My daughter was flipping through an Amar Chitra Katha, asking questions about the Dashavatar — the ten avatars of Vishnu. I told her how Vishnu takes different forms at different times, depending on what the world needs. She paused, thought for a moment, and asked, “If you had to be an avatar, which one would you be?”

That one question hit differently.

Because if you’ve ever built something from scratch — a startup, a product, a team — you’ve probably been each of those avatars, just in a different way. Different versions of you show up depending on the kind of storm you’re in. Some days you're swimming to survive. Some days you're fixing broken systems. Some days you're thinking ten steps ahead.

That night, something clicked. Here's how I now see the Dashavatar — not as mythology, but as a founder’s manual hidden in plain sight.

It begins, like most startups do, in chaos. You’re surrounded by unknowns — no clarity, no support system, just instinct. That’s Matsya. The fish swimming through the flood. In those moments, your job is to protect your idea, hold onto what matters, and keep moving. It's survival mode.

But soon, you realise you can’t swim forever. You need something solid to stand on. Enter Kurma — the tortoise. He doesn't move fast, but he provides the foundation on which churn happens. Your processes, your culture, your early team — they become the platform that allows your business to take shape. Not glamorous, but essential.

Then comes the digging. Varaha. The boar who goes deep into the earth to lift it out of the darkness. As a founder, this is when you stop guessing and really start understanding the problem you're solving. You dig into user feedback, uncover the root cause, and sometimes realise — your initial assumptions were way off. It’s messy, but it’s what creates real value.

Every journey has its moment of rage — the Narasimha phase. The system doesn’t work, and polite strategy doesn’t cut it. You need to break rules, bend categories, do what no one else is willing to do. Maybe it's how you price, maybe it's who you hire, maybe it's a product decision that feels insane to others. But you do it anyway. Because you must.

Then, when the dust settles, you go small. That’s Vamana — the dwarf who quietly asks for three steps and ends up owning the world. You start with something tiny: your first paying customer, your first win, your first vertical. And then you expand. Calmly, intentionally, with a plan that others can’t see yet.

But as you grow, things start breaking. Ops get messy. Energy gets diluted. That’s when Parashurama shows up. The axe-wielding problem solver who doesn’t blink while cutting out inefficiency. At this stage, you’ve got to be honest — about bad hires, broken workflows, misaligned partners. This is the painful clean-up phase. Do it with love, but do it decisively.

And then, something shifts. People begin to look up to you. Your team, your customers, even the ecosystem. You’re no longer hustling in the dark — you’re leading. This is your Rama phase. It’s about doing the right thing even when it’s hard. Setting standards. Taking tough calls with grace. Being the brand, not just building one.

Eventually, you’ll need more than dharma — you’ll need strategy. That’s when Krishna enters. Playful, sharp, impossible to predict. This is when you realise business isn't war — it’s chess. You master distribution, you build influence, you storytell your way into hearts and markets. You stop playing the game. You start designing it.

But even Krishna must step aside one day. And that’s when the Buddha within takes over. You start letting go. Not out of fatigue, but wisdom. You realise that clinging too tightly to control is the enemy of growth. So you build culture, empower others, and detach from every little decision. You’re still leading — just more silently now.

And finally, there’s Kalki. The last avatar. The one that hasn’t come yet — and also, the one that must show up every time your company faces stagnation or decay. When your product gets outdated. When the market shifts. When something old must die so that something new can be born. This is the hardest one — because it asks you to destroy what you built. But it’s also what keeps you alive.

So yes, my daughter asked me which avatar I’d be.

And I said — all of them, just not at the same time.

Because building a business is not about staying in one form. It’s about knowing when to switch — when to be the dreamer, when to be the fighter, when to step back, and when to burn it down to build again.

If you’re building something — I hope this helps you see your own journey more clearly.

And next time you're stuck, maybe the answer lies not in your business book — but in a bedtime story.

The thought struck me like a revelation at the Mahakumbh. This weekend, as I walked through the massive gathering, the air filled with chants, the scent of incense mixing with the cold river breeze, I noticed something extraordinary. There were ascetics lost in deep meditation, families performing sacred rituals, and scholars passionately debating philosophy—all coexisting without contradiction. It was then that I realized: Hinduism is not just a religion; it is the world’s first open-source model for life. And I’m amazed how this falls beautifully alongside our development ecosystem today!

Hinduism has never been about enforcing a singular ideology. It is an ever-evolving system, welcoming different perspectives without losing its core essence. You can be a believer in one god, many gods, or none at all, and still be part of its fabric. There are no mandated texts that one must follow to belong. Instead, a vast repository of wisdom—the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and countless local traditions—exists as a guiding framework open to interpretation.
In the world of technology, this is akin to open-source software, where multiple developers can modify and enhance the system while preserving its core functionality.

Like an open-source software, Hinduism encourages customization. You can choose devotion (bhakti), selfless service (karma yoga), deep philosophical inquiry (jnana yoga), or meditation. There’s no single right way; instead, there are endless ways to engage. Temples in South India may follow intricate rituals, while some communities in the North may simply light a lamp and pray. A Shaivite, Vaishnavite, or Shakti devotee can follow their own path without invalidating others. All are valid expressions.
Similarly, in tech, open-source platforms allow users to build on existing systems, integrating features that suit their needs while keeping the core intact. Amazing!

