Santosh Sankar is a founding partner of Dynamo Ventures where he invests in enterprise, seed-stage startups in supply chain and mobility. When he's not thinking about supply chain, technology, or venture capital, he's exploring the outdoors with his wife, son, and two golden retrievers. Sankar is on the Board of Trustees at Reflection Riding Nature Center.
What role has reading played in the development of your career?
I had the fortune of growing up in a household that valued education and, regardless of financial situation, always had money for books. Books in Indian culture are prized possessions and regardless of author, genre, or age, are believed to be a source of learning. I wasn't always a voracious reader, but as I've grown up, turned to books for relaxation and growth. As someone who reads multiple books at once, the big thing I'm working on in 2021 is being comfortable not finishing a book I become disinterested in. Easier said than done!
What books have you read and recommended to others that influence your leadership style and how you've developed your career?
I started my first business in high school that was focused on IT services and web development. I thoroughly enjoyed the intersection of business and technology but in isolation, found it hard to get excited about either. Around this time, I read "The Monk and the Riddle" by Randy Komisar, which helped me realize that, as a personality type, I will never be able to have a career I don't enjoy. Further, I had this realization that if I enjoy something, I naturally give it 100% and tend to excel.
Entering college, I discovered "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman, which is the quintessential read on globalization. It felt so obvious yet it was still novel. Friedman helped me look at the world from a global perspective, by default. If you looked at my public market investment in college, my early career decision to work at Citigroup, and Dynamo's investment activity today, I still hold true to this philosophy.
In the last decade, I have found "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho to leave an impression on me. Philosophically, it made me appreciate the weird way the world works: "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
Also, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie has been a great reminder as to how to manage people from all walks of life. It's what I revert to when I need to interact with someone deemed difficult.
What books have you recently read for pleasure that you're telling others about?
This is a potpourri, but here goes "My Life and Work" by Henry Ford is timeless, and the principles Ford proposes are still relevant today. "Pacific" by Simon Winchester is a great exploration of history and culture around the Pacific rim - especially relevant in this day and age. "Pappyland" by Wright Thompson is a must for any whiskey enthusiast, but really strikes a chord around the emotions behind preserving and extending a family legacy. "The Perfect Weapon" by David Sanger explores cyber warfare in this new digital age. "Why Nations Fail" by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson is my current read that describes the underlying dynamics of prosperity, poverty, and power - also very fitting in the current world climate.
What is next on your to-read list?
I have a stack of 10+ books waiting to be discovered. A few at the top of the list are "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse, "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker, and "Get Together" by Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh, and Kai Elmer Sotto.
I'm trying to get better about documenting what I'm reading and have read on my website at santoshsankar.com.