BusinessScienceTechnology

Varun Mayya

Science and business follow the same principles and are practically the same thing - you experiment, you observe, you make conclusions, and you repeat.
I help entrepreneurs build software, content, small companies, and freelancing careers with actionable advice. I try my best to distill new developments in technology for the masses. Most importantly, I practice what I preach. I failed countless times on countless projects with a few small wins, and I have come to realise that this is the norm :)

Collabs: teamvarunmayya@gmail.com

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Instagram: https://instagram.com/thevarunmayya

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Today · 49 min
10 Projects I've Built and 1 Thing I Learned From Each
Overhaul your legacy code with https://modelcode.ai/morph Use my code "VARUNMAYYA" to get 50% off your first year! Uploaded 27-06-26 In this video, we look back at 10 projects we built over the last 19 years, from early startups and games to AI products, content businesses, and everything in between. Some of them worked, some failed, some got acquired, and some taught lessons that ended up shaping everything we do today. We talk about what it was like building products in very different eras of the internet, how our thinking changed over time, and why distribution, timing, and execution often mattered more than the technology itself. Along the way, we discuss projects like Jobspire, Avalon Scenes, God-in-a-Box, AI Avatars, Autocode Pro, Video Vault, and Unleash The Avatar, sharing what went right, what went wrong, and what we’d do differently if we were starting today. More than anything, this is a conversation about experimentation. Why running lots of small bets teaches you more than chasing one perfect idea, how to think about competition, product-market fit, and timing, and why many of the lessons that built AEOS today came from projects that never became big businesses. If you’re building something of your own, or trying to figure out what to build next, there’s probably something here for you. 00:00 - Intro 01:04 - Jobspire 05:08 - Avalon Scenes 11:24 - Wolfang 13:18 - Mumbai Main Ek Haadsa 15:19 - God In A Box 18:22 - AI Avatar 23:23 - Autocode Pro 27:53 - VideoVault 31:10 - Unleash The Avatar 40:23 - Aeos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today · 4 min
Why Apple won and Kodak lost
Cero means "Zero" in Spanish. Uploaded 12-07-19 Business was my gateway drug to philosophy and understanding humans. In these short podcasts, let's talk black holes, computing, physics, business and philosophy, and let's try to keep it short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More: At the end of the day, everything from product to marketing to sales is fundamentally about psychology. I spend a lot of time reading research papers and running experiments in the neurosciences lab and on people. On Instagram, I've noticed how putting out any advanced content on this type of research gets me lower engagement - so I'm going to reserve that platform to put up motivational quotes and updates, and use this playlist to put out content for people to really win at this game of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today · 5 min
Instagram is the best example of the Peak Shift effect
Cero means "Zero" in Spanish. Uploaded 12-07-19 Business was my gateway drug to philosophy and understanding humans. In these short podcasts, let's talk black holes, computing, physics, business and philosophy, and let's try to keep it short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More: At the end of the day, everything from product to marketing to sales is fundamentally about psychology. I spend a lot of time reading research papers and running experiments in the neurosciences lab and on people. On Instagram, I've noticed how putting out any advanced content on this type of research gets me lower engagement - so I'm going to reserve that platform to put up motivational quotes and updates, and use this playlist to put out content for people to really win at this game of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today · 26 min
Build a personal website WITHOUT CODING in under 30 minutes!
