As a mechanical engineer, Minal’s first job was working in the software industry with 3D-CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing). At the time, designing and building cars was a booming industry that had yet to see countless recessions take their toll on the Michigan economy. While working with 3D CAM, Minal saw the power of software and knew that’s what he wanted to do. He also knew it was where the future was headed, because according to Minal, “I quickly realized, EVERYTHING is going to be related to computer science.”

His pursuit led him to get his Master’s in computer science, and eventually, because he wanted to be able to speak the language of business, he obtained his MBA.

Minal is the Director of Process, Governance, Tools & Metrics at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), but he’s in the unique position to be able to speak on two very different program management fields: using waterfall techniques to build hardware and using Agile to build software.  He gives one of the best two-minute explanations on what Agile is, and how it differs from infrastructure projects that I’ve ever heard, and if you’ve got any interest in either, you should listen to the full episode. 

Listen to the podcast for all the insights and to discover his recommendations on leadership. 

1:20 - Minal’s background and getting his start as a Mechanical Engineer 

5:23 - Minal’s Aha moment 

8:00 -  The boom of as-a-service businesses 

8:45 - Why software as-a-service is still not working

11:02 - The difference between public cloud and private cloud

13:13 - Metrics - What it means to him, and how you need to have data set up. 

14:19 - “What executives need is insights”

15:00 - The biggest challenge with data 

16:40 - How to get the right metrics in place

21:00 -  The best explanation of Agile I’ve ever heard

30:35 - Minal on leadership

Show Notes:

Join the community at The Omar Project 

The Executive Arena: Mastering the Art of Corporate Politics, Perceptional Messaging, and Other Secrets to Success in Today's Corporate World

Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life  

The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter  


Interested in rebranding yourself in another industry? Join my course at engineeringleadershipacademy.com

In the race to produce the world’s most popular electric vehicle, Tesla shook the automotive industry to its core by bringing a Silicon Valley approach to car manufacturing. 

But to get to heaven, sometimes you have to walk through hell, and in the case of Tesla, that was “production hell.” According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, there was a “tiny” number of people who believed they would succeed. With the credibility (and future) of the whole company at stake, the Tesla team put in 16-hour days to hit the goal of making 5,000 Model 3’s per week. 

In the midst of all this insanity, Nicole Cook accepts a role at Tesla as a Senior Technical Program Manager, moving across the country on a Sunday night and starting work that Monday morning in one of the most challenging ramp ups in the history of the automotive industry. How did Nicole handle the transition and the constant challenges she had to overcome? Find out all of this and more in today’s interview.

Notes: 

• The Omar Project 
• Hell for Elon Musk is a Midsize Sedan 
• Jonathan Raymond - The Good Authority 
• Refound - Jonathan Raymond's company on servant leadership 

Interested in rebranding yourself in another industry? Join my course at engineeringleadershipacademy.com