ESOPs (Employee Stock Options) are one of the least understood parts of compensation in India. Are they wealth creators or just glorified lottery tickets? We break down everything you need to know, the trade-off between salary and ESOPs, the risks of taxation and dilution, and how exits, IPOs, and secondary markets really work. From early employee bets to Flipkart’s game-changing Walmart deal, we explore stories that show both the pitfalls and life-changing rewards. If you’ve ever been offered ESOPs or are considering them. This podcast will help you make informed decisions about your financial future.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
02:57 - Salary vs ESOP: the real trade-off
15:02 - ESOPs ≠ Shares?
28:35 - Should companies help you exit?
37:41 - Black-Scholes for expense
40:39 - Why not just give shares?
45:59 - Promoters/Directors rules in India
50:11 - What every employee must check in their ESOP package!
57:20 - After the payout: diversify & spend

What if money wasn’t the goal… but the tool? Deepak Shenoy and Shray Chandra dive deep into how money can enable experiences, freedom, and meaning, instead of becoming an end in itself.

00:00 Intro
02:33 GDP, Good Life, and Getting Real About Returns
15:14 The Real Cost of Wealth (and the Price of a Good Life)
31:20 Planning for Joy, Not Just Returns
43:34 Compartmentalize to Live Fully
01:04:04 I have enough money, what do I do now?
01:13:23 Is winning in life all about money?

In this episode, Deepak and Shray unpack the SEBI allegations against global trading giant Jane Street and explore whether this is a case of shrewd arbitrage or market manipulation in India's underregulated options landscape.

In doing so, they reveal deeper structural issues. An outsized derivatives market, regulatory blind spots, tax inequities, and unchecked index power that favour global giants over domestic traders all act as leading factors to the outsized profits made by the firm. The episode ends with a call for reform: position limits, STT rationalisation, index oversight, and a level playing field to restore market integrity.