Stop thriving in the company of suck-ups!

If you’re wondering what this cuddly doggy video is doing on your Linked In feed, read the rest of the post for a timely lesson to managers writing year-end reviews :)

(As per not-so-scientific surveys) A whopping 80% of executives admit to giving more attention to their furry friends than their own family! While they vehemently denied loving them more than their own spouse and kids, the reason for this attention was ...

“The dig is always happy to see me. It never talks back, and gives unconditional love no matter what I do!” 

In other words, the dog is a suck-up. 

But here's the kicker: if we're not careful, we might end up treating our colleagues at work like, well, dogs. Surrounding ourselves with “yes” people, and rewarding those who constantly shower us with praise, whether it's genuine or not. 

And guess what? Without meaning to, we are basking in hollow praise which makes us, well hollow leaders who thrive in the company of suck-ups! 

Reference: “What got you here won’t get you there” from Malcolm Goldsmith

Scaling (the impact of) your teams!

(Even) When scaling the team isn't an option, double down on scaling the impact of your teams!

#1 Prioritise high-impact projects that truly move the needle

#2 Stay deliberate and thorough in your research without cutting corners

#3 Streamline approach, processes and reviews to get more done with less

#4 Get the word out to customers and executives to build advocacy for our efforts

#5 Identify, track and optimise for key metrics valuable to the success of your project

Less isn’t always more

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” … said the great Leonardo Da Vinci. So it must be the holy grain of design, right? Ummm … yes BUT with an important disclaimer!!

Bing “simple” and “simplistic” are used interchangeably but couldn't be more different in their implications. 

Simplicity entails clarity, ease of use, and ensuring users can accomplish their tasks efficiently. But this must not translate into forced over-simplification by dumbing things down to the point that users are left wondering how to even get things done. They feel frustrated, realizing the lack of depth and richness of features they need to be truly productive. 

Take, for example, complex software tools like Photoshop, Figma, and AutoCAD. Despite their sophisticated functionalities and steep learning curves, they've retained market leadership in their respective domains for years. Even power users, who have spent countless hours mastering these tools, may not fully grasp every aspect of their capabilities. Rather than sacrificing functionality in the name of simplicity, they empower users to dive deep, explore, and unlock their full creative potential.

So, while minimalist, clutter-free layouts are all the rage, let’s be present to the fine line between sleek minimalism and downright neglecting user needs and champion a more nuanced approach to design. 

Because less isn't always more :)

When words matter more than pictures

While a picture may speak a thousand words, sometimes, just a few well-spoken words hit the nail on the head like nothing else can :)

This invaluable quote from Prof Ralph Speth (ex CEO of Jaguar Land Rover and recently appointed Chairman of TVS Motors, India) is a fantastic reminder that investment in good design NOW can save you a mountain of headaches (and dollars) down the road!

So, time to cut the engineer bias and give design its fair share of resources, huh? :)

Great product trumps … Great everything else

Great product trumps …. Great everything else. 

Period! 

Yes, you can keep investing in building great support, service, or sales teams, but having an exceptional product gives you the golden ticket to success like nothing else (Unless you’re an Amazon and great service is THE product)!

This notion was consistently reaffirmed during some flavorful journeys with friends and family through the bustling streets of Hyderabad, Delhi & Amritsar recently. From mouthwatering biryani to succulent kebabs and heavenly kulchas to lip-smacking Kulfi, these spots are legendary for one thing: their unbeatable products. 

And I found myself (and countless others) happily enduring bumpy Tuk-Tuk rides, long waits, and a not-so-lavish "experience" because of the unparalleled quality of what they serve! 

So, it was a humbling experience to see these iconic spots focus on perfecting what they offer every day, and watch as everything else falls into place :) 

Because in a world where mediocrity is abundant, greatness always shines through!

(Design matters) More than just functionality

These words must echo through the corridors of such product orgs … 

1. Where engineers and PMs reign supreme, believing they build "functionality" while designers merely add a superficial coat of design.

