Episode 13 | The Effortless Podcast

In this episode of The Effortless Podcast, hosts Dheeraj Pandey and Amit Prakash sit down with Dr. Sonika Johri, Founder and CEO of Coherent Computing, to dive deep into the revolutionary world of quantum computing. Dr. Johri, a physicist with a PhD in condensed matter physics from Princeton University, takes us on her journey from engineering physics at IIT Delhi to becoming a leading figure in the quantum industry, having worked at Intel and IonQ.

Sonika explains the core concepts of quantum computing—superposition, entanglement, and the quantum state space—and how they fundamentally change how we approach complex problems in fields like chemistry, material science, and AI. She discusses the future potential of quantum technologies, including the exciting prospects for Quantum AI and the shift in programming paradigms as we move from low-level machine code to higher-level abstractions.

They also cover:

• The evolution of quantum hardware: From small qubits to scaling quantum systems
• What makes quantum computing different from classical computing
• The intersection of quantum computing and artificial intelligence
• Sonika’s mission to democratize quantum through Coherent Computing
• The current state of quantum software and the tools that will shape the future

This episode offers insights into quantum computing, AI, and how these emerging technologies will reshape the future of computing. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, developer, or entrepreneur, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone curious about the next frontier in technology.

Key Topics & Timestamps:
[00:00] – Introduction to Dr. Sonika Johri & Her Journey into Quantum Tech

[03:00] – Sonika’s early influences: Einstein and IIT Delhi

[06:30] – Understanding Condensed Matter Physics

[12:00] – Quantum Computing vs Classical Computing

[20:00] – How Quantum Can Solve Complex Problems (Chemistry, Optimization, AI)

[28:00] – Quantum Hardware: The Role of Qubits and Their Physical Realization

[35:00] – Programming Quantum Computers: From Low-Level Gates to High-Level Abstractions

[43:00] – Building Quantum Applications: Real-World Use Cases from IonQ and Coherent Computing

[52:00] – The Future of Quantum AI: Machine Learning and Quantum Reasoning

[1:00:00] – Quantum's Impact on Cryptography and Data Security

[1:05:00] – The Mission of Coherent Computing: Making Quantum Accessible

[1:12:00] – Looking Ahead: Future Episodes on Quantum Computing and AI

[1:20:00] – Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

Hosts:
Dheeraj Pandey: Co-founder and CEO at DevRev, formerly CEO of Nutanix, a tech visionary passionate about AI and systems thinking.
Amit Prakash: Co-founder and CTO at ThoughtSpot, former engineer at Google and Microsoft, and expert in distributed systems and machine learning.

Guest:
Dr. Sonika Johri: Founder and CEO of Coherent Computing, a quantum software startup aiming to make quantum models accessible through developer-friendly tools. Formerly at Intel and IonQ, Sonika brings her experience in building quantum software and applications for industries like finance, chemistry, and optimization.

Follow the Host and the Guest:

Dheeraj Pandey: LinkedIn | X

Amit Prakash: LinkedIn | X

Dr. Sonika Johri: LinkedIn | X

Have questions or thoughts on quantum computing? Drop us a mail at EffortlessPodcastHQ@gmail.com

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more deep dives into the future of technology, AI, and quantum computing!

In this episode of The Effortless Podcast, host Dheeraj Pandey sits down with Bipul Sinha, co-founder and CEO of Rubrik, to explore the power of relentless innovation, first-principles thinking, and continuous reinvention.

Bipul shares his journey from Oracle to venture capital, his transition from investor to entrepreneur, and the bold thinking behind Rubrik’s evolution from backup and recovery to cybersecurity and AI-driven data protection. He and Dheeraj reflect on lessons from Larry Ellison, the shifting tech landscape, and the importance of being non-consensus in building transformative businesses.

They also discuss:
🔹 The power of controversial ideas and why misunderstanding is a sign of innovation
🔹 How converging backup and security is reshaping enterprise cyber resilience
🔹 Why businesses must think backwards to execute forwards
🔹 The role of AI in simplifying cybersecurity and data management
🔹 Insights on US Federal, global markets, and the changing economic landscape

This episode is packed with wisdom on leadership, risk-taking, and the mindset needed to challenge the status quo. If you're a founder, investor, or technologist, this conversation will redefine how you think about disruption and reinvention.

