In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Aravinda Seshadri, founding partner of Venturous Counsel, a boutique law firm dedicated to serving underrepresented founders and diverse teams in tech. Aravinda’s story weaves together law, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and a mission to equalize access in Silicon Valley.
We talk about her unlikely path into law, leaving big firms where she never saw herself reflected, and starting her own practice while pregnant — a leap she says she made “too late, but just in time.” Aravinda opens up about battling imposter syndrome, learning to set boundaries, and why she built a firm that prioritizes humanity as much as transactions.
This episode is about courage, conviction, and carving out systems that don’t just profit a few — but empower the many.
If you’ve ever wrestled with self-doubt, considered a career pivot, or wondered whether kindness has a place in cutthroat industries, Aravinda’s journey proves it does.
🎧 Listen to the episode
Spotify | Apple Podcasts
What You’ll Learn
How Aravinda stumbled into law school and found her way to startup practice
The difference between litigation and transactional law (and why she chose the latter)
Why representation in law firms and startup ecosystems matters
How growing up in Salt Lake City shaped her awareness of majority vs. minority dynamics
The challenges of leaving a big firm (and why she waited longer than she should have)
What it was like to launch a firm while pregnant — and hire her first associate who was also expecting
How she built a fully remote, diverse team that thrives without an office
Practical legal advice for founders on formation, fundraising, and avoiding costly mistakes
Her philosophy on saying “no,” preserving team wellbeing, and choosing the right clients
Favorite Quote
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Favorite Books
📖 Venture Deals by Brad Feld
📖 Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
In This Episode, We Cover:
(00:00) Life updates and the hidden struggles behind the highlight reel
(05:00) Why Aravinda chose law and why she pivoted from litigation to startups
(08:00) Leaving firms that didn’t reflect her and starting her own practice
(10:00) Growing up South Asian in Salt Lake City and formative experiences with bias
(14:00) The peer court convention story that cemented her passion for equity
(17:00) Starting Venturous Counsel while pregnant — and what she learned from it
(20:00) Hiring, trust, and building a culture that values humans first
(23:00) Why pedigree matters less than skills (and how she tests for them)
(26:00) On leaving too late, fear of uncertainty, and listening to yourself
(29:00) The rise of remote work and what it means for law firms and startups
(32:00) Boundaries, bad clients, and learning by doing it wrong first
(37:00) Rethinking imposter syndrome and learning from bad managers
(42:00) Advice for aspiring lawyers: explore, shadow, and choose deliberately
(45:00) Advice for founders: start small, test your ideas, and listen to yourself
(49:00) The legacy she hopes to leave with Venturous Counsel
(50:00) When to get legal counsel, how much to budget, and why “legal debt” is real
(56:00) Her favorite quotes and books
Where to Find Aravinda Seshadri
Referenced in This Episode
Venturous Counsel
Clerky (startup formation platform)
Venture Deals by Brad Feld
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Hustle Fund (Elizabeth Yin)
