Writing archive

Ideas across systems, companies, and institutions

Essays spanning applied AI, software systems, blockchain, startup building, and strategic studies. Dates are original; company status, market data, and technical conclusions may have changed since publication.

Current work on agent systems, generated-code correctness, local inference, robotics, and blockchain infrastructure lives under Research.

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Research AI/ML

Fed-Focal Loss: Federated Learning with Imbalanced Data

How Fed-Focal Loss improves minority-class learning when federated clients hold imbalanced local datasets.

· 2 min read
DATED ARCHIVE

Earlier writing

Company status, market data, product details, and external links may have changed since the date shown on each essay.

Research Web3

FairFlow Protocol Explained: MEV Mitigation for Ethereum

A plain-language explanation of FairFlow Protocol — the approach to mitigating Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) in Ethereum. 3 citations. What it does, how it works, and why it matters.

· 2 min read
Research Web3

Generalised DePIN Protocol Explained: The Framework for Decentralized Infrastructure

A plain-language explanation of the Generalised DePIN Protocol — the theoretical framework for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks. 8 citations. What it does, how it works, and why it matters.

· 2 min read
Strategic Studies National Security Defence Technology

AI in National Security: A Practitioner's View

How AI is changing national security — and what India needs to do to compete. A practitioner's view from 18+ years of building production AI and 8 years of strategic studies at Takshashila.

· 5 min read
Strategic Studies AI Policy Geopolitics

AI Sovereignty Is the New Stack Question: Why India, the EU, and the US Are Recompiling Their Technology Base

Three jurisdictions are rebuilding the technology base around AI sovereignty. A framework — drawn from Takshashila strategic studies and 18+ years of building production systems — for what sovereignty actually means when the stack is global.

· 6 min read
Strategic Studies Startup Strategy

Arthashastra for Founders: Kautilya's Statecraft Applied to Startups

What Kautilya's Arthashastra teaches startup founders. The Indian realist tradition applied to founder strategy, hiring, and competitive intelligence.

· 5 min read
Strategic Studies India

Cogitatum on Bringing Back India's Most Wanted: A 2018 Field Note

A 2018 field note from the Takshashila Cogitatum on Bringing Back India's Most Wanted. The legal, diplomatic, and operational tools for extraditing economic offenders and fugitives.

· 5 min read
Strategic Studies Geopolitics

Inside Xi's China: A 2018 Field Note

A 2018 field note from the Takshashila Special Credit Course on Inside Xi's China. What the PRC under Xi Jinping looks like, and what it means for India and the Indo-Pacific.

· 5 min read
Strategic Studies AI Policy Sovereign AI

Sovereign AI vs Open AI: The Real Choice for India

Sovereign AI is not a choice between isolation and openness. It is a choice about which layers of the stack are sovereign and which are open. The framework for India in 2026.

· 5 min read
Consulting

How I Help Startups Scale: My Consulting Approach

An overview of my startup consulting methodology developed over 18+ years of founding, advising, and investing in technology companies.

· 10 min read
AI/ML Consulting

AI Implementation for Startups: A Practical Guide

A startup consultant's guide to implementing AI and machine learning based on real advisory experience with AI-first companies.

· 9 min read
Web3 Consulting

Web3 Strategy for Founders: Lessons from Building Blockchain Infrastructure

A startup consultant's perspective on Web3 strategy based on founding Boom Labs and advising blockchain startups.

· 7 min read
Investing Consulting

Technical Due Diligence Checklist: 47-Point Framework for Startup Investors (2026)

A 47-point technical due diligence checklist for startup investors. Codebase, architecture, team, security, scalability, data, and compliance. Used by VCs and angel investors evaluating Series A to C.

· 10 min read
Fundraising Consulting

Fundraising Lessons from 17 Years in Startups

A startup consultant's comprehensive perspective on fundraising from both founder and investor sides of the table.

· 9 min read
Technology Consulting

Startup Architecture Patterns That Scale

A technology advisor's comprehensive guide to architectural decisions for startups planning for scale.

