Former SoftBank President Alok Sama on Network Capital: Career Reflections and Book Discussion
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Alok Sama was the chief dealmaker at SoftBank, the backer of Arm Holdings, Yahoo, Nvidia, TikTok, Uber, T-Mobile, Alibaba and WeWork. In his first book The Money Trap, Sama discusses the inside story of some of these deals and presents a stranger-than-fiction personal odyssey featuring his experiences alongside SoftBank's iconic founder, Masayoshi Son, a maverick who wants to be remembered as “the crazy guy who bet on the future” and whose mission is “happiness for everyone.” Sama takes us on a wild journey as he consorts with A-list CEOs and heads of state, and negotiates mega-deals on a Gulfstream jet, Son's sanctuary with its exquisite Japanese garden, and a waterside restaurant in the Turkish Riviera—all while contending with a mysterious dark-arts smear campaign that takes a toll on his private life.
These are the questions we asked him:
Talk to me about your early days growing up in Delhi and what achievement/ ambition meant to you
You have a remarkable career. Tell us about some things you did in your twenties that set you up for success
Does failure mean anything to you? What if anything is your relationship with failure? Most things you do turn out superbly - investment decisions, book sales, friendships, familial life.. The SoftBank related controversy was made up..That’s not a failure.. In fact it is a signal that you have “arrived”
Why did you write this book?
You had accomplished so much before SoftBank. What made you take up the offer?
Tell us about the different phases of learning (investments, geopolitics, learning about yourself) and accomplishment within SoftBank. Reading the book gave me a glimpse but it would be great to hear an expanded version
Masa and Nikesh are important characters in the book. What made them work well for the time they did and where did you fit it?
Tell us about the deal you cracked while driving along with your wife on your anniversary. She played a pivotal role helping you out. How did both of you strike a balance between the demands at work and the demands at home?
How did you try and give Masa and Nikesh feedback? What did you do when they disagreed with you (give us a sense after Nikesh left as well)
In the midst of all the uncalled for controversy, did you think that joining SoftBank was a mistake?
How did you and your family deal with the tricky and false claims on media?
Do you feel you have made your 18 year old self proud?
What does your reading routine look like? When do/did you find time to do deep work given your backbreaking schedule?
Do you have any advice for your former self?
What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?