Adam Scott Coaching

Adam Is passionate about Helping IT professionals get the success and recognition they deserve in their career, without sacrificing the important balance that comes with managing relationships, interests and health. 

Whether you want to remove your own personal blockers and challenges, transition to a new exciting role aligned with your personal values, or optimise your potential for peak performance. Adam treats each client situation as a tailored engagement to meet the needs, wants and desires of the individual to meet the goals and objectives targeted.

Adam works with individuals to create prioritised action plans to move towards thier goals, using effective methodologies incorporating muscle memory and paradigm shifts to ensure growth in order to achieve the desired result.

✔️ Accelerate Career Advancement
✔️Work life/Balance
✔️Increased Assertiveness
✔️Expanding Influence
✔️Minimise doubt, worry and anxiety
✔️dealing with imposter syndrome
✔️Define Personal Value
✔️Improving Leaderships skills

Career and Leadership Development Coach

Commonwealth Bank

🔸2023 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝘾𝙀𝙊 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧

🔸Developing high level strategic Security Solutions to aid in the overall performance of one of the CBA 
     subsidiaries.
🔸Leading a team to success through the establishment of a clear vision of the future, promoting better 
     behaviour and practices to increase collaboration and reach the ultimate goal.
 🔸Mentorship of individuals to more effectively align daily tasks with overall outcomes and create a 
      more collaborative approach to work.
🔸Develop proposals for executive buy-in to align actions, roadmap and trajectory with the future of 
     the business.

Cyber Security Architect

The Missing Link /Westpac

🔸Consultancy for security-based solutions meeting overall objectives, balancing requirements for business continuity and risk.
🔸Team work and collaboration for aligning actions with common project and business goals.
🔸Mentorship for graduates to assist in building confidence and skillsets aligned with future growth.
🔸Creation and proposal of new initiatives aligned with common security objectives.

Downer Group Ltd

🔸Strategic leadership for Security vision and goals.
🔸Executive buy-in for shift in strategy for overall business technology alignment.
🔸Team building and collaboration for synergy with strategy.
🔸Mentorship and coaching to improve interpersonal skills and effective communication.

Telstra

🔸Team leadership for effective communication, conflict resolution and collaboration.
🔸Production of Designs and Architectures aligned to overall objectives of the business.
🔸Team and business alignment with overall objectives.

Network Security Architect

AT&T

🔸Teamwork and collaboration for development of overall project requirements.
🔸Design of detailed and high level architecture solutions.
🔸Consultancy for Timeline and overall project management.

Network Security Architect/ Solutions Architect

🔸Consultancy and collaboration to develop requirements and project scope
🔸Team building and mentorship
🔸Team leadership and coaching for setting boundaries and expectations with vendors and clients.

VerizonBusiness

🔸Consulting with Westpac to develop functional requirements and project scope.
Consultancy and collaboration to develop functional requirements and project scope
🔸Creation of detailed design and high level requirements to meet client objectives

Professional Services Consultant/Designer

🔸Team leadership and management for Department of Education IT uplift program
🔸Network consulting and engineering across multiple client engagements.
🔸Team motivation, morale uplift through tough deadlines and requirements.

IT Specialist

𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧? 𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣? 𝙄𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙬?

I have spoken with over 800 IT Leaders who have answered 𝙔𝙀𝙎 to these questions.

Also risking (or having experienced) burnout as a result.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

By leading yourself to the best of your ability, you will find more clarity and fulfillment in your life and career, earn the $$$ you deserve, as well as increase your influence and leadership with others.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦

❌ 60% of people dislike their job according to Gallup
❌ 75% of people are not confident about their career path in their organization according to Gartner
❌ 63% of employees experienced burnout according to an Asana Study

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗬𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠

✅ Get Clarity on your career path for more money and fulfillment
✅ Perform at a higher level and get noticed for your results
✅ Increase your leadership skills and influence
✅ Build a personal brand to access the hidden job market
✅ Find a healthy balance to enjoy life with those that matter most

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗪𝗘 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦

The VMAP framework, is proven to help IT Leaders get results in less than 90 days. 


𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗪𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗣 

If you are an IT professional looking for career clarity, more fulfillment, better pay and want to increase your leadership and influence, then this program is the right fit for you. 

𝗜𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨, 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝟮 𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐖𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔:

1️⃣ - DM me personally. I'm happy to chat about what your best next steps should be.
2️⃣ - Book a free clarity call with Adam to learn about the program: https://calendly.com/adamscott-coaching/clarity-call

Adam Scott

If no one saw your wins this week... did they even happen? 

You fixed things no one understood. 
You juggled chaos and made it look easy. 
You held it all together, again. 

