The Power of Curiosity

If I were to share one lesson I learned in 2024 that would be the power of curiosity.

It’s been around six months since we kicked off The Daily Brief at Zerodha—a daily podcast where we simplify the biggest market and business stories of the day. And in those six months, I’ve gone from someone who didn’t know a single thing about markets to someone who can now confidently bullshit about quick commerce and a few other things I have written about.

Six months ago, if you’d asked me what a concall was, I’d have stared blankly. Management commentary? Trends? Earnings transcripts? These were alien concepts. I didn’t even know where to begin. And yet, every day, we dive into the news, contextualize it, and figure out what actually matters.

It’s forced me to learn, to go down rabbit holes, and made me realize how much I enjoy knowing and learning about all the weird things happening around the world all the time.

Take the steel sector, for example. I had zero context about why it’s such a big deal or why everyone keeps talking about China when it comes to steel. Fast forward a few months, and now I can explain how China produces over half the world’s steel and why their policies affect global prices. It’s wild how much of the world’s economy can be traced back to what China does or doesn’t do. They’re the top players, from solar cells to EV batteries to rare earths. Reading and researching this has made me realize just how interconnected everything is—and just how much of it revolves around China.

Another topic that’s caught my attention is Quick commerce—I was specifically asked not to write on this but how can I not? I didn’t think much of it when it started—who needs groceries delivered in 10 minutes? How can that possibly make money? But then Zepto launched, and people began posting screenshots of orders arriving in exactly 10 minutes. It blew my mind, but I didn’t dig deeper back then. Fast forward two years and quick commerce hasn’t just worked; it’s completely changed behavior. It’s rewired how we consume. These platforms have turned into virtual malls, and I’ve finally started scratching beneath the surface—more so because this is my job. Now, we even have two big-listed players betting their future on this industry: Swiggy and Zomato.

What fascinates me most about quick commerce is how it’s gone from something no one believed would work to something we now take for granted. It’s not just about speed; it’s about how they’ve made us expect everything at lightning-fast delivery times. I mean, it’s hard to imagine a time when we were okay waiting three days for something to arrive. And the fact that so many traditional businesses are jumping in now—players you’d never expect—is proof of just how big this shift is.

And while I’ve learned enough to speak confidently about these topics, it’s not just about throwing out facts or trends. It’s about connecting the dots. For instance, understanding why China dominates critical minerals isn’t just about knowing the numbers. It’s about seeing how that control trickles down into everything—from EV supply chains to global politics. Similarly, with quick commerce, it’s not just about the convenience of delivery but how it’s rewired consumer expectations and disrupted traditional retail in ways we’re only beginning to understand.

Looking back, these six months have been an intense education. The more I write and research, the more I realize how much there is to learn. Markets aren’t just about numbers; they’re about stories. People keep looking at quarter-on-quarter growth but what really matters is creating real impact over a very long horizon.

If there’s one takeaway from this year for me it’s this: being curious enough to go down rabbit holes and patient enough to connect the dots over time 🙂