Binaifer Dulani shares perfect pitch for an employee-owned agency

At AgencyCon 2025, Binaifer Dulani, founding partner and creative at Talented, presented a session focused on the operational model and internal philosophy of an employee-owned creative agency. Her talk explored the motivations, structural choices, and cultural practices that have shaped Talented since its inception.

Dulani began by recounting the decision she and co-founders Gautam Raghunath and PG Aditiya made to leave a legacy network agency at a critical moment in their careers. This departure, she explained, was motivated by a desire to rethink how creative agencies are structured and how people work within them.

"It felt like the work here is done, I'm going to move on to my next idea," she said. That idea eventually became Talented, anchored in a principle that prioritizes both quality of output and quality of life: "do great work, get great sleep".

Central to the agency’s framework is employee ownership, a relatively uncommon model in Indian advertising. Dulani shared that the agency introduced employee stock options (ESOPs) in its first year.

"In the first year, 25% of the floor had ESOPs. Today, it’s 50%," she said. She also noted that this structure changes the dynamics of client interactions. "Client meetings with the employees feel like they are meeting with the co-owners." This emphasis on ownership extends to how the agency facilitates internal communication and decision-making.

She stressed that a culture of transparency and mutual respect is key to agency life. This includes being open to evolving perspectives.

1. "Feel comfortable changing your minds."
2. "There should be a sense of a keeper’s test." Colleagues should be worth fighting for.

Performance management at the agency follows a quarterly cadence through what Dulani described as 'Quarterly Performance Reviews (QTPRs)'. This approach replaces traditional annual reviews with regular, candid conversations about performance and growth.

"Every quarter, a person knows what their manager thinks of them, which helps them decide if they should stay here or leave," she said.

She encouraged a mindset that views others' success as motivation rather than competition. "You have to believe that if it happened for her, that's even more reason it can happen for me. Winning is not a zero-sum game."

Dulani also spoke about how the agency shares credit externally. By acknowledging collaborators in press releases, the agency aims to move away from the idea of individual creative authorship and toward collective recognition.

Her talk further addressed the emotional dynamics of workplace leadership. Dulani cited research highlighting the long-term health effects of poor management.

"A bad manager is not just bad for someone's career, but also bad for your immune system," she said. "Sometimes the most important thing a manager can do is care less about being liked and more about your growth."

She concluded the session by referencing key principles that guide Talented’s internal ethos:

• "Believe your heroes can be your competition."
• "A bad manager is not just bad for someone’s career, but also bad for your immune system."
• "Give-first."

Dulani closed with a reflection on collective effort within agencies: "There is no agency that is built without the work that we do." Her remarks emphasized the idea that every individual’s contribution is essential to building a meaningful and sustainable workplace.