Vikram Bharati: Draper Startup House Expansion, Global Team Building Challenges & Startup Ecosystem Design - E553

"It's about right timing, in the right place at the right time. But at the moment, we have about 15 startup houses around the world, and we're very active at the moment in South America. So we're doing a lot of programs in Argentina, and Chile, and Uruguay, and Brazil. And we're also very active in India—so we have two of our big startup houses: in Bangalore, which is like the tech hub of India, and Hyderabad, which is like the second tech hub. So we're very active there. And we just launched something in Korea. It's a great area, and I think that shows a lot of promise." - Vikram Bharati, founder of Draper Startup House

"And specific topics like math and science—I think a lot of those things are going to change. And I think their ability to... I think context is going to be very important—for them to put the world into a context and have a unique perspective. And I think this is happening today. You and I, and most people in the world, have access to the same information. So the input is pretty much the same. Everyone knows everything. And so the ability to have a unique perspective is going to be the key challenge. And so how do you have a unique perspective when we're all reading the same thing, watching the same thing, listening to the same thing, experiencing the same thing? And I think that's going to be the critical thing—at least for my kids." - Vikram Bharati, founder of Draper Startup House

"It's going to provide a lot more options to people. Yeah, you know—why can't there be a digital country where you say, 'Oh, incorporate your company in this digital country,' right? And now, that digital country is surely not recognized by other physical countries today. But is it possible in the future there'll be some sort of a recognition method by other countries to say, 'Oh, we're doing a trade agreement with this digital country—they have great mindshare, and they're providing us with scientific IP for curing cancer,' as an example. And we're selling them rice and bananas in return. I think that might happen. The possibility of that doesn't seem so weird to me." - Vikram Bharati, founder of Draper Startup House

Vikram Bharati, founder of Draper Startup House, and Jeremy Au talked about how the startup world has shifted since their last conversation. They explored how Draper Startup House has expanded across continents while wrestling with the challenge of scaling both physical spaces and community-driven programming. They discussed how remote and hybrid work are evolving post-pandemic, and how startups are adapting faster than large corporations. They also reflected on parenting and preparing the next generation for a fast-changing world, where original thinking and adaptability may matter more than credentials. Vikram also shared his growing interest in “digital nations,” a concept that could reshape how governments serve people and how individuals relate to borders and institutions.