By Shashi Bellamkonda ·
Growing up in India, the word “exam” carried a heavy, almost suffocating weight. The 90 minutes you spent at a desk frantically writing on paper took on life-changing proportions. The pressure wasn’t just academic; it felt existential. Tragically, we still see headlines of young lives cut short because of poor marks. The system implicitly taught us a dangerous lie: that a single grade defines the…
Read Strategic Brief
By Shashi Bellamkonda
The Stranger on the Next SeatThe Washington Post was folded open on my breakfast table, and the headline stopped me mid-sip: “The mental benefits of chatting up a stranger.” I rea…
Read More
By Shashi Bellamkonda
I spent the week in Nashville covering Epicor Insights 2026. Four thousand manufacturers and distributors at the Gaylord Opryland. Keynotes, analyst sessions, the expo floor. Good…
Read More
By Shashi Bellamkonda
The Will to Win: A Conversation with Venus WilliamsWhat Venus Said About LosingThe moment that stayed with me from Boomi World 2026 had nothing to do with product roadmaps.Steve L…
Read More
By Shashi Bellamkonda
Think positive. Always assume positive intent. Don't read negative intent into others' actions.These phrases often sound like well-worn clichés, but I am a firm believer i…
Read More
By Shashi Bellamkonda
The Optimist's HeartShashi Bellamkonda · May 18, 2026My father used to say that worrying was just praying for things you didn’t want. He said it in Telugu, and it sounded be…
Read More
By Shashi Bellamkonda
What Dhurandhar: The Revenge Is Really Doing to Indian AudiencesI watched Dhurandhar: The Revenge across two evenings, which felt like the only honest way to absorb something that…
Read More