· 7 min read
Strategy Consulting

Go-to-Market Framework for Technical Founders

A startup consultant's comprehensive guide to go-to-market strategy for B2B and technical products.

· 6 min read
Team Building Consulting

Building Engineering Teams at Startups

A technology advisor's comprehensive guide to hiring, organizing, and scaling engineering teams at startups.

· 6 min read
Pirat3 Web3 Blockchain

Pirat3: Cutting-Edge Technology and Future Plans for Decentralized Business

An exploration of the cutting-edge ERC-721P technology powering Pirat3 and the ambitious roadmap for building a comprehensive decentralized business ecosystem.

· 4 min read
Boom Labs Blockchain Web3

Boom Labs: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Lessons in the Blockchain Space

A candid reflection on the Boom Labs journey from product development through market challenges to the difficult decision to shut down, and the invaluable lessons learned along the way.

· 7 min read
Boom Labs Blockchain Web3

Boom Labs: Navigating the Blockchain Funding Landscape

An inside look at how Boom Labs secured over $2.5 million in funding commitments pre-product, including fundraising strategy, investor targeting, pitch process, and key lessons learned.

· 4 min read
Pirat3 Web3 Blockchain

Pirat3: Tokenomics and Business Model for the Decentralized Era

A deep dive into Pirat3's PIR8 token economics, utility-driven business model, and market opportunity at the intersection of the gig economy, digital commerce, and blockchain.

· 4 min read
Boom Labs Blockchain Web3

Boom Labs: Pioneering the Bridge Between Web2 and Web3

The founding story of Boom Labs and our mission to build critical multi-chain API infrastructure bridging Web2 and mobile applications into the blockchain era.

· 4 min read
Pirat3 Web3 Blockchain

Pirat3: Revolutionizing Business in the Web3 Era

An introduction to Pirat3, a groundbreaking platform creating a decentralized Silicon Valley on the blockchain, empowering entrepreneurs and freelancers through the innovative ERC-721P token standard.

· 3 min read
Pavilion Initiatives Advisory Investment

Pavilion Initiatives: Transforming the Startup Ecosystem and Shaping Future Innovators

Exploring the vision for Pavilion Initiatives and its potential to transform India's startup ecosystem through ethical foundations, comprehensive support, and a focus on nurturing young entrepreneurial talent.

· 4 min read
Pavilion Initiatives Investment Advisory

Pavilion Initiatives: An Innovative Investment Strategy for Nurturing Early-Stage Startups

A detailed look at Pavilion Initiatives' unique investment framework combining founder-friendly terms, the FounderPool concept, and comprehensive support beyond capital for early-stage startups.

· 3 min read
Pavilion Initiatives Advisory Investment

Pavilion Initiatives: Revolutionizing the Startup Ecosystem with a Gurukul Framework

Introducing the Pavilion Initiatives concept that blends India's ancient gurukul educational philosophy with modern startup mentorship to create the best community of creators and founders.

· 3 min read
Entrepreneurship Leadership

Transformative Journey: My Experience as a Westerwelle Young Founders Programme Fellow

Reflections on the transformative experience of being a fellow in the Westerwelle Young Founders Programme in Berlin, Germany, and how it reshaped my approach to entrepreneurship.

· 5 min read
Perkk Strategy Market Analysis

Perkk's Market Potential: Reshaping the Future of Employee Benefits

An exploration of the massive employee benefits market opportunity and how Perkk's innovative, data-driven approach is poised to capture significant market share.

· 4 min read
Perkk Technology Innovation

The Technology Behind Perkk: Innovating the Employee Benefits Space

A deep dive into the innovative technology stack powering Perkk's employee benefits platform, including AI-driven personalization, cloud architecture, and data analytics.

· 4 min read
Dabba Strategy Retail Technology

Dabba: Reinventing Customer Loyalty and Engagement at the Point of Sale

How Dabba is reimagining customer loyalty programs by integrating engagement features directly into the transaction process through innovative Point of Sale technology.