2. Where experience focussed designers focused on “strategy” are placed higher in hierarchy than those focused on pure craft

Since the dawn of industrialization, form has been a driving force in shaping consumer perceptions across a myriad of industries. From automobiles to electronics, and home decor to lifestyle accessories, manufacturers understood early on that form wasn't merely about aesthetics; it was about conveying a sense of prestige, performance, and identity. The same holistic approach propelled Apple to the forefront of innovation, demonstrating how blending cutting-edge technology, simple intuitive experiences and impeccable design aesthetics can have a profound impact on user experience and brand perception! 

When it comes to digital design, we've been conditioned to prioritize functionality over form. But we must continue to challenge these notions and position great design as a delicate balance of both—combining strategic insights with artistic flair to create products that resonate on a visceral level.

Crafting a robust product strategy in 3 steps

“What's a good product strategy?”

Most of us have been confronted with this head-scratcher during investor pitches, team brainstorming, or strategy meetings.

Recently, on a podcast featuring Intercom leaders, it was interesting to hear them distill the essence of a robust product strategy into three elegantly simple aspects. And here they are :)

Uniqueness: What makes you stand out? It's about figuring out why people should pick you over everyone else. What's your special sauce that makes customers go, "Wow, I need that!"?

Similarity: But hey, being unique doesn't mean being totally alien. Your customers need assurance that by choosing you, they're not stepping into uncharted territory. So, you gotta show them that while you're different, you understand their needs intimately, and that transitioning from their current solution to yours will be seamless.

Coherence: And here's where design comes in! It's about bringing the cool unique stuff and the familiar stuff together in a way that feels like a natural fit. It's not about patching together disparate elements but orchestrating them into a cohesive whole that feels natural and intuitive to the user.

Yeah .. in hindsight, it's astounding how the most profound insights often reside in simplicity. By focusing on these three fundamental aspects, we can (hopefully) craft product strategies that not only captivate, but endure :)

Year-end reviews: Feedback for managers matters (too!)

It’s year-end review time and as always, there's an air of anticipation as folks await feedback from their managers, looking forward to not only personal growth but also the accompanying recognition and rewards!!

There's another facet of this process that often gets overlooked—the opportunity for us all to provide feedback on our managers! This is our (rare) chance to share our perspectives for our managers' managers to gauge the pulse of our relationships and assess if our bosses are truly fostering an environment conducive to our success :)

As a manager, I (try as much as I can to) welcome critique and concerns with open arms and foster an environment such that this dialogue doesn't remain confined to the year-end review process alone. 

Also, having been a manager of numerous managers through out my career, I’ve seen and addressed firsthand two common extremes, neither of which contribute to a healthy work environment:

1. Managers simply being jerks getting overall negative sentiments and killing morale in the team

2. Overcompensating by being too agreeable, avoiding tough discussions and sugar-coating feedback.

While addressing the first is typically straightforward and acknowledged, the second one is frequently overlooked (and remains unaddressed) until it detrimentally impacts team effectiveness :(

And to drive this point home to all such managers, I often share one of my all-time favorite management quotes below :)

Celebrating seasoned pros and their timeless contributions

This post is dedicated to seasoned pros with a few more years under their belts :) 

Today’s agenda: To address the elephant in the room: Ageism in the tech world! 

It’s time to dispel the myth that innovation is confined to favoured few in media spotlight: Folks in their 20s working out of their parents’ garages (or rather dingy apartments in small towns if you’re reading this in India). The idea that professionals in their 40s and 50s are primarily suited for people and managerial roles, sidelining their hands-on contributions, is a misleading stereotype. 

Some of the most impactful empires (tech and otherwise) were constructed by individuals with a wealth of experience and wisdom

Steve Jobs launched the iPhone at 52, 

Jack Ma founded Alibaba in his mid-forties

Elon Musk built Tesla and SpaceX well in his forties.

Vera Wang launched her iconic fashion brand at the ripe age of 40

Ray Croc turned McDonald’s into an empire in his fifties. 

