Trash Talk: A Landfill’s Lament and Lessons for Us

Dear Friends,

Over the last few months, we have been gearing up for the International Conference on Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy. This week saw us fully immersed in the event execution, shedding light on one of the most pressing issues of our time: waste management.

Traditionally, our approach has been Extract-Produce-Consume-Dispose-Deplete. While production and consumption are vital for a growing economy, the last two steps—Dispose and Deplete—make this world increasingly unsustainable. To reverse this trend, we must embrace the Extract-Produce-Consume-(4R framework: Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle).

The Shocking Reality of Waste:

🌍 In Vizag, 24 lakh homes generate 1,200 metric tons of solid waste daily, including 400 tons of plastic waste, 200 tons of single-use plastic.

🌍 In India, 62 million tons of waste are produced annually. Of this, only 43 million tons are collected, and a mere 12 million tons treated, leaving rest to pollute our environment.

🌍 Globally, 42% of household wastewater and 73% of industrial wastewater were untreated in 2022, harming ecosystems.

If this trajectory continues, by 2030, waste will overpower us!

A Light-Hearted Yet Serious Tale: "Trash Talk"

Let me share a light-hearted story that underscores this serious issue.

In a quiet landfill, an old soda teased a worn-out shoe, "You’ve got no soul!" The shoe replied, "At least I’m not empty inside!"

Nearby, a banana peel sighed, "Stop arguing! We’re all stuck here together!"

As the sun rose, the sound of a recycling truck sparked hope.

The soda dreamt of becoming a shiny new car.

The shoe wished to turn into a soft playground mat.

The banana peel hoped to enrich soil as compost.

But their laughter turned to sadness. Trapped in the landfill, they whispered, "Even trash dreams of a second chance—please give us one!"

The story illustrates a simple truth: even waste carries potential. By choosing to reuse, repurpose, and recycle, we can ensure a brighter, greener world.

The next time you shop or discard something, remember the 4Rs. Reflect on your choices. Let’s ensure we leave our children a legacy of sustainability, not a burden of waste.

Together, we can create a future where every piece of trash fulfils its purpose.

Warm regards,

Ravi Saripalle

Zomato’s Chief of Staff Job Description Stunned the Corporate World! Will This Be a Future Trend?

Dear Friends,

Deepinder Goyal, Founder, and CEO of Zomato (80 million monthly active users in 2023, operating in 24 countries and 3,200+ cities, with 90 billion site visits, 1.4 million restaurants, 8,339 employees, revenue of ₹1,948 crores in December 2022, and $2.6 billion total funding according to feedough.com), recently posted an intriguing job description for the role of Chief of Staff.

Thousands of hiring announcements are made daily, but this post gained significant attention—and for good reason! It particularly resonated with me because the approach Deepinder shared is something I personally practiced 14 years ago.

Zomato is seeking a Chief of Staff to work directly with its CEO and help shape the company's future. The role is designed for someone eager to learn, empathetic, and committed to doing the right thing. It offers unparalleled growth, akin to a fast-track MBA, but with an unconventional first year: no salary and a required ₹20 lakh donation to Feeding India. Zomato, in turn, will contribute ₹50 lakh to a charity of your choice. From the second year, a competitive salary is guaranteed. Within 24 hours of this posting, more than 10,000 applications flooded in (source: NDTV.com).

Hearing about this unique job description took me back to my own journey. In 2010, I resigned from Wipro to establish the Centre for Innovation and Incubation in educational institutions when such concepts were almost non-existent in Indian Tier 2/3 colleges (except IIT Madras), and the idea of incubation centres was virtually unknown.

I visited several colleges and universities, pitching the idea, but initially faced rejection. Back then, I wrote countless postcards (as WhatsApp didn’t exist, and emails were rarely read) to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, HRD Ministry officials, vice-chancellors, institutional heads, and principals. Many institutions appreciated the concept and invited me as a speaker, but none were ready to implement it.

However, one institution's founder gave me an opportunity to experiment. For over nine months, I voluntarily worked without a salary because, like Zomato’s unconventional approach, I wasn’t entirely sure the idea would work. Later, I joined the institution full-time with an 80% salary cut compared to my Wipro role, as there was a significant gap between industry and institutional pay structures. I continued in this role for over 14 years.

When I read Zomato’s job description, it brought back those memories. I strongly believe this kind of approach is necessary at some point in one's career.

