Ready Set Do

Naman Pandey

Learn relatably from high-agency individuals, from all walks of life — currently just a few steps ahead in your journey of choice. The only podcast where you learn from artists, sages, techies and children - and everyone in between. What makes the stories on Ready Set Do podcast real, relatable, and actually useful is that they aren't selling you lottery tickets they already won with. Instead, we show you the first few steps they took- so you can find your own way forward. No spoon-feeding, ever. New episodes every Wednesday.

  1. HACE 1 H

    How To Crack Your First US AI PM Internship (With No Prior PM Experience, Purdue MEM POV) - w/ Aryan

    Two weeks into my first semester in the U.S., I remember sitting at my desk refreshing LinkedIn like it was a slot machine. Apply. Refresh. Apply. Refresh. Zero replies. At some point you start asking yourself the obvious question: is this just how it works here… or am I doing it wrong? This episode is the answer I wish I had back then. I sat down with Aryan Vaidya — a Purdue MEM (Master of Engineering Management) student who pulled off something most people spend years chasing. He went from being a Data Engineer at Shell in India to landing an AI Product Manager internship in the U.S. by his second semester. No built-in network. No shortcuts. Just a very intentional strategy. And here’s the part that’ll probably annoy you (it annoyed me): a lot of the things people tell you to do… just don’t work the way they claim. Career fairs? Overcrowded.Generic applications? Ignored.“Wait your turn”? Doesn’t apply here. So what does work? Aryan breaks down why cold applying still works in 2026 — if you actually do it right. Not blasting 200 resumes. Not tweaking one bullet point and hoping for the best. He treated every application like a product problem. Who is this for? What do they care about? Why should they pick you? That shift alone changes everything. We go deep into his PM resume framework — what he calls the “So What?” test. Every line on your resume needs to answer that question. Not what you did. Not what tools you used. But why it mattered. (If your bullet can’t survive that test, it’s dead weight.) Then there’s the part most people avoid: reaching out directly. Instead of waiting for recruiter replies, Aryan messaged founders. Straight up. No overthinking. No long essays. Just clear intent and relevance. That’s how he landed his AI PM internship at a startup, and it completely changed his trajectory. We also talk about a move that sounds insane on paper — he dropped his initial coursework to double down on breaking into product. Risky? Yes. Random? Not really. It was a calculated bet on what would actually move the needle. So zoom out for a second. If you’re an international student in the U.S., trying to land a product management internship, or thinking about a career pivot from engineering to PM — what’s your actual strategy right now? Because “apply more” isn’t a strategy. This conversation is. You’ll walk away with a clear system for: Breaking into Product Management roles in the U.S. without a networkBuilding a high-converting PM resume that stands outUsing cold outreach and LinkedIn messaging to create opportunitiesPositioning yourself as a strong candidate even without prior PM experienceNo fluff. No recycled advice. Just what’s working right now. If you’ve been stuck refreshing that job portal (you know exactly what I mean), this one will hit differently. Watch the full episode and start playing the game the way it’s actually played. Timestamps: 00:00 The Purdue MEM to PM Pipeline04:12 Career Journey and Transition to Product Management07:06 First Semester Experience at Purdue09:58 Networking and Job Application Strategies12:54 Resume Building and Interview Preparation16:08 Navigating the Startup Environment18:58 Insights from the AI PM Role21:58 Final Thoughts and Advice for Future Students

    37 min
  2. HACE 2 DÍAS

    How To Publish 100 Podcast Episodes (10 Lessons I Wish I Knew on Day 1)