And if you were looking for inspiration closer home (In India)

Falguni Nayar redefined the beauty industry in India by launching Nykaa at the age of 50

And finally what can I say about Nandan Nilekani! The unofficial CTO of India doing the most impactful work of his career with ground breaking innovations like Aadhar and UPI in his Sixties :)

So while I lament my receding hairline, everything else has only “grown” with the passing decades: 

Passion for the work, Functional & behavioral intellect AND even my fitness routines making me more energetic than ever. 

So lets set aside those numbers in a footnote and enjoy our most productive and innovative years ahead!

Unlocking the true magic and navigating balance

When it comes to product teams, the distribution of folks in engineering, product management, and design often reveals an intriguing pattern. 

Design, often the junior partner in this trinity (excluding the rare design-led organizations like Apple, Figma, or Airbnb), tends to be the leanest, more often than not :(

Tech team serving as the catalyst to bring concepts to fruition, is (rightly) the strongest. BUT when these folks garner a disproportionate focus, an unintended consequence is a landscape resembling what’s called a ‘feature factory’; orgs challenged with adoption and usability, often leaving a question mark on the efficacy of all these features produced!

When the product domain takes precedence, the scenario almost mirrors a product manager's version of seeking compatibility on a social platform – swiping right to match up with a capable design and engineering team that can help them materialise their vision :)

The real value resides neither in an abundance of features nor in lofty product aspirations. I

t’s in achieving a synchronized balance. Striving for the elusive equilibrium where innovation converges with usability, and delightful experiences align with pragmatic execution must be our collective pursuit 

Because that’s where 

TRUE MAGIC HAPPENS :)

Cheers to Zenoti’s firsts and the team behind them!

Even with a career spanning over two decades, Zenoti has a way of keeping things exciting for me with a constant stream of 'firsts' in the past two years :)

One of these “firsts” happened this week at ‘The Big DASH’’.  I was thrown a curveball of 'designing, directing, and scripting' a live demo for our major new products :) No pressure, right: 800 folks in the audience, including execs from all over the globe and even the board of directors! 

Our mission? To showcase how these cutting-edge innovations are about to transform the lives of business owners, their workforce, and customers.

The plan? Connect with the huge audience, make them feel the shift, and keep them hooked!"

Our challenge? To keep things real and unfiltered, steering away from my usual strengths in carefully crafted videos and presentations. It was all about showcasing our live products without any scripted stories :)

So this post is about a big shoutout to the stellar team who hustled for weeks to turn this vision into reality! They deserve a round of applause for sure :)

Firstly, the engineering legends - Anurag, Anil, Abhishek, Jagadeesh, and Bala - for rocking those builds, keeping everything stable, and pulling off their behind-the-scenes magic with perfection!"

Hats off to the PM squad - Priyanka, Nikita and Puja - for enduring countless dry-runs with script tweaks, owning the stage and saving their best for the grand finale by dropping a perfect pitch!

I just can’t thank Anand enough for handing this opportunity - most of those 'firsts' I mentioned earlier are due to the doors you’e opened for me/team and your trust means the world to me!

Last but not the least, big thanks to Sudheer for keeping us honest with your bold vision for these products and dropping some incredible inputs to amp up the demo

Been getting tons of compliments from my awesome colleagues, and every single one is really special! But I've got to admit, Shekhar's words hold a special place in my heart. It's pretty awesome to get a thumbs up from someone who's seen the B2B SaaS game from every angle, in India and beyond!")

Embracing my quirky habit of daily walk to work

I have a daily ritual that often seems quirky to (many amongst) my family, friends and colleagues!

It’s walking! 

About 5km/45 min, six days in a week (including getting up to and back from work everyday)!

But it's more than just a fitness goal for me – it's become my mobile thinking space! 

Stepping away from the hustle and bustle, letting my mind wander, this is my designated time to think, reflect, and gain some mental clarity.