In my current role, I am handling Entrepreneurship Education (to build entrepreneurs) and Enterprise Education (to develop intrapreneurs—employees who think and act like entrepreneurs). In Europe, enterprise education is introduced at the school level. In India, however, it is still in its nascent stages. We are now experimenting with mandating enterprise education for all students in my organization—whether they study engineering, management, architecture, medicine, sciences, or social sciences. This initiative aims to nurture responsibility, customer centricity, effective communication, risk appetite, and business acumen.

Job descriptions like Zomato’s will likely become more common in the future. Building sustainable institutions requires more than glorifying entrepreneurs when businesses succeed or vilifying them when they fail. We need organizations with many leaders who take risks and work for satisfaction—not just high salaries, stock options, or perks. Institutions cannot be built solely on employee benefits, as these are tied to company profits.

Deepinder, I wish you all the best in finding your new Chief of Staff!

Warm regards,

Ravi Saripalle

The Cost of Wasted Time: A Reflection on Networking, Focus, and Productivity

Dear Friends,

Recently, I came across a post on X by Naval Ravikant that said, “Networking is overrated. Go do something great, and your network will instantly emerge.” He also mentioned, “Don’t spend your time doing meetings unless you really, really have to.”

He further elaborated, “Go do something great, and your network will instantly emerge. If you build a great product or get a good customer base, I guarantee you will get funded.”

I completely agree with this perspective and have closely observed some successful leaders who follow this principle purposefully. Naval’s advice is particularly relevant for startup founders. Often, we believe that consciously investing time in building a network is essential. However, such networks are rarely sustainable.

When you focus on doing excellent work, pursuing your passion, and helping others within your abilities and limitations, the network that naturally forms is the one that lasts. Beyond this, networks can become artificial and difficult to manage, draining your energy, resources, and emotions.

If you don’t maintain the network, some people might laugh at you, disconnect from you, or fail to reciprocate when you expect it. Instead, focus on your karma and let the rest follow naturally.

This principle applies equally to college students. I often observe students spending hours in coffee shops or casual hangouts. When you overhear these conversations, they are usually unproductive. While relaxation is essential, it should be meaningful.

It is disheartening to see students spending an average of 3-4 hours daily on platforms like Instagram, X, Snapchat, and YouTube. Many spend 1-2 hours gaming, and some get so involved in multiplayer games that they spend 4-5 hours daily.

Instead of engaging in focused, deep study, students often spend 1-2 hours in pseudo-study, distracted by their phones or multitasking. Casual hangouts can extend to 2-3 hours or more, while procrastination—whether through scrolling, daydreaming, or delaying tasks—can easily add up to 2-3 hours daily. In total, students may waste 5-8 hours daily on non-productive activities, depending on their habits.

Why It Matters

This wasted time could be better utilized in skill-building, learning, or creative pursuits. Procrastination often results in last-minute work, which increases stress and reduces the quality of output. Over months and years, the cumulative effect of wasted time leads to missed opportunities and delayed goals.

Do you, your friends, or your children find themselves falling victim to this time-wasting syndrome?

Ravi Saripalle
Views are personal

The Connection Between a Mother’s Kiss and a Newborn: Emotion, Science, and Sanatana Dharma

 Dear Friends,

 

Recently, a social media influencer shared a heartwarming video that captivated many. In the video, a newborn baby was crying while being held by a nurse. However, as soon as the baby was placed in the mother’s arms and received her first kiss, something remarkable happened: the baby immediately calmed down and seemed to crave more affection. The baby’s anxious expression was replaced with one of security and warmth, demonstrating the powerful bond between mother and child. Viewers were deeply moved, and many commented on the incredible impact of a mother’s touch.

 

One of my connections, Ravi Teja Akondi from Vizag, has dedicated his work to maternal and infant well-being through his startup, iMumz. Ravi holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Management from IIT BHU (2012–2017) and comes from a family of Ayurvedic physicians spanning five generations. Deeply committed to integrating traditional wisdom with modern practices, Ravi joined his family’s business, Teja Ayurveda Nilayam, in Yelamanchili near Vizag after graduating. In 2020, he co-founded iMumz with the goal of revolutionizing maternal healthcare. Today, the iMumz app has over 1.5 million downloads and more than 100,000 paid subscribers. Through his work, Ravi has contributed to improving maternal health and is inspiring more initiatives in this space, emphasizing the philosophy that prevention is better than cure.

