In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, we sit down with Navdeep Dalia, who went from earning just ₹22,000/month to achieving financial independence in his 30s — not through shortcuts, but through discipline, consistency, and long-term thinking.

Navdeep shares a brutally honest breakdown of his journey — including early mistakes, real estate bets, career growth, and the mindset shifts that actually made the difference.

This is not a “get rich quick” story. It’s a real blueprint for building wealth over time.

🚀 What You’ll Learn

• How Navdeep saved 50% of his ₹22K salary early in his career
• Why his “mistake” of buying real estate early actually built discipline
• The real cost of EMIs and debt that most people ignore
• Why income growth matters more than just investing
• How he transitioned from job → business → financial freedom
• The exact mindset shift that helped him stay consistent for 16+ years
• Why most people fail: starting AND exiting investments at the wrong time
• The one word that defines his entire journey: Commitment

If you found this useful, subscribe for weekly conversations with people who’ve actually built financial freedom — no fluff, just real stories.

In this episode, I sit down with Jay Sharma, who spent over 20 years building tech products at companies like Amazon before walking away from corporate life in 2025.

Instead of chasing a bigger paycheck, Jay decided to design a life around financial independence, freedom, and purpose.

We talk about:

• Why chasing a FIRE number can be a mistake • How to design the life you want before calculating money • His real portfolio allocation (Index Funds, Real Estate, Bitcoin) • Why he doesn’t believe in gold or bonds anymore • The investing mistakes he made early in his career • How option selling generates income • Why Bitcoin solves the problems of traditional money • How AI might reshape the future of jobs and companies • What people should build before quitting their jobs

Jay also shares how he and his wife aligned their goals before leaving corporate life and what they’re building now.

If you're interested in FIRE, investing, financial independence, or building a life outside the corporate grind, this conversation is packed with insights.

In this episode of The Long Game, Mihir Shah speaks with Sunil Shah, whose path to financial independence was shaped not just by money, but by a deep shift in how he understood life, fear, and freedom.

Sunil shares how his journey began early, growing up in a middle-class family and realizing as a child that money created access and opportunity. From data entry and software work to a role in the US, he built confidence around earning — but his biggest turning point was not financial. After returning to Pune, a long period of silence and introspection changed the way he thought about money, work, and life itself.

He explains why he chose not to keep chasing more income, how he structured a simple life around fixed deposits and rental income, and why he believes true financial independence is about removing fear rather than hitting a perfect number.

Toward the end, Sunil also shares a very different message for today’s younger generation: instead of obsessing over FIRE formulas, invest in yourself and learn AI deeply.

If you'd like to share your story with us, please fill out the form: https://forms.gle/Ha9nEbXyJWm3ow4x7

If you would like to connect with us and share your feedback, please drop an email at financewithmihir@gmail.com

In this episode of The Long Game, Mihir Shah speaks with Jayant Kumar, former CTO at Indian Express, former SVP at DBS Bank, and now a mutual fund specialist.

Jayant shares his journey from a long career in technology leadership to achieving financial independence. He explains how he first discovered the concept of FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and how that changed the way he approached saving, investing, and planning for the future.

We discuss the importance of building a strong financial plan, avoiding common investing mistakes, and why many people misunderstand the FIRE movement. Jayant also shares the strategy he used to build his retirement corpus, including the 35x rule, asset allocation strategies, and lessons learned from real estate and mutual fund investing.

He also talks about life after financial independence — including the surprising challenges of having too much free time and the importance of finding purpose beyond work.

If you’re interested in financial independence, investing, mutual funds, or early retirement, this episode offers practical insights and lessons from someone who has successfully made that transition.

If you'd like to share your story with us, please fill out the form: https://forms.gle/Ha9nEbXyJWm3ow4x7

If you would like to connect with us and share your feedback, please drop an email at financewithmihir@gmail.com

Follow Jayant Kumar at https://www.youtube.com/@fireby45

In this episode of The Long Game, we see A.V's journey who achieved Barista FIRE before turning 40.

Barista FIRE is a version of financial independence where your investments cover most of your expenses, while a smaller income stream or part-time work covers the rest.

In this conversation, A.V. shares his journey from starting his career in India to moving to the United States for an MBA, working in tech companies, and ultimately reaching financial independence.

We discuss how disciplined saving, investing in equities, and avoiding lifestyle inflation helped him build wealth over time. A.V. also talks about the role RSUs played in accelerating his journey and how aligning financial values with his partner made a huge difference.

He also shares one financial mistake that cost him what could have been hundreds of thousands of dollars—and the lessons he learned from it.

This episode is a great look at what the path to financial independence actually looks like in real life.

Topics discussed

• What Barista FIRE actually means

• Moving from India to the US for an MBA

• Working in tech and growing income through RSUs

• Paying off an education loan quickly

• The role of discipline and saving early

• Lifestyle inflation and spending choices

• A costly car purchase mistake

• How financial independence changes your outlook on work

• Advice for people in their 20s and 30s pursuing FIRE

If you'd like to share your story with us, please fill this out: https://forms.gle/Ha9nEbXyJWm3ow4x7

If you would like to connect with us and share your feedback, please drop an email at financewithmihir@gmail.com