 100 years. From startup lessons to leadership frameworks, this conversation is a masterclass in long-term thinking, emotional intelligence, and building institutions that outlive their founders.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction02:05 Starting from Scratch: Key Steps02:44 Finding Your Sweet Spot04:29 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs11:59 Importance of Industry Choice17:03 Behavioral Psychology and Decision Making22:02 Tools for Guiding the Elephant Brain26:01 Observing Human Behavior28:56 Investment Banking Experience31:40 Starting Fractal: Challenges and Insights46:09 Understanding Data Analytics in Business46:30 Charging for Insights: Business Models46:56 Risk and Reward in Client Relationships47:34 Setting Value Expectations with Clients48:50 Pricing Models for Analytics Services50:07 Client Acquisition Stories: P&G53:01 Client Acquisition Stories: Tech Giant54:33 The Importance of Alumni in Business Growth01:00:37 AI in Defense: Task Force Experience01:04:14 Diversity in Problem Solving01:06:57 Customer Centricity and Long-Term Thinking01:08:31 Investing in R&D for Future Needs01:11:39 Building a Long-Term Company Culture01:15:53 Identifying and Nurturing Leaders01:18:21 Navigating Complex Organizations01:20:19 People Principles at Fractal01:24:55 Future Predictions and Optimism01:26:51 Personal Insights and Meditation01:29:02 Fascination with Business Models01:30:13 Keys to Success and Future PlansCredits: Host: Shivank Joshi – https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivankjoshi-2001/Thumbnail: YaaSPost Production: YaaSSupport: Zerodha ( https://zero1byzerodha.com/network )Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the speaker and host are their own and do not represent those of the Exploring Minds platform. The information provided in this podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. All products and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners, and their use does not imply any endorsement or opposition.#Fractal #AILeadership #DecisionScience #BehavioralEconomics #LongTermThinking #FounderMindset #StartupCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #AIForGood #InstitutionBuilders #ArtificialIntelligence #GenerativeAI #LLMs #MachineLearning #AIInnovation #AIProducts #Analytics #DataDrivenDecisions #AIUnicorn #FutureOfWork