Why the ‘Global Talent Class’ needs a software update
Do you ever get the feeling that you are winning a race you didn’t actually sign up for? You know the one. You study hard, get into a good school, land a “prestigious” job (maybe in a law firm or an investment bank) and suddenly, you are on a treadmill. The goals are clear: a […]
Leadership Lens #6: Signs that you are building a Fear-Culture
Every manager stepping into a new role wants to be a good leader. You motivate, guide, mentor, and pull every lever you know to get results. But by the time a fear-driven culture becomes visible, it’s usually already rooted deep—well past the point where a quick training session or a pep talk can fix it. […]
The startup paradox: Return-on-Investment vs. Real-world change
Last week, I attended a tech conference buzzing with familiar energy: crisp suits, caffeinated ideas, and the air thick with possibility. One panel, in particular, stood out. It was on investments in startups, featuring a seasoned investor whose portfolio included early bets on now-iconic companies (like Talabat and Grab) that went on to redefine digital convenience […]
Leadership Lens #5: The Four Generations of Not Knowing
“I don’t know.” Four simple words. Uttered a million times a day across office hallways, Slack threads, and meeting rooms. On paper, it’s a neutral phrase neither offensive nor dramatic. Yet in today’s multi-generational workplace, it’s anything but neutral. Depending on who hears it, “I don’t know” can signal curiosity, avoidance, inadequacy, or calm pragmatism. Put four […]
Leadership Lens #4: Retrospect, don’t react
The Retrospective that wasn’t I was in a retrospective meeting the other day. The agenda was straightforward: how did we get here, and how can we prevent it from happening again? The Figma wireframe didn’t match the current build. Stakeholders were confused. Somewhere between planning and execution, alignment slipped. So we began dissecting the sequence […]
Leadership Lens: Listening Beyond the Metrics
You are in a team meeting. Everyone nods. Smiles. The roadmap looks solid, targets are ambitious, and timelines are tight, but no one raises a red flag. Then, after the meeting, Slack lights up. Side conversations pop up. Doubts emerge. People talk. Just not where it counts. Welcome to a culture where feedback exists, but […]
Leadership Lens: Rethinking Remuneration, Rewards & Recognition
Introduction In the high-velocity world of modern work—especially in tech—we talk a lot about growth. Revenue growth. User growth. Career growth. But beneath the OKRs and performance reviews lies a more delicate ecosystem: the systems we use to motivate people. Salary bands, performance bonuses, promotions, praise—they’re all intended to fuel engagement and drive output. But […]
Leadership Lens: Trust as a Calculated Risk
In the fast-paced world of software development, we rely on collaboration, autonomy, and speed. Leadership isn’t about micromanagement—it’s about enabling smart people to do great work. And at the core of that enablement is trust. How Trust Begins It often begins subtly. You assign a couple of tasks to someone on your team. They handle […]
Professional vs Personal : the prioritisation puzzle
This past week I took a emergency trip to visit my grandmother who was hospitalised. After a successful knee replacement surgery, she suffered a sodium misbalance and had to be rushed to the hospital. I flew the next day to visit her. Was the decision emotional? Was the decision rash? What is an appropriate response? […]
Mentee Musings’ in Corporate
When you look at being 10 years in an industry, you feel like you have lived a little. You are no longer the wide-eyed novice that you once were when you started but then you can’t really compete with the real veterans. You don’t know everything but you do know ‘somethings’. You are the equivalent […]