Software People Stories

In this interesting conversation with Eric Müller, Product Engineering Associate Director at Work & Co, part of Accenture Song, he shares many nuggets including:

- The importance of balancing perfect architecture with practical, implementable solutions.

- Acknowledging and managing technical debt efficiently.

- Understanding business needs to prevent over-engineering.

- Creating high-performing teams through trust, communication, and ensuring appropriate tools and training are in place.

- The significance of empathy, both towards team members and clients, and developing a well-rounded worldview.

- Addressing security vulnerabilities proactively and maintaining rigorous safety standards.

- Utilizing Gen AI tools like ChatGPT with caution, emphasizing verification and human oversight.

- Personal practices that help maintain a work-life balance and ensure continuous personal growth, such as engaging in hobbies like photography and cooking, exercising, and maintaining effective communication within teams.

Eric Müller, is an Associate Director focusing on Product Engineering and Digital Security at Work & Co, part of Accenture Song, where leads engineering teams and supported automated processes to deliver high-quality digital products for the past decade. With over 20 years of experience in engineering and security, Eric has worked across various industries including banking, social media, B2B, retail, fashion, and online gaming.

His extensive background includes significant roles at Wells Fargo Bank, Charles Schwab, Razorfish, and Mekanism, where he delivered award-winning projects for clients such as Microsoft, Business Wire, Anza, and Vibrant Planet. Eric fosters empathetic leadership and transparent communication to build resilient, high-performing tech teams.

An advocate for healthy agency-client collaboration, Eric involves partners early and often in the development process. His experience has proven that stronger client relationships result in better products. Beyond his professional achievements, Eric is an amateur photographer and baking enthusiast who loves discussing security.

Eric may be reached at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmullersf/

My guest today is Steven Puri, founder of the Sukha, that offers solutions to help individuals increase their productivity through being in a flow state.

Steven was a senior executive at DreamWorks Pictures and 20th Century Fox, who has successfully transitioned into the tech industry.

He shares his career journey, from producing computer graphics for movies like 'Independence Day' to his ventures in the tech space, raising $21 million in venture capital.

He discusses the importance of cross-domain learning, productivity, and achieving a flow state.

Steven delves into how his background in both film and tech has shaped his approach to managing remote and hybrid teams, emphasizing the significance of meaningful work and the right conditions for flow.

He also introduces his company, Suka, that has been built based on insights into various tools and techniques. This episode offers useful insights for leaders and individuals aiming to enhance their productivity and creativity.

Among the topics he covers are:

• Career in the Entertainment Industry
• Transition to Tech and Entrepreneurship
• Challenges and Learnings from Failures
• Building Remote and Hybrid Teams
• Creative Brainstorms and Flow States
• Leadership and Team Dynamics
• Maintaining Culture in Remote Teams
• The Rise of Gig Work
• The Trigger for Suka
• Creating a Flow State App
• Overcoming Procrastination
• The Importance of Music
• Building a Supportive Community
• Synchronizing Team Flow
• Tips for Leaders to Foster Flow
• 
  

Steven is the Founder and CEO of The Sukha Company with the mission to help millions of people find their focus, achieve more and have a healthy work life. 

Steven's career started as a newscaster/interviewer for the #1 youth news show in the DC/Baltimore market (on WTTG-TV) and then as a junior software engineer & Thomas J. Watson Scholar at IBM. 

After attending USC in Los Angeles, he began working in film production and produced computer-generated visual effects for 14 movies including Independence Day which won the Academy Award for Visual Effects. 

Steven’s first tech company was Centropolis Effects that produced those CGI effects, and he eventually sold it to the German media conglomerate Das Werk when he was 28. Steven then produced some indie films and eventually went studio-side to develop and produce live-action features as a VP of Development & Production at 20th Century Fox (running the Die Hard and Wolverine franchises) and an EVP at DreamWorks Pictures for Kurtzman-Orci Productions where he worked on Star Trek, Transformers and more. 

After Fox, Steven returned to building tech companies and founded The Sukha Company - ‘sukha’ means ‘happiness from self-fulfillment’ in Sanskrit. The Sukha is a focus app that bundles all the tools necessary to have a focused experience and a healthy, productive workday. 

Steven lives in Austin, TX now.

In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri Kalyanaraman speaks with Shikha Munjal, Associate Director Fidelity International, about her dynamic journey across technology, finance, people management and community building.