Hinduism never needed to conquer or impose itself on others. Whether it was Buddhism, Jainism, or even later influences from Islam and Christianity, Hinduism absorbed and integrated. An atheist and a theist can both be Hindus, just as multiple coding languages can work together in an open ecosystem.
This mirrors the way open APIs and modular software allow various systems to communicate and grow without forcing users into a single framework. Remember the last time two systems got integrated and it felt like magic? :)

As artificial intelligence advances, the debate between proprietary control and open-source collaboration becomes critical. Do we build closed systems that restrict innovation, or do we allow open contributions that push humanity forward?

The recent debate about DeepSeek being an open-source model compared to ChatGPT from OpenAI has renewed the debate on how open source and closed models for AI LLM be governed.

In an era where AI decisions affect everything from ethics to economy, we must ask ourselves: Should we build walls, or should we build bridges?

Hinduism chose bridges. Should our technology do the same?

Let’s face it, we’re all busy. It’s not just the executives or the business owners; everyone’s trying to juggle a million things at once. With so many distractions, it's hard to focus, and then bam, you get a phone call that throws you off completely. We’ve all been there—mid-thought or mid-task, and suddenly the phone rings, pulling you away. It’s annoying, right? Especially when it’s a sales or relationship manager calling, trying to sell you something, and you just don’t have the bandwidth to engage at that moment.

This is where the shift is happening—away from voice-driven relationship management to non-voice methods like WhatsApp and other chat platforms. People aren’t just preferring this shift; they’re demanding it.

The Changing Dynamic

Let’s look at how things used to be. Traditionally, relationship management in high-value, long purchase cycle businesses like wealth management, insurance, or even banking was very call-heavy. It was personal—managers built trust over calls, hearing their client's needs and offering advice or solutions. But that was when our attention wasn’t being pulled in a thousand different directions all day.

Today? People are swamped. Focus is a luxury, and interruptions are the enemy of productivity. Calls, especially unsolicited ones, are often seen as intrusive. Have you ever received a call while knee-deep in a task and thought, “I really don’t have time for this”? That's a daily reality now.

Instead, people prefer chat messages, because they can control the conversation. They can choose when to respond—whether it’s right away, in an hour, or the next day. This flexibility is key. It allows clients to stay in control of their time, which is becoming the most valuable currency in our modern lives.

The Rise of WhatsApp and Other Chat Platforms

WhatsApp and other chat platforms have completely transformed the relationship management game. Think about it—how many times have you avoided answering a call, but were totally fine responding to a WhatsApp message from the same person? It’s less pressure, less disruptive, and, most importantly, it’s on your terms.

When a relationship manager sends a message, it doesn’t demand immediate attention like a call. The client can check it when they’re ready and respond at their convenience. This non-voice approach is respectful of their time, and honestly, it’s much more in tune with how people prefer to communicate today.

[I used ChatGPT to generate this image, but oh well, still learning!]

For example, I know of wealth management firms where relationship managers are now primarily using WhatsApp to share portfolio updates, market insights, or even just to check in. It’s a low-pressure way to stay connected and ensures that the client can engage when they’re ready.

In insurance too, where policies can take a long time to finalize, having a back-and-forth conversation over chat keeps things moving at the client’s pace, without the pushiness of a call. It's the perfect balance between staying informed and not feeling overwhelmed.

The Art of Relationship Management in the Non-voice Era

Now, this shift doesn’t mean that relationship management has become impersonal. In fact, it’s more personal than ever. Because it’s no longer about just pushing information or forcing a conversation, it’s about truly understanding what your client wants and when they need it.

The ‘when’ is the critical piece. Timing is everything in today’s fast-paced world. It’s not just about being available when your client reaches out; it’s about understanding when they want to engage. And sometimes, they don’t want to engage immediately, but they’ll appreciate that you were there for them when they were ready. WhatsApp and chat platforms make this so much easier.

Relationship managers need to be tuned in to their clients’ rhythms. Is this client someone who prefers a weekly update on their investments? Or are they more of a “just tell me when something big happens” kind of person? Knowing these nuances can make all the difference in building trust and loyalty.

Respecting Time in a ‘World Short on Time’

In an age where everyone seems to be short on time, respecting that time is one of the best ways to build strong relationships. Non-voice communication offers that respect. It shows that you’re mindful of your client’s busy life and are willing to fit into their schedule, rather than forcing them into yours.

It also gives clients the breathing room to digest information. How many times have you been on a call where the other person rattles off so much information that by the end, you barely remember half of what they said? With chat, clients can take their time to read through a message, re-read it if needed, and respond thoughtfully. This leads to more meaningful interactions and better decisions.

Non-voice is the future of relationship management, especially in industries like banking, insurance, and wealth management, where trust and long-term engagement are key. It’s not just a trend—it’s a response to the way people live and work today. Respecting your client’s time, giving them control over the conversation, and being there when they’re ready—that’s how you build real, lasting relationships in the modern world.

