Founder @WebVeda, Content creator @wariCrew, Speaker, Author. Eternal Optimist.

My overarching mission is to empower people to make choices in life from a point of awareness, not ignorance.

Over the past 17 years in the internet and technology space, I’ve had the privilege of working on several ventures - founding some, investing in others, and learning from all. 

Over 16 million people follow my work across social platforms, where I share my experiences and insights on career, mindset, startups, personal finance, and relationships.

Today, my main focus is building WebVeda, an online school helping young professionals develop practical life skills across entrepreneurship, personal growth, and career management.
We have over 480,000 paid students worldwide with an average completion rate of 72%.

I have also launched a nation-wide search for the brightest kids in India, offering them a Rs. 10L scholarship, through a program called the India Genius Challenge. 

I’ve also written five bestselling books that have sold 1Mn+ copies worldwide across 63 countries and translated into 17 languages:
- Do Epic Shit (2022)
- Get Epic Shit Done (2023)
- Make Epic Money (2024)
- Build An Epic Career (2025)
- Beyond The Syllabus (2025): for teenagers only

It’s been a journey shaped more by reflection and exploration than certainty, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ankur Warikoo

I don’t know who needs to hear this:

Your kindness doesn’t fail because someone hasn’t returned it.

Some won’t care.
Some might even manipulate it.

Being kind, empathetic, and optimistic even when the world gets you down is not foolishness.

It means you’re deciding who you want to be, not what the world is influencing you to be.

It's an act of bravery.
It’s an act of believing in something bigger than yourself.

Because who would you be, if you are not kind?

Founder @WebVeda, @IndiaGeniusChallenge • Speaker • 6X Bestselling Author • 16M+ community

What you don’t want in life will be what you keep receiving. Here’s why:

You go to a coffee shop.
You want to have a normal milk coffee.

You reach the counter, and the barista asks, “So what can I get you today?”
You reply, “I don’t want a black coffee.”

He is confused and asks again, “Um, okay. But what do you want?”
You reply, “I don’t know. All I know is that I do not want a black coffee.”

It’s a busy day for the barista.
He goes back to completing all the orders.
By the time he returns to your order, he can’t quite remember what it was.
All he remembers is you constantly mentioning “black coffee.”

So after 5 minutes, a black coffee lands on your table!

This is called the Black Coffee Theory.

It is how most of us live our lives.

We keep telling the universe what we don’t want.
What we fear.
What we want to avoid.
What we don’t want to be.
What we want to run away from.

And all that the universe hears - is that thing.
So it gives us that thing!
The very thing we did not want in our lives.

To win, you need to be super specific about what you want in life.
”I want a normal milk coffee.”

That’s it!

PS: This is a reproduction of my weekly newsletter which I send every Friday to 100,000+ subscribers. In this newsletter I share pics, books, quotes, fun facts and a thought of the week. 

Sign up here: bit.ly/4b4HMqk

If your job ceased to exist tomorrow, what would still remain?

Your ability to communicate.
To negotiate.
To focus.

These skills follow you across roles, industries, and phases of life.

With how fast the world and careers are changing, you need to hone these as much as your technical skills.

This list of 12 skills (and books to master them) compiled by Colby Kultgen is a great place to start:

1/ Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo - Public Speaking

2/ Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss - Negotiation

3/ Indistractable by Nir Eyal - Focus

4/ $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi - Offer Creation

5/ To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink - Sales

6/ Atomic Habits by James Clear - Habit Building

7/ Dare to Lead by Brené Brown - Leadership

8/ The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman - Copywriting

9/ Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi - Networking

10/ Range by David Epstein - Adaptability

11/ Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks - Storytelling

12/ I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi - Personal Finance

The 12-month career upgrade plan:


MONTHS 1-2:

- List the skills you currently have
- Identify the skills the market values for the role you want (check LinkedIn, Naukri, Glassdoor)
- Compare and figure out the gaps
- Do a salary benchmarking to know how high you can aim

MONTHS 2-5:

- Close the skill gap using market-validated resources:
- Free YouTube tutorials, paid courses by experts, freelancing projects or internships, personal projects
- Focus on practical, hands-on learning over theory

MONTHS 6-8:

- Join communities, Slack groups, Reddit forums, or Discord servers in your field
- Observe conversations, job types, new tools, and project trends
- Speak to people about their experiences and learnings - what they would do differently. You'll start understanding what actually matters in your industry.