    Two years ago, I was lying in an ER bed, scared enough to get brutally honest with myself. And the thing that bothered me most was not some giant life philosophy. It was embarrassingly specific. I had still not started the YouTube channel and podcast I had been talking about for way too long. That night became the reason Ready, Set, Do exists. Now, exactly two years after uploading the first episode on April 4, 2024, the show has hit 100 episodes. And this felt like the right time to say what I actually think about podcasting, not the polished creator-economy version people usually give you. Because the truth is, podcasting is hard in a very unglamorous way. The ROI math makes no sense for a long time. Discovery is brutal. The algorithm does not care how thoughtful your conversation was. A guest’s pedigree will often beat a better episode. A great thumbnail can hurt you if it attracts the wrong click. And if your audio is bad, none of the rest of it matters. In this 100th episode of Ready, Set, Do, I break down the 10 biggest lessons I learned from starting a podcast, growing a YouTube interview show, and trying to survive the first 100 reps without losing the plot. We get into why your guest’s family may be your best marketing engine, why “ex-Microsoft” or “IIT” can outperform raw insight on YouTube, why high CTR with low retention is a trap, and why podcast audio quality is still the one thing you should never cheap out on. I also talk about a branding mistake I made early with the “not-experts” framing, why episode 7 was the one where I actually found my voice, and why I have badly neglected solo podcasting even after 100 episodes. This is also a bigger conversation about building anything from scratch. What happens when the thing you are making is a little hard to categorize? What happens when your show is genre-agnostic by design, but platforms want clean boxes? What do you do when 95% of your watch time comes from non-subscribers, and every upload is really an audition, not a reunion? That is the real thread underneath this episode. So whether you are figuring out how to start a podcast, thinking about starting a YouTube channel, trying to improve your video podcast setup, learning interview podcast tips, or just wrestling with the early messy phase of making anything on the internet, this one is for you. No fake guru energy. No motivational poster fluff. Just the stuff I wish someone had told me before I started recording. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. www.readysetdopodcast.com Timestamps:00:00 A Life-Changing Checkup03:00 The Birth of a Podcast04:38 Lessons from 100 Episodes05:35 Lesson 106:50 Lesson 208:53 Lesson 311:06 Lesson 412:34 Lesson 515:32 Lesson 618:10 Lesson 719:21 Lesson 821:37 Lesson 924:15 Lesson 10 Relevant topics: how to start a podcast, podcasting for beginners, YouTube podcast tips, 100 podcast episodes, podcasting lessons, brutal truth about podcasting, video podcast setup, content creator advice, how to grow a podcast on YouTube, podcast audio quality, solo podcasting, creator economy, starting a YouTube channel, overcoming fear of failure, Ready Set Do podcast, taking action, interview podcast tips.

    26 min
  3. 2 ABR

    How to Future-Proof Your Tech Career in the Age of AI Agents (3x UiPath MVP POV) - w/ Naveen

    Everyone's hyping autonomous AI agents. Your corporate IT department is quietly building a blacklist. That gap — between the hype and the reality inside enterprise walls — is exactly what this episode is about. Naveen Chatlapalli, a three-time UiPath MVP and seasoned .NET developer, has watched the automation industry reshape itself in real time. He's seen RPA go from a boardroom buzzword to a genuine enterprise backbone. And now he's watching Agentic AI arrive with all the confidence of someone who didn't read the security brief. So is traditional RPA actually dead? Short answer: not even close. Longer answer: complicated, and the complications are the interesting part. Naveen walks through how he got into UiPath before most people knew what robotic process automation was, what it takes to build a career in a field that keeps reinventing itself, and why the jump from rule-based automation to autonomous AI agents is less of an upgrade and more of a trust exercise nobody's prepared for. Then things get uncomfortable — in the best way. Open-source agent frameworks like OpenClaw sound great in a demo. In production, the enterprise AI security picture gets ugly fast. Naveen breaks down what prompt injection means in an enterprise context (hint: not a niche concern for someone else's team), how AI data exfiltration risks are being underestimated, and why major corporations are pausing agentic AI deployment while the vendor ecosystem scrambles to catch up. Claude Cowork, Anthropic's autonomous desktop agent, gets the same honest treatment. The capability is real. The AI compliance and enterprise trust story are still being written. Cost-effective AI solutions, emerging startups filling the trust gap, and the broader domino effect of enterprise adoption all come up too. This episode covers the full arc — from what Naveen's career trajectory tells us about where automation engineering is heading, to the personal habits that help him stay current in a field that moves faster than any job description can track. If you're an RPA developer wondering whether your skills still matter, a tech leader evaluating agentic workflows, or just someone trying to separate signal from noise in the AI agent conversation — this one's worth your full hour. 👉 Follow Naveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/1aifanatic/ 00:00 The Rise of Agentic AI04:22 Evolution of AI in Customer Service07:12 The Future of Work and Job Evolution10:11 Naveen's Journey to UiPath13:09 Understanding .NET and RPA16:04 Building a Career in RPA19:00 Agentic AI vs. Traditional RPA21:50 Trusting Agentic AI in Enterprises25:02 The Domino Effect of Agentic AI Adoption28:02 Open Source Contributions and Frameworks34:51 Security Concerns in OpenClaw38:42 Navigating Risks and Best Practices39:47 Emerging Startups and Innovations44:39 Cost-Effective AI Solutions49:15 Enterprise Trust and Adoption52:22 Personal Growth and Reflection57:18 Staying Updated in a Fast-Paced World