· 3 min read
Leadership Entrepreneurship Mentorship

Leading by Learning: My Dual Role in the Startup Leadership Program

Reflections on serving as both a Joint Program Leader and Fellow in the Startup Leadership Program in New Delhi, and the unique insights gained from this dual role.

· 6 min read
Molobus Strategy Market Analysis

Molobus: Capturing the $10B Long-Distance Bus Travel Market in India

An analysis of the massive long-distance bus travel market opportunity in India and how Molobus is positioned to transform the sector with a tech-first, premium approach.

· 3 min read
Perkk Advisory HR Tech

Perkk: Revolutionizing the Employee Benefits Experience

How Perkk envisions transforming the broken employee benefits system with a data-driven, employee-first approach to personalized perks and rewards.

· 2 min read
Dabba Technology Digital Marketing

Dabba: Unleashing a Digital Marketing Revolution Through Your PoS

How Dabba transforms Point of Sale systems into digital marketing powerhouses, bridging physical and digital retail experiences through innovative receipt-based engagement.

· 3 min read
Greenfunder Technology Cleantech

Greenfunder: Powering the Future of Cleantech with Technology and Innovation

An inside look at Greenfunder's technology-driven platform for revolutionizing cleantech asset leasing in India, from AI-powered recommendations to IoT integration.

· 4 min read
Greenfunder Cleantech Investment

Greenfunder: Unlocking the $150 Million Annual Return Potential in India's Cleantech Market

An analysis of Greenfunder's business model and the immense market potential in India's cleantech sector through innovative leasing approaches.

· 4 min read
Molobus Transportation Technology

Molobus: How Technology and Operations are Driving Our Innovation

A deep dive into how Molobus combines cutting-edge technology with operational excellence to revolutionize long-distance bus travel in India.

· 2 min read
Dabba Retail Technology Marketing

Dabba: Revolutionizing Point of Sale Systems with Intelligent Receipts

How Dabba is transforming ordinary receipts into powerful marketing tools by seamlessly integrating with existing Point of Sale systems.

· 2 min read
Financial Inclusion Fintech Social Impact

Bridging the Gap: My Journey with the Financial Inclusion Lab

Reflections on participating in the inaugural cohort of the Financial Inclusion Lab and the lessons learned about using technology to drive financial inclusion in India.

· 3 min read
Greenfunder Cleantech Renewable Energy

Greenfunder: Revolutionizing Cleantech Adoption in India

How Greenfunder is making cleantech affordable and accessible to millions of Indians through an innovative leasing model for clean energy assets.

· 3 min read
Molobus Transportation Startup

Molobus: Revolutionizing Long-Distance Bus Travel in India

How Molobus is transforming India's long-distance bus travel with an airline-like experience, addressing a massive underserved market of 69 million daily riders.

· 2 min read
ExpressMOJO Logistics Technology

ExpressMOJO: Driving the Future of India's Trucking Industry with Technology

A look at the technology powering ExpressMOJO's platform and the ambitious plans for transforming India's trucking industry through AI, blockchain, and IoT.

· 3 min read
Breadnpulp Food Tech Investment

Ahead of Its Time: Lessons from Investing in Breadnpulp's Cloud Kitchen Venture

Reflections on mentoring and investing in Breadnpulp, one of Mumbai's earliest cloud kitchen experiments, and the valuable lessons learned about market timing and pioneering innovation.

· 6 min read
ExpressMOJO Logistics Market Analysis

ExpressMOJO: Unlocking the $220 Billion Potential of India's Trucking Industry

An analysis of ExpressMOJO's business model and the massive market potential in India's $220 billion trucking industry, from digital classifieds to a comprehensive logistics platform.

· 3 min read
Leena.ai Investing AI/ML

From ChaterOn to Leena.ai: Reflecting on a Transformative Investment Journey

A reflective look at the investment journey from ChaterOn to Leena.ai, covering the pivot from chatbots to enterprise HR AI, key milestones including YCombinator acceptance, and lessons learned as an early-stage investor.