So next time you’re about to dial someone up, maybe think twice. Send a message instead. Trust me, they’ll appreciate it.

I’m happy you went through the whole thing, and weren’t busy to skip it. What your relationship manager and I have in common is, we both like it when you reply :)

The last month has been, quite a bit of travel. Lots of conversations, from customers to potential customers, industry leaders at events to people starting out in their careers. There is one thing, that sticks out in every conversation, and that’s AI.

Thanks to ChatGPT, AI is a household word. Every guy on the street is either building or using AI in their daily work. But while people rejoice in the benefits of AI, many are in fear, due to the implications it may have on their work and their livelihood. And its this fear that we as responsible people in business, need to respond to and moreover empower people, with what AI can do for them, and how their role will morph in this transformative time.

As the leader of a young organisation working on disruption in the workplace, we are always on the lookout for ways to disrupt ourselves, and finding smarter & lazier ways to do our work! (yes, you read it right, lazier!)

Steve Jobs, decided to build the iPhone since it was THE device that began to cannibalise the iPod. Same goes for the latest Vision Pro, which not today, but someday is touted to cannibalise the iPhone. Meaning, one day our smartphone will become smartglasses. It's time to reinvent ourselves, unless we get cannibalised.

So here we are, to empower everyone with what AI can do for you—so you can do bigger better grander more incredible things! Let’s start with some basics for a level playing field eh?

Here is a quick dip into the sea of AI uses in Communication, and taking notes from the team who is building URVA, and their usage of AI.

1. Introductory Emails
   It’s no surprise, the most conversations that we do while running B2B sales, involves a truckload of email. And while, the mind works faster than the hand, you’re always running short on time to send that last email. With AI, getting started becomes easy.
   
   While, we don’t believe in asking AI (such as ChatGPT) to write the exact email we’re looking to send, we do find — that with the right prompt (tailored question with context) we are able to get a near to success result that we are looking for.
   
   The key lies in not giving up and rather, tweaking your ideas for context, that helps the AI be your Executive Assistant, and bring you a draft that only needs to be modified by 25-35%.
   
   For example, one of the kind of prompts that I like using is,
   “write an email for introducing URVA to a potential customer, but instead of talking about all the features of the product, try to list out how they can benefit from URVA, bringing the success stories in a short, consumable form. while you do that, keep the language friendly, and not too formal, I want the customer to know that I'm a partner in their problem.”
   
   While you might think that the AI got the email right, let me assure that its far from it. However, this does give you a boilerplate to get started, and that’s exactly the point of using AI like ChatGPT or the newly renamed Google Gemini.
   

2. Follow Up Messages
   While Emails are extremely important, there is much information, that you need to stay updated on when working with customers or potential customers. We all find, that WhatsApp or SMS plays a huge role in having unstructured conversations.
   
   There are many a times, when you need to just send a gentle reminder, or a reference point for a customer that helps them fill a gap, or share a pitch to a new potential lead that recently showed interest.
   
   Many of you reading this, may feel that how would AI help me write this any better, however, it may come as a surprise that language is a HUGE deterrent in anyone’s ability to convince or influence any decision making. So it’s a blessing for those who are just getting started in their career journey, to use AI to morph their feelings into words!
   
   Same as above, AI comes in as a mediator, so much so that it helps you get a template in place, which you can then sprinkle with your take.
   
   One of the templates, that our Pre-sales team uses is like:
   “write a short message, which highlights the benefits of our software to seek a meeting for a demo of the product. use language that conveys the user that you value their time, and are available for discussion at their convenience.”
   

3. Transcription & Summarisation
   While a lot of work happens on the screen, over text, email or WhatsApp but there is nothing like having a vocal conversation with someone.
   
   Most of our introductions, meetings, product demos, (even) negotiations, happen over virtual calls, like Teams, Zoom etc.
   
   But keeping the conversation minuted is hard, since there can be many people speaking at the same. It’s no surprise, that AI is already doing voice-to-text translation and THAT is a huge leap in taking actions after meetings.
   
   The most popular Virtual Call platforms today have their own transcript engines running but guess where they fail the most? It’s called language switching. Yes, that’s what messes up your transcript — two lines in english, then gibberish and then back to english and the story goes on.
   
   While AI companies are hard at work in solving this problem, transcripts nevertheless, are a great use-case of AI and work well in relaying information, and also minuting and summarising.
   
   The summarisation is my personal favourite, because that’s what all of us want really. Who wants to read the whole transcript when I can read two lines and go grab a coffee at the same time!
   

In this edition, we just warmed up about AI with a focus on communication and contact management. We hope to have more such ‘conversations’ than one-way emails :)

At URVA, we are investing big in ‘Private AI’, and discovering new use-cases in coding, content creation, marketing and analytics — the AI promises are phenomenal to start with, but in the long term, how security, privacy & compliance will play—is something, we as business leaders will shape in the years to come, if not months!

So the question that I’d like to leave you with is,
“What’s the use of AI you’re most excited about for communication?”

Drop a comment, and share your thoughts. Week-out!