    1 h 4 min
  4. 25 MAR

    How to Get a Job by Just Showing Up (Moving to SF With Nothing) - w/ Deep

    Most people grinding through a tough job market send 300 applications and wait. Deep Suchak bought a one-way ticket to San Francisco. No offer. No contacts. No couch lined up past the first week. Just a read on where the opportunities actually were — and a conviction that showing up in person would do what a perfectly formatted resume never could. In this episode of Ready Set Do, Deep walks me through the whole story. The decision to leave, the first freezing weeks of uncertainty, the cold office walk-ins, and the moment the strategy actually started working. (And yes, there were plenty of moments where it really looked like it wouldn't.) Here's what makes his story worth paying close attention to right now: the job market in 2026 is brutal for recent grads. Remote-first hiring has made proximity feel irrelevant. Most career advice tells you to optimize your LinkedIn headline and apply through the portals. Spray and pray. Hope the ATS doesn't eat your file. Deep went the other direction entirely. Deep calls it proximity strategy — the idea that physical presence in the right city, combined with genuine cold outreach, creates a shortcut that no algorithm can replicate. It sounds almost too straightforward. And yet the results speak for themselves. We get into the full mechanics of how he pitched himself into rooms, how he approached networking when he knew absolutely nobody in the city, and how he mentally handled the long stretches where nothing seemed to be moving. There's a section on the GTM Engineer title that's genuinely clarifying if you've been seeing that term everywhere and still aren't entirely sure what it looks like day-to-day. We also dig into SEO strategy for early-stage startups — which came out of his actual work, not as a side tangent. What I keep coming back to after this conversation: the job search tips that actually work in 2026 are not the ones being taught in career centers. Cold outreach for jobs, done with a real point of view and a willingness to physically show up, still works. Relocating for a job before you have it locked down still works. The candidates getting hired right now are treating the search itself like a growth problem — not a waiting game. Deep solved his. And he's generous enough to share exactly how he did it. If you're a recent grad, early in your career, or just exhausted from sending applications into the void — this one's for you. 🎙️ Ready Set Do | Host: Naman Pandey | readysetdopodcast.com — 00:00 Navigating the Job Market: Strategies and Challenges02:17 The Power of Networking: Building Connections05:06 The First Month: Adapting and Overcoming08:05 The Interview Process: Preparing for Success11:07 Pitching Ideas: The Art of Growth Strategy13:58 The Role of a GTM Engineer: Demystifying the Title17:00 Reflections on Risk and Resilience19:47 The Importance of Persistence: Never Giving Up30:40 Implementable Steps for GTM Engineering34:44 SEO Strategies for Startups

