Gagan Sandhu

We actually are in the, I would still say in the beginning, but definitely our generation, Gen X and Gen Y and Gen Z, we are firmly in the knowledge economy. Unless you are doing something with your hands, let's say you are a construction worker or you are a gardener or you are a farmer, that's different.

We actually are in the, I would still say in the beginning, but definitely our generation, Gen X and Gen Y and Gen Z, we are firmly in the knowledge economy. Unless you are doing something with your hands, let's say you are a construction worker or you are a gardener or you are a farmer, that's different.

But if you're not, if you're working in any other kind of job, whether it's a research associate or a professor or tech person, data scientist, We are part of the knowledge economy and you always have to seek to increase your knowledge to improve that skill and that doesn't come automatically. You have to always go for it and find new avenues to improve your knowledge. It could mean

But if you're not, if you're working in any other kind of job, whether it's a research associate or a professor or tech person, data scientist, We are part of the knowledge economy and you always have to seek to increase your knowledge to improve that skill and that doesn't come automatically. You have to always go for it and find new avenues to improve your knowledge. It could mean

going deep and becoming a super specialist in your area, or it could mean going broad and finding more about certain areas, or it could mean looming one area and picking totally different area and learn more about it because you might have learned most of the things that had to be learned in your previous role, in your previous avatar.

going deep and becoming a super specialist in your area, or it could mean going broad and finding more about certain areas, or it could mean looming one area and picking totally different area and learn more about it because you might have learned most of the things that had to be learned in your previous role, in your previous avatar.

So to answer your question succinctly, I would say seeking knowledge has proven for me to be the ultimate success criteria. And every time I've increased knowledge, the dividends have been tremendous. And I should add here, since you and I share that background, for me, going to business school was purely a knowledge decision. I didn't go there to change careers. I was working in tech.

So to answer your question succinctly, I would say seeking knowledge has proven for me to be the ultimate success criteria. And every time I've increased knowledge, the dividends have been tremendous. And I should add here, since you and I share that background, for me, going to business school was purely a knowledge decision. I didn't go there to change careers. I was working in tech.

I continued to work in tech. I didn't expect a huge jump. I was working as a senior manager, then I became a director after that. It was a pretty linear path. But I went there to learn about things that, as a person working in tech, Certain things like economics and marketing and finance and accounting, those things were my blind spots.

I continued to work in tech. I didn't expect a huge jump. I was working as a senior manager, then I became a director after that. It was a pretty linear path. But I went there to learn about things that, as a person working in tech, Certain things like economics and marketing and finance and accounting, those things were my blind spots.

And as I was growing in my career, I realized that I needed that knowledge in my toolbox to be able to have a coherent conversation with some of my business partners at work. Even if I'm the tech person, I'm still expected to know a little bit more about how accounting works, how the basic unit economics of certain product work, how the cost accounting work.

And as I was growing in my career, I realized that I needed that knowledge in my toolbox to be able to have a coherent conversation with some of my business partners at work. Even if I'm the tech person, I'm still expected to know a little bit more about how accounting works, how the basic unit economics of certain product work, how the cost accounting work.

And for that, I went to business school. So that has been my constant journey and even starting Zillion. One of the reasons was I learned a ton while working at different companies and I'm like, my learning has slowed down and plateaued. One of the best ways to learn more is to start something from scratch.

And for that, I went to business school. So that has been my constant journey and even starting Zillion. One of the reasons was I learned a ton while working at different companies and I'm like, my learning has slowed down and plateaued. One of the best ways to learn more is to start something from scratch.

And so I would argue that even starting Zillion was a step in that direction, which is to actually increase knowledge at a rapid pace.

And so I would argue that even starting Zillion was a step in that direction, which is to actually increase knowledge at a rapid pace.

Yeah, absolutely. And I agree with you that There is a lot of noise around this term. Financial freedom, financial independence, financially independent, retire early. There's a whole fire movement. And also, especially ever since the social media became a dominant force in the society, there are just too many people out there trying to almost... Some of them sound like snake oil salesmen.

Yeah, absolutely. And I agree with you that There is a lot of noise around this term. Financial freedom, financial independence, financially independent, retire early. There's a whole fire movement. And also, especially ever since the social media became a dominant force in the society, there are just too many people out there trying to almost... Some of them sound like snake oil salesmen.

They're like, oh yeah, I'm financially independent. I just have this social media or I do X, Y, Z and I make enough money, blah, blah, blah. So I'll tell you what my criteria was. It was fairly straightforward and I would actually contextualize, right? I'm careful to use the word financial independence and not retirement.

They're like, oh yeah, I'm financially independent. I just have this social media or I do X, Y, Z and I make enough money, blah, blah, blah. So I'll tell you what my criteria was. It was fairly straightforward and I would actually contextualize, right? I'm careful to use the word financial independence and not retirement.