The Digital Couch
By ValueFirst
Founded in 2003, ValueFirst connects businesses with their consumers over telecom and internet channels, at scale. ValueFirst assists brands across sectors to build conversational experiences by offering Apple Business Messaging, Chatbots, Email, Google Business Messaging, Instagram, RCS Business Messaging, SMS, Voice, and WhatsApp through communication platforms and smart APIs.
ValueFirst is run by ~500 free-spirited individuals spread across the globe.
The Digital CouchJun 21, 2022
The one with Hitarth Saini (FREO)
Who is Hitarth Saini?
Founding Member and Head of Marketing
Who is the host?
Shoury Gupta of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Gaurav Suri (UTI Mutual Fund)
Who is Gaurav Suri?
Head of Marketing & Product at UTI Mutual Fund
Who is the host?
Vijayant Dhaka of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Prashant Puri (AdLift)
Who is Prashant Puri?
CEO & Co-Founder at AdLift
What are the key takeaways from this episode?
- marketer of 2022, a juggler
- seo and digital transformation
- is performance marketing killing creativity
Who is the host?
Shoury Gupta of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Arjun Vaidya (Verlinvest)
Who is Arjun Vaidya?
Ventures Lead - India at Verlinvest
What are the key takeaways from this episode?
- from selling a company to becoming a VC
- the India D2C wave
Who is the host?
Shoury Gupta of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Shirish Agarwal (Panasonic India) - Trailblazer Edition
Who is Shirish Agarwal?
Head - Marketing Communication & Brand of Panasonic India
What are the three key takeaways from this episode?
- the art of storyteching
- shift towards a digital world
- data relevance and CDP platforms
Who is the host?
Shoury Gupta of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Karan Kumar (DLF Limited) - Trailblazer Edition
Who is Karan Kumar?
Chief Marketing Officer of DLF Limited
What are the three key takeaways from this episode?
- the power of self belief and leading through change
- digital transformation in real estate
- channel efficacy and marketing mix
Who is the host?
Shoury Gupta of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Divya Dixit (ALTBalaji)
Who is Divya Dixit?
SVP - Marketing, Partnerships & Revenue of ALTBalaji
What are the three key takeaways from this episode?
- the coming of the OTT industry during the COVID-19
- OTT from an Indian context of content and marketing
- creating a homegrown market share
Who is the host?
Himanshu Kumar of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Karthik Yathindra (Jockey India) - Trailblazer Edition
Who is Karthik Yathindra?
Chief Marketing Officer of Jockey India, Page Industries
What are the three key takeaways from this episode?
- juggling too many things from product growth, sales to marketing as a marketer
- introduction of AI and high-tech marketing automation across the globe
- activewear or leisurewear industry during the COVID-19
Who is the host?
Shoury Gupta of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Vatsal Asher (DMAasia) - Trailblazer Edition
Who is Vatsal Asher?
Director & CEO of DMAasia
What are the three takeaways from this episode?
- the Indian marketing journey over the years
- data-driven yet storytelling based marketing will remain at the forefront as we move ahead
- the problem of finding ROI for a marketer
Who is the host?