• [00:00] – Are you creating the future or burdened by the past?
• [02:00] – Oracle memories: The Larry Ellison mindset & first-principles thinking
• [09:00] – The leap from venture capital to entrepreneurship
• [16:00] – Why big ideas must be controversial to create true value
• [24:00] – The evolution of Rubrik: From backup to cybersecurity to AI
• [31:00] – The power of change & why businesses must continuously reinvent
• [40:00] – AI & cybersecurity: Why protecting data is the new frontier
• [50:00] – Lessons from global markets, US Federal, and economic shifts
• [58:00] – Adhogami vs. Urdhogami: The danger of relying on the past

Host:

Dheeraj Pandey: Co-founder and CEO at DevRev, formerly Co-founder and CEO of Nutanix. A tech visionary with a deep interest in AI and systems thinking.

Guest:

Biplu Sinha: Co-founder and CEO of Rubrik, and former venture capitalist at Lightspeed and Blumberg. Bipul is an entrepreneur and investor with deep expertise in enterprise software, cybersecurity, and data management. Passionate about building enduring institutions and pioneering first-principles innovation.

Follow the Host and the Guest:

Dheeraj Pandey:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpandey

Twitter - https://x.com/dheeraj

Bipul Sinha:

LinkedIn -https://linkedin.com/in/bipulsinha

Twitter - https://x.com/bipulrsinha

Share Your Thoughts:

Have questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at EffortlessPodcastHQ@gmail.com

Don’t forget to Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more in-depth discussions on AI, technology, and innovation!

In this episode, Amit and Dheeraj dive deep into the world of AI reasoning models with Alex, an AI researcher involved in OpenThinker and OpenThoughts. They explore two recent groundbreaking papers—SkyT1 and S1 (Simple Test Time Scaling)—that showcase new insights into how large language models (LLMs) develop reasoning capabilities.

From structured reasoning vs. content accuracy to fine-tuning efficiency and the role of active learning, this conversation highlights the shift from prompt engineering to structured supervised fine-tuning (SFT) and post-training techniques. The discussion also touches on open weights, open data, and open-source AI, revealing the evolving AI landscape and its impact on startups, research, and beyond.

• [00:00] Introduction – Why reasoning models matter & today's agenda
• [05:15] Breaking Down SkyT1 – Structure vs. Content in reasoning
• [15:45] Open weights, open data, and open-source AI
• [22:30] Fine-tuning vs. RL – When do you need reinforcement learning?
• [30:10] S1 and the power of test-time scaling
• [40:25] Budget forcing – Making AI "think" more efficiently
• [50:50] RAG vs. SFT – What should startups use?
• [01:05:30] Active learning – AI asking the right questions
• [01:15:00] Final thoughts – Where AI reasoning is heading next

📄 Papers Discussed:

• SkyT1: "LLMs Can Easily Learn to Reason from Demonstrations"
• S1: "Simple Test-Time Scaling"

Hosts:

Dheeraj Pandey: Co-founder and CEO at DevRev, formerly Co-founder and CEO of Nutanix. A tech visionary with a deep interest in AI and systems thinking.

Amit Prakash: Co-founder and CTO at ThoughtSpot, formerly at Google AdSense and Bing, with extensive expertise in analytics and large-scale systems.

Guest:

Alex Dimakis: Professor at UC Berkeley and co-founder of Bespoke Labs, Alex has made significant contributions to deep learning, machine learning infrastructure, and the development of AI reasoning frameworks.

Follow the Hosts and the Guest:

Dheeraj Pandey:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpandey

Twitter - https://x.com/dheeraj

Amit Prakash:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amit-prakash-50719a2/

Twitter - https://x.com/amitp42

Alex Dimakis:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-dimakis-b1b20320

Twitter - https://x.com/AlexGDimakis

Share Your Thoughts:

Have questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at EffortlessPodcastHQ@gmail.com

Don’t forget to Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more in-depth discussions on AI, technology, and innovation!