    35 min
  5. 19 MAR

    How to Open a US Company from ANYWHERE in 24 Hours (0% Tax) - w/ Bobby

    Here's the thing nobody tells you when you start a business from your laptop in Kolkata: the company setup is the easy part. It's the tax side that'll keep you up at night. (Ask me how I know.) In this episode, we unpack the entire Business Anywhere model — what it actually does, who it's for, and why so many location-independent entrepreneurs are using a US LLC as the backbone of their international business setup. If you're a non-US citizen running a foreign-owned US LLC, you already know the structure is powerful. Zero state income tax in certain states, pass-through taxation, credibility with US clients and payment processors. But here's the question most people skip right past: do you actually understand your global tax obligations? We break down the difference between residency-based taxation and citizenship-based taxation — two systems that sound similar but work in completely different ways. Where you live, where your company is registered, and what passport you hold all change the math. And if you're a digital nomad bouncing between countries every few months, that math gets complicated fast. This is where most people get stuck, so we get specific. We walk through real-life examples of legal tax optimization — actual scenarios, not hypotheticals — and talk through how offshore holding companies work in practice. When do they make sense? When are they overkill? We cover tax loopholes that are genuinely on the books and how to use them responsibly. No grey areas, no shady workarounds. We also spend time on something that doesn't get enough airtime: the unique headaches US citizens face with international taxation. Citizenship-based taxation means the IRS follows you everywhere, and the compliance burden is no joke. If that's your situation, we map out a clearer path forward. And if you've been thinking about forming a US LLC from abroad — or you already run one and want to tighten your digital nomad tax strategy — we cover what you need to know about non-resident US LLC tax implications, wealth protection, and global tax compliance. Whether you're just exploring the location-independent lifestyle or you're deep in it and need better tax planning, press play. BusinessAnywhere: https://businessanywhere.io/ Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to Business Anywhere02:39 Catering to Location Independent Entrepreneurs04:42 The Rise of Digital Nomadism10:49 Benefits of US Company Registration for Non-US Entrepreneurs15:44 Understanding Tax Implications for Digital Nomads24:51 Tax Obligations for Non-US Residents27:07 Digital Nomad Tax Strategies28:50 Navigating Tax Regimes in Different Countries30:28 Real-Life Examples of Tax Optimization35:19 The Role of Offshore Holding Companies37:38 Exploiting Tax Loopholes Legally39:56 The Complexity of US Taxation for Citizens42:15 Residency-Based vs Citizenship-Based Taxation44:03 Future Developments in Business Anywhere48:20 Empowering Entrepreneurs Through Simplified Processes

    51 min
  6. 4 MAR

    How To Build Expert Authority Online (Without Spending ANY Money) - w/ Christine

    Do you really need a massive following to make a massive impact (and income)? If you're an entrepreneur, coach, or creator, you've probably felt the pressure to go viral. You're told you need 10,000 followers, perfectly polished Instagram reels, and a big budget just to be taken seriously. But what if all that "vanity visibility" is actually distracting you from building a real business? Welcome to The Ready Set Do Podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Christine Blosdale, a literal media veteran with over 25 years of experience. She's worked with giants like America Online and Microsoft, and she's not here to sugarcoat things. In fact, she live-audits my personal brand using her Expert Authority Scorecard—and let’s just say, my score of 41 out of 100 was a wake-up call. Christine breaks down exactly how to transition from being just another face in the feed to a recognized, sought-after expert. This isn't about chasing likes; it's about building a solid foundation of trust. Here's a sneak peek at what we cover in this episode: The Big Mistake of "Helping Everyone": Why having a bio that says "I help everyone do everything" is a fast track to being ignored. We talk about the importance of getting incredibly specific about who you serve and what problem you solve. The Power of the "Who Cares?" Filter: How to stop sounding like a generic corporate brochure and start speaking directly to your ideal client's pain points. We explore a real-life example of transforming a "clinical gut health doctor" into "The Gut Health Expert Who Cares." The "Zero Budget" Blueprint: How to establish your authority and get booked on podcasts without spending a dime on ads. It's about leveraging the knowledge you already have, not buying expensive gear. Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome Trap: What to do when you feel like you aren't "expert enough" to share your message. Christine shares practical advice for pushing past the fear of what other people think. The "Seen, Trusted, Paid" Pipeline: The exact step-by-step framework for turning your expertise into a sustainable business. Christine also shares the one common trap that causes most new podcasters and creators to quit before they ever see success (hint: it usually happens around episode seven). Whether you're just starting out or you've been grinding away without seeing results, this conversation is packed with actionable advice to help you get out of your own way. We're talking about real strategies to build trust, connect with your audience, and ultimately, get paid for your expertise. Ready to see how your own brand measures up? Listen in and take the Expert Authority Scorecard test right alongside me. [Insert Link to Christine's Scorecard here] [Insert Link to your Website/Socials here] Timestamps:00:00 Understanding Expert Authority vs. Vanity Visibility02:56 Is What You Know WORTH Sharing?05:13 Learning from Naman's "Failure"08:01 Creating a Unique Title for Your Business10:09 How to Differentiate Yourself & Stand Out12:28 The Role of Passion in Building Authority16:06 Can one build a following WITHOUT any expertise?18:10 Step ONE of Building Authority Online20:29 Learning from Mistakes and Growing22:20 Focusing on the Audience's Needs24:22 Embracing the Creator Mindset26:35 Building Your Personal Brand29:30 Navigating Client Relationships and Burnout34:33 Identifying and Overcoming Client Challenges35:38 Crafting Your Expert Authority Toolbox48:24 Evaluating Your Expert Authority