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram! http://instagram.com/thevarunmayya Uploaded 06-08-18 With Webflow, the time I take to build a website has dropped from a few weeks to a few hours. A personal website is your calling card - it will replace business cards, resumes and even the way you introduce yourself. In this video, we'll learn how to build a personal website from scratch, without the need to write code. You'll learn the basics of HTML and CSS without the need to actually write any. The possibilities of what you can create are endless! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 5 min
Don't lie
Cero means "Zero" in Spanish. Uploaded 12-07-19 Business was my gateway drug to philosophy and understanding humans. In these short podcasts, let's talk black holes, computing, physics, business and philosophy, and let's try to keep it short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More: At the end of the day, everything from product to marketing to sales is fundamentally about psychology. I spend a lot of time reading research papers and running experiments in the neurosciences lab and on people. On Instagram, I've noticed how putting out any advanced content on this type of research gets me lower engagement - so I'm going to reserve that platform to put up motivational quotes and updates, and use this playlist to put out content for people to really win at this game of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 1 hr 18 min
How to Think Like Rich People (1 Hour Masterclass)
In this Kata, we discuss wealth, risk, and how rich people think about money and constraints. We talk about how money changes the way you think about time, attention, risk, and opportunity. We look at why some expenses are worth paying when they remove a major problem, and why the real question is often not “how much does this cost?” but “what does this give me back?” Uploaded 14-08-26 We also discuss ownership, investing, and why building wealth is ultimately about separating your time and energy from the money you create. Along the way, we look at how wealthy people think about risk, where they choose to place their bets, and how they decide what is actually worth owning. Finally, we talk about opportunity, access, and how to think about the things that limit you. The goal is not simply to have more money, but to use it in ways that give you more time, freedom, and room to do the things that matter. 00:00 - Intro 02:39 - "Blinking" — teleporting into people's minds 03:48 - What rich people actually want 08:36 - Traits of every successful person 14:34 - The 4 wealth zones 15:23 - ₹1 Cr — security and status 18:26 - ₹10 Cr — freedom and recognition 22:57 - ₹100 Cr — influence and access 30:15 - ₹1,000 Cr — legacy and trust 36:56 - Free market participation 39:53 - Rich people buy freedom, not things 48:31 - How the rich take risks 54:55 - How to actually reach the rich 1:02:06 - Trust and proximity to power 1:10:35 - Final summary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 14 min
Session games people play
Down the rabbit hole we go Uploaded 12-07-19 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 1 hr 21 min
The Most Valuable Skill After AI
In this secret Kata, we start by talking about world-building and why creating your own world can sometimes be a better way to think about life and business than simply following the paths that already exist. Uploaded 12-09-26 We discuss why people often get risk completely wrong, either by being too scared to try anything or by taking massive bets without really thinking them through. We also talk about FOMO, social pressure, and why doing what everyone else thinks is safe does not always mean it actually is. We then look at how we think about taking risks at AEOS, testing new ideas without betting the entire company on them, and knowing when to keep going versus when to shut something down. The goal is not to avoid risk, but to understand it well enough to take bigger swings without unnecessarily destroying yourself if things go wrong. 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - What a Brand Actually Is 02:46 - What Triggered This Video 07:51 - The Four Worlds 10:07 - The Premise 11:15 - Characters 14:07 - Hierarchy and Power 17:47 - Entry and Access 20:07 - Language 23:43 - Rituals 28:25 - Shaming 32:21 - Mechanics and Laws 33:57 - Chance 35:21 - The Everyday 36:39 - Lore 40:02 - Forking 44:53 - Technology 47:16 - Eras 50:42 - Aesthetic and Style 53:10 - Exit Penalties 54:16 - Exposition vs Interpretation 58:02 - Story Machine 1:00:52 - Consistency 1:04:55 - Retcons 1:08:12 - Why World Building Makes You Successful 1:13:14 - World Building Is Your Only Moat 1:14:04 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 36 min
Reacting To Your Feedback On Unleash The Avatar