Shikha Munjal’s story begins in a small town in Haryana, where she pursued computer science engineering—a choice influenced by her father’s vision rather than her own. What started as a decision made for her soon turned into a lifelong passion for technology and problem-solving.

She began her career with Accenture in Bangalore, diving straight into the corporate world just two days after finishing her final exams. Although trained in one technology, she was placed on projects with Informatica and data technologies, which opened a new career-long interest in data management and reporting tools.

From there, Shikha moved to Headstrong (later acquired by Genpact), working primarily with Morgan Stanley’s account, and even spent nearly a year onsite in Tokyo. That global experience left a lasting impression on her work ethic—she admired the Japanese culture of discipline, continuous learning, and deep focus.

Her journey next took her to JP Morgan in Mumbai, where she strengthened her expertise in financial services and data-driven systems. But personal circumstances brought her back to the Delhi NCR region, where she eventually joined Fidelity International, her professional home for over a decade.

At Fidelity, Shikha grew into senior leadership, taking on roles that blended technology, business analysis, and product management. She emphasized not just building solutions, but delivering real business outcomes—aligning technology with the fast-paced demands of the financial services industry.

Along the way, she invested in continuous learning—pursuing certifications in Informatica, IBM, product management, financial analysis, and cloud/data platforms like Snowflake. She transitioned from being a technologist to a business leader and product owner, always guided by her growth mindset.

Beyond her corporate role, Shikha has been an active advocate for diversity and inclusion, serving as a chapter lead at AnitaB.org North India. She blends her professional identity with her personal roles as a mother, wife, daughter, and sister, often saying that her strength comes from integrating all these parts of her life.

Today, as Associate Director at Fidelity International, Shikha is shaping data strategies, product roadmaps, and inclusive leadership practices—all while staying curious, resilient, and adaptable in an era of rapid technological and business change.

1. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – I’ve learned to blend my roles as a mother, daughter, professional, and leader.”
2. “Comfort and growth do not coexist. The moment I feel my work is not challenging me, I know it’s time to evolve.”
3. “What keeps me going is not climbing the career ladder, but continuously adding to my profile and learning something new.”
4. “If you enjoy the process of learning, the outcomes will follow naturally.”
5. “In technology, every four to eight years your skills get challenged – you need to continuously upskill to stay relevant.”
6. “I always believed that being connected to the business side meant being connected to the real world – solving real problems, not just writing code.”
7. “We need to embrace uncertainty rather than rush to solve it. Sometimes dwelling on the ambiguity gives deeper insights.”
8. “Data today is like a marketplace—you should be able to shop for it within an organization, but with the right entitlements and governance.”

Shikha Munjal is Associate Director at Fidelity International with over 20 years of experience in technology and financial services. She has held roles at Accenture, HCL, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, and now Fidelity. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, she has led the North India chapter of AnitaB.org. Shikha is passionate about data, product management, and continuous learning, and believes in shaping her career with curiosity and resilience.

Shikha can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shikha-munjal-19370113a/

My guest today is Harish Chandramowli, Co-founder & CTO of Flair software.

In this conversation, Harish talks about his journey from his early university days in India at Amrita University to leading roles in major companies like Bloomberg and MongoDB. He articulates his shift to a niche field combining software engineering with security, his experience at Johns Hopkins University, and his eventual move into cloud security engineering. 

Harish shares insightful narratives about his founding a small startup and the creation and development of Flair, a fashion tech platform, highlighting the challenges and triumphs he encountered. 

Topics include his approach to managing remote teams, dealing with the pressures of startup life, the challenges of prioritization, and maintaining a work-life balance. Harish also discusses the importance of understanding customer needs and integrating AI and security in product development.

Some of the topics covered are:

• Introduction and Early Career
• Graduate Studies and Early Professional Experience
• Career at Bloomberg and MongoDB
• Startup Journey and MongoDB Experience
• Transition to Flair and Early Challenges
• Insights on Security and AI
• Building Flair and Remote Team Management
• Empowering Engineers Through Customer Interaction
• Challenges of Managing Remote Teams
• Retention and Team Dynamics
• Balancing Startup Pressures and Personal Growth
• Navigating the Fashion Industry's Legal Landscape
• Building Global Products from India
• Staying Grounded Amidst Startup Challenges

Harish Chandramowli is a second-time founder who started his career in deeply technical roles—building cloud infrastructure and security at MongoDB. Over time, he evolved from shipping code to selling ideas—learning the language of customers, diving into sales-led discovery, and translating that into product strategy. Today, Harish blends technical depth with commercial instinct to build tools that solve real operational pain with clarity and impact

In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri Kalyanaraman speaks with Dr. G Uma, Professor in the Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering and Dean of Institutional Development & Alumni Relations at NIT Trichy. An alumna herself, Dr. Uma reflects on her 27-year journey in academia, her pioneering work in MEMS technology, and her deep commitment to guiding future engineers.

