Reflections Inspired by Think School(Ganesh) & Kishore Biyani's Podcast

04 Jun, 2025

Watch the full podcast with Kishore Biyani here.

I was genuinely surprised by how closely many of my thoughts aligned with Kishore Biyani’s views. It felt like he articulated what I’ve been internally wrestling with for a while. Here are a few takeaways and parallels I drew from the podcast:

1. The New Generation’s View of Business as Problem-Solving This struck a chord with me. Today, many business problems seem manufactured, solutions to issues that didn’t originally exist or were deliberately created. Strip things down to basics—food, shelter, education, healthcare—and beyond that, what’s left often revolves around status, virtue signaling, and the selfish gene. The deeper context? It's less about solving real problems and more about playing the business game.

2. Targeting the Family, Not Just the Consumer Biyani’s approach to family-centric marketing really stood out. Instead of narrowly targeting a single user, he dives into the family dynamic. For example: a. A chocolate brand appeals to an 8-year-old with cartoons and fun, b. A health drink, however, is positioned through the lens of parental concern, crafted for children but sold through the parents' values.

This deeper behavioral insight is often missed by modern marketers.

3. Strategy > Design > Execution There’s too much noise today glorifying “Execution is everything.” But that’s not the whole picture. Understanding your user, crafting a sharp positioning, and thinking beyond revenue, toward long-term balance sheet stability, is key. Biyani's thoughts echo mine: strategy comes first, execution is just the tail of a well-thought-out animal.

4. Influence, Aspiration & Role Models in Brand Building What surprised me was the weight Biyani places on celebrities, influencers, and aspirational figures. And he's right, branding is not just about visuals or messaging, it’s about association. Some sharp examples he mentioned are:

5. Dhoni and Sachin for mutual funds,

6. Kohli for Puma,

7. Ranveer Singh for Super You. It’s not just endorsement, it’s social conditioning via cultural icons.

8. Insight Comes from Observation, Not Just Research When Ganesh asked him, “How did you get that insight?” Biyani’s response was gold: “Through deep, everyday observation.” Future Group succeeded not because they had massive data — it didn’t exist like it does now — but because they relied on instinct, intuition, and bold bets. I resonate deeply with that. Sometimes, the best research is living and noticing.

9. Ganesh’s Open-Ended Style I loved how Ganesh keeps things fluid, open-ended, exploratory, never rigid. He quickly shifts gears across brands and is a real sucker for case studies and real-world examples. That kind of discourse makes these conversations engaging and layered.