 

iMumz shared an intriguing article titled, “Will Your Child Be Impacted by Meditating During Pregnancy? What Science Is Saying.” According to a University of California study involving 335 women, those who practiced meditation had fewer instances of low birth weight and premature births compared to those who did not meditate. Another study found that women who meditated during pregnancy had babies with higher Apgar scores—a measure of a newborn’s health, including complexion, pulse, reflexes, activity, and breathing. Additionally, research published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing highlighted that women who started a meditation routine early in pregnancy experienced reduced stress and anxiety, which ultimately strengthened the mother-baby bond and positively impacted the baby’s development.

 

While modern science has confirmed the benefits of maternal mindfulness, Sanatana Dharma recognized the significance of this connection long ago. One well-known story from ancient texts illustrates this: Prahlad, the devoted follower of Lord Vishnu, was questioned by his classmates in the gurukul about how he became so deeply devoted despite being born into a demon family. Prahlad explained that his father, 

Hiranyakashipu, had gone to perform penance to seek boons from Lord Brahma. During this time, Indra kidnapped Prahlad’s mother, Leelavathi. Sage Narada rescued her and took her to his ashram, where she stayed while pregnant with Prahlad. Narada would narrate stories of Lord Vishnu’s divine acts (leelas) daily. Although Leelavathi often fell asleep while listening, the unborn Prahlad absorbed Narada’s teachings with full devotion. Realizing this, Narada continued sharing these stories, becoming Prahlad’s spiritual teacher. This early exposure to divine teachings shaped Prahlad into a lifelong devotee of Lord Vishnu.

 

Ultimately, while science and emotion establish a connection between a mother and her unborn child, Sanatana Dharma has long emphasized this phenomenon. Science may initially seem to question these ancient beliefs but often ends up supporting them in different ways. In the end, believers and non-believers find common ground in acknowledging the profound bond between mother and child.

 

Do you believe in this connection, too?

 

Ravi Saripalle

The You of Yesterday Won’t Be the You of Tomorrow—How Does Your Situation Reflect That?"

Dear Friends,

Samsung's remarkable journey began in 1938 as a grocery trading business in Daegu, South Korea, founded by Lee Byung-Chull. Starting with simple products like noodles, the company expanded to textiles and electronics in 1969, and later to heavy industries and semiconductors (yourstory.com). Now, I don’t need to tell you what Samsung is. In 2023, Samsung shipped 226.6 million smartphones worldwide, accounting for 19.4% of the total smartphone shipments (is.com).

Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA in 1943 at the age of 17, selling household goods like pens, wallets, and picture frames (ikea.com). By 2023, the company generated nearly 48 billion euros in global revenue by designing, manufacturing, and selling furniture.

LG (Lucky Chemical Co., Ltd.), established in 1947 by In-hwoi Koo, was initially named "Lucky" (sounding like "Lak Hui," meaning "giving joy to all") after the success of "Lucky Cream," Korea's first makeup cream (lg.com). Today, LG is known for its home appliances, TV/Audio/Video products, air solutions, computing, and more!

Ray-Ban symbolizes pride and affluence. However, did you know that Leonardo Del Vecchio, an Italian billionaire and founder of Luxottica—the world’s largest eyewear company owning brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley—grew up in an orphanage and faced a childhood marked by poverty?

Napoleon Bonaparte rose from modest origins to become a dominant military and political figure in Europe as the Emperor of France. His defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 led to his exile on the island of St. Helena, where he died in 1821.

Mussolini, who rose from humble beginnings to lead Italy as its fascist dictator, was captured and executed during World War II while attempting to flee to Switzerland in April 1945 (realclearhistory.com).

People who believe in the philosophy of Karma may resonate with what Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2, Verse 22: "As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death, the soul casts off its worn-out body and enters a new one." Yet, in our short time on Earth, we try to deceive, dominate, and cheat. Nothing is permanent.

A building may be demolished within three generations, an expensive jewel may disappear within two generations, and a car may be dismantled in one generation. Within four generations, even our kin may not remember our names. Yet, for family's sake, we work hard, strive, and accumulate wealth!

This is not to say one should be irresponsible or neglect family. Instead, today, "Responsible Manufacturing" has become a vital concept in response to the carbon emission crisis.

Similarly, a responsible life is essential but should be approached with responsible detachment. Don’t own, but don’t disown too!

Ravi Saripalle