From humble beginnings as the first faculty in a rural college to shaping NIT Trichy’s international profile, Dr. Uma’s career blends research excellence, institution building, and mentorship. She shares candid stories of early struggles, the leap into doctoral research, building one of South India’s first MEMS Design Centers, and balancing administrative leadership with a hands-on teaching approach.

Listeners will also hear her grounded advice on health, career focus, networking, and completing what you start—whether that’s a degree or a passion project. She speaks openly about the challenges of motivating today’s students in a world of distractions and the importance of developing both technical skills and professional ethics.

Key Takeaways:

• Passion for Teaching – How a rural college role ignited her lifelong love for education.
• MEMS Pioneer – Building a MEMS Design Center in 2004, ahead of its time in India.
• Doctorate with Purpose – Why PhDs are about philosophy, not just a title.
• Mentoring Future Engineers – Using societal problem-solving and teamwork to develop leadership in students.
• Advice for Students – Stay clear on your goals, master your core field, network widely, and prioritize health.
• Institutional Vision – Balancing global branding for NIT Trichy with deep alumni engagement.

Notable Quotes:

“Only when we are able to do what we are doing at present best, can we achieve our passion.”

“PhD is not just another degree — it’s a philosophy in research.”

“Health is the most important thing in the world; without it, everything else is zero.”

Perfect for:

• Students seeking clarity on career paths in engineering.
• Academics balancing research, teaching, and administration.
• Alumni curious about NIT Trichy’s vision and outreach.
• Anyone inspired by stories of perseverance, innovation, and mentorship.

Dr. Uma started her academic career in 1992 and joined the Department of ICE, NIT, Tiruchirappalli, in 1999. She is currently serving as a Professor and Dean of the Institutional Development & Alumni Relations. Throughout her distinguished career, she has held several significant leadership roles, including Coordinator of the ISRO- STIC (Space Technology Incubation Centre), ICC Presiding Officer, Additional Chief Warden, Head of Instrumentation and Control Engineering Department, Faculty Advisor of the International Society for Automation (ISA) at NITT, Ladies Hostel

Warden and Associate Dean.

Dr. Uma has made substantial contributions to her field, having authored over 90 research papers in reputed international journals and presented more than 60 papers at conferences. She has also contributed to two book chapters and served as one of the editors of a monograph on Nuclear Instrumentation and Control. Furthermore, she holds three granted Indian patents, demonstrating her innovative work in the field. She has been the principal investigator for several sponsored research projects and has guided over ten research scholars and more than 50 postgraduate students, nurturing the next generation of engineers and researchers. Dr. Uma also played a pivotal role in two national programs on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), namely NPSM and NPMASS, further advancing the research and development of MEMS technologies in India.

Dr. Uma has been recognized with the Young Scientist Fellowship from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCST) and was recently honoured with the Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) from MIT, Anna University. Her research interests encompass the design of sensors and actuators, Micro- Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), biomedical instrumentation, and the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in advancing biomedical technologies

Dr. G. Uma, a native of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, completed her Bachelor of Engineering in Instrumentation and Control Engineering from Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, Master of Engineering in Instrumentation Engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, Chennai and Ph.D. in Instrumentation and Control Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli.

My guests today are Cultural engineer-anthropologist Allen Batteau, Ph.D. and design anthropologist Christine Z. Miller, Ph.D., co-authors of the book:  Tools, Totems, and Totalities: The Modern Construction of Hegemonic Technology

Christine Miller is a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and Allen, a retired professor from Wayne State University.

They share details of their interdisciplinary backgrounds, their collaborative book project, and the implications of technology on society. They discuss the concept of sociotechnical systems, the brittleness of technology, and the ethical responsibilities of designers and software developers. They also touch upon the potential impact of AI, user-centered vs. social-centered design, and the role of speculative design in fostering innovation and hope for the future of humanity.

