S2 E72: Working alongside Mark Zukerberg and Sheryl Sandberg ft. Kirthiga Reddy

The xMonks Drive

In this episode of The xMonks Drive, I sit down with the incredible Kirthiga Reddy, a powerhouse who’s played a pivotal role in shaping the tech landscape as the first employee and Managing Director of Facebook India, a key leader at SoftBank, and now the force behind Virtualness.
Kirthiga takes us on a deeply personal journey, sharing not just her successes, but the challenges and lessons that came along the way. We talk about the importance of hard work (because, spoiler alert, there’s no substitute!), what it means to make the most of the cards life deals you, and how her mother's story of perseverance shaped her drive.
You’ll hear Kirthiga reflect on how her definition of success has evolved, from achieving career milestones to focusing on the impact she creates. She opens up about the sacrifices leaders often make, the power of coaching (and how she wishes she started earlier), and why she believes her best is yet to come.
And of course, we dive into her secret sauce for building genuine relationships and why she believes people are at the heart of everything meaningful. In her own words, if a book were written about her, the last sentence would be: "It’s all about people."
Key Takeaways:
- How Kirthiga envisioned Facebook India’s '100 million users, revenue, and community' at a time when there weren’t even 100 million people on the internet.
- Why coaching has been a game-changer for her, and her only regret about it.
- The dark truths of leadership and the personal sacrifices that often go unnoticed.
- Her answer to Stanford's MBA essay question: 'What matters most to you and why?'
- And a touching, human perspective on what drives her to keep pushing boundaries.
This episode is all about leadership, growth, and unlocking the potential in others.
Don’t miss out on this inspiring conversation with one of the most dynamic leaders of our time.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-xmonks-drive/id1549886334
Website: https://xmonks.com

Chapters

1. The Journey of Kirtika Reddy (00:00:00)

2. The Power of Belief and Sacrifice in Leadership (00:08:00)

3. The Drive to Achieve and Self-Reflection (00:16:00)

4. Navigating Leadership and Team Dynamics (00:23:00)

5. Building Genuine Relationships for Success (00:32:00)

6. The Future of Ownership in the Digital Age (00:38:00)

7. Billionaire of Moments (00:44:00)

8. End of Podcast (00:49:00)