On The Digital Executive podcast, Ani Mishra shares his insights as a seasoned software engineering leader at DoorDash, where he oversees the logistics systems powering grocery, retail, convenience, and alcohol delivery. Mishra emphasizes the importance of solving a single customer problem deeply and effectively before generalizing the solution for other verticals, ensuring both speed and scalability. He explains that high-performing teams thrive when they are built with top talent, are given autonomy, and have clear focus areas—along with a shared sense of ownership for the reliability of their systems. His leadership approach is grounded in understanding each team member's motivation, fostering inclusive culture, and always planning ahead to align talent with future problems.

Drawing on his early startup experience at Phoenix and Mobify, Mishra reflects on the hands-on, all-hats nature of startup life, which taught him to build products from the ground up, scale them, and lead with empathy. Looking forward, he is most excited about how large language models (LLMs) are transforming logistics. From improving item discovery and route optimization in stores to enhancing customer experience and delivery safety, LLMs are enabling more intelligent and responsive systems. While AI has long played a role in logistics, Ani believes LLMs will accelerate innovation—from real-time decision-making to autonomous vehicles—making deliveries faster, safer, and more precise in the years ahead.

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