Some specific topics that they touched upon: 

• Introduction and Guest Backgrounds
• Christine's Academic Journey
• Allen's Career Path
• The Concept of Sociotechnical Systems
• Hegemonic Technology in Software Development
• AI: Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Ignorance?
• User-Centered vs. Social-Centered Design
• The Importance of Broader Perspectives in Education
• The Role of Universities in Broader Education
• The Impact of Habit-Forming Products
• Productivity and Technology
• The Evolution and Impact of the Internet
• Ethical Responsibilities in Technology
• The Urgency and Maintenance in Design
• Brittleness of Technological Systems
• Speculative Design and Future Perspectives
• Concluding Thoughts on Technology and Hope

Allen W. Batteau, a cultural anthropologist and professor at Wayne State University, is a leading authority on the intersection of technology and society. His work, funded by agencies such as NASA and the National Science Foundation, includes numerous publications on aviation, flight safety, and technology in democratic societies.  

https://clasprofiles.wayne.edu/profile/ad4408

Christine Miller is a design educator and researcher at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). With expertise in socio-technical systems, her research focuses on how social and cultural dynamics influence technology design and adoption. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges anthropology, design, and business

https://www.scad.edu/academics/faculty/christine-miller

My guest today is S Parthasarathy, better known as Spart who is the founder at CuedIn Technologies.

In this episode, Spart shares his extensive journey in the software engineering field. 

Spart's story begins with his initial projects in COBOL programming at Tata Burroughs and the World Bank, working on critical systems in retail, logistics, and financial sectors. 

He recounts his impactful stint at SWIFT, contributing to the foundation of what has become modern-day financial messaging systems. Spart reflects on his decision to pivot from electrical engineering to computer science, driven by his interest in the engineering of large systems. 

He details his tenure at Ramco Systems, implementing document-based transactions, model-based code generation, and achieving several tech milestones, including internet integration and 32-bit upgrades. 

After Ramco, Spart's continued passion for software engineering led him to co-found a SaaS-based ERP solution company, targeting SMEs. Despite early challenges and market readiness issues, he gained crucial insights into cloud-native architectures.

Spart's career path took another turn towards consulting and exploring AI, specifically focusing on probabilistic graph learning and the challenges of natural language processing in software engineering. 

He emphasizes the importance of non-functional requirements, application architecture, and the potential of tools like Generative AI (GenAI) to enhance software development processes. Spart concludes by reflecting on the ongoing evolution of software engineering and his current projects aimed at making software engineering more accessible and efficient with modern tools.

Spart has 40+ years of experience in various aspects of software services area covering consultancy, business systems management, product development and Engineering management. Worked with large North American Organizations handling complex projects to implement transaction processing business solutions and data communication networks.

Key interests:

• Gen AI based solutioning for key business activities

• Gen AI enabled SW engineering

• Contextual social network driven approach for building business systems

• Predictive analytics over operational databases using Bayesian causal networks

• Implementing innovative platform based techno-commercial models for software solutions/services delivery.

• Cloud computing and SOA based multi-tenant solution Architecture

https://www.linkedin.com/in/spartp/

My guest today is Galvin Widjaja, founder and CEO of Lauretta.io ….

In this episode he talks about:

• Origin story: Galvin Widjaja shares his origin story, including his background and how he got associated with the AI industry .
• Entrepreneurial Journey: Galvin discusses his transition from a quant finance background to becoming an entrepreneur in the AI space .
• AI and Computer Vision: Insights into Galvin's work in AI and computer vision, particularly in security applications .
• Business Challenges: Galvin talks about the challenges faced in running a restaurant chain and the importance of automation and domain expertise .
• Consulting Experience: Reflections on Galvin's consulting experience and the lessons learned in communication and stakeholder management .
• Regulation Tech Project: Details about a regulation tech project Galvin proposed and executed at DBS Bank .
• Family Influence: The impact of Galvin's family background on his entrepreneurial journey, including his father's and grandfather's businesses .
• Pivot to AI: The shift from business processing to AI and the founding of an AI security company .
• Technological Innovations: Discussion on technological innovations in Indonesia and the contributions of Indonesian software engineers



CEO & Co-Founder, Lauretta.io

Galvin Widjaja is the founder and CEO of Lauretta AI, a privacy-first computer vision company that helps organizations understand human behavior in physical spaces without relying on identity or biometrics. Under his leadership, Lauretta has become a trusted partner to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, TSA, U.S. Air Force, and major airport and defense agencies across Asia and North America. The company’s AI platform is designed to predict intent, enable preemptive alerts, and provide real-time situational awareness — all while preserving individual privacy.