The new trailer for Unleash the Avatar has had an incredible response. It's gone viral with millions of views across India and China, and we're truly humbled by all the love and support. Uploaded 30-06-26 But along with that, we also saw a lot of your feedback. So in this video, I'm going through some of the feedback you guys have shared, in the comments and in general on the internet. I'll show you what we've already fixed, what's intentional design and what we're still working on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 53 min
"Indian Engineers Need to Wake Up." Nothing CEO on AI, India Plan and Future of Tech Jobs
In this conversation, we sit down with Carl Pei, founder of Nothing, to talk about how he built a phone company from scratch in a hypercompetitive market like India. We get into how Nothing stood out not by having the biggest budget but by noticing a simple thing: all the big brands were trying to sell to everyone, which meant nobody was really selling to anyone specific. Uploaded 21-03-26 We then go deep on how a phone actually gets made, from deciding what the product stands for to managing hundreds of supplier relationships, keeping cash from getting stuck in inventory, and shipping on time when delays cost millions. Carl also talks about where Nothing is headed with AI, what Essential Apps is really pointing toward, and why he thinks the entire idea of an operating system is going to change completely within the next few years. We then wrap up by talking about people and culture, why Carl brought everyone back to the office five days a week, what that did to the quality of hiring, and what he thinks the next few years mean for software engineers who are not actively paying attention. If you’re someone who wants to understand how a hardware startup actually competes, how Carl thinks about building for the long term, and where phones and AI are headed, this episode is absolutely worth your time. 00:00 – Introduction 02:16 – Breaking into a commodity market 05:08 – How Nothing plans to be uncopyable 06:25 – Beyond vibe coding 07:50 – The way we build software has changed 09:25 – The process of phone manufacturing 15:04 – Distribution strategy 21:50 – Why Nothing opened a physical store 25:32 – Nothing's content playbook 29:34 – First hires are never your best hires 35:27 – Carl Pei's learnings 41:19 – The OS that makes apps obsolete 46:50 – Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 56 min
LinkedIn CEO on Which Jobs Will Matter in 5 Years, Getting Hired, Advice for Indians and More
In this conversation, I sat down with Daniel Shapero, CEO of LinkedIn, and got him to reverse engineer his entire career on a whiteboard. Yes, a whiteboard where he walks us through starting a company as a math student back in 1998, watching three startups collapse one after another, getting an MBA to regroup, spending four years at Bain doing due diligence on companies for private equity deals, and then landing at LinkedIn almost by luck, where he built a sales org from just himself to a team of 1,500 people before working his way up to COO and eventually CEO. Uploaded 30-08-26 The whiteboard session also gets into the skills he didn't have at every stage, the people who took a bet on him when it mattered, and the decisions that looked reckless at the time but ended up defining his career. We then get into where jobs are actually headed with AI. What should a 22 year old in India be doing right now. Which roles are quietly disappearing. Why entrepreneurship, healthcare, and data center jobs are booming while old-school skill sets are getting wiped out fast. Daniel pushes back on the "AI is cheating" mindset some people online have, explains why real skill still beats knowing how to prompt, gives advice to someone in their 40s who feels like they're falling behind, and talks about where LinkedIn is headed with video, short-form content, and paying creators directly. 00:00 Highlights 00:59 Reverse-Engineering the LinkedIn CEO’s Career 14:23 Becoming CEO After 18 Years at LinkedIn 16:28 What Changes When You Go from COO to CEO? 19:41 What Should a 22-Year-Old in India Do in the AI Era? 21:21 Which Industries Are Growing in India? 24:20 Does a College Degree Still Matter? 27:23 How LinkedIn Is Adapting to New AI-Era Jobs 29:08 Open to Work and the Changing Culture of Employment 31:31 How LinkedIn Makes Money and Why India Matters 33:10 How AI Agents Are Changing Job Applications and Hiring 36:33 Which Jobs Are Growing and Which Are Fading? 41:49 Are Colleges Leaving Graduates Behind on AI? 44:43 LinkedIn’s Strategy for Creators and Video 49:26 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 50 min
How I Manage Projects End To End (1 Hour Masterclass)