Shoury Gupta of ValueFirst, a Twilio company
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Communicating all-day, every-day with Mark Gilbert (Twilio)
This is an excerpt from ValueFirst's event, Conversations. Vishwadeep Bajaj (ValueFirst) hosts Mark Gilbert (Twilio). Successful businesses today have evolved at the speed of light to keep up with increasing customer demands and the need for customized digital experiences. Customers of today expect a lot out of their brands. Any gap in consistency, break-in deliverability, or unwanted message can erode customer trust. This episode focuses on how important is it for enterprises to be truly 24*7 for their consumers.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The New Normal of Product Management with Zach Smocha (Twilio)
This is an excerpt from ValueFirst's event, Conversations. Delbmalya De (ValueFirst) hosts Zach Smocha (Twilio). Our lives have turned upside down over the last 21 months. The episode will capture how a product manager is a Mini-CEO of a product and the role of the product teams in creating customer value. Key touchpoints of the session will include looking at product problems broadly, implementing a data-driven approach, and the power of API.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Creating a Brand for the Long-Term with Shashank Srivastava (Maruti Suzuki)
This is an excerpt from ValueFirst's event, Conversations. Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) hosts Shashank Srivastava (Maruti Suzuki). In this episode, we speak about an Indian car manufacturer and how it has created a brand which has been loved for almost four decades now.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Customer Loyalty with Hemant Kumar (The Man Company)
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Vijayant makes a comeback with Hemant Kumar. Hemant is Vice President - Growth at The Man Company. Hemant and Vijayant talk about Hemant's journey, customer loyalty, customer engagement, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Cloud Computing with Raj Ravuri (Salesforce)
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury hosts Raj Ravuri. Raj is Director and Manufacturing Industry Advisor at Salesforce and has 25+ years of experience in the IT industry across Salesforce, Wipro, KPMG Consulting etc advising Fortune 500 organisations across Manufacturing sector in USA, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Raj and Shoury talk about cloud computing, digital transformation, customer relationships, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Incentivized Marketing with Josh Graham (Airtime Rewards)
Himanshu hosts Josh Graham of Airtime Rewards in this episode. Catch them speak about becoming an entrepreneur, about Airtime Rewards, incentivized marketing, digitization, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Net Revenue & Brand Management with Kaj-Dac Tam (Orkla Group)
Himanshu & Shoury host Kaj-Dac Tam of Orkla Group. Kaj is Head of Net Revenue Management at Orkla Group. Earlier, Kaj held roles at Findus Sverige, Lund University, and Massive Entertainment. They speak about brand equity, calculating ROI, net-revenue management, and data-driven approach. Do not miss this one!
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Leadership & Experiences with Venkataraman Thyagarajan (Ashok Leyland)
Himanshu & Shoury host Venkat of Ashok Leyland. He is currently the Chairman of Ashok Leyland Educational Trust. Venkat has held leadership roles across the world at organizations including Ashok Leyland, Tafe, Enfield, Macneil, and more. He’s an alumnus of IIT Madras. They speak about Venkat's journey, leadership, hiring talent, and more.
PS- Venkat launched India's first EV vehicle.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Digitizing Status Quo with Rohan Shridhar (Terra Economics & Analytics Lab)
In this episode, Himanshu speaks with Rohan Shridhar. Rohan is the Co-Founder of Terra Economics & Analytics Lab. He's a lawyer turned into a tech founder. Listen to his incredible story and how Terra is making property information easy and accessible.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Marketer to a CEO with Nitish Bajaj (Piramal Group)
We're launching season four with Nitish Bajaj, CEO of Piramal Group. Nitish talks to Shoury and Himanshu about his journey from being a marketer to a CEO, the importance of goal setting (aka what is next), the pandemic and more. Do not miss his rapid fire!
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
All in with Anuj Gupta (Adda52)
We finish. season 3 of The Digital Couch with Anuj Gupta, India's renowned entrepreneur. His ventures include Adda52, Poker Sports League and more. Anuj speaks to Himanshu and Shoury about starting up five times, acquiring your first few users, and points to keep in mind when looking for investment. Do not miss this one!
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The Indian Samurai, Ram N Kumar (NirogStreet)
Ram N Kumar is the Founder of NirogStreet, a digital platform that brings together the best, certified and registered professional practitioners with medical degrees in Ayurveda and other Indian system of medicine. Himanshu hosts Ram and they speak about Ram's experience, fund raising, Ayurveda, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Nurturing future leaders with Devvaki Aggarwal (Instrucko)
Devvaki is the CEO at Instrucko, the world’s first live one-to-one language learning platform through storytelling, with a focus on emotional intelligence and critical thinking. Himanshu hosts Devvaki on the Digital Couch and they speak about online education, finding the right target audience, and become a female founder.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Starting Up with Dhruv Madhok (Arata)
Himanshu Kumar makes his podcast hosting debut as he is joined by Dhruv Madhok of Arata. Dhruv talks about his journey, fundraising, product development, the personal care industry, and starting up. In his past roles, Dhruv spent time at Bird Group, PVR, Snacket, and KPMG.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Customer Behaviour & Experience with Punit Banga (Nissan India)
In the sixth episode of the third season, The Digital Couch hosts Punit Banga of Nissan India. Shoury and Punit speak about the world of customer experience management, the automobile industry, COVID-19, digital transformation, and more. Don't miss this one!