Galvin’s unconventional journey into AI began not in a lab, but behind the counter of a quick-service restaurant he once ran for his father in Singapore. After early career stints in consulting, banking, and tech, a pivotal decision to reconnect with his estranged father led him to manage three migrant-serving restaurants. There, he learned that systems are only as good as the people they serve. That insight shaped his approach to AI — one built not just on precision and scale, but on empathy, equity, and lived experience.

Born in Singapore and raised partly in Indonesia, Galvin grew up in entrepreneurial households that saw both massive growth and total collapse. Those early lessons in volatility, resilience, and human complexity now inform his mission to build AI that doesn’t just react — it understands. His work focuses on helping organizations move from static surveillance to dynamic understanding, and from reactive alerts to proactive decision-making — all while respecting the humanity of the people being observed.

Galvin may be reached at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/galvinw/

I am in conversation with Tom Elliott, founder of Ocuroot and former Engineering Productivity lead at Yext, 

Introduction:

• Tom Elliott shares his career journey, starting from his early interest in computers to his current role in Dev tooling .

Career Insights:

• Tom discusses the challenges of entering the industry during the financial crash and his transition from contract work to a full-time role at VMware .
• He highlights his experience at VMware, working on early-stage projects like building login pages and authentication systems .

Shift to New York:

• Tom talks about his move to New York and his work at a small VPN startup, focusing on user-facing applications .

Experience at Yext:

• Tom shares his journey at Yext, starting as a mobile developer and gradually moving to backend development and Dev tooling .
• He emphasizes the importance of being close to the users and getting immediate feedback on the tools he built .

Challenges and Solutions:

• Tom discusses the challenges of working in large organizations, such as resolving merge conflicts and managing long-lived branches .
• He explains the benefits of trunk-based development and feature flags for managing multiple features and environments .

Observability and Deployment:

• Tom highlights the importance of observability and the use of tools like open telemetry for distributed tracing .
• He shares insights on managing different deployment environments and ensuring consistency across regions .

Quality and CI/CD Pipelines:

• Tom talks about the emphasis on quality and the importance of CI/CD pipelines in ensuring reliable software releases .
• He shares his experience of setting up CI/CD pipelines to avoid issues like broken installers .

Conclusion:

• Tom reflects on the importance of flexibility and prototyping in software development .
• He shares his thoughts on the future of AI in coding and the role of human operators in leveraging AI tools .

Bio:

During nearly 20 years in the tech industry, Tom has worked for companies large and small on both sides of the pond and all layers of the tech stack from user-facing mobile and desktop applications to the backest of backends: DevOps. He is currently building Ocuroot, his own take on a CI/CD solution, based on his experiences scaling large numbers of environments for B2B SaaS products.

Links:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/telliott1984/

* BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/telliott.me

* Blog: https://thefridaydeploy.substack.com/

* Ocuroot: https://www.ocuroot.com

My guest today is Thanos Diacakis, Software Delivery Coach & a Fractional CTO.

We covered a wide range of topics that included:

• Insightful Experiences: Thanos shared many insightful and thought-provoking experiences and perspectives, particularly on software delivery life cycle improvements without explicitly using terms like Kanban 
• Balancing Work and Personal Life: Thanos emphasized the importance of balancing work and personal life, recognizing that while work is important, personal relationships and leisure activities are equally significant.
• Fractional CTO Business: Thanos discussed the benefits of running a fractional CTO business, allowing for flexibility in managing time and delivering value to multiple clients
• Scaling Challenges: Thanos shared experiences with scaling projects, particularly with Uber's bikes and scooters, highlighting the importance of having systems in place to manage growth
• Learning from Others: Thanos emphasized the value of learning from others and cross-pollinating ideas across different clients to improve software delivery 

Thanos Diacakis helps startups and growing companies overcome software bottlenecks, scale engineering teams, and deliver high-quality products faster. With over 25 years in software development, his background spans both early-stage ventures and tech giants like Uber and Included Health, where he led the technical integration of the JUMP Bikes acquisition, scaling the platform to 45k vehicles and over 2 million monthly trips. He’s seen elite teams stall when outdated processes leave them too heads-down to course-correct. With lean, evidence-backed practices, he unlocks faster delivery and greater developer satisfaction, so velocity rises while burnout falls.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website:  https://www.cosmicteacups.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thanosd/