Q&A with Leaders: 202X Vision: Is Now the Time to Bet on Yourself and Join the Gen E Wave?
Q1: With reports suggesting 100 million workers globally may need to switch occupations by 2030 due to AI, what patterns are you seeing among mid-career professionals worldwide?
Dr. Edna Ayme-Yahil: "The first reality, especially in Europe, is that 45 or 50 is the sell-by date. Unless you're in a country with strong social protections like Germany, it's exceptionally hard to get another job after that age following an economic layoff.
But I don't see it as either-or anymore. I see people going back and forth - doing project work, launching side businesses while employed, then letting that grow before taking the leap. There's flexibility, and it's not linear anymore.
There are different paths: scalable companies, fractional executive roles, interim positions, or selling your knowledge as a solo consultant. The key is recognizing that putting yourself at risk by staying with the same company for 20-30 years is no longer viable unless you're unfireable."
Q2: In the Indian context, are professionals being pushed out or pulled toward entrepreneurship?
Atul Kulshreshtha: "It's more of a pull right now because the ecosystem is so dynamic. There's tremendous hype - from Prime Minister Modi to government policies at state levels, everyone believes startups are the way forward.
Yes, layoffs are happening, but there's also a socioeconomic aspect. Your appetite for risk depends on your life stage. If you're in your 20s, fresh out of college, you have higher risk tolerance. When you're in your 40s or 50s with family responsibilities, having a working spouse with stable income can enable you to pursue entrepreneurship.
What's remarkable is that entrepreneurship has been launched as a course in India's 11th and 12th grade curriculum. We're seeing a fundamental mindset change from our traditionally risk-averse culture."
Q3: How has AI changed the definition of a 'fundable' startup in India?
Vivek Chadha: "After COVID, there was massive investment in digital transformation, leading to wrong projections and subsequent layoffs at companies like Meta and Google. Now we're seeing a correction accelerated by AI.
Today's shift is about scalability through AI leverage rather than headcount. Solo founders and lean teams can now prototype, market test, and launch 10x faster using AI for design, customer service, content, and data analysis.
India's digital infrastructure - platforms like UPI and Open Digital Commerce - make it ideal for lean startups. Investors now focus on unit economics, growth velocity, and automation capabilities rather than team size. Gone are the days when the first question was whether the startup is revenue-generating - now you need to show validation, revenue, and people ready to pay before approaching the market."
Q4: What's a practical exercise someone can do this week to transform their corporate experience into a compelling value proposition?
Dr. Edna Ayme-Yahil: "It's about looking outwards at what the market wants, not trying to repeat what you did in your corporate job. Ask yourself: What's my niche? Where do I want to play? What do customers actually want?
You might end up presenting just 5% of what you were doing in your previous job, and that becomes your new business. Consider a portfolio career with multiple revenue streams - maybe fractional work, some investment activity, teaching, or consulting in areas that weren't your original career.
The idea is having multiple revenue streams where ideally no more than 20% of your income comes from one source. That's actually safer than a salary, because with a salary you can always be fired and then there's zero."
Q5: For someone starting as a fractional CMO or CFO in India, what AI tools can deliver insights that would have been impossible for solo operators just a few years ago?
Vivek Chadha: "First, there's a repository called 'There's an AI for That' - you type in your problem statement and get exact tool recommendations. But what keeps me up at night is that every morning there's a new update. What I learn today sometimes isn't relevant next week.
Some tools I've used: Crayon, Copy.ai, Jasper for content, and FlowGPT for financial leaders. You can integrate ChatGPT with Google Docs to leverage data presentation.
But here's the key: You need to understand how these tools operate and their limitations. Blindly using tools creates problems because anyone can use them. The insight you bring as a leader with 20 years of experience - AI cannot match that today. AI can solve factual problems but not problems requiring experiential wisdom."
Q6: How can professionals shift from transactional networking to authentic relationship-building in India?
Atul Kulshreshtha: "First, you need a good ecosystem around you - mentors, coaches, experts in different domains. In India, we have tremendous resources available now.
