Minus One

What does it actually take to become an astronaut? Shubhanshu Shukla, the second Indian to travel to space after more than four decades, joins South Park Commons general partner Aditya Agarwal to share the answer. During Axiom Mission 4, Shukla became the first Indian aboard the International Space Station (ISS). An astronaut with ISRO and a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, he shares what it takes to get there, from the intense selection process and psychological testing to a seven-day isolation challenge and other unexpected requirements candidates must meet.He also reflects on life in orbit, from speaking Hindi aboard the ISS for the first time to the disorientation, the overview effect, and the physical changes the human body experiences. Along the way, Shukla and Agarwal explore India’s space ambitions and what it takes to chase an outsized dream.Shubhanshu Shukla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagan-shux/ Aditya Agarwal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/ South Park Commons: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/Apply to SPC: https://www.southparkcommons.com/apply(00:00:00) - Introduction: Becoming Comfortable With the Uncomfortable(00:01:54) - Why Saying "Yes" Changed the Course of His Life(00:07:15) - What It Really Takes to Become an Astronaut(00:11:40) - The Physical, Medical, and Psychological Tests(00:15:21) - What It Feels Like to See Earth From Space(00:17:20) - Microgravity: How Space Changes Your Body and Mind(00:25:35) - The Pressure and Responsibility of Representing India in Space(00:28:29) - The New Space Economy and Why the Next Decade Will Be Different(00:35:03) - Advice for Entrepreneurs Building the Future of Space(00:44:19) - The Future of Human Space Exploration: Moon, Mars, and Beyond

If there’s one person to listen to truly grasp the scale and intent of technology and where we’re headed, it’s Kevin Scott.The Microsoft CTO joins Aditya Agarwal to discuss navigating his Minus One days, the partnership with OpenAI, why the most valuable problems to solve are often the ones others ignore, and why building great things has never been easier, cheaper, or faster. Tune in now.Apply to SPC: https://www.southparkcommons.com/applyConnect with us: 1. Kevin Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkevinscott/ 2. Aditya Agarwal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer01:34 Navigating Career Transitions and Impact07:35 Challenges and Insights for Entrepreneurs14:43 The Evolution and Future of AI28:42 The Grind of Startup Life34:11 Open Source vs. Closed Source Models46:49 Empowering the Next Generation with AI

If you want to know what it’s like to be the architect of nations, not just platforms - you ask a man like Nandan Nilekani.In this episode of Minus One, Nandan breaks down the ideas, effort and intent behind building Aadhaar for 1.4 billion people, his next chapter in using AI to drive social impact across India, and what his vision of the future looks like. Connect with us here:​ Nandan Nilekani- https://x.com/NandanNilekani​ Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/​ South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer01:36 Introduction02:12 Curiosity and Conviction: Keys to Success15:11 AI and India's Future25:46 The Startup Boom in India27:03 Challenges and Opportunities in Ease of Business31:38 AI and Digital Public Infrastructure40:26 Future of Energy and Final Thoughts

Rahul Chari is a leader in India’s tech evolution, from building Flipkart’s foundations, to architecting PhonePe’s planet-scale platform. Simply put, there are very few people in a country of over a billion, who have not used what he built. In this episode of Minus One, he reflects on forming lasting partnerships, building for the future, and building to last. Connect with us here:1. Prateek Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/2. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

Akshay Kothari has built tools that transform the everyday by making technology feel effortless, like Pulse and Notion.He joins Aditya Agarwal to share the counterintuitive lessons behind enduring products, why selling can sometimes be the braver choice, and how constraints often spark lasting creativity. Connect with us here:1. Akshay Kothari- https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/2. Aditya Agarwal- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer01:02 Welcome to the Minus One Podcast01:49 Navigating the Early Days of Pulse06:59 The Silicon Valley Influence and Ambition21:07 The LinkedIn Journey and Its Impact22:39 Balancing Patience and Urgency in Silicon Valley25:25 The Vision and Early Days of Notion36:46 Personal Reflections and Philosophies

Facebook’s early culture was chaotic, fun, and fueled by a belief that "you can just do things."Andrew Bosworth, Meta CTO, joins Aditya Agarwal to revisit that foundational energy. He covers the creation of News Feed, the grit behind the pivot to mobile, and how Meta is tackling long-term hardware innovation for the AR/VR future.Apply to SPC: https://www.southparkcommons.com/applyConnect with us here:1. Andrew Bosworth - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bosworth-8247a01/2. Aditya Agarwal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/

What does it take to build great companies? Mukesh Bansal, founder of giants like Myntra and Cure.fit, and now building at the frontier of deep tech with Meraki Labs and Nurix, joins Prateek Mehta in a chat at SPC Bangalore. He shares lessons from his early Silicon Valley “startup MBA”, the pivots that defined his journey, and how culture, trust and health have shaped his approach to building generational companies driven by resilient teams. Connect with us here:1. Prateek Mehta - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/2. South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/