Darshan's Diary

Darshan Suthar
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This is the place where we sit down with some of the brightest minds in design, research, growth, and product from leading IT companies. Each episode is packed with real-world insights, lessons learned, and honest conversations that go beyond the buzzwords. Whether you're a mid-level product pro looking to level up or just curious about how the best in the industry think and work, this podcast is for you. Join us as we explore the stories, strategies, and ideas that can help you grow and make an impact.

  1. PM's are now also responsible for the distribution: The ClearTax Shift - Swaroop Repaka

    3D AGO

    PM's are now also responsible for the distribution: The ClearTax Shift - Swaroop Repaka

    In this episode, we’re joined by Swaroop Repaka (https://www.linkedin.com/in/swaroop-repaka-10747b10/) , Head of Product for B2B Compliance at ClearTax. Swaroop leads the product organization behind a compliance platform trusted by 4,000+ enterprises, including one in every four large enterprises in India.At ClearTax, his mission is deceptively simple but incredibly difficult to execute: eliminate tax notices for large enterprises. Under his leadership, the platform has evolved from deep enterprise discovery to category leadership and is now expanding across 30+ countries in Asia and Europe.Before joining ClearTax, Swaroop worked at Boston Consulting Group, across India and the US, developing a strong problem-solving approach to complex business systems. He is also an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, bringing together engineering depth, consulting rigor, and product leadership.India has very few B2B SaaS companies that have successfully cracked the large enterprise segment. In this conversation, Swaroop shares the real playbook behind building enterprise-grade products—from discovery to launch to product–market fit.If you’re a product leader, founder, or product manager trying to build and scale enterprise B2B SaaS, this conversation offers practical insights drawn from real product decisions and enterprise-scale challenges.Subscribe for more conversations with leaders building category-defining products.

    46 min
  2. Your judgment is your steering wheel, because data is often misinterpreted along the way - Ishan

    FEB 23

    Your judgment is your steering wheel, because data is often misinterpreted along the way - Ishan

    In this episode, we sit down with Ishan Kansal, Senior VP of Product at Snabbit, to unpack what truly changes when product leadership moves from digital-native scale to operationally intensive, real-world services.With over 11 years of experience across fintech, banking, insurance, and hyperlocal marketplaces, Ishan has built and scaled businesses where trust is not a feature, it’s the foundation.At Snabbit, he’s building India’s first quick-service marketplace for on-demand home services, leading Product, Design, and Data to solve for reliability, supply quality, and execution discipline in urban households.Before this, he was part of the early scaling team at CRED, where he launched and managed multiple P&Ls including CRED Max, Garage, Shield, unsecured lending risk, collections, P2P lending, and core payments infrastructure like UPI and BBPS.Earlier in his journey, he helped build the Payments Bank and India’s first Digital Gold product at Paytm, led global product strategy at Roadzen, and started his career in FIG investment banking at Deutsche Bank.If you’re a product leader, founder, or PM navigating the transition from clean digital metrics to complex real-world systems, this episode offers grounded, practical insights on trust, speed, and decision-making.Subscribe for more conversations with leaders building category-defining products.

    30 min
  3. Why Most PMs Fail at Gamification (and How to Fix It) with Vijay Verma - Jungly Games

    FEB 2

    Why Most PMs Fail at Gamification (and How to Fix It) with Vijay Verma - Jungly Games

    In this episode, we sit down with Vijay Varma, a product veteran with over 20 years of experience in the online gaming industry, including leadership roles at Junglee Games. With a career spanning from the early days of gut-driven development in 2005 to today’s hyper-competitive, data-rich landscape, Vijay brings a rare perspective on how to build digital products that truly resonate with users. We dive into the mechanics of gamification and user psychology, exploring how B2C products can move beyond basic features to create genuine "smiles" and trust. From the critical balance between A/B testing and intuition to the technical foundation every Product Manager needs, Vijay shares how his teams navigate complex systems while maintaining a relentless focus on the player experience. Whether you're a product manager looking to level up your technical depth, an entrepreneur interested in high-retention mechanics, or a designer curious about the intersection of data and delight, this episode offers grounded insights, sharp perspectives, and a masterclass in building products that stand the test of time.

    38 min
  4. If users aren’t part of design process, we’re not doing justice to design itself - Arun Murugesan

    JAN 19

    If users aren’t part of design process, we’re not doing justice to design itself - Arun Murugesan

    In this episode, we sit down with Arun Murugesan, Head of Design at MoneyView, to pull back the curtain on the complex world of Fintech design. With nearly two decades of experience, Arun shares how MoneyView bridges the gap between high-level business goals and deep user empathy.We dive into the evolution of the Indian consumer, debunking myths about the "tech-illiteracy" of rural users and exploring how personalization is the secret sauce to a successful "Super App." Arun also shares his unique leadership philosophy, including his unconventional hiring process and how he fosters a culture where designers feel empowered to challenge the status quo.Whether you're a designer, a product manager, or a fintech enthusiast, this episode offers a masterclass in building products that solve real-world money problems.