But your family is also part of your ecosystem. You need a supportive spouse because entrepreneurship is 24/7. You literally don't have time for yourself, which is both good and bad - you must take care of your health because if you're not healthy, your business cannot be healthy.
Transactional networking never works. You need genuineness in relationships. Be selfless - ask 'How can I help you? What are you trying to do?' Networking doesn't come naturally to most people, and we've become too digital through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp.
People are getting saturated with digital channels and returning to the physical world. Organizations like TiE, Startup India, and major corporations are organizing startup meets to bring people together physically."
Q7: What's the most critical financial discipline a new founder in India must adopt to survive the 'valley of death'?
Vivek Chadha: "If you don't pay enough attention to cash flows, you're going into the valley of death with no recovering. The biggest risk is business continuity - if your startup doesn't function for a couple of months, it's dead because team members lose interest.
While founders have big plans, the real plan initially should be ensuring the startup continues operating. Before obsessing about revenue, obsess about cash flows and how the business will continue running.
Use time-boxing for your runway - know how much cash you have and how many months before it runs out. Plan in advance, and remember projections are always wrong. If you have one year of projections, cut down 30% - so plan for eight months instead of twelve.
Every expenditure must be tied to a metric aligned with your north star. I see founders doing social media but when I ask how many leads they generated, they fumble. Stop doing fuzzy things with unclear ROI. If you spend $100 on outbound, you can calculate return on investment even if it's zero."
Q8: What ethical dilemma might a new consultant face, and how should they handle it?
Atul Kulshreshtha: "For AI startups especially, before you even get to design, ask yourself: Am I convinced about the ethical aspects of this project? If your heart says no, don't do it.
That's probably the best guardrail - if you believe what you're creating will have negative impact on humanity, don't do it. That's the short answer, but it covers the most critical ethical consideration."
Q9: What's the litmus test to determine if your idea is a viable business or just an expensive hobby?
Vivek Chadha: "The gumption of the idea should come from data, but passion is required to sustain it. If you believe the problem you're solving is worth solving, the passion becomes sustainable.
How far should you stick to your journey? It should be driven by data. I'm not asking founders to hallucinate and keep going when there's no light ahead. Some founders struggle for 10 years before they succeed - it's a very personal decision.
Look at PepperTap - they launched fast grocery delivery 10 years ago and failed miserably, but they were ahead of their time. Today it's exactly what the market needs."
Atul Kulshreshtha: "Passion is absolutely required for any startup founder. If you're not passionate about the problem you're solving, you shouldn't be doing it. But you also need an exit strategy - if after certain years it's not working, fail early, fail safe, and begin with a new idea.
Having an external bouncing board - a mentor who can show you the mirror about your probability of success - is invaluable."
Dr. Edna Ayme-Yahil: "You can't not have passion, but you also need to do the operational heavy lifting to make things work."
Key Takeaways from Growth Sutra's Perspective
As Vishwendra emphasized, we're living in an era where courage, clarity, and code can be more powerful than traditional corporate structures. The session revealed several critical insights:
The Great Shift is Real: Whether pushed by layoffs or pulled by opportunity, the move toward entrepreneurship is accelerating globally
AI as an Enabler, Not Replacer: Smart use of AI tools can amplify human expertise, but experience and wisdom remain irreplaceable
Lean is the New Large: Today's fundable startups focus on unit economics and AI leverage rather than headcount
Cash Flow is King: Financial discipline and runway management are more critical than ever
Authentic Relationships Matter: In India's relationship-driven market, genuine networking beats transactional approaches
Next Steps: Continue Your Growth Journey
Growth Sutra's next LinkedIn Live session is scheduled for August 21st, 2025: "Door Openers and Landing Spots: 2X Conversions and Faster Wins." This session will dive deeper into go-to-market strategies and conversion optimization.
Connect with Our Expert Panelists:
For brand communications and strategic marketing: Dr. Edna Ayme-Yahil
For AI use cases and business transformation: Atul Kulshreshtha at GroByz
For startup scaling and fundraising: Vivek Chadha at AccelerateX Ventures
For growth strategies and mentorship: Vishwendra at Growth Sutra