Alok Sama on Life & Leadership Lessons: From President & CFO at SoftBank to Author of The Money Trap
Join us on the Indianness Podcast with Alok Sama as he revisits:
~ A life of 17-hour workdays, massive mergers, and global finance
~ Deep personal reflections on mortality, regret, and missed phone calls
~ How a cadaver at age 10 turned him away from medicine forever
~ Lessons in failure—from cricket to startups—and how they shaped his resilience
~ The moment he realised his son thought he was cool again
📘 This is not just a career story—it’s an emotional reckoning.
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aloksama?
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction and Setup
04:30 – Welcome to the Podcast
06:30 – Childhood and Family Background
11:50 – The Influence of His Father
15:00 – The Cadaver Incident
18:30 – Luck, Serendipity & Career
21:00 – Schooling and Rejection
24:50 – Cricket, Sports and Resilience
29:00 – Friendships and Long-term Bonds
31:30 – Decision to Study Abroad
36:50 – Cultural Shock in America
40:00 – Wharton and Academics
42:40 – Career at Morgan Stanley
45:00 – Mentorship and Role Models
48:00 – Joining SoftBank
51:00 – Staying After Nikesh Left
52:30 – Pivot to Writing
56:20 – The Money Trap Book
58:00 – New Writing Focus
1:02:00 – Life After Loss
1:05:40 – Redefining Success
1:10:20 – Most Influential Person