    54 min
  7. 15 FEB

    How to Humanize Your AI Copywriting (Ex-DC Journalist POV) - w/ Joshua

    Beyond the Bot: Why Your AI Marketing is Failing (and the Journalist’s Fix) In the noise-saturated landscape of 2026, the barrier to entry for content has never been lower, but the barrier to trust has never been higher. Everyone has access to the same LLMs, the same prompts, and the same "perfect" prose. The result? A digital environment filled with "brain rot"—content that is grammatically flawless but intellectually invisible. In this episode of Ready Set Do, we sit down with Joshua Altman, CEO of Beltway Media and a former digital media producer for The Hill in Washington, D.C. Joshua spent years in the high-pressure newsrooms of the nation’s capital, covering the White House, Congress, and government agencies. Now, he’s taking those journalistic principles and applying them to the chaotic world of tech marketing. Joshua emphasizes that true content success is 99% pre-production. In the newsroom, you don't just "write"; you plan, you budget, you scout, and you script. If you haven't planned the narrative before you hit record or start typing, you’re going to spend ten times the effort trying to fix it in post-production. One of the most tactical takeaways from the conversation involves the word "you." In the race to be "personable" and "empathetic," many brands have become too casual, sabotaging their own authority. By selectively using "you"—perhaps only in the final call to action—you create a "color pop" effect where the personal connection carries weight because it wasn't overused. Joshua’s stance on AI is refreshing for 2026: AI is a tool, not the end in itself. He suggests that AI is exceptionally good at research, data synthesis, and creating detailed outlines. However, it is "exceptionally bad" at the final product. The reason? AI is too perfect. Humans signal authenticity through "intentional mistakes" and strategic inefficiency. We want to know a person was behind the screen. If your prose is too polished, too symmetrical, and too "formulaic," the human brain flags it as bot-generated and tunes it out. J For many founders, the biggest hurdle isn't a lack of ideas—it's a lack of time. They are experts in their tech, but not in communicating that expertise. This is where Joshua’s "Fractional CCO" model comes in. Instead of hiring a full-time marketing lead who might not have enough to do, or a part-time writer who doesn't understand the business, a Fractional CCO embeds themselves into the leadership team. They attend the product meetings, understand the roadmap, and translate "chip engineering" into "investor confidence." If you want to improve your writing in a world dominated by bots, Joshua’s advice is simple: Read good stuff. Diversify your intake: Read The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Economist to see how professional editors handle short and long-form narratives. Practice prose: Writing is a muscle. You can’t expect to write a viral white paper if you haven't practiced the basic "chords" of storytelling. Be Inefficient: Don't be afraid to take the long way around a story. It’s those human tangents that build the trust AI can't replicate. Ready to stop being invisible? You can find Joshua Altman at jaltman@beltway.media or explore the free strategy guides at beltway.media. Timestamps: 00:00 Background + Intro 04:03 Transitioning from Journalism to Tech 08:22 The Blueprint for Effective Writing 13:33 Generating Valuable Content Ideas 19:04 Case Studies and Client Engagements 24:50 Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn 29:01 The Role of Fractional Communications Officers 30:38 Planning Content for Efficiency 32:01 Onboarding and Understanding Company Voice 36:46 Integrating into the Team 44:37 AI's Role in Content Creation 50:28 Improving Writing Skills Through Practice

