On Curation, Craft, and Taste w/ Malini Malik | Co-Founder, General Items • Founder, Come Away

On Personal Agents, Collective Intelligence, and the Agentic Web w/ Mahesh Lambe, CEO and Chief Scientist Project Nanda

In this episode, we explore collective intelligence, personal agents, and the Internet of AI Agents with Mahesh Lambe [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maheshlambe/], one of the minds behind Project Nanda [https://www.media.mit.edu/groups/nanda/overview/]. For the last two decades, the internet connected information. What if the next phase connects intelligence itself? We discuss why coordination may be one of the defining challenges of the coming decade, the infrastructure required to enable intelligent agents to collaborate, and why AI may ultimately become an invisible layer woven into everyday life. Some key points covered: • Why collective intelligence matters more than individual intelligence • Personal agents and the rise of AI-native interfaces • The Internet of AI Agents and the Agentic Web • Decentralization, trust, identity, and discovery • Solving the coordination problem at scale • Why AI may become an invisible infrastructure layer • Kumbhdoot and using AI to coordinate the world's largest gathering • What the next internet could look like when intelligence is networked • The future of human-AI collaboration and collective problem-solving If you've been curious about where AI is headed beyond chatbots and productivity tools, this episode offers a glimpse into a future where intelligence becomes networked, collaborative, and woven into the fabric of everyday life. About Mahesh Lambe Mahesh Lambe is a technologist, researcher, and systems thinker working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, distributed systems, and digital public infrastructure. His work focuses on how intelligent systems coordinate, collaborate, and create value at planetary scale. About Project Nanda Project Nanda is an open, community-driven initiative exploring the foundations of an Internet of AI Agents. Inspired by the protocols that enabled the modern web, it seeks to build the trust, identity, discovery, and coordination layers required for intelligent agents to interact safely and effectively across organizations, geographies, and ecosystems. Its long-term vision is to enable collective intelligence at scale through open, decentralized infrastructure.

On Irrationality, Nuance, and Behavioural Design w/ Pratyush Pillai (TinkerLabs)

We like to believe we’re rational. That we think, then act. But most of the time, behaviour is shaped elsewhere by habit, perception, context, and a special kind of chaos. In this episode, I’m in conversation with Pratyush Pillai, Head of Behavioural Design at TinkerLabs. We explore what it really means to design for people as they are not as we assume them to be. From irrational decisions to the gap between knowing and doing, this is a deep dive into how behaviour actually works in the real world. Along the way, we cover his personal journey into behavioural design, the thinking behind TinkerLabs and what makes the practice unique, how innovation often comes from the most unexpected places, and the nuances of behaviour in the Indian context from stereotypes to social cues. There are second thoughts, contradictions, and a lot to take away on the other side of this one. Tune in!

Designing Your Own Genre w/ Yash Pradhan | Nostalgia, Ownership & Creative Independence

Yash Pradhan [https://yashpradhan.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorwpnLVCYdg5ijCmVsGyaC4jZOIw5naKuwendRbkOdVeRJBNHdu] is a self-taught illustrator and designer whose creative education happened online. A 90s baby shaped by internet culture, he began his career as an accountant before turning his obsession with design into a full-time practice. What started as small experiments shared online became commissioned work for brands like Coach, Real Madrid, Meta, Kingfisher and lots more!. In this conversation, we unpack: * what it means to build taste in public * how digital curiosity becomes a competitive edge * why understanding IP, ownership, and pricing is non-negotiable for creators today * genre-building * nostalgia as aesthetic strategy * why the best work often comes from designing for yourself first More than anything, this is a conversation about playing the long game: making the work, owning it, and not taking the process so seriously that you stop enjoying it. Follow Yash below: Website [https://yashpradhan.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorwpnLVCYdg5ijCmVsGyaC4jZOIw5naKuwendRbkOdVeRJBNHdu], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/yashpradhan/]

Talented’s PG Aditiya on Where Advertising Still Feels Alive

PG Aditiya is the Co-Founder and CCO of Talented, one of India’s sharpest and most awarded creative agencies, built on the belief that great work begins with great people. Titles, however, only partly describe his role. His thinking extends well beyond the mechanics of advertising, shaped by a deep reverence for craft, an archival curiosity for its history, and a visible pride in the people behind the work. In this episode of On Second Thought, he reflects on the changing agency model, the thinking behind Talented’s internal handbook [https://talentedagency.notion.site/Talented-Handbook-d0b7a11bb6f143729ea79862902e3ba4], and why talent density - rather than scale has become the organising principle of the company. Drawing on family lore, objects of close affection, and years spent in the business of advertising, he speaks candidly about creative ambition, and how Talented responded to a long-standing need in the market. He also considers the history of advertising and its influence on modern culture, alongside his own journey as a founder. The conversation also covers culture and attention, touching on matcha raves, soft clubbing, and the fragmentation of media and meaning online. Taken together, it is a portrait of a creative leader thinking carefully about what endures and where advertising still feels alive. About Talented: [https://www.talented.agency/] Talented is on a mission to be the greatest creative company in the world. It is an independent creative agency founded in 2022 in Bangalore by Gautam Reghunath and PG Aditiya. The firm has quickly built a reputation for thoughtful, nuanced work for both legacy and modern brands, and has been recognised on the global stage: Talented has won multiple Cannes Lions, including a Silver Lion for its Avani’s Gold campaign for Britannia Marie Gold at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, among other metals for work across media and storytelling.

On Curation, Craft, and Taste w/ Malini Malik | Co-Founder, General Items • Founder, Come Away

What does it mean to live a life guided by curiosity, taste, and intuition? In this episode, I sat down with Malini Malik, co-founder of General Items in Bangalore and founder of Come Away, to explore a life shaped by art, travel, and trust in the process. Growing up as an army kid, Malini’s world was defined by movement: each new place leaving behind textures, colors, and memories that quietly built her aesthetic sensibility. With a background in art history and textile design, she began her career at Chumbak, working at the intersection of design and sourcing before finding her own voice as a curator and cultural entrepreneur. The conversation traces her leap into entrepreneurship with General Items—a design-led store that celebrates the beauty of everyday objects and the emotional resonance of craft. Malini reflects on building something rooted in thoughtfulness and joy, the art of curation, and the confidence that comes from trusting the universe to guide your path. It’s a story about taking the plunge, noticing deeply, and living a life rich in experience and meaning.