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Santhosh Janardhananan

What I learn and what I make — written, filmed, recorded, and committed.

Santhosh Janardhananan IT Project Manager

164 entries Latest entry

1 entry

Podcast

The World at War, Again: How the US stepped into WWII

Before Normandy and D-Day, there was fear, fascism, and a world unraveling. In this episode, we trace the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe and Asia, the blitzkrieg that stunned the West, and…

Season 3, episode 36, 27 minutes 2 seconds

8 entries

Blog

Building for Everyone: Web Accessibility

I have a disability that makes it hard to differentiate between similar colors. Sometimes I’ll stare at a webpage for minutes, squinting and adjusting my screen brightness, trying to figure out which text is clickable and which isn’t. I’ll miss important buttons because they blend into the background, or struggle to read error messages displayed...

17 minute read

Podcast

The Great Depression

When the Roaring Twenties crashed into economic ruin, America found itself spiraling into the Great Depression. In this episode, we explore the causes, the fallout, and the ambitious response—from…

Season 3, episode 35, 23 minutes 42 seconds

Blog

That “Get 10% Off” Popup? Here’s What It Really Costs You

You know the drill. You’re finally on a shopping site, maybe you’re this 🤏 close to finding the perfect pair of sneakers, and then—bam. A box slides across your screen, blocking everything. “GET 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER!” it screams, asking for just one little thing in return: your email address. It feels like a no-brainer,...

4 minute read

Podcast

The Roaring Twenties

Explore the dazzling highs and hidden lows of 1920s America - from jazz clubs and cultural revolutions to rising nativism, fundamentalism, and an economy teetering on collapse. This episode dives…

Season 3, episode 34, 29 minutes 47 seconds

Blog

The Velocity Trap: How Goodhart’s Law Derails IT Projects

You know that project. The one where everything looks perfect on paper. Velocity charts climbing, burndown slopes diving, tickets closing left and right. Every dashboard screams “success!” in bright green. Meanwhile, your dev team’s burning out. Stakeholders are muttering about something feeling “off” with the product. That feature you delivered right on schedule? Users hate ...

5 minute read

Podcast

The Great War: How World War I Transformed America and the World

Explore America’s entry into World War I, from trench warfare and propaganda to Wilson’s Fourteen Points and the Treaty of Versailles. Discover how the Great War reshaped the U.S. and set the stage…

Season 3, episode 33, 23 minutes 40 seconds

Podcast

American Muscle and Presidents of Power

In this episode, we follow America’s bold stride into global influence and domestic reform through the eyes of Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. From the Panama Canal to…

Season 3, episode 32, 20 minutes 46 seconds

Blog

The Elastic Nature of Time: Parkinson’s Law

Ever wonder why that “quick” project somehow ate up your entire month? Or why adding more people to your team made everything slower instead of faster? You’re not losing your mind. You’re witnessing invisible laws at work—principles that govern how we collaborate, create, and sometimes spectacularly fail in our professional lives. These aren’t mystical forces ...

2 minute read

7 entries

Podcast

Expansionism and Imperialism

Explore how the United States expanded its reach beyond its borders through imperial ambition, war, and diplomacy. From Hawaii to the Philippines, this episode traces America’s rise as a world power.

Season 3, episode 31, 26 minutes 27 seconds

Podcast

Progressivism in America

Explore the transformative Progressive Era in U.S. history — from trust-busting and muckraking journalism to child labor laws, women’s suffrage, and civil rights movements. This episode dives into…

Season 3, episode 30, 32 minutes 17 seconds

Blog

So, You Think You’ve Free Will!

💡 Article inspired from real life incidents. Knowledge "sponsored by" – Paradoxes. You're browsing Amazon at 2 AM, ostensibly looking for a phone charger. Twenty minutes later, your cart contains the charger, a short story collection, drain clog cleaner, a pack of caffeine strip, and—somehow—a KitchenAid lemon squeezer you're genuinely excited about.

7 minute read

Podcast

Immigration and New Cities

In this episode, we explore the explosive rise of American cities during the late 1800s and early 1900s. From Ellis Island to ethnic neighborhoods, from nativist backlash to reform movements,…

Season 3, episode 29, 29 minutes 6 seconds

Blog

Being Poor is Expensive

What if I say, whatever you think economic might be actually more expensive than you think? This blog post is about you, and the financial blunders you have done so far. I have the fix too! Read along. Last weekend, I was visiting one of my family friends. I was helping him with dishes after...

9 minute read

Podcast

Second Industrial Revolution and The Age of Capitalism

In this episode, we explore the Second Industrial Revolution — a time of booming invention, corporate empires, and factory-floor struggles. From Edison’s lightbulb to Ford’s assembly line, and from…

Season 3, episode 28, 30 minutes 13 seconds

Blog

Commit Log#3 – Unlike You Think, AI Apocalypse is Not Yet Here

Anticipatory bail: I am going to show off my “cinephile” side of me in this article. Please bear with! 😁 Artificial Intelligence never fails to entice me, every day these days! Picture this: You’re scrolling through your feed when suddenly you see it – “AI REFUSES TO SHUT DOWN!” Your brain immediately goes full Black ...

5 minute read

8 entries

Podcast

Clash of Cultures

The American frontier was not an empty land — it was home. In this powerful episode, we uncover the story of the Lakota and other Plains tribes who resisted removal, reservations, and forced…

Season 3, episode 27, 24 minutes 20 seconds

Blog

The Confidence Trap: Dunning-Kruger Effect

We all have gone through this. You’re scrolling through social media and stumble upon someone confidently sharing medical advice with zero healthcare background, while your doctor friend rarely posts anything about medicine. Or maybe you’ve sat through a meeting where the least experienced person dominates the discussion while seasoned experts stay quiet.

5 minute read

Blog

The Toilet Paper Affair – Ancient Necessity to Modern Luxury

There are some things that no one* wants to talk about in a public forum. One of those things is how we clean ourselves after using the toilet. Being a South Asian, I find the bathroom etiquette a bit different from where I am now- in the US. I don’t think it is something we ...

5 minute read

Blog

What did Boston’s Big Dig Contribute to Project Management

Boston has always been a city of contradictions. Walk through its cobblestone streets, and you’ll find 18th-century architecture standing proudly next to gleaming modern towers. But for decades, one structure dominated the city’s skyline in the worst possible way—a hulking, six-lane elevated highway that carved through downtown Boston like a concrete scar.

6 minute read

Podcast

Trains, Bonanzas and Cowboys

From steam engines to cattle drives, and from homesteads to populist rallies — this episode explores how the American West was won, worked, and mythologized. Discover how the Transcontinental…

Season 3, episode 26, 33 minutes 32 seconds

Blog

Commit Log#2 – NVIDIA AI Breakthroughs & Microsoft Open-Sources Copilot at Build 2025

NVIDIA Flexing Their AI Muscles Now a days, not a single day is past without a new advancement in the field of AI. Today was no exception! At Computex 2025 in Taipei, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled a series of breakthroughs in AI computing. Nvidia introduced a new evolution of their high-speed chip interconnect technology...

2 minute read

Blog

Climbing The Mountain of Needs

Have you ever felt like you needed food or sleep more than anything else in the world? Or perhaps a sense of belonging with friends felt crucial? Even people who lost their loved ones still have some needs and they will continue to fulfill, no matter how sad or disturbed they are. These feelings point...

5 minute read

Podcast

Reconstruction: Redefining Freedom

After the Civil War, the United States faced its most difficult question yet: how do you rebuild a country that just tried to destroy itself? In this episode, we explore the highs and heartbreaks of…

Season 3, episode 25, 31 minutes 19 seconds