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Why Anand Left Stability to Build an AI-First Company (45+)

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About this episode

In this Chaos to Clarity episode, I’m in conversation with Anand Kulkarni — Co-Founder & CEO of Acklero Tech and community convener of Power Stackers.

After 25 years in technology, Anand chose the harder path: starting again at 45+ — not for “hustle”, but for impact. We speak about what AI actually changes inside businesses, why 95% AI projects fail, and how leaders should think about customer experience, operational efficiency, and compliance together — not as separate silos.

We also talk about real stories from public-sector innovation, Smart India Hackathon, trust as culture, and Anand’s powerful idea: don’t doubt yourself — doubt your idea.

If you’re a founder, operator, or leader trying to adopt AI the right way — this one will stay with you.

Guest: Anand Kulkarni Company: Acklero Tech (AI-first services) Community: Power Stackers Blog: https://swantasukhaya.blogspot.com/

Check out his book Slip between the Cup and Tip: Random Musings with Zen https://amzn.in/d/h2iybmE

Chapters

Chapters

  1. 00:54Starting again at 45+ (why leave “stability”)
  2. 04:05Swant Sukhaya vs Bahutai (what changed after 25 years)
  3. 05:36Building AI-first when nobody talked about AI
  4. 06:55The 3 outcomes: CX, efficiency, compliance
  5. 09:18Real AI use-case: shipping visibility + fewer escalations
  6. 13:15“AI will take jobs?” what actually happens
  7. 15:00Humans-in-the-loop + first principles thinking
  8. 19:03Why 95% AI projects fail (and what the 5% does)
  9. 21:37AI in marketing: hyper-personalization at scale
  10. 24:27Can AI help find new customers too?
  11. 27:050→$1M vs $60M vs $300M: speed vs impact
  12. 37:42Trust is everything (integrity + commitment)
  13. 41:18Smart India Hackathon stories (the crazy student energy)
  14. 47:50Public sector innovation: when change threatens “middlemen”
  15. 49:43The nutrition dashboard story (impact at scale)
  16. 54:31Blogging, book & inner journey (Swant Ka Sukhai)
  17. 01:00:26Intent vs reality (the gap that creates growth)
  18. 01:04:58Advice: doubt the idea, not yourself