| Sunday, 04 June 2023 |
Rohin Dharmakumar, The Ken’s co-founder, interviews India’s most accomplished founders, business leaders and change makers. Subscribe here
Good morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],
If I told you that “ignorance is strength”, we wouldn’t get off on very good terms this Sunday, right?
Of course we wouldn’t. Because those of us who have read George Orwell’s ridiculously prescient and timeless novel 1984 would recognise the phrase as Ingsoc Doublethink.
WAR IS PEACE.
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
Even those of us who are perhaps yet to read 1984 (what are you waiting for?) will recoil at the idea that ignorance could be a strength.
How are you this Sunday? I’m back again with the second edition of the First Principles newsletter. And today I hope to change your mind about ignorance.
Baskar Subramanian is the co-founder and CEO of Amagi, a company that provides cloud-based software and infrastructure for video delivery. Last valued at over US$1.5 billion, Amagi processes, hosts, and delivers video for TV and OTT companies globally.
I’ve known Baskar since 2012, when I first met him as a journalist with Forbes India. He’s one of those founders who are always curious, always learning, and always ON. He says he’s been a self-learner all his life.
He dropped out of his master’s program from the prestigious IIT Bombay because the entire system was geared towards courses and professors that would ensure good grades and, hopefully, good careers. Baskar had gone there for the seemingly quaint purpose of… learning.
When he found a course he really liked, he tried enrolling for it.
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Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited
As a designer, it’s easy to get lost in the craft of building products. As a business owner however, keeping up with a rapidly changing landscape is key to saying relevant. The Ken doesn’t just help me stay on top of what’s happening in India(and beyond), but makes it fun to do so.
Rahul Gonsalves
Co-founder and CEO, Obvious Ventures
I enjoy reading The Ken because it is informative, the articles are well researched, well written, without the spin and bias. I admire The Ken team for their dedication to getting closer to the true picture.
Hari Buggana
Chairman and MD, InvAscent
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CEO and Co-Founder, Razorpay