How do you transition from an elite-level banking role to building a thriving global IT consultancy? In this episode of IT Mastermind Talks, host Ian Markram a seasoned IT services coach who built and sold his own consultancy to NTT Data after a career at Deloitte UK and Axon UK sits down with Amendra Pratap, CEO of Octane Solutions.

Amendra shares his journey from growing up in Fiji to becoming the "employee number one" for TM1 at Macquarie Group, where he scaled their platform to over 780 global users. Now, as an IBM Gold Partner, Octane Solutions combines deep IBM Planning Analytics expertise with a flexible, cost-effective hybrid delivery model. Amendra reveals how they bridge the gap between Financial Consulting and Cloud Application Development using their unique Octane Blue productized service model.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 
(00:00) – Introduction & Guest Welcome  
(01:56) – Background: Growing up in Fiji and moving to Australia  
(04:55) – Early career as an accountant during the Sydney Olympics  
(07:05) – Falling in love with TM1 and Excel integration  
(09:48) – Joining Macquarie Group as "Employee Number One" for TM1  
(11:35) – Scaling to 780+ global users and leading a global team  
(13:47) – Identifying the market gap and founding Octane Solutions  
(15:38) – Devise products and fractional charging models  
(16:37) – Landing the first major client: Pitching to Optus  
(19:38) – Productizing IT: The birth of the "Octane Blue" model  
(22:19) – Creating a frictionless experience for global clients  
(24:25) – Reducing support tickets through user training  
(25:50) – Why consultants come first and customers come second  
(28:18) – Industry insights: Banking, retail, and tech forecasting  
(1:05:19) – Closing advice: The importance of the ability to sell

Key takeaways from this episode:

• The Power of Productization: How Octane Solutions removed client friction by turning complex IT Consulting into "Octane Blue," a fixed-price, 40-hour transparent service package.
• Hybrid Service Excellence: Navigating SaaS Development and Cloud Management through a frictionless approach that eliminates long-term contracts.
• Consultant-First Culture: Why prioritizing consultant happiness over simple support tickets leads to higher value FP&A and AI solutions.

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🔗 Connect with Amendra Pratap

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LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/octane-software-solutions/
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Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@octanesoftwaresolutions

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