from wall street to startups: the journey of shiv mohan dutt

in this special episode of decoded, akshat bhaskar, amaira akbar explore the startup space with the incredibly accomplished shiv mohan dutt : princeton math '11, wall street veteran, serial tech entrepreneur, and former head boy of vasant valley school (2007).

they dive deep into shiv's journey from the trading floors of goldman sachs to launching startups across the u.s. and india. from burning out in finance to building platforms like meavana and yap media, shiv shares the real highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

the conversation explores his journey from studying at princeton and working on wall street to leaving high finance in pursuit of building something more meaningful. it dives into the realities of launching a startup, including the challenges that founders rarely talk about, and examines how the technology landscape is evolving across india and the west. the discussion also covers practical investing advice for gen z, a bold prediction for the future, and reflections on career, money, and making thoughtful life decisions.

if you’ve ever wondered what it takes to leave a high-paying job to chase a dream, or just want a no-bs view into india’s booming tech world, this episode is for you.