Suchit Bachalli on Empathy, AI, and Building Unilog | Hidden Foundations Ep. 9

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall sits down with Suchit Bachalli to explore how family, education, entrepreneurship, and early sales experience shaped the way he leads today. Suchit shares how he built Unilog brick by brick with his father, what boarding school in India taught him about independence, and how selling software on the streets of Mumbai became the foundation for his belief in empathetic leadership.The conversation moves through family business, working with a father, private equity, board structure, company culture, AI, social media, parenting teenage daughters, and the future of education. Suchit also explains why Unilog hires for empathy, why business leaders need to work on the business instead of only in it, and why critical thinking, imagination, and being more human may matter even more in the age of AI.Chapters: 00:00 Cold Open: Empathy, AI, and the “Done Deal” 00:46 Meet Suchit Bachalli 01:12 Building Unilog With His Father 03:03 Working With a Father and Founder 05:28 Boarding School and Early Independence 08:37 Education, Values, and Family Expectations 09:33 Selling Software on the Streets of Mumbai 12:29 How Sales Built Empathetic Leadership 14:44 Building a Culture of Empathetic Experts 17:13 Amazon, Distribution, and Customer Relationships 21:12 Peer Groups and Growing as a CEO 24:38 Private Equity, Boards, and Letting Go 29:26 Protecting Culture Through a PE Transition 32:53 Teaching Kids Business Through a “Done Deal” 37:05 Money, Values, and Raising a Daughter 40:26 Social Media, Algorithms, and Teen Independence 43:26 Culture, Performance, and Partnership 48:30 AI, Time Distortion, and Business Transformation 51:00 AI, Education, and Critical Thinking 54:20 Where to Find Suchit 54:32 Advice for the Next GenerationHidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders.Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible.Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletterLearn more or connect with Kendall:Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402eApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229#HiddenFoundations #SuchitBachalli #leadership