3 Techies Banter #3TB Bingepods

Sujith Nair, the WhatsApp-averse, badminton-loving chief mover and shaker of Beckn, gave us a peek into what the world's first e-commerce protocol is all about.

Imagine if Colgate wanted to sell a lot of toothpaste, would it open separate exclusive stores on every street? NO! Instead, it ensures its products are available in all stores where people come to shop, and not just toothpaste.

Similarly, Beckn is a way for an online business to make its products and services available on other stores (popular daily-use consumer apps) instead of setting up its own store (its own consumer app) and waiting for customers to come in droves!

In fact, we like it so much, we are carrying Beckn use cases as our episode artwork (instead of our normal groovy cover art) to spread the word in our own little way.

So, is it an app? Is it an aggregator? Is it a platform? No. It is a Super Capability - decentralised and open. 

So listen, learn and use.

History is filled with protracted, drawn-out conflicts, but did you know about a war that could have been missed during a coffee break? It started at 9:00 AM and was over by brunch, proving that even wars can have a tight schedule!

Switching gears from fleeting wars to eternal edibles, let’s talk about honey’s impressive shelf-life. This sweet treat has been found in ancient tombs and is still as good as new after thousands of years. So, why doesn't honey spoil? The plot thickens.

The human fascination with the number 3 runs deep. Trimurti, Trinity, movie trilogies, states of matter, pigs, musketeers, witches of Macbeth - the list is endless. It gives us a sense of stability that 1 and 2 cannot (legs on a stool 😎). Hopefully, we will not see World War 3.

Listen On...

Imagine the Indian fintech industry as a Bollywood dance sequence. It begins in the early 2000s, with a few enthusiastic background dancers, mainly startups like Paytm and ItzCash, shaking to the primitive rhythms of dial-up internet. The choreography was less "smooth moonwalk" and more "clunky robot dance," but the spirit? Unmatchable!

As the beat of technology quickened, so did the steps. By the 2010s, the stage was ablaze with newcomers, each adding their own flair to the routine—swiping, tapping, and clicking their way into the hearts of millions. Mobile wallets, digital banking, and e-commerce platforms pirouetted around the traditional banking giants, who were still trying to tie their shoelaces and join the routine.

Today, the Indian fintech dance floor is crowded. It's a vibrant, chaotic medley—part traditional garba, part trendy hip-hop, and entirely enthralling.

In this episode, Navin Surya, ex-MD and CEO of ItzCash joins us to help us understand the fintech medley of motion.

From a beer-drenched London street to the simple joy of a flying disc and finally to the click of a mouse that bought "Ten Summoner’s Tales," history, it seems, prefers its tales served with a side of whimsical. And we have a rhyme to match.

In London's streets, the beer did flow,A flood of ale from long ago.The vats did burst, the town did weep,In hops and barley drowned so deep.

Then Yale, where pie tins took to flight,Became the Frisbee's birthright.A simple toss, a joyful cheer,From tin to disc, the path was clear.

Online, a transaction bold,Dan Kohn's CD of Sting was sold.Through NetMarket's digital door,A new era began to soar.

Laugh along with us in this edition of our Shorts.

Royal Enfield. More than just motorcycles, the brand forges brotherhood across the Indian highways. Owning a Royal Enfield is your passport to a fraternity of wind-chasers and adventure-seekers. It's not just about the ride; it's about the rider's rite of passage into a tribe that shares tales of rugged roads and starlit skies.

The IPL is a cricketing carnival that is more than cricket. It builds communities, with fans bonding over their love for the game, city, and team. It is a spectacle where loyalty is measured in cheers and jeers and where every match is a communal celebration. Hardik Pandya can testify to this 😝.

Humans thrive in communities. This isn't a quaint relic of the past; it's our species' signature move. To throw more light on how brands are leveraging this ancient wisdom, we have Suhas Motwani, the founder of The Products Folks, Asia's largest product-driven community talking to us on 3 Techies Banter.

Listen in groups is our advice 😇

Could a banana split or a split personality have anything to do with the fact we share 50% of our DNA with bananas? Scientific facts or outrageous humour? A little of both, really.

And the next time you meticulously pick out unwanted items from your food, remember you're just channeling your inner rock star. Ask Van Halen about their brown M&M snacks.

Speaking of refreshments, that glass of water you're sipping might just have a prehistoric past. Thanks to the unending water cycle and the laws of physics that prevent matter from being created or destroyed, your H2O could very well contain molecules that once quenched the thirst of dinosaurs. Or as the title suggests.....

So, this episode is a toast to your ancient, banana-sharing, rock-star-emulating, dinosaur-sipping existence. It’s a quirky world we live in. Have Fun.