In this Kata, we break down how to manage projects when you don’t have all the answers from the start. We explain why traditional project management methods no longer work as well, how clarity comes from building instead of planning forever, and how we used Unleash the Avatar as a real example to develop our own way of managing projects. Uploaded 05-08-26 We then walk through the entire process of turning a rough idea into a structured team. We cover how to decide what needs research, what already works, when to hire, when to outsource, when to invest in better tools, and how to use AI to keep large teams aligned. Along the way, we also share how we built different parts of Unleash the Avatar, from motion capture and photogrammetry to custom internal tools and playtesting. Finally, we talk about how projects grow over time. We discuss getting feedback early, building the right team before scaling, avoiding expensive mistakes, and why every successful project is really a series of small experiments that slowly bring more clarity. Whether you’re building a startup, an app, a game, or any large project, the ideas in this Kata can be applied almost anywhere. 00:00 - Intro 02:04 - You Don't Know What You're Building (Low Resolution) 03:17 - Why Waterfall and Agile Are Outdated 05:45 - Set a Deadline to Decide 06:31 - Break Projects into Departments, Not Roles 08:17 - The Minimum Viable Team 09:43 - Sure Shot vs R and D 14:18 - Vertical Slicing: Alpha, Beta, Gold 15:58 - Building the High Resolution Team 18:03 - Case Study: Photogrammetry R and D 21:46 - When to Invest in Technology (The Math) 25:11 - Where AI Fits in Projects 27:50 - 5 Choices for Every Role 31:03 - Why Distribution Helps (Feedback, Talent, Mentors) 34:58 - Funding: Seed to Series B 36:46 - Success Metrics: Conversion, Wishlists and TAM 40:44 - The Playbook = Your Org Chart 42:12 - Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 33 min
How Simplifying Everything Makes You Rich
In this Kata, we talk about why simplicity almost always beats complexity. We discuss why so many people assume that doing more, building more, or adding more systems leads to better results, when in reality it often creates confusion, slows teams down, and makes businesses harder to scale. Uploaded 26-07-26 We also look at how great companies stay simple as they grow. We cover topics like delegation, team structure, decision making, reducing unnecessary work, and why the best managers focus on making things easier for everyone around them instead of adding more layers. Along the way, we share lessons from companies like Apple, Amazon, and our own experience building and scaling teams. If you’re building a company, managing a team, or simply trying to work better, this Kata will give you a practical way to think about keeping things simple. 00:00 Intro 00:53 Why People Chase Complexity 02:43 Steve Jobs and the Power of Focus 05:20 Why Large Teams Become Inefficient 06:14 Jeff Bezos’ Two-Pizza Team Rule 09:31 Why You Shouldn’t Build Everything Yourself 11:50 Why Simple Ideas Perform Better 14:27 How Too Many Features Hurt Products 18:08 The Hidden Cost of Changing Systems 20:44 Why Engineers Overcomplicate Things 24:02 One Person, One Responsibility 25:49 Do It Manually Before Automating 27:11 Final Lessons for Managers 27:57 Final Takeaway Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 14 min
Build What Moves India: Rules and How to Participate
Submission Link : https://forms.gle/Uv4JM9o1YNJJhnjm6 Uploaded 21-08-26 We’ve finally kicked off Build What Moves India, and in this video, we go through exactly how the hackathon will work, what you need to build, and how your project will be judged. The focus is simple: take a public service platform, rethink it from the point of view of an everyday citizen, and build a working proof of concept with ideas that actually make the experience better. We also cover the submission process, how the projects will be shortlisted, what the top 250 participants can expect, and how the mentorship round and final presentations will work. Finally, we talk about what this hackathon is really trying to do. Beyond the prizes, the larger goal is to bring together people from technology, content, and government, and hopefully turn some of these ideas into conversations that can lead to real improvements in the public services millions of Indians use. https://buildwhatmovesindia.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 14 min
How to make a Human Apex Predator
Cero means "Zero" in Spanish. Uploaded 12-07-19 Business was my gateway drug to philosophy and understanding humans. In these short podcasts, let's talk black holes, computing, physics, business and philosophy, and let's try to keep it short. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More: At the end of the day, everything from product to marketing to sales is fundamentally about psychology. I spend a lot of time reading research papers and running experiments in the neurosciences lab and on people. On Instagram, I've noticed how putting out any advanced content on this type of research gets me lower engagement - so I'm going to reserve that platform to put up motivational quotes and updates, and use this playlist to put out content for people to really win at this game of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 7 min
