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S7 E6 - Vishal Gupta | Why Every Hiring Mistake Made Me Better
What happens when a number-crunching engineer discovers his biggest mistakes all have one thing in common? In this episode of Real Returns, hosts Andrew Reichert and Dan Croce sit down with Vishal Gupta, tech entrepreneur and former CEO of Seclore, to explore his 25-year journey from IIT Bombay to building global cybersecurity companies serving clients like American Express, GM, and Aramco across 35 countries. Vishal reveals why angel investing became his most expensive hobby, the critical transition from engineering logic to leadership empathy, and how holding onto the wrong people too long taught him more than any success ever could. From raising capital to landing contracts bigger than funding rounds, Vishal shares his investment philosophy centered on three filters: people you enjoy working with, technology with transformative potential, and impact that matters. Learn why AI will make people more important (not less), how saving 5-7% of global manufacturing waste could reshape entire industries, and what gets Vishal energized every morning about making the digital world a safer place for everyone, especially the elderly vulnerable to cybercrime. Timestamps:  00:00 - Opening Segment  01:00 - Vishal's Background: From IIT Bombay to Global Tech Entrepreneur  02:55 - The Expensive Hobby of Angel Investing  04:00 - The Biggest Lessons: Every Mistake Was About People  05:15 - Why Hiring Mistakes Are Getting More Expensive in the AI Era  07:10 - From Engineer to Leader: Logic to Empathy  09:00 - Why People Problems Don't Follow Engineering Formulas 10:10 - Investment Criteria: People, Technology, Impact  13:00 - Real Impact Examples: Manufacturing Waste and Cybersecurity  15:50 - Making the Digital World Safer  17:00 - Lightning Round: Customer Contracts as Funding, Ethiopian Food, and Sleep  20:10 - Content Recommendations and Young Entrepreneur Energy  22:10 - Closing Segment Key Quote: "I went from a number crunching engineer to, I would say, a pretty people oriented leader..." - Vishal Gupta     Connect with Vishal Gupta: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiguptaji/ Subscribe to Real Returns wherever you listen to podcasts! For more insights on impactful investing and alternative asset strategies, visit our website to learn more about creating real returns through real estate. LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, AND LEAVE US A REVIEW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or whatever platform you listen on. Thank you for tuning in, and stay tuned for the next episode.  
Real Returns
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