Financial crises are an unavoidable part of modern economies — and all of us have skin in the game. Why do they happen, how do they unfold, what can we do?

Welcome to Episode 119 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay shares his learnings from a lifetime of studying and tackling financial crises — and Amit voices his strong dissent at the end.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Fate of the World is on the Line08:35 Chapter 1: Let’s Start With History36:43 Chapter 2: But Should the State Intervene?50:21 Chapter 3: Types of Financial Crises1:12:50 Chapter 4: Why Crises Happen1:22:26 Chapter 5: What Can We Do?1:32:48 Chapter 6: Tackling the Extreme Positions1:41:19 Chapter 7: Amit Attacks the Conventional View

For the full show notes, please click here!

Men and women have always struggled to understand each other — and never more so than in these complex, changing times. What can new forms of data reveal about what we really want?

A lot!

Welcome to Episode 118 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit and Ajay discuss what anonymised search results, dating apps and innovative surveys reveal about what our hearts contain.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: Energiser Bunny02:39 Chapter 1: Metrics of Empowerment09:40 Chapter 2: What Your Searches Reveal26:40 Chapter 3: What Dating Apps Tell Us47:41 Chapter 4: When Harry Met Sally53:20 Chapter 5: Over to YOU!

For full show notes, please click here!

How do we understand the world? Over the last couple of decades, new sources of data have given us great insights into our deep past — and our deep present.

Welcome to Episode 117 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit and Ajay discuss what our genetic data tells us about our prehistory — and how phone battery life can reveal character!

Also discussed: lipstick, underwear, diapers and parking lots. :)

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Importance of Measurement05:00 Chapter 1: The History38:57 Chapter 2: Getting Into the Details50:44 Chapter 3: Ajay’s Journey With the Data59:51 Chapter 4: The Russia-Ukraine War

For full show notes, please click here!

Sometimes, the data just ain’t enough. What’s going on in Russia? In fact, what’s going on in Karnataka — and all the rest of the world? Can we glean some insights in alternative sources of data?

Yes we can. All hail nighttime lights!

Welcome to Episode 116 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay discusses his pioneering work in using nighttime lights data from satellites to get crucial insights about the world — most recently, Russia. Watch!

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: A poem! A poem!02:07 Chapter 1: The History07:07 Chapter 2: Getting Into the Details14:04 Chapter 3: Ajay’s Journey With the Data25:28 Chapter 4: The Russia-Ukraine War

For full show notes, please click here!

Ideas can often be an engine to think about the world. Seeing Like a State by James C Scott is a great book that has illuminated the world with the power of its frameworks — and both Amit and Ajay are fans.

Welcome to Episode 115 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay talks about what Scott’s book meant to him — and lays out an easy introduction to its powerful ideas.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Velvet Underground of Ideas03:57 Chapter 1: What the Book Means to Ajay13:17 Chapter 2: State Legibility26:36 Chapter 3: High Modernism31:12 Chapter 4: Metis33:07 Chapter 5: An Example: Prussian Forestry Management39:27 Chapter 6: Watch out for These Four Things41:38 Chapter 7: More Examples49:14 Chapter 8: Some Takeaways1:00:49 Chapter 9: An Engine for Thinking About the World1:02:14 Chapter 10: Recommendations

For full show notes, please click here!

The US state has gone rogue. 50% tariffs are crazy. What should India do now? How does one think rationally about an irrational world order?

Welcome to Episode 114 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay lays out a roadmap for how India can thrive again despite the madness in the world.

Note: Amit and Ajay have launched their online course LIFE LESSONS. Click here to sign up.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: This Present Moment09:01 Chapter 1: 1991-2011 – The Good Times26:47 Chapter 2: The India-US Relationship34:19 Chapter 3: What’s Happening in the US?40:10 Chapter 4: The Impact45:47 Chapter 5: Building a New Global Order55:44 Chapter 6: Some Concrete Examples1:03:13 Chapter 7: Reforming Within India1:25:52 Chapter 8: How to Deal With US and China1:31:31 Chapter 9: Amit’s Pessimism1:42:34 Chapter 10: What Should Firms Do?

For detailed show notes, click here!

The Indian media has lost its way. But how? And why? Well, there have been crises of relevance, purpose, money, quality, trust, power, incentives and attention.

Phew!

Welcome to Episode 113 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit gives us a lowdown on exactly what’s wrong with the Indian media.

Note: REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for Cohort 3 of Amit & Ajay’s online course, LIFE LESSONS. Click here to sign up: https://lifelessons.co.in/

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The World is a Housing Complex09:54 Chapter 1: The Crisis of Relevance18:36 Chapter 2: The Crisis of Purpose24:52 Chapter 3: The Crisis of Money48:05 Chapter 4: The Crisis of Quality58:45 Chapter 5: The Crisis of Trust1:04:44 Chapter 6: The Crisis of Power1:13:37 Chapter 7: The Crisis of Incentives1:23:53 Chapter 8: The Crisis of Attention1:30:08 Chapter 9: The Future1:41:39 Chapter 10: Recommendations

For the full show notes, please click here!

Human beings remain the same, while technology grows at a mad pace. This means that the face of war has changed forever. Everything we know now is already outdated.

Welcome to Episode 112 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay & Amit discuss the future of war. It’s scary. Are we prepared?

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Memory of Cities08:22 Chapter 1: Why Understanding War is Important11:41 Chapter 2: The Evolution of War18:03 Chapter 3: Naval Gazing25:19 Chapter 4: The Hellscape28:55 Chapter 5: Operation Spiderweb34:53 Chapter 6: Operation Rising Lion37:45 Chapter 7: The India-Pakistan Conflict40:11 Chapter 8: The Taiwan Question42:19 Chapter 9: Drone Swarms, Iron Beam and 3D Printers49:36 Chapter 10: Eight Principles1:09:41 Chapter 11: The Implications1:26:57 Chapter 12: Two Fears and One Exhortation1:37:25 Chapter 13: Recommendations

For full show notes, please click here!