Software People Stories

This is a special episode for me, personally.

This marks 300 episodes of the Software People Stories. The journey has been very enriching. But more of that, in a few weeks, when we complete six years of the podcast.

In addition, the guest today is a person who has been a mentor to me and whose qualities technically and as a leader, I admire.

I am in conversation with Gunaseelan Narayanan, known as Guna. Guna is an executive coach with a long career in IT before that.

In this conversation, he talks about

• Two phases of his career
• Starting with FORTRAN programming and transitioning into microprocessors
• His career at HCL - the only company he was associated with throughout his career
• Shifting to creating user focused solutions and telecom areas
• Gaining experience with multi-national partnerships

Guna has over three decades of experience in the Information Technology industry. Currently he is an Executive Coach, helping senior executives enhance their leadership capabilities. He started his career as a software engineer in R&D department of Hindustan Computers Limited in 1979. He held various technical and managerial roles in HCL R&D and HCL-HP R&D before transitioning to HCL Technologies. In HCL Technologies he was in key delivery and business leadership roles including head of Engineering and R&D Services Line of Business and head of Delivery Excellence.

Guna holds M.Tech. degree in Computer Science and B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering, both from IIT Madras. He is a certified Executive Coach from Coaching Foundation India

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunaseelan-narayanan-13246b23/

In this conversation, Sapna Jhaver, Technology Leader is in conversation with Chitra Gurjar where she shares various perspectives on -

- Gen Alpha - their role as influencers, their thoughts and virtual influence of Generative AI

- Moving into leadership roles and how her theatre experience helped her with playing, understanding leadership

- Becoming inward focused to manage orthodoxy, perceptions and accepting herself

- Providing her narrative for her future self

- Messages for people aspiring to make a career in tech with dedicating time to learn, exposing ones' mind to different roles and using principles of running a business to learn about leadership

Sapna Jhawer is a Retail Technology leader known for her fusion of innovation, empathy, and resilience. As a technology leader with over two decades of experience, she is known for her strategic vision, collaborative leadership style, and commitment to driving positive change. Sapna's passion for equity and storytelling fuels her mission to empower teams, foster innovation, and create a lasting impact on society. Her authentic approach, coupled with her expertise in retail technology, makes her a trusted advisor and thought leader in her field

I continue my conversation with C Subramanian - more affectionately known as CS in his circles,  an accomplished banker turned IT professional, with international experience.

CS - C Subramanian's story is one of resilience, adaptation, and continuous learning. From his humble beginnings, he sought stability through education and found unexpected opportunities in the banking sector. Despite facing objections, he embraced the chance to join Canara Bank and eventually transitioned into the IT field within the organization.

His journey into IT was marked by challenges and learning experiences, particularly during the implementation of banking software. CS emphasized the importance of understanding banking requirements and effectively communicating them to software developers. He highlighted the pivotal role of taking on computer courses reimbursed by the bank, which opened doors to new career paths.

As he moved into project management, CS encountered new challenges but remained determined to succeed. He emphasized the significance of upgrading skills, adapting to new roles, and fostering teamwork. Throughout his narrative, CS underscored the importance of self-confidence, perseverance, and continuous self-improvement in achieving career growth.

CS's story serves as a testament to the power of resilience, learning, and seizing opportunities, even in the face of doubts and obstacles. His emphasis on teamwork and mentorship underscores the value of collaboration and support in professional development. Overall, CS's journey offers valuable insights for navigating career transitions and achieving success in the ever-evolving landscape of the IT sector.

A post graduate in Chemistry, worked in a public sector Bank for nearly 30 years and then moved to IT industry in  BFSI. Handled various Banking  projects for nearly 10 years in middle east and India in roles of  Domain expert and Project Management. 

Lives in Bengaluru

He may be reached at: [email protected]

In this episode, Shiv is in conversation with C Subramanian, more affectionately known as CS in his circles, an accomplished banker turned IT professional, with international experience.

In this first part of the conversation, CS shared his origin story, starting from a modest background with a focus on securing a stable life through education. 