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Curiosity & Growth with Prabhakar Tiwari (Angel Broking Ltd.)
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Vijayant Dhaka speaks with Prabhakar Tiwari of Angel Broking Ltd. Catch them talk about PT's journey, the amazing things Angel Broking is doing, the question of growth, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Talking the Leap with Avani Rajput (leap.club)
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta speaks with Avani Rajput of the leap.club. Catch them talk about Avani's journey, the amazing things leap.club is doing, power of networking, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Telling stories to the world with Moneka Khurana (MMA India)
In the third episode of season 3, Shoury Gupta hosts Moneka Khurana. Moneka is Country Head of MMA India.
Catch her speak about her journey, marketing, MMA, India, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
Tête-à-tête with Mohit Raina (Domino's)
In the second episode of season 3, Vijayant Dhaka hosts Mohit Raina. Mohit is AVP-Marketing at Dominos Pizza. In his past avatars, he has held roles at DNA Network, PepsiCo, and Gillette.
Catch him speak about his journey, marketing, change management, collaboration, travel, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The world of marketing with Anita Nayyar (Zee5)
In the first episode of season 3, Vijayant Dhaka hosts Anita Nayyar. Anita is Head of Customer Strategy & Relationships at ZEE5. In the past, Anita has held senior roles at Havas Media, Starcom and Mudra Communications in the past.
Catch her speak about advertising, marketing agencies, her journey, and women in business!
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Gautam Nimmagadda (Quixy)
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Gautam Nimmagadda (Quixy).
Gautam is CEO & Founder of Quixy. In the season finale, Shoury and Gautam speak about digital transformation, SMBs, no-code platforms and more. Don't miss this one!
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Priya Dar (Amway)
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Vijayant Dhaka (ValueFirst) is joined by Priya Dar (Amway).
Priya is Head of Digital Strategy & Innovation at Amway India. In her previous avatars, she held leadership roles at Godfrey Phillips, Indus Towers, Capgemini and other organizations. Vijayant and Priya speak about digital transformation, COVID-19, FMCG sector, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Punit Modhgil (Octane Research)
Punit is Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer of Octane Research. In his previous roles, Punit held leadership roles at ValueFirst. Microsoft, and Allied Worldwide. Punit and Shoury speak about marketing, COVID-19, Digital 2021- the research report, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Rohit Kulkarni (Payoneer)
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Rohit Kulkarni (Payoneer).
Rohit is Vice President at Payoneer and is driving growth in South Asia, North Africa, and Middle East. In his career spanning over two decades, Rohit has held roles at Amazon, Yahoo, GE Money, and Sodexo. Rohit and Shoury speak about SMB's, digital payments, COVID-19, and more.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Anand Bhatia (Fino Payments Bank)
In our sixth episode of the second season, Vijayant Dhaka (ValueFirst) hosts Anand Bhatia (Fino Payments Bank).
Anand is Chief Marketing Officer at Fino Payments Bank. Anand has been in the business of – Seeing what everybody sees, hearing what everyone hears but thinking through what others do not. This has been his mantra.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Nikhil Dhar (Indigo)
In our fifth episode, Vijayant Dhaka (ValueFirst) hosts Nikhil Dhar (Indigo).
Nikhil is the Director of Marketing & Communication at Indigo. Nikhil talks about COVID-19 & Travel, Work From Home, and the way Indigo communicated with its customers in the last few months.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Molly Kapoor (Aditya Birla Sun Life)
In our fourth episode, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) hosts Molly Kapoor (Aditya Birla Sun Life).
Molly Kapoor is Head – Marketing at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited (formerly known as Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company Limited).
In her previous role, Molly managed ICICI Prudential's Customer Service Strategy. A Masters in Economics and a post-graduate from NMIMS, Mumbai, Molly is also a Green Belt level practitioner of Six Sigma.
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Amit Haralalka (TATA Digital)
In this episode, Vijayant Dhaka (ValueFirst) hosts Amit Haralalka (TATA Digital).
Amit is the author of 'The Fresh Brew' and currently works on products at TATA Digital. Amit has worked across India, China, Europe, the US and loves being at the intersection of digital, culture, and people!