· 5 min read
ExpressMOJO Logistics Digital Transformation

ExpressMOJO: Revolutionizing India's Trucking Industry with Digital Classifieds

How ExpressMOJO aimed to transform India's fragmented trucking industry through a digital classifieds platform, connecting fleet owners, transporters, and commission agents across the country.

· 3 min read
OurSwasth Healthcare Technology

OurSwasth: Leveraging Technology to Shape the Future of Rural Healthcare

A deep dive into the technology stack powering OurSwasth's rural healthcare platform, including AI/ML capabilities, offline-first architecture, and an ambitious roadmap for telemedicine, IoT integration, and blockchain health records.

· 4 min read
OurSwasth Healthcare Business Strategy

OurSwasth: Tapping into India's $280 Billion Healthcare Market

An analysis of OurSwasth's strategy for tapping into India's massive healthcare market through micro-transaction pricing, community health worker empowerment, and a focus on underserved rural primary care.

· 3 min read
Octo.ai AI/ML Open Source

Octo.ai: Shaping the Future of Machine Learning and Analytics

A retrospective on Octo.ai's journey from 2013 to 2017, covering its impact on the machine learning community through open-source tools, key milestones including YourStory recognition, and the vision for the future of AI and analytics.

· 4 min read
Klipper Mobile Technology Business Strategy

Boosting User Engagement and ROI: The Business Case for Klipper

How Klipper transforms mobile app performance into measurable business results, driving user engagement, reducing churn, improving conversion rates, and delivering significant ROI through smart caching and optimization.

· 4 min read
Octo.ai AI/ML Technology

Under the Hood: The Technical Marvels of Octo.ai

A deep technical dive into Octo.ai's analytics hypervisor architecture, covering distributed computing, AutoML, real-time analytics, cloud-native deployment, and the open-source ecosystem powering the machine learning platform.

· 4 min read
OurSwasth Healthcare Mobile Technology

OurSwasth: Revolutionizing Rural Healthcare in India through Mobile Technology

Introducing OurSwasth, a mobile platform empowering over 1 million primary healthcare workers in rural India with digital patient records, vernacular health education, community health tracking, and AI-powered diagnostics.

· 3 min read
Octo.ai AI/ML Startups

Revolutionizing Machine Learning: The Birth of Octo.ai

The origin story of Octo.ai, an open-source analytics hypervisor for machine learning, from its genesis in 2013 through gaining traction on Product Hunt, GitHub recognition, and seed funding -- and the vision to democratize ML for businesses worldwide.

· 4 min read
Klipper Mobile Technology Software Architecture

Under the Hood: A Technical Deep Dive into Klipper's App Acceleration Technology

A detailed look at the technical innovations powering Klipper's app acceleration solution, including smart caching, custom binary protocols, and a high-performance architecture built with Golang and Riak.

· 3 min read
Klipper Mobile Technology Product Launch

Klipper: Revolutionizing Mobile App Performance

Introducing Klipper, an intelligent middleware solution that accelerates mobile app web services through smart caching, custom binary protocols, and cross-platform compatibility.

· 3 min read
NomNom Artificial Intelligence Food Technology

NomNom and Beyond: The Future of Culinary AI

Exploring the broader implications and future applications of NomNom's AI-powered culinary technology, from personalized nutrition and smart kitchen integration to sustainable cooking and virtual culinary experiences.

· 4 min read
AAHIT Artificial Intelligence Emerging Markets

AAHIT: Revolutionizing Mobile Search for the Next Billion Users

Introducing AAHIT (Advanced Artificial Human Intelligence Technology), a WhatsApp-based search service that brings sophisticated AI-powered search capabilities to the next 1.75+ billion users in emerging markets.

· 3 min read
NomNom Natural Language Processing Semantic Web

Under the Hood: The Technical Implementation of NomNom's NLP and RDF System

A deep technical look at NomNom's implementation, covering the NLP pipeline from tokenization to SPARQL query generation, the RDF knowledge graph built with Apache Jena, and the challenges of building an intelligent recipe chatbot.