Despite initial plans for a career in chemistry, a friend's suggestion led him to apply for a job at Canara Bank, where he began his career. Despite family objections, he pursued the opportunity and eventually transitioned into the IT sector within the bank, leveraging courses and opportunities for advancement.

He recounted his journey from a banking employee to an IT professional, highlighting key moments such as taking on computer courses reimbursed by the bank, which unexpectedly paved the way for his entry into the IT field. He described the challenges and learning experiences during the implementation of banking software, emphasizing the importance of understanding and conveying banking requirements to software developers.

CS reflected on his transition to project management and the challenges he faced, including the need to upgrade his skills and adapt to new roles. He shared insights into managing teams, emphasizing the importance of guiding and motivating team members while continuously learning and upgrading oneself. Despite initial doubts from others, he persevered, proving himself and achieving career growth within the organization.

Throughout his narrative, CS emphasized the importance of learning, adaptation, and self-confidence in navigating career transitions and achieving success. He also stressed the value of teamwork, mentorship, and continuous self-improvement in professional growth.

A post graduate in Chemistry, worked in a public sector Bank for nearly 30 years and then moved to IT industry in  BFSI. Handled various Banking  projects for nearly 10 years in middle east and India in roles of  Domain expert and Project Management. 

Lives in Bengaluru

He may be reached at: [email protected]

In this episode Shiv continues his conversation with Andy Hillard the CEO of Accelerance. He leads and advocates for the globalization and collaboration of great software teams across the world. 

In this second part of the conversation, Shiv and Andy discuss the challenges of working with multiple service providers and the importance of building cohesive teams. Andy emphasizes the need for trust, accountability, and common values in creating successful partnerships, regardless of whether you're working with one partner or multiple partners.

He also touches upon the impact of AI on the IT landscape. Andy highlights the proliferation of service providers due to remote work and the challenges companies face in leveraging AI effectively. He stresses the importance of trust, credibility, and a focus on what AI cannot do, advocating for investing in interpersonal skills and problem-solving abilities.

Shiv then asks for career tips, and Andy advises leaning into challenges rather than retreating from them, emphasizing action over inaction. He encourages individuals to continuously improve themselves and to maintain determination in the face of obstacles.

Finally, they discuss travel preferences, with Andy expressing interest in revisiting India and Japan due to their unique cultures and vast diversity.

Overall, the conversation explores themes of teamwork, adaptation to technological advancements, personal growth, and cultural appreciation.

As CEO, Andy leads and advocates for the globalization and collaboration of great software teams with companies in search of talent, innovation and a globally-distributed extension of their engineering function and culture.

Andy founded the ground-breaking nearshore software development services company, Isthmus Costa Rica. He began his global software services career as a Division Manager at Cognizant during their early formative years.

In this episode, Shiv is in conversation with Andy Hillard, the CEO of Accelerance. He leads and advocates for the globalization and collaboration of great software teams across the world. 

The conversation between Shiv and Andy covers Andy's extensive career journey, including his time with the Peace Corps, his experience in finance and marketing, and his transition into software development. 

Andy discusses the evolution of the outsourcing industry, emphasizing the need for service providers to build trust and credibility with their clients. 

He shares insights on fostering empathy and collaboration within distributed teams, particularly in the context of outsourcing relationships. 

Andy highlights the importance of aligning cultural values, communication practices, and leadership styles between clients and service providers to ensure successful collaboration. 

The conversation also touches on challenges and controversies in outsourcing, prompting a discussion on the risks and benefits of outsourcing arrangements involving multiple service providers. 

Overall, the conversation explores strategies for building effective and trustworthy partnerships in the software development industry.

As CEO, Andy leads and advocates for the globalization and collaboration of great software teams with companies in search of talent, innovation and a globally-distributed extension of their engineering function and culture.

Andy founded the ground-breaking nearshore software development services company, Isthmus Costa Rica. He began his global software services career as a Division Manager at Cognizant during their early formative years.

Shiv continues his conversation with Mike Bowers, Chief architect at FairCom.