Shoot us an email at thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Shweta Singh (Unilodgers)
In this episode, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) hosts Shweta Singh (Unilodgers). Shweta is Chief Business Officer at Unilodgers.
Shweta has held board positions at Fitso, IndiaMoney.com, LetsMD, and Sheroes. She’s been on the leadership teams at Lumis Capitals and SRI Capital. Shweta ran an early-stage investment firm – Sol Primero where she invested in high-growth Indian internet businesses across various sectors. She has worked at Zomato and UBS Bank in the past. Shweta holds an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, a master's from the University of Cambridge, and an undergraduate degree from St. Stephens College, University of Delhi.
Shweta speaks about her journey, technology, investment, COVID-19, and more.
Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The one with Bruce Schwack (NetMeds.com)
In this episode, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) begins the second season with Bruce Schwack (NetMeds.com). Bruce leads a team of world class thinkers, doers and disruptors in the industry. Bruce enlightens us with his experiences on creating one of the most disruptive companies in India and his story so far.
Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The Digital Couch with Vish Bajaj
In our tenth episode, we host our very own, Vishwadeep Bajaj. Vish is CEO & Founder of ValueFirst. He speaks about his entrepreneurial journey, pivoting businesses, creating a culture, and managing people. Don't miss this one!
Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming seasons.
The Digital Couch with Rajeev Singh
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Rajeev Singh. Rajeev is Vice President- Strategic Industries at SAP. He has held leadership roles at SAP and Oracle in the past. He speaks about his journey from being an engineer to a business leader now. He also speaks about the sales ecosystem, COVID-19, and aces the rapid-fire round.
Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The Digital Couch with Mayank Singh
In the eighth episode of The Digital Couch, we host Mayank Singh. Mayank is Head of Marketing, Technology & Business Transformation at Domino’s Pizza Indonesia. Previously he held roles at SminQ, Zee Entertainment, NDTV, and Times Group. Mayank speaks about his journey from engineering to product to marketing, online ordering, and technology.
The Digital Couch with Apurva Chamaria
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Apurva Chamaria (RateGain). Apurva is Chief Revenue Officer at RateGain and has held leadership roles at HCL and Ranbaxy in the past. Apurva is an angel investor, author of two best-selling books, a thought leader, and a social worker. In this episode, Apurva speaks about his journey, COVID-19, and closes with some great tips and suggestions.
The Digital Couch with Vijayant Dhaka
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Vijayant Dhaka. Vijayant has held leadership roles at Cheetah Digital and Octane in the past. Vijayant now leads email and marketing automation business at ValueFirst. Hear him speak about his journey and how he has seen the industry change over the years. He speaks about buying patterns, handholding customers, and long-term relationships with customers.
Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The Digital Couch with Payal Koul
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Payal Koul. Payal has held leadership roles at IBM, Invest India, Alcatel and other companies in business development ecosystem. She takes us through a journey about how the ecosystem has evolved over the years. Payal speaks about the advent of technology in sales/ business development. She also speaks about her favourite and least favourite thing about business development.
Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The Digital Couch with Matthijs Keij
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Matthijs Keij (Withlocals). Matthijs speaks about travel and how the industry is gearing up for its new normal. He speaks about his favourite travel destinations, virtual tourism, technology and more. Do also check out withlocals.tv as mentioned by Matthijs in the podcast.
Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The Digital Couch with Manish Joshi
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Manish Joshi (Nike). Manish speaks about the retail industry and its evolution over the years due to technology. He speaks about how the pandemic has speeded digital transformation. Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The Digital Couch with Abhijit Chakraborty
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Abhijit Chakraborty (Brainpan). Earlier Abhijit worked at organisations such as OYO, Pernod Ricard and HP India. Abhijit takes us through the journey of marketing over the years and his learnings from working in different sectors. He speaks about storytelling, technology and more. Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.
The Digital Couch with Amit Dubey
In this episode of The Digital Couch, Shoury Gupta (ValueFirst) is joined by Amit Dubey (Airbnb). Amit shares his experiences from the Indian army and working at brands such as American Express and Uber over the years. He speaks about managing teams, inspiring people and risk-taking.
Shoot us an email to thedigitalcouch@vfirst.com if you found value in this episode and have suggestions for our upcoming episodes.