{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F5a9e8adf-ab0c-45b1-a964-2810ac16d3d4","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"<iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px;\" title=\"Karthik Balakrishnan of ACTUAL on SimCity for Capital  Plans and the Sustainability Execution Gap\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"clipboard-write\" seamless src=\"http://player.captivate.fm/episode/5a9e8adf-ab0c-45b1-a964-2810ac16d3d4\"></iframe>","title":"Karthik Balakrishnan of ACTUAL on SimCity for Capital  Plans and the Sustainability Execution Gap","description":"<p>Stanford rocket scientist and fintech entrepreneur Karthik Balakrishnan is integrating high-tech infrastructure modeling with video game interface design to create a software platform that allows businesses to virtually test their plans for maximum sustainability and bottom-line impact.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In 2018, Karthik co-founded software startup ACTUAL based on a unique premise: what if you could plug your business idea into a science-backed simulation that operates like a computer game? The software platform allows users to choose a sustainability strategy, map out its various permutations, and compare those simulation results, enabling businesses to explore the full range of possibilities for their capital and implement the most impactful without real-world risks.</p><br><p>Hear ACTUAL president and co-founder Karthik Balakrishnan talk about how SimCity influenced their approach, combining user interface with data visualization, and why gamifying decision making is so important for the future.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Episode Highlights:</p><p>00:00 Karthik Balakrishnan on making specialist knowledge more accessible</p><p>00:53 Conor Gaughan introduces Karthik and ACTUAL</p><p>05:45 Growing up on the coasts and aerospace engineering at Stanford&nbsp;</p><p>10:45 Rocket science, entrepreneurial spirit, and the generalist mindset</p><p>17:43 Fintech, founding Coin, and risk-taking versus reliability&nbsp;</p><p>27:24 Angel investing, the Pioneer Fund, and an impact-based framework&nbsp;</p><p>32:55 The origin of ACTUAL, the elevator pitch, and de-risking innovation&nbsp;</p><p>42:49 Real world variables and misconceptions about sustainable software&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>49:15 Exciting innovations, defeating defeatism, and staying positive</p><p>53:40 Where to learn more and end credits</p><br><p>If you liked this episode, listen next to <a href=\"https://pod.link/1646449053/episode/e14253210bf72ec13dbae4aa91a6ad0b\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Peter Godart of Found Energy on Aluminum Fuel, NASA, and Engineering Impact at Scale</a></p><br><p>More on ACTUAL and Karthik Balakrishnan:</p><p><a href=\"https://www.actualhq.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">actualhq.com</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/actualhq/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">linkedin.com/company/actualhq</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbalakri/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">linkedin.com/in/kbalakri</a></p><br><p>Connect with Conor Gaughan on <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckgone/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">linkedin.com/in/ckgone</a> and <a href=\"https://www.threads.net/@ckgone\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">threads.net/@ckgone</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at CiC@consensus-digital.com</p><br><p>If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify \u2013 it really makes a difference!&nbsp;</p><br><p>Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.</p><br /><hr>","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/d07d8c83-17a9-45b0-88d3-d57a3459887e/1712159234812-404dd4fe20e368bfbb20431b2e55e665.jpeg"}