MONTHS 9-12:

- Build a portfolio website (show your projects, case studies, outcomes)
- Update your LinkedIn with your new skills, projects, and certifications
- Share your work online
- Start sending cold emails directly to founders and hiring managers
- Apply strategically - use references, network connections, and alumni links

Don't wait for the "right time."
Start with what you have and build upon it.

12 months of focused effort can change your entire career!

No one tells you this when you start working.
Being good at the work is only part of the equation.

As roles grow, so do the stakes.

Conversations get harder. 
Pressure shows up differently.
You work with people who see things very differently than you.

That’s where judgment starts to matter as much as execution.

Here are 5 emotional skills that make you irreplaceable.
What would you add to this list?

5 Emotional Skills That Make You Irreplaceable at Work

We’ve been sold the idea that respect is earned through bold moves.
The way the entire crowd listens to you.
The powerful title.

But in 20 years of working closely with people, I know this is far from the truth.

It boils down to one thing: reliability.

Following up when they said they would.
Remembering the small details.
Going the extra mile.
Accepting their mistakes and improving the next time.

This list of 20 habits by Colby Kultgen captures this sentiment.

Because in both life and work, the ability to be counted on is rarer than talent.

Your mind is in your control!

Feed it limiting thoughts and that’s how you’ll behave.
Feed it optimistic thoughts and that’s how you’ll behave.

Try out this experiment, and see for yourself :) 

#google #life #learnings #warikoo

A well-dressed man, working in a nameless FMCG company, graduated from a college in Gujarat.

He never once tried to impress.
It was only after seeing his business card that the full picture came together.

That’s the thing about competence, isn’t it?

It doesn’t rush to signal itself.
It doesn’t rely on labels to be taken seriously.

Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. 
It’s thinking of yourself less!

A rare trait in a world that loves the spotlight.

I met somone on my flight...

When we look at successful people, we usually focus on what they did right.

The book, Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell asks a different question:
What conditions had to exist for their effort to become successful?

Here are my top 5 ideas from the book:

1. 10,000-hour rule

To master a skill, you usually need to practice for 10,000 hours.
That requires you to be patient and think long-term. To not give up when it gets monotonous. 

2. Individual talent is necessary but not sufficient for success

Skill creates readiness.

Luck, timing, and access decide whether that readiness ever gets tested.

Put the same person in a different decade or geography, and the outcome can change completely.

Would Steve Jobs gain the success that he did in the 60s?

3. Don’t underestimate practical intelligence

Your analytical intelligence (IQ) may help you land opportunities, but your practical intelligence (social and situational) will help you get further - reading people, adapting to context, and understanding unwritten rules.

4. The Matthew Effect

Success leads to more success. 

Small early wins - in confidence, exposure, or opportunity - create conditions where future wins become easier to accumulate.

5. Your background matters

Your upbringing, surroundings, and the people around you, play a big role in your success.

If they offer support and guidance, that will help you succeed.
If you feel demoralised and aren’t encouraged to grow, you won’t have the motivation to do so.

As much as possible, surround yourself in a positive environment.

Failure at a young age is data. 
Not destiny.

People were asked in a survey:
"What is the thing that scares you most in life?"

Number 2 was death. 

Number 1 was?
.
.
.
.
.
Public speaking! 

So many of us are scared of speaking in front of the public? 

A lot of us think that public speakers are born. 

We jumped right out of our mother's womb and went, 

"Hello nurse. How are you doing today? Thanks for coming to my TED talk!" lol.

The truth is - we are scared of public speaking because we are scared of making a mistake in front of the public. 

And then being judged. Ridiculed. Mocked. 

So we decided to sit in the audience instead and make fun of someone else. 

But you know what?

When you step on stage - and your legs are trembling, and your hands are shivering and your heart beat is racing and you are sweating - you will make a mistake. 

