SAJI MADAPAT

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

Saji K Madapat TOGAF 9, PMP, CPIM, CIERP, CSSMBB, MBA Architect of the best seller, "The Gods Must Be Crazy!" in 20+ Languages. Graduate of Clinton Global Initiative GIFT (Global Institute for Tomorrow) Young Leadership program in China (Hong Kong & Cambodia) and the Masters in Leadership from PMI's CCL patterned executive leadership programs. TOGAF9 certified EPM & ERP Architect of Enterprise Performance with over two-decade-long experience in numerous industries through Ernst & Young global clients and beyond. Published and presented ~50 papers globally, including Architecting the future state strategic ERP & EPM business system road map to Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), BOT's, etc. Contributed to all five major PMI Books/standards (PMBOK, OPM3, P&PM, and PMCD) based on experience with the ERP & EPM global implementations. Architect of Team India Movement, which transformed ASIA-PAC as the PMI's most strategic region forever Architect of the best seller, "The Gods Must Be Crazy!"( Sold >10K copies in ~20 book translations in ~200 countries: Royalties to Mother Teresa Mission). Graduate of Clinton Global Initiative GIFT (Global Institute for Tomorrow) Young Leadership program in China (Hong Kong & Cambodia) and the Masters in Leadership from PMI's CCL patterned executive leadership programs. TOGAF9 certified EPM & ERP Architect of Enterprise Performance with over two-decade-long experience through Ernst & Young global clients & beyond.

When and why did you start writing books?

I started writing papers in 2000 and already published & presented >50 Papers & presentations in various global professional forums since then. I had also contributed to about half a dozen Project Management Institute standards since the early 2000s.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

Writing is not my career. It is derived from my mid-life crisis - especially when COVID hit. I am grateful to COVID, even if it was excruciating. The most productive period in my half a century life was in 2020/2021 (2nd best was after the economic Tsunami in 2009/2010, which led me to EY & to get out of my comfort zone in Memphis for a Chicago venture). Those disasters forced me to re-invent myself. My motto is, "If life gives lemons, use them to make lemon pickle out of it." Here is how I did it: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/goodtogreat_year-end-reflections-on-my-2021-may-the-activity-6882858882750799872-5LTi

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

The Eastern Communist Tiger Rider in the Western Catacombs of Capitalism.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

Especially to critically write about my FInancial Engineering profession which feeds my kids.

Who is your favourite author and book?

Ray Dalio (Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order Why Nations Succeed and Fail), Hernando de Soto's Mystery of Capital (Why does capitalism triumph in the West but fail almost everywhere else?)

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

My motto is "If life gives lemons, use them to make lemon pickle out of it."

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Globetrotting with my lenses to shoot the birds (Wildlife Photography) – already visited about two dozen countries so far.

Do you have any new books in the works?

I am primarily focused on the translating & creating the audiobooks out of my best seller (so far about two dozen languages so far)