    46 min
  5. Why 70% of Your Product Experiments Should Fail - Ankit Gupta

    JAN 5

    Why 70% of Your Product Experiments Should Fail - Ankit Gupta

    In this episode, I sit down with Ankit Gupta, a seasoned product leader at Reliance Retail, to deconstruct the complexities of building AI-driven products for India’s massive and diverse ecosystem.Ankit breaks down the "unlearning" required when moving from online to offline retail, explaining how Reliance uses proxies like RFID and standardized rack space to track customer behavior in the physical world. We dive deep into his "Sense-Predict-Act" framework for inventory optimization and why he believes a product team isn't taking enough risks if they aren't failing 70% of the time.Beyond the tech, we explore the cultural divide between building in San Francisco versus India, the power of the "Pyramid Principle" in communication, and why the most successful PMs are those who master the art of documentation.Don't forget to subscribe for more deep dives into the minds of India's top product and design leaders!

    51 min
  6. We look at infrastructure as tools and building a unique solution for our merchants - Nitin Pulyani

    11/24/2025

    We look at infrastructure as tools and building a unique solution for our merchants - Nitin Pulyani

    In this episode, we sit down with Nitin Pulyani, the Senior Vice President of Product Management at Cashfree Payments, and a seasoned product leader with over two decades of experience building large-scale fintech and consumer products in India. Nitin shares how Cashfree designs and operates mission-critical payment infrastructure—covering everything from onboarding and risk to the systems that keep money moving reliably at scale. Before Cashfree, he led product functions at Jupiter, PhonePe, NeoGrowth, Ola, and TaxiForSure. At PhonePe, he led the merchant ecosystem for 25M+ merchants, scaled Financial Services, and launched major revenue-driving categories like insurance, mutual funds, and digital gold, achieving 3× growth in mature segments. This conversation explores: How Cashfree’s product culture identifies real merchant problems using UX, data, and tight feedback loopsHow fintech teams innovate under regulatory pressure, and why constraints often create product advantagesWhat makes B2B product building fundamentally different from B2C, and how Nitin blends both mindsetsPractical advice for PMs moving into leadership roles, including habits, frameworks, and mental models that accelerate growthWhether you’re building fintech products, scaling in regulated environments, or growing into a product leadership role, this episode is full of sharp insights and practical takeaways you can apply immediately. Don’t forget to follow and subscribe on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube—your support helps us bring more conversations from top operators to help you level up your product career.

    57 min
  7. We set up process to protect business and make it effective enabler for ecosystem - Achyutha Sharma

    11/03/2025

    We set up process to protect business and make it effective enabler for ecosystem - Achyutha Sharma

    In this episode, I sit down with Achyutha Sharma, Head of UX Research at Flipkart, to uncover how research shapes bold product decisions and drives business impact. With over 17 years of experience across B2C, D2C, and B2B sectors, Achyutha shares deep insights on leading large research teams, navigating billion-user demographics, and uncovering overlooked opportunities in commerce. We discuss how strategic, impact-driven research fuels innovation, the challenges researchers face today, and how initiatives like User Research India are empowering the community. Whether you’re a product leader, researcher, or founder, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on turning human insights into measurable outcomes. #UXResearch #ProductDesign #UserExperience #Ecommerce #ProductManagement #DesignLeadership #CustomerInsights #BusinessImpact #ResearchDriven #Podcast

    38 min
  8. We keep talking to our customers even when we're not building anything - Sreeram Narayan

    10/20/2025

    We keep talking to our customers even when we're not building anything - Sreeram Narayan

    In this episode, we sit down with Sreeram Narayan, Director of Product at Pine Labs, to explore the art and science of building impactful fintech products. With over 15 years of experience across payments, lending, and digital finance, Sreeram shares how he turns complexity into clarity—crafting roadmaps that balance user needs, business goals, and long-term scalability.We discuss:How merchant feedback loops shape product evolution.Insights from transaction behavior that inspire new features.Decision frameworks and mental models that drive product strategy.How the PM role is transforming with AI and automation.Whether you’re a product manager, designer, or founder, this episode offers practical takeaways on building with intent, scaling with systems, and staying grounded in customer impact.Tune in now and gain first-hand lessons from one of fintech’s sharpest product minds.

    1h 13m
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About

This is the place where we sit down with some of the brightest minds in design, research, growth, and product from leading IT companies. Each episode is packed with real-world insights, lessons learned, and honest conversations that go beyond the buzzwords. Whether you're a mid-level product pro looking to level up or just curious about how the best in the industry think and work, this podcast is for you. Join us as we explore the stories, strategies, and ideas that can help you grow and make an impact.

Information

  • Creator
    Darshan Suthar
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Darshan Suthar
  • Show Website
    Darshan's Diary