Join us on the Indianness Podcast with Alok Sama as he revisits: 

• A life of 17-hour workdays, massive mergers, and global finance 
• Deep personal reflections on mortality, regret, and missed phone calls 
• How a cadaver at age 10 turned him away from medicine forever 
• Lessons in failure—from cricket to startups—and how they shaped his resilience 
• The moment he realized his son thought he was cool again 

📘 This is not just a career story—it's an emotional reckoning. 

Resources Mentioned: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aloksama? 

⏱️ Timestamps: 

00:00 - Introduction and Setup 

04:30 - Welcome to the Podcast 

06:30 - Childhood and Family Background 

11:50 - The Influence of His Father 

15:00 - The Cadaver Incident 

18:30 - Luck, Serendipity & Career 

21:00 - Schooling and Rejection 

24:50 - Cricket, Sports and Resilience 

29:00 - Friendships and Long-term Bonds 

31:30 - Decision to Study Abroad 

36:50 - Cultural Shock in America 

40:00 - Wharton and Academics 

42:40 - Career at Morgan Stanley 

45:00 - Mentorship and Role Models 

48:00 - Joining SoftBank 

51:00 - Staying After Nikesh Left 

52:30 - Pivot to Writing 

56:20 - The Money Trap Book 

58:00 - New Writing Focus 

1:02:00 - Life After Loss 

1:05:40 - Redefining Success 

1:10:20 - Most Influential Person