ANUPAM MITTAL – Leaders In Tech & Auto

1. What’s your leadership mantra in the fast-evolving tech landscape?

Stay paranoid. Stay human. In tech, the only constant is change, and if you’re not learning, you’re dead. But amidst all the chaos, remember: businesses are built by people, not algorithms. So lead with empathy, curiosity, and clarity.

2. How do you inspire and motivate your team during challenging times?

By being real. No gyaan. Just context, candor, and trust. I tell them what I know, what I don’t, and what I’m betting on. Most people don’t need a superhero—they need someone who shows up, listens, and leads from the front.

3. In an era of AI and automation, how do you see the role of human leadership evolving?

AI may beat us at speed and logic, but empathy, vision, and storytelling—that’s our superpower. The best leaders will be part monk, part strategist, part coach. Tech will do the work. Humans will create meaning.

Also Read: Interview of Amanpreet Singh Bajaj

4. Tell us about a major screw-up in your career—what went wrong and what did you learn?

Too many to count! But early on, I built something amazing, ahead of its time—and nobody came. Lesson? Timing beats talent. The right idea at the wrong time is still the wrong bet. Today, I back founders who get that.

Other one is that you should dream big but live in the details. I made the mistake of counting my chickens before they hatched and went broke twice after making millions.

5. What’s a mistake you see many young tech entrepreneurs making?

Confusing raising money with making money. Building a startup is not about how much you raise—it’s about how much value you create. Funding is a means, not the mission. Also, don’t build for applause. Build for outcomes.

6. How do you handle failure, and how do you encourage a failure-friendly culture?

I’ve lost millions. But I’ve gained more in wisdom. We talk about failure openly—postmortems, not blame games. But regardless of what you say, what matters is what you do.  I try and ensure, even after colossal failure or losses, that we keep things in perspective and understand what led to the failure and take remedial action. The team must ‘feel’ safe when taking chances.

7. What’s the next big disruption you foresee in the tech industry?

I think Gen AI is the obvious one, but the real disruption will be when AI moves from a tool to a teammate. Combine that with spatial computing, and how we work, learn, even fall in love—will look very different. India’s missed some big waves—we can’t miss this one.

8. How do you unplug from the tech world? Or do you? Any non-negotiable habits?

I try, but Instagram follows me to the Himalayas. 😅 That said, early mornings are sacred—no tech, just breathwork and workouts. Also, spending time with my daughter reminds me what really matters.

9. What books changed your perspective on leadership & technology?

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. And Range by David Epstein—it taught me that generalists may not look flashy early on, but they win long-term.

10. Podcasts and inspiring quotes for our readers?

Podcasts: a16z, Pivot with Kara Swisher, and Masters of Scale.
Quote? I’ll give you a desi one:
Jab haarne ke liye kuch hai hi nahin, toh jeet to h pakki hai.