· 4 min read
AAHIT User Experience Emerging Markets

AAHIT: Redefining User Experience and Its Future in Mobile Search

How AAHIT is reimagining mobile search through a simple WhatsApp-based conversational interface, delivering personalized responses and democratizing information access for users in emerging markets.

· 3 min read
NomNom Artificial Intelligence Semantic Web

NomNom: Revolutionizing Recipe Search with RDF and Knowledge Graphs

Introducing NomNom, an AI-powered chatbot that leverages RDF knowledge graphs and natural language processing to transform how people search for and discover recipes through conversational interaction.

· 3 min read
AAHIT Artificial Intelligence Business Analytics

AAHIT: A Deep Dive into Technology and Growth Metrics

An in-depth look at the technology powering AAHIT's mobile search platform -- including NLP, machine learning, and human-assisted AI -- along with impressive growth metrics showing 7,503% user growth in 20 weeks.

· 4 min read
Jaja.tv Startups Media Technology

Jaja.tv: Pioneering the Second Screen and Lessons for the Future

A retrospective on Jaja.tv's journey from 2010 to 2012 as a pioneer in the second-screen revolution, covering its technological legacy, impact on the media landscape, and the entrepreneurial lessons learned.

· 7 min read
Jaja.tv Technology Software Development

Building the Future: The Cutting-Edge Tech Stack Behind Jaja.tv

A deep dive into the cloud-based technology stack that powered Jaja.tv's real-time, interactive media experiences from 2010 to 2012, including Django, Node.js, Redis, and more.

· 5 min read
Jaja.tv Startups Media Technology

Pioneering the Second Screen: The Birth of Jaja.tv

The story of how Jaja.tv was born in Austin, Texas, pioneering the second-screen experience that transformed how people interact with television from 2010 to 2012.

· 4 min read
Kwippy Startups Entrepreneurship

The Kwippy Legacy: From Indian Innovation to Global Impact

The final chapter of the Kwippy saga - how our Indian social media startup captured international attention in 2010 and led to a successful acquisition and exit.

· 4 min read
NLPCaptcha Technology Web Security

NLPCaptcha: Initial Results and Future Directions

Sharing the encouraging early results from NLPCaptcha's beta testing, including improved user experience, enhanced security metrics, advertising effectiveness, and our roadmap for the future.

· 3 min read
Kwippy Startups Social Media

From Startup to Stardom: Kwippy's Ascent to the Top of Indian Web 2.0

How Kwippy's explosive growth in 2009 propelled it to the top 5 micro-blogging sites in India, earned national media recognition, and secured a place among DataQuest's Top 25 Indian Web 2.0 Start-ups.

· 5 min read
Kwippy Startups Social Media

Revolutionizing Social Media: The Birth and Rise of Kwippy

The story of how Kwippy was created in 2008 as a nano-blogging platform that bridged the gap between instant messaging and blogging, sparking a movement in India's social media landscape.

· 4 min read
NLPCaptcha Technology Software Development

NLPCaptcha: Overcoming Technical Challenges in Natural Language CAPTCHAs

A technical deep dive into the challenges faced while developing NLPCaptcha, including generating diverse context-aware questions, ensuring bot resistance, and integrating advertiser content using Python and NLP.

· 3 min read
NLPCaptcha Technology Web Security

NLPCaptcha: Revolutionizing Web Security and Advertising

Introducing NLPCaptcha, a patent-pending technology that combines natural language processing with CAPTCHA functionality and advertising to create a better experience for users, websites, and advertisers.

· 2 min read
Kwippy Startups Entrepreneurship

From Vision to Recognition: Kwippy's Journey to DataQuest's Top 25 Indian Web 2.0 Start-ups

Reflecting on Kwippy's journey from inception to being recognized as one of DataQuest's Top 25 Indian Web 2.0 Start-ups in 2009, and the lasting impact this milestone had on my entrepreneurial career.

· 6 min read