Plus,I often plug into a podcast while on the move. It's like having a virtual mentor or a thought-provoking friend right there with me, sharing different perspectives and fresh ideas that I otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

So even though it seems odd to those around me, I’ve come to embrace the weirdness! Would love to hear if anyone else has their unconventional habits that keep them on their A-game!

P.S. Picture from an early morning walk at a tea plantation in stunning Munnar :)

Design's secret sauce: beyond problem-solving

There's a constant buzz about the importance of "problem-solving" in the design realm, and don't get me wrong, it's absolutely crucial! As we have all heard a zillion times that “Design is not just about making things pretty but solving real problems”.

All this makes sense until young designers start donning their problem-solving superhero capes, at the cost of neglecting the foundation of their core skills.

Because here's the thing: when it comes to "problem-solving" and "strategy," you're going to find a crowd. 

Product Managers, Engineering Managers, Heads of Design, VPs of Product, and more – they're all in the mix trying to identify a problem and ways to solve it, but not everyone can translate that solution into a visually stunning and user-friendly experience.

Visual design, interaction design, motion design, prototyping – these aren't just checkboxes on a job application. They're your design toolkit, your secret weapons. These are the skills that set you apart, the ones that make you indispensable. It's the ability to breathe life into pixels, craft seamless interactions, and bring ideas to life through motion and prototyping.

These are the skills that open doors at the early stages of your career, and trust me, those doors lead to amazing opportunities. As you build trust with your team and stakeholders, you'll find yourself naturally stepping into more strategic roles.

Become the go-to person for visual design excellence, interaction wizardry, and prototype sorcery. Your future self will thank you :) 

Simplifying productivity for managers and leadership

Ever heard of "Eat the Frog"? It’s a productivity concept that means tackling the most challenging or important task when you’re most productive. The frog represents the task that you might be tempted to procrastinate or avoid due to its difficulty or complexity.

In my life I have expanded this “froggy” concept to how can I simplify such “Eating the Frog" moments for my managers and leadership - means How can I offer help in some critical tasks that linger in their minds?

Whether it’s about bringing an elusive product idea to life with something beautiful that they can touch and feel, 

or whipping up a slick presentation for that upcoming keynote, 

I’m like a frog whisperer, always on the lookout for those tricky yet crucial gigs.

And guess what? The reactions are like pulling a rabbit out of a hat – PURE MAGIC!

“So who’s up for a frog treat?” 

Product visions are nice, but NOT always helpful

“We will make [insert your target customer]’s lives better through [insert your product idea here].”

Product visions like above are nice, but NOT helpful. 

You need to give the audience (and senior executives) a real sense of how you will make their lives better as the chances of a written spec effectively communicating complex software is pretty close to ZERO.

The only thing I have relied upon when communicating a vision is a high-fidelity prototype or video. 

Let’s INSPIRE our audience that it’s worth solving these problems!

TBT to one of zillion such concepts I have shipped in my career, both to get folks on board or to unearth limitations of the concept before investing time, money and effort:)

2024 Manifesto: Design beyond screens!

One of my resolutions for the year is to push our team to make the leap from being design maestros to true though leaders!

And here’s action plan #1

As designers, we pour our heart and soul into every pixel we craft and are most eager to share our Figma files to our audience. Unfortunately, very few amongst us (including the seasoned ones) realise that simply sending over screens without context doesn’t do any justice to our brilliance. Especially when it comes to sharing this with senior executives who do not have the luxury of deciphering the maze of screens in their busy schedules :(

So, here's the hack …

Let's start leading the design conversation! Instead of sending files without context, let's craft a narrative around our designs that unfold the story behind your work!

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Why does your design exist? 

Dive into the BEFORE/CURRENT states, shedding light on the problems you're tackling. 

Highlight the pivotal moments of your proposed solution 

Showcase the exciting roadmap for future versions.

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What does this achieve? It transforms you into a design storyteller, linking user needs to business goals seamlessly. This approach isn't just about presenting a solution; it's about articulating a vision. Sure, it takes a bit more effort, but trust me – the impact of making our designs speak louder than pixels on a screen is MONUMENTAL