Questions people ask before they write to me

No. My talks and sessions are about what AI means for your business: strategy, value, risk, people and decisions. Where a team wants to go deeper, I run deep dives and short programmes that are hands-on, but they are always about business choices, not tool training.

CEOs, CXOs, founders, senior leadership teams, industry associations, and conference and corporate audiences. That is where I can be most useful, so that is where I focus most of my time.

Usually 30 to 60 minutes, including questions. Fireside chats work well too. For panels, I find the conversation is most useful when it is focused, has two or three panellists, and we have spoken beforehand to prepare, so I tend to say yes to those.

Yes. That is how every talk is built. Even before we agree, I want to understand your audience: who they are, what they already know about AI, what is changing in your business or industry right now, and what you want them to leave with. Based on that, I’ll tell you honestly whether I am the right speaker, and how I would shape the talk. Once we agree, I bring in examples from your industry, and where it helps, from your own company, so the talk feels like it was written for your room. Because it was.

To see whether I am the right fit and to tailor the talk, please share:

• the objective of the event, and what you want the audience to leave with
• a short brief on the organisers
• the number of participants, and their typical profile (roles, seniority, industry)
• the length of the talk
• who the other speakers are
• whether it is online or in person, and the city and venue
• the planned date

It also helps to watch one or two of my earlier talks on my YouTube channel, so you can judge whether my style suits your audience.

Yes. I speak in English or Tamil, or a mix, whichever suits your audience.

Not today. I speak in English or Tamil. With AI translation and voice tools improving quickly, that may change, and I look forward to it.

Yes. I speak both online and in person. In person, I have spoken in 26 cities across 11 countries.

We can discuss it. I prefer one or the other, fully in person or fully online, because each works better when it is designed for one kind of audience. When the audience is split, it is harder to keep both halves engaged.

Four to six weeks is comfortable. I can sometimes do less.

A date is held once we agree on the brief, and confirmed with an advance of 50%. The balance is due within 7 days of the event.

They depend on the format, the length and the location. Tell me about your event and I will come back with a clear quote.

One reschedule is fine with reasonable notice, which is normally 14 days or more. If an event is cancelled, I will refund the advance, less any travel already booked.

Yes. Invoices are raised by Little Feet Services Pvt. Ltd., an Indian company, with GST.

Yes. I can invoice overseas organisations in US dollars, in line with the Indian tax rules that apply at the time.

I am based in Chennai and travel within India and overseas. For events outside Chennai, the organiser covers travel and stay. I prefer to fly, with a hotel close to the venue.

• A good projector or screen (16:9), with an HDMI connection for my laptop
• A hands-free microphone
• A stable internet connection, if we plan a live AI demonstration
• For public and external events: a professional video recording of my talk, plus photographs, which I can release on my website and social channels. For internal corporate events, we agree on recording beforehand.

The full list is in the speaker kit.

I keep 10–15 minutes for questions, and hard ones are welcome. If there is more to discuss, I am happy to follow the talk with a short round table for a select group, or a focused session in your conference room.

For public and external events, I ask that the talk be recorded professionally, and that I receive the video and photos to use on my own website and channels. You are welcome to use them to promote your event too. For internal corporate events, we agree on recording and use beforehand.

In most cases, yes, and I am happy to. If you ask in advance, I can also prepare a handout or a downloadable version for participants.

Yes. The Founder Catalyst can be arranged in bulk for gifting, and I am happy to sign copies.

Yes. Once the details are confirmed, I share it on LinkedIn and in my newsletter.

The move from founder to CEO: strategy, product direction, pricing, senior hiring, building a leadership team, board readiness, acquisitions, and where AI fits in your business.

Not in the usual sense. I don’t bring a framework and a worksheet. I bring experience of having built and run a company, and I work on the real decisions in front of you.

Mainly with the founder or CEO. Where it helps, I also work with your CXOs and leadership team, and join leadership or board meetings.

Yes, I’m open to it. It needs to be agreed at the start as part of an advisory engagement or a deep dive, with a clear scope, rather than as a one-off review. You get an independent view: what to build, what to buy, and what to leave alone.

I don’t run execution for you: sales, marketing or hiring on your behalf. I also don’t sell for you, or promise to bring or refer business to you. I help you decide and lead; your team delivers.

Yes, mainly through my mentoring work with TiE Chennai. My paid advisory work is usually with founders whose companies are already growing.

Yes, online, and in person when travel is agreed. For in-person work, South-East Asia and the Middle East are the easiest for me to reach from Chennai, though I’m happy to consider Africa, Australia, Europe and North America too.

With a free first conversation, over a video call, or over coffee if you are in one of Chennai’s business districts. If we agree to meet in another city, the cost of travel and stay is borne by you.

If there is a fit, we work on a monthly retainer, with regular one-to-one sessions and access when something urgent comes up. Every quarter we review what has changed.

Ideally three months to begin with, and then as long as I am adding value. Most founders find the value shows up after the second month.

I try to reply within one business day, and the same day for anything urgent. When I am travelling, which is not often, it can take a little longer.

Monthly, in advance.

Advisory is paid in fees. Any equity is a separate conversation, and only for companies I choose to invest in.

There is no lock-in. Either of us can end it with 15 days’ notice, and you pay only for the time up to the end of that notice. I do suggest giving it three months, because that is when the value usually shows.

Yes, completely. I’m happy to sign an NDA before we talk details.

The advisory work is with me, personally. That’s the point. Where a specific need comes up, I may bring in one of a small number of trusted partners or former colleagues, but only after you have explicitly agreed.

Yes. I can introduce you to a past client, with their permission.

I invest as an angel in a small number of companies. Advisory and investment are separate conversations.