Good Morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],

“I am the problem and Praveen is the problem.”

When a podcast episode begins with the hosts declaring themselves guilty, you know you’re in for something interesting. And just minutes later, Rohin admitted: “I didn’t think this would become a confessional so early on in the episode.”

But that’s exactly what happened this week on Two by Two. 

After 68 episodes and 150+ guest appearances, the numbers were impossible to ignore: just 5% of our guests have been women. And it turns out we are not alone. A USC Annenberg study revealed that in the US, business and tech podcasts have the worst gender split across all genres, at 92.3% male participation.

Here’s the thing: I’m a woman and the producer of this “bro podcast”. And even though I’ve only been here a month, listening to this conversation hit different. It felt personal.

So Rohin and Praveen decided to stop guessing and start asking. They invited two accomplished women leaders—Kosturi Ghosh, partner at Trilegal, and Swapnika Nag, CEO of Periscope—to dissect exactly why this happens and what can be done about it.

We had also reached out to Smita Deorah, co-founder of LEAD, a familiar voice from Rohin’s First Principles podcast, hoping she could join the conversation. A scheduling clash meant she couldn’t make it, but she was kind enough to send her thoughts via email. And honestly? Her perspective added yet another layer to an already complex discussion.

Here’s what Smita wrote:

What followed wasn’t a neat discussion where everyone nodded in polite agreement. It was messy, honest, and far more interesting because of it.

Praveen didn’t hold back: “I don’t think we tried hard enough. I don’t think it’s something that we kept really high up on our list.”

But he also pointed to structural issues. When you’re scrambling to find guests a week before recording, you default to existing networks which are, in fact, male-dominated. And even when they reach out to women, the response is different.

This is where the episode took a turn. Kosturi and Swapnika didn’t just add perspectives; they fundamentally disagreed with each other.

Kosturi spoke about the trust deficit and imposter syndrome. She admitted that when Rohin called, she came up with “eight different reasons to say no” before agreeing.

She argued that representation matters because if women don’t see themselves in these spaces, younger women won’t aspire to get there.

Then Swapnika flipped the script.

She wasn’t buying it. As a founder, she hires the most competent person for the job and gender doesn’t factor in because she can’t afford that luxury. “Representation in podcasts is probably one of the last things I’m solving for.”

The tension between these two views was fascinating. I found myself somewhere in the middle. Kosturi’s point about creating space resonated, but so did Swapnika’s focus on “storytelling first”.

Rohin committed to making 2026 different by building a roster of women professionals in advance, reaching out through networks for warm introductions, and being more intentional about planning. 

And I’m glad to put in the extra effort to bring in diverse voices. Not just for representation but also to enrich our storytelling. 

But it leaves me with a bigger question for you: is the real problem the podcast format, or is it simply about who is allowed to show up unprepared and still be taken seriously?

You can listen to the full episode here.

So, which side are you on? Is this issue of “we’re not comfortable enough” really true? If yes, why do you think that is? And more importantly, how do we solve for it?

If you’re a woman leader or know one who’d be great for future episodes, please reach out to us at [email protected] or to me at [email protected]. I’d love to add you to our network so we can have these conversations together.

The effort begins here. I promise to do my part—will you do yours?

If you liked the episode or have thoughts or arguments to share, please email us at [email protected] or comment below. I’d love to hear from you.

Until next week,
Uddantika

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