In this special Zoho Day 2025 episode, Melody Brue sits down with Mani Vembu, the newly appointed CEO of Zoho to discuss his extensive journey within the company, Zoho's evolving strategy, and the company's plans for the future. 

Key topics discussed:

• Mani’s Journey at Zoho: From joining as a software developer in 1996 to leading product management and eventually becoming CEO.

• Zoho’s Evolution: Transitioning from on-premise solutions to cloud, mobile, and now AI, while maintaining a culture of experimentation and bottom-up decision-making.

• Shift from Product-led to Regional-led Growth: Identifying industry-specific opportunities in regions like India (banking, financial services, auto-DMS) and expanding those strategies globally.

• Minimal Marketing, Maximum Impact: Leveraging organic, word-of-mouth growth while increasing visibility through enterprise events.

• Customer-centric Success Metrics: Focusing on adoption and usage metrics rather than aggressive monetization, exemplified by Zoho’s practice of advising customers to discontinue unused services.

• The Zoho Way: The advantages of being a privately held company, allowing for long-term strategic decisions without external investor pressures.

• Working with Sridhar Vembu: Insights into the collaborative dynamic between Mani and Zoho’s founder, now Chief Scientist, focusing on foundational AI advancements.