Because everyone does. 
And people will laugh at you. 
Because that's what they do. 

But at that moment, my friend - there is only one winner in the room. 
And that winner is you! 

Everybody else who chooses to sit in the audience and laugh at you is a loser! 
You are the winner. 

Be that winner!

Soft Skill & Corporate Trainer | 41K | I Help Individuals Master Public Speaking with Confidence | Professor-PW | Speaker - G Summit 2023 | 30+ Webinars | Resume Review & Interview Prep Coach | Trained 1000+ | 30+ Brands

Is communicating with confidence holding you back?

I’m Vrinda Gupta, a Leadership Communication Trainer and 2× TEDx Speaker.

I work with corporate professionals, founders, and high-potential students who know their work but struggle to articulate it with confidence, clarity, and authority.

My work sits at the intersection of confidence, communication, and performance.

Over the years, I’ve trained 4,500+ professionals and students, helping them:

- Speak clearly in high-stakes meetings and interviews
- Build executive presence without changing who they are
- Communicate ideas confidently with clients, leadership, and stakeholders
- Overcome the silent fear of speaking that limits growth

Where my work shows up

- Fortune 500 companies & corporate teams, training professionals across roles and seniority
- Top institutions, including IIT Ranchi, Amity University, FORE School of Management, PayPal learning cohorts, and other leading campuses
- Founders and senior professionals navigating leadership communication, presentations, and influence

My work has been featured across platforms focused on leadership, culture, and professional growth, including:
- TEDx & Josh Talks
- Humans of Bombay
- LinkedIn News & ET (Economic Times) features
- Favikon - Top Creators
- LinkedIn Top Voice (2025)

What I train people on

- Executive & workplace communication
- Interview and placement communication
- Leadership presence & stakeholder conversations
- Client communication & professional confidence
- Public speaking and high-pressure communication scenarios

Whether you’re an early-career professional, a people leader, a founder, or an academic institution preparing students for industry, communication is the skill that decides how far capability actually travels.

If you’re exploring structured communication training for yourself, your team, students, or leadership cohort, you can reach out here.

📩 vrindagupta02@gmail.com

Vrinda Gupta

I almost cancelled that evening.

It wasn’t even something important. Just one of those “haan haan I’ll come” plans that you low-key hope get cancelled on their own.

I was tired. Didn’t feel like talking. Didn’t feel like explaining myself to anyone.

I even typed the message.

“Hey, something’s come up…”

And then just stared at it.

For some reason, I didn’t send it.

I went.

The event itself was very normal. Average. Loud. Slightly awkward.

But I had one random conversation in a corner with someone I barely knew.

They said something so casually about how they handle self-doubt and it hit me harder than it should have.

Not because it was profound. Because it was honest.

I came back home thinking about that one line.

It’s strange how perspective sometimes comes from places you almost skipped.

Now I think about all the times I’ve cancelled things because I didn’t “feel like it.”

Maybe half the growth in life is just showing up on low-energy days.

2× TEDx Speaker | Corporate Communication Trainer | I Help Teams & Leaders Communicate with Authority | Better Client Conversations, Stronger Leadership Presence, Higher Conversions | Top Voice 2025

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An HR head from an IT company reached out to me with a simple problem.

“Our team is technically strong. But our emails are costing us deals.”

Follow-ups sounded unsure. Proposals felt unclear. Client responses were slow or cold.

The issue wasn’t capability.

It was communication.

So we ran a focused session on business email writing:

– Structuring intent clearly
– Removing passive, apologetic tone
– Writing with outcome in mind
– Stronger subject lines
– Clear call-to-actions
– Client-centric language

No theory. Just real emails. Real rewrites. Real practice.

A few weeks later, I got a call.

“Something’s changed. The emails are sharper. Clients are responding faster. And Conversations are moving forward.”

Sometimes the gap between effort and results isn’t strategy.

It’s how you articulate value.

If your team is technically strong but struggling with conversions, the issue might not be competence.

It might be clarity.

My DMs are open if this sounds familiar.

taplio

The Battle

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Vrinda Gupta

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The Battle

Ankur Warikoo

Vrinda Gupta

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Engagements

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