… over 20 years and 4 hours.
If you grew up in an intellectual corner of the Indian internet, particularly around libertarian, market-first principles, Hayek, and all that, Amit Varma was someone you looked up to and someone whose clarity mattered.
I’ve known Amit over a nearly twenty-year arc, but we’d never sat down for a proper conversation until now. And finally being in conversation with him was just so wonderful. The four hours felt effortless and it was just such a natural conversation.
What surprised me most was how Amit helped me see my own story in a new way.
If there’s a single thing I’ve learned over the past decade from walking alongside many of India’s civil society leaders, it’s that sometimes the deepest work is just to stay. That presence is important. That sometimes you need to stay in the unglamorous work, in the moments where certainty has collapsed and where you don’t have the answers, and all you can do is hold the space.
This conversation made that visible to me in hindsight. I began with a faith in methods, first principles and frameworks, then pivoted to practice, where you try, fail, listen, and adapt. And perhaps now I’m in the phase of presence, where presence is what matters.
Here it is to share with all of you:
Episode 437: Gautam John is Figuring it Out
Originally published on Substack on 10 February 2026. Read on Substack →
Gautam John 
Leave a comment