Hard Work Is a Lie: The ₹3.6 Crore Career Trap No One Warned You About | ft. Ashwin Damera

👉Think School’s flagship Communication course with live doubt sessions : https://thethinkschool.com/sp/communication-masterclass/ 👉 Who would you like to see next on The Indian Business Podcast: https://forms.gle/37daEPEy7mAzhvv29 👉 Check Emeritus: https://emeritus.org/in/ IIT: https://www.iit.edu/mumbai/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=thinkschool Aberdeen: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/mumbai/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=thinkschool York: https://www.mumbai.york.ac.uk/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=thinkschool VU: https://www.delhi.vu.edu.au/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=thinkschool Bristol: https://www.mumbai.bristol.ac.uk/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=thinkschool Liverpool: https://www.bengaluru.liverpool.ac.uk/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=thinkschool Check 👉 Video Introduction Imagine two graduates getting their first job on the same day. Both are equally smart. Both work equally hard. Both earn roughly the same salary. Fast forward 15 years. One of them becomes financially independent, builds an incredible network, and is sought after by every company in the industry. The other is stuck, worried about layoffs, struggling to get promoted, and wondering where things went wrong. What caused this difference? According to Ashwin Damera—Harvard Business School graduate and Founder of Emeritus—the answer has very little to do with your first salary and everything to do with the career decisions you make in the years that follow. In fact, Ashwin argues that your first salary can become a ₹3.6 crore trap if it pushes you to optimize for short-term income instead of long-term career capital. In this episode, we break down: • Why so many high-performing professionals feel stuck in their 30s • How AI is changing the rules of career growth • Why networking matters far more than most people realize • The career mistakes that could cost you crores • How to build Career Capital, Brand Capital, and Social Capital • A framework for building a career that compounds for decades Whether you're a student, a young professional, a manager, or someone worried about staying relevant in the age of AI, this conversation could completely change the way you think about work, wealth, and long-term success. Let's get started. Chapters 00:00 – Intro 02:34 – Why So Many Professionals Feel Stuck at 35 12:50 – Do IIT & IIM Graduates Have an Unfair Advantage? 17:50 – How to Build a 10-Year Career Roadmap 27:34 – The Career Mistakes That Could Cost You Crores 30:41 – Signs You're Getting Stuck in Your Organization 32:04 – Why High Performers Become Stagnant 34:08 – What to Do When Your Boss Doesn't Recognize Your Work 36:06 – The Skills Every Professional Must Master 41:07 – What Separates World-Class Decision Makers 51:35 – How to Build Brand Capital After 35 52:30 – The Wrong Reasons People Start Startups 55:54 – How to Successfully Switch Industries 01:01:55 – Key Takeaways Our must watch must episodes: 1. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister https://youtu.be/uKO8tk3_itQ?si=vF8T442Txq_blu0i 2. Ultimate AI Masterclass for Founders and Executives 💰| Vaibhav Sisinty | IBP EP28 https://youtu.be/Rt7qxyDzc_Y 3. OYO's Insane rise & Bankruptcy! ft. Ritesh Agarwal https://youtu.be/TdQ2UD-U9rQ?si=KC7mU1SAf4zvV8MA 4. How will Modi govt fix India’s problems? ft. Sanjeev Sanyal https://youtu.be/3Lgf2WHstBY?si=wT2qbyagfnHiDFm_ 5. Why is Boult still bootstrapped? ft. Varun Gupta https://youtu.be/iH8IrBG4csM?si=W-EGheLcDjxX8fd- ✅Study Materials: Think School is a Digital School that we all deserved, but never had ►►Check out Think School's Online courses: https://www.thethinkschool.com Credits: CNN-News 18, WION, NBC News, Money control pro, Business standard, TV18,Business Today, ABC news, CNBC, ET now ,Bloomberg originals, Financial Times, DW documentary, AL Jazeera English, BBC news, Firstpost. #CareerGrowth #FutureOfWork #AI #CareerAdvice #ThinkSchool #AshwinDamera