In this conversation, Mike discusses how to identify someone with an aptitude for being a software architect.

Here are the key points:

• Aptitude for a software architect, abstract thinking and Practicality
• His Experience in extensive coding and understanding of  different programming languages, Data structures and algorithms knowledge
• He also talks about the Qualities of a good software architect:
• How to identify if you have the aptitude:

In short, a software architect should be a well-rounded programmer with a strong understanding of design and practicality. They should be able to see the big picture and translate that vision into a functional system.

He also shares some career tips for aspiring architects.

Mike Bowers is the Chief Architect at FairCom with over 35 years of experience in software development and architecture. As the driving force behind FairCom's architecture and product roadmaps, Mike specializes in high-performance NoSQL and SQL databases, IIoT platforms, and legacy system modernization solutions. His wealth of knowledge extends to topics like database revolution, manufacturing 4.0, IIoT, edge computing, and data integration. With a deep understanding of the tech landscape, he actively contributes to the development of industry standards through his membership in the INCITS technical committee, focusing on SQL and GQL. Mike's insights resonate particularly well with audiences comprising CEOs, IT managers, software architects, software engineers, and controls engineers.

My guest today is Mike Bowers, Chief architect at FairCom. We had a very interesting conversation that we decided to publish in two parts. In the first part of the conversation , MIke shares his career path and his perspective on how to approach software development. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the customer's needs and designing systems that are flexible and scalable. He also discusses the importance of data in software development and his experience working with different data models.

Here are the key points from the conversation:

• Mike started programming at a young age and has been passionate about it ever since.
• He has a PhD in music theory and sees connections between music and software development, particularly in terms of patterns.
• As an architect, he focuses on designing systems that are flexible, scalable, and meet the needs of the customer.
• He believes that data is a crucial part of software development and that understanding data is essential for building good systems.
• He has experience working with different data models, including relational databases and JSON.

Mike Bowers is the Chief Architect at FairCom with over 35 years of experience in software development and architecture. As the driving force behind FairCom's architecture and product roadmaps, Mike specializes in high-performance NoSQL and SQL databases, IIoT platforms, and legacy system modernization solutions. His wealth of knowledge extends to topics like database revolution, manufacturing 4.0, IIoT, edge computing, and data integration. With a deep understanding of the tech landscape, he actively contributes to the development of industry standards through his membership in the INCITS technical committee, focusing on SQL and GQL. Mike's insights resonate particularly well with audiences comprising CEOs, IT managers, software architects, software engineers, and controls engineers.

In this conversation with Ms. Vijayashree CTO - Shikshalokam | Director- Onlineengineer Inc. she talks about her career trajectory and how she approaches technical challenges. Here are the key points:

• Vijayashree accidentally ended up in computer science after wanting to study electronics engineering.
• She has a passion for system software design and coding.
• She transitioned from a services role to a product role to focus more on the technical aspects.
• She believes in balancing the technical aspects with user needs and understanding the business domain.
• She uses a collaborative approach to design, involving the team and getting their buy-in on ideas.
• She acknowledges the need for analysis and design but also emphasizes the importance of getting things into production quickly using Agile methodologies.
• When making decisions about new technologies, she weighs the risks and benefits, using proven patterns for critical areas but also taking calculated risks to experiment with new ideas.
• She communicates the importance of non-functional requirements to her team and integrates them into the design process to ensure scalability, reliability, and maintainability.

Vijayashree talks about the challenges and the transition from working in the commercial sector to the social sector.

Key takeaways for designing for the social sector:

• Users might not have the technical expertise and may have limited internet connectivity.
• The solutions should be designed for a wider range of devices including low-end smartphones.
• Multiple languages and possibly voice interfaces should be considered.
• There might be a need to focus on offline functionality as well.

Metrics for success in the social sector:

• Adoption rate of the software by other organizations.
• User feedback and the resulting improvements made to the software.
• The impact of the software on the beneficiaries.

There are also a few interesting career advices by her

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijayashree-urs/