Hacking Neuroscience to be Happy
Cero means "Zero" in Spanish. Uploaded 12-07-19 Business was my gateway drug to philosophy and understanding humans. In these short podcasts, let's talk black holes, computing, physics, business and philosophy, and let's try to keep it short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More: At the end of the day, everything from product to marketing to sales is fundamentally about psychology. I spend a lot of time reading research papers and running experiments in the neurosciences lab and on people. On Instagram, I've noticed how putting out any advanced content on this type of research gets me lower engagement - so I'm going to reserve that platform to put up motivational quotes and updates, and use this playlist to put out content for people to really win at this game of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 10 min
Quantum Suicide
Cero means "Zero" in Spanish. Uploaded 12-07-19 Business was my gateway drug to philosophy and understanding humans. In these short podcasts, let's talk black holes, computing, physics, business and philosophy, and let's try to keep it short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More: At the end of the day, everything from product to marketing to sales is fundamentally about psychology. I spend a lot of time reading research papers and running experiments in the neurosciences lab and on people. On Instagram, I've noticed how putting out any advanced content on this type of research gets me lower engagement - so I'm going to reserve that platform to put up motivational quotes and updates, and use this playlist to put out content for people to really win at this game of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 7 min
What if Mickey Mouse was conscious?
Cero means "Zero" in Spanish. Uploaded 12-07-19 Business was my gateway drug to philosophy and understanding humans. In these short podcasts, let's talk black holes, computing, physics, business and philosophy, and let's try to keep it short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More: At the end of the day, everything from product to marketing to sales is fundamentally about psychology. I spend a lot of time reading research papers and running experiments in the neurosciences lab and on people. On Instagram, I've noticed how putting out any advanced content on this type of research gets me lower engagement - so I'm going to reserve that platform to put up motivational quotes and updates, and use this playlist to put out content for people to really win at this game of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 10 min
Your brain is scamming you
Credit to https://twitter.com/foone for inspiring me to do this video. Uploaded 12-07-19 Cero means "Zero" in Spanish. Business was my gateway drug to philosophy and understanding humans. In these short podcasts, let's talk black holes, computing, physics, business and philosophy, and let's try to keep it short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More: At the end of the day, everything from product to marketing to sales is fundamentally about psychology. I spend a lot of time reading research papers and running experiments in the neurosciences lab and on people. On Instagram, I've noticed how putting out any advanced content on this type of research gets me lower engagement - so I'm going to reserve that platform to put up motivational quotes and updates, and use this playlist to put out content for people to really win at this game of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday · 57 min
How to Get Hired Faster Than Everyone Else | Kata 8
In this Kata, we break down how to hire and also, how to get hired. The focus is on what companies really look for, what actually matters, and why most people misunderstand the process. Uploaded 09-04-26 We talk about why hiring is not about treating people as replaceable, but about building teams where each person brings something unique. We also explain what companies look for beyond just skills, like attitude, learning ability, judgment, and whether someone can actually do the work instead of just talking about it. A big part of this Kata is understanding why people struggle to get hired. We look at how CVs often do not mean much anymore, why portfolios and proof of work matter more, and how referrals and real experience play a role. The overall idea is simple: what you say matters less than what you can show. 00:00 – 00:37 Highlights 01:34 -- Intro 04:22 -- How Different Companies Hire 06:33 - Fungibility Fallacy 15:16 - Live Exercise with Hiring Team 27:16 - CHAMPR Framework 30:05 - Entry vs Senior Level Hiring 31:37 - Hiring Mistakes 37:20 - A B C Players and Retaining Talent 42:00 - Red Flag Syndromes 49:03- Closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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