Have conversations with the team beyond work: Sai Narayan, Policybazaar

Sai Narayan, Chief Marketing Officer, Policybazaar, tries to infuse humour into everyday situations and keep it light. In a chat with Storyboard18, he touched upon having conversations with the team beyond work, and getting to know them in order to foster a positive work environment and keep burnout at bay.

Edited excerpts

What’s your fundamental tenet regarding your work?

In marketing, it is usually said that some things can't be measured. But if you try hard, you can measure everything. We are a very execution-focused company. The other thing we do is we experiment and pivot a lot.

In your free time, what kind of marketing-related content do you consume?

I like walking a lot. And during my walks, I listen to the Harvard Business Review (HBR) podcast on strategy. My favourite episodes are the brand strategy lessons drawn from Super Bowl ads.

I started my career in advertising. We used to watch old, iconic ads and try writing the marketing and advertising objective or the brief for it. It used to be a lot of fun. Even now, when I do this at times, it's a lot of fun.

Where do you get your social media fix from?

I think it's mostly Instagram, Google News, and at times X (formerly Twitter).

What were the last five videos you viewed on any social media platform?

There are a few channels and people that I follow. There's one from the sports genre. It's a channel called The Grade Cricketer hosted by Sam Perry and Ian Higgins, Australian cricket writers. They talk about what happens in the world of cricket and sports.

I get my sports fix from there. The other is a YouTube channel called the Chalchitra Talks, which recommends books and movies.

For news, I follow Newslaundry, Faye D’Souza’s channel Beatroot News, Lallantop, etc. I also listen to the podcast ‘Our Last Week’ by comedian Anuvab Pal and actor Kunaal Roy Kapur. It’s a comedy show where they talk about conundrums, but never solve them.

Who are your favourite creators and what draws you to them?

I think humour draws me a lot. The Grade Cricketer covers cricket, but they have a very dry sense of humour. That's something I enjoy.

What is your sport or fitness routine like?

I keep it simple. I do three days of strength training and the rest of the days, I go for my walks. I have started doing five minutes of breathing just to calm myself after the training. I play cricket on weekends.

What do your weekends look like?

It's very simple. I like spending time at home with the family, relishing south Indian home food, watching a show or a movie, having an ice-cold gin in the afternoon.

What have you been watching on weekends?

I recently saw a Hindi movie called Kill. I was quite amazed because it's in the league of John Wick in terms of action. It’s very slick. Recently, I also saw an American crime drama called Blackbird on Apple TV.

Any work or life hack you swear by?

No hacks. Just keep your head down and chop the wood. Remove the noise and distractions around you. Keep small targets in the hunt for the big ones.

What are you reading? Any recommendations?

I am reading Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth. It talks about how it's not talent, but a blend of passion and persistence that leads to outstanding achievements.

Sometime back, I revisited an old book I had read, called ‘Contempt.’ It's a work of fiction by the renowned Italian writer Alberto Muravio Moravia. It's a very deep study of the human mind and relationships.

What's your advice to avoid personal and professional burnout?

The advice for myself is to try and put humour into everyday things. Keep it light with the team, have a drink with them, and try to laugh it out as much as possible.

A lot of times, we end up just talking about work. Talk to your colleagues about things beyond work. Just to get to know them.

A piece of professional wisdom you would like to share with next gen marketers?

Keep your phones down and meet your consumers. And talk to them.

What's the best advice you have got in life?

During the most heated or difficult time, just exhale and take a step back. Don't react immediately.

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