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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stunned Indian-origin YouTuber Dwarkesh Patel with a personal reply to a cold email, inviting himself onto Patel’s podcast. The simple subject line, “Wanna come on my podcast?” was all it took for Patel to land one of the biggest names in tech for his show, the Dwarkesh Podcast.
Patel, an Indian-origin YouTuber who has hosted influential figures like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, had no idea his cold outreach would be so successful. He noticed Nadella’s email in his newsletter subscriber list and decided to seize the opportunity. Patel shot off a direct yet friendly email to Nadella, casually inviting him to appear on the podcast.
The email read, “Hi Satya, Saw your email on my newsletter subscriber list. Appreciate you tuning in! Would you be interested in coming on my podcast? Previous guests include Mark Zuckerberg, Tony Blair, and Ilya Sutskever. I’m keen to hear how you’re thinking about AI (and Microsoft) over the next 3/10/25 years. Happy to sort through logistics with your point person. Thanks for considering.”
Satya Nadella responded just four minutes later, expressing his interest, “Your pod is super. I would love to,” Nadella replied.
Patel, visibly excited, shared the behind-the-scenes of this unexpected encounter on X. His post served as a reminder to his followers about the potential power of a simple, well-timed cold email. “Kids, don’t underestimate the power of a cold email,” he captioned the post, encouraging others to take chances in their professional pursuits.
A Conversation Across Tech Frontiers
During their podcast, Patel and Nadella delved into a variety of topics. The conversation explored Nadella’s remarkable 34-year journey at Microsoft, a company where he has not only risen to the position of CEO but has also significantly shaped its trajectory in recent years.
Nadella reflected on his enduring excitement about Microsoft, emphasizing the company’s mission-driven focus. He stated, “For anybody joining Microsoft… as long as they feel that they can use this as a platform for both their economic return but also a sense of purpose, a sense of mission that they can accomplish by using us as a platform. Right, so therefore that’s the contract.” His words echoed the company’s values of personal fulfillment through work while contributing to a larger vision.
The duo also took a deep dive into Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and quantum computing, areas of significant interest and breakthrough for Microsoft. These discussions provided valuable insights into the future of technology, a topic that continues to dominate industry conversations globally.
The podcast with Nadella not only became a notable milestone for Patel but also served as an inspiring tale for aspiring professionals, particularly those in the digital content creation and tech spheres. Patel’s success story highlights the power of boldness and timing. While many hesitate to reach out to high-profile individuals, Patel’s casual yet respectful approach garnered a response that turned into a noteworthy conversation.
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