    55 min
  8. 7 FEB

    How To Engineer Your Path to an O-1 Visa - w/ Harsh

    Every year, hundreds of thousands of international students and tech workers face the same terrifying math: there are 85,000 H-1B seats and over 400,000 applications. The odds are not in your favor. But what if you didn’t have to play the lottery at all? In a recent episode of the Ready Set Do Podcast, we sat down with Harsh, an AI Architect who "speed-ran" his way from an international student (F-1) to a Director-level role and an O-1 Visa approval in just three years. Here is how he engineered his career to bypass the H-1B trap—and how you can too. The biggest misconception stopping tech workers from applying for the O-1A (Individuals with Extraordinary Ability) is the belief that you need to be a famous researcher. Harsh explains that AI tools and public forums often perpetuate the idea that "if you have five publications or ten publications, you’re automatically eligible," making the visa feel inaccessible. The reality? "O-1 isn't magic, it’s evidence," says Harsh. You don't need to be famous; you just need to prove your work is rare and impactful in your specific domain. The USCIS requires you to meet 3 out of 8 criteria. Harsh didn't have a PhD or academic citations. Instead, he built a case around his industry impact in "AI/ML in Healthcare". Here are the three pillars of his petition: Harsh realized he needed tangible proof of his expertise. At Optum, his team revamped a slow healthcare search system into a "Google-like" experience for finding doctors. The Evidence: They pulled a patent out of the project, which is now used by multiple subsidiaries. The Lesson: You don't need academic papers. Patents and internal technology that disrupt your company's competitors count as "Original Contributions". To satisfy the "Critical Role" criteria, Harsh strategically took on high-risk projects. He led a team to solve a patient attrition problem costing the company $11.3 billion annually. The Evidence: He delivered the solution in four months, managed the budget, and showcased the technology at an investor conference. The Lesson: Don't just do your job. Ask for projects that have high visibility and direct impact on the company's bottom line. By rapidly ascending from an intern to a Lead and eventually a Principal/Director level, Harsh naturally fell into the high salary bracket. While he notes that "high salary" can be subjective based on geography, combining rapid promotions with a strong salary history strengthens the narrative of being "extraordinary". Harsh’s O-1 success was directly tied to his aggressive career growth. He went from an intern at Autodesk to a Director-level role at SuperSet in under three years. His secret? "Behave that you are in the role that you’re aiming for," Harsh advises. From day one, he focused on making those around him smarter and taking on the "hard problems" others refused, such as the 4-month deadline project. Harsh applied for the O-1 immediately after his first H-1B rejection in 2023. He didn't wait for a second or third try. If you are an engineer stuck in the lottery cycle, stop hoping for luck. Start building your evidence. As Harsh proved, the O-1 isn't reserved for scientists—it's available to anyone willing to engineer their career as carefully as they engineer their code. Harsh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmacmaheshwari/ Timestamps:00:00 Intro + Background01:09 Introduction and Background02:00 The O1 Visa Journey Begins04:04 Understanding O1 Visa Criteria07:12 Building a Strong Profile for O110:59 The Role of Legal Representation12:46 Challenges in the Application Process18:26 Comparing O1 and H1B Visas22:25 Final Thoughts on O1 Visa Benefits26:06 Understanding the O1 Visa Benefits28:26 Harsh's Career Journey: From Intern to Senior Engineer34:13 The Importance of Mentorship and Team Culture45:34 Taking Risks: Managing High-Stakes Projects49:50 Connecting with Harsh: Final Thoughts and Advice

    51 min

Acerca de

Learn relatably from high-agency individuals, from all walks of life — currently just a few steps ahead in your journey of choice. The only podcast where you learn from artists, sages, techies and children - and everyone in between. What makes the stories on Ready Set Do podcast real, relatable, and actually useful is that they aren't selling you lottery tickets they already won with. Instead, we show you the first few steps they took- so you can find your own way forward. No spoon-feeding, ever. New episodes every Wednesday.