---
id: "pisquared:interview/somaya-deepak"
type: "Pi-Squared interview"
title: "Anita McGahan in conversation with Deepak Somaya"
url: "https://pisquared.theburnescenter.org/interviews/somaya-deepak"
date: "2026-02-10"
people: ["Anita McGahan","Deepak Somaya"]
summary: "Deepak Somaya is the Diane and Steven N. Miller professor in business administration at the Gies School of Business at the University of Illinois..."
recording: "https://vimeo.com/1163783874"
source: "Pi-Squared (pisquared.theburnescenter.org), The Burnes Center for Social Change"
licence: "none stated"
---

# Anita McGahan in conversation with Deepak Somaya

Deepak Somaya, Diane and Stephen N. Miller Professor in Business Administration, University of Illinois · 10 February 2026

## About the guest

Deepak Somaya is the Diane and Steven N. Miller professor in business administration at the Gies School of Business at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He is also professor at the University of Illinois’ College of Law, and serves as Academic Director for the Origin Ventures Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Deepak also holds an appointment as Edwards Scholar at the Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago. His research focuses on knowledge assets such as human capital and technology, and on scalable business models enabled by digital innovation. Deepak received an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology at Bombay and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management at Calcutta. He was awarded his PhD in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley.

## Reflections from the interview

Deepak discussed his recent paper with Lauren Aydinliyimm on employee mobility barriers, exploring why employees stay with firms rather than switch jobs.  This paper brings together insights on employee mobility barriers by highlighting a shift from viewing employee retention as a problem of turnover to recognizing the increasing orientation of employees in pursuing career paths across multiple firms.  Anita and Deepak covered the tension between employee retention and the need for innovation, particularly in the context of Silicon Valley's high employee mobility. Deepak also shared his thoughts on the evolving role of patents in protecting intellectual property, particularly in software and digital assets, noting that patents are less effective in these areas compared to pharmaceuticals and chemicals. The discussion concluded with Deepak expressing optimism about the potential for new technologies to create scalable impacts across various industries, including healthcare, education, and transportation.

**Employee Retention and Mobility Factors**

Deepak and Anita discussed the factors that influence employee retention and mobility, emphasizing the need to integrate insights from the literatures on careers, human resource management, and strategic human capital. They highlighted the importance of considering both human capital benefits and social capital costs as well as the frictions associated with employee turnover. Anita raised questions about the high employee mobility in Silicon Valley tech companies, particularly given their focus on AI and automation, which Deepak attributed to the need for complementary human capital to leverage digital assets and achieve scalability.

**Employee Mobility and Human Capital**

Deepak and Anita discussed the concept of human capital, focusing on the skills and knowledge that employees bring to the design of coding structures in tech and AI specifically. They explored why coders often move between firms, considering factors like culture, relational contracts, and the importance of retaining valuable employees. Deepak highlighted that while firms may try to retain talent, other factors such as shifting product priorities and the time-consuming process of replacing departing employees can influence employee mobility.

**Patents' Evolving Role in Tech**

Anita and Deepak discussed the evolving nature of competitive advantages in technology, particularly focusing on the effectiveness of patents in protecting innovations. Deepak explained that while patents can be strong in industries like pharmaceuticals, they are less effective in software and digital assets, leading to a shift in focus towards other sources of competitive advantage such as human capital and market factors. They also touched on the importance of demand-side phenomena and the interplay between human capital and scaling in the context of technology and innovation.  Deepak emphasized the important interplay between human capital and market demand in shaping how firms achieve competitive advantage in technology.

## Related resources

- [Deepak’s website at the University of Illinois](https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/profile/deepak-somaya)
- [Deepak on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepak-somaya-84972168)
- [Coursera courses offered by Deepak](https://www.coursera.org/instructor/deepak-somaya)
- [Research Gate on Deepak](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Deepak-Somaya-2)
- [Deepak’s 2026 paper with a summary framework on employee mobility](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01492063251331002?)
- [Deepak’s 2008 paper on employee mobility between competitors and cooperators](https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMJ.2008.34789660)

## Recording

Video: https://vimeo.com/1163783874

## Category

[Where Do We Go From Here?](https://pisquared.theburnescenter.org/category/where-next)

* * *

Original page: https://pisquared.theburnescenter.org/interviews/somaya-deepak · Licence: none stated