But here’s the thing: 
If no one knows what you’re doing... 
they won’t value what you’re doing. 

This is where smart IT pros get stuck. 
You think your work should speak for itself. 
It won’t. 

Visibility ≠ vanity. 
It’s positioning. 
And it’s how people get promoted, poached, and paid more. 

So if you crushed it this week? 
Say something. 
Post the win. 
Share the lesson. 
Drop the insight. 

The work matters. 
But so does being seen. 

------------------------------

#ITCareers #Positioning #Visibility #CareerGrowth #FridayFlow 

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li_at

JSESSIONID

Helping IT LEADERS Get Promoted | Career Coach | Gain Career Clarity | Get Paid Your Worth | Increase Your Confidence | Questions? DM Anytime.

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿.

I hear it every week:

“I’ll start once this release is over”

“I’ll move when the market improves.”

“I’ll get into it once I am back from holidays.”


All sound logical – but the real problem is rarely your circumstance.

𝙄𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙚𝙬.

This is a recipe to ensure years are wasted.

Remember Courage isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision. Its not waiting for perfect timing – its taking one step you can manage today.

- Send the message. 
- Ask your contact for the referral. 
- Apply for the role you’ve been side-eyeing.
- Share the post that actually says what you think.

Remember clarity follows motion, not the other way around.

If you want a simple 10-minute plan to get moving today, DM me COURAGE and I’ll send it.

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#ITcareers #leadership #mindset #visibility #careergrowth #australiatech

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𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗲.

Sometimes it’s just... going through the motions without feeling valued.

You still hit your deadlines. You still show up to meetings. You still say, “Yeah, all good” when people ask how work is.

But underneath:

· Work feels flat

· You’re tired even when you’re “not that busy”

· You’ve stopped expecting anything to change

That’s not laziness. That’s what it looks like when you’ve outgrown your role, but stayed anyway.

For a lot of experienced IT professionals I speak to, burnout isn’t about workload alone. It’s about:

· Doing work that’s below your capability

· Feeling invisible

· Knowing you’re capable of more, but not sure how to move up

If this hits a little too close to home, don’t ignore it. Burnout is often a signal, not a life sentence.

The real question is: are you under-resourced... or under-valued and under-positioned?

If this feels familiar and you’d like a brief self-assessment to clarify your next move, send me a DM and I’ll share it with you.

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#burnout #itcareers #itleaders #mentalhealthatwork #careergrowth #workplacewellbeing #techprofessionals

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"Everything looked fine on paper… but I wasn’t happy.”


Sachin said this on our call recently.

Over 8–9 weeks in our Career Accelerator Program, he did the inner work most of us avoid:

- Clarified values, identity, and what truly matters
- Unpacked old conditioning and unhelpful patterns
- Reframed career, relationships, and self through a new lens
- Practised tools to handle interview anxiety and show up with calm confidence

Huge shout-out to Piers Cousins for being that trusted guide - showing up as a coach and a friend. 

And to our community for the safe space to share vulnerabilities and feel a real sense of belonging.

Sachin Raj’s words at the end say it all:
“I’m in a much better place. I’m happy I made this step.”

Great work mate - proud of you!

If you’re “fine on paper” but not fulfilled there’s a better way to show up for yourself and the people you love.

 Send me a message for a chat if you are curious.

#careercoaching #ITcareers #leadership #mindset #careerdevelopment #australiatech

Program & Project Director - Senior Project Manager | Making ICT Delivery Work (Cybersecurity Uplift • Essential 8 • Zero Trust) | Collaborative, Coaching Leader

Product & Delivery Leader | SaaS, Salesforce, DevOps | Turns complex builds into adopted, measurable outcomes

Most people slow down towards December. 

If you want to stand out – use this time to your advantage 
 
At the end of the year I always hear the phrase “Let’s talk in the new year.” 

That’s exactly why I tell my clients to stay moving while others stop! 

Yes- rest matters. Family matters. 
And... this is when hiring managers and recruiters finally have space to reply. 

When Noise drops, Visibility rises. 
 
Fewer roles may be advertised, but the conversations now become the interviews in January. 

Going against the status quo doesn’t mean grinding. 
It means being present when everyone else disappears. 

A short note to a past colleague. 

An end-of-year coffee. 

A post that reminds people what you solve. 

When the market slows, leadership stands out. 

Don’t vanish. Get visible. 

Want some help creating an end of year strategy? Let’s talk. 

---------------

#ITleadership #careergrowth #jobsearch #networking #australiatech 

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Hey All,

If you are a job seeker and want to have a chat this morning at 9am - come along!

I’ll be answering any questions for people stuck in the job search or if you are looking for advice to position yourself for that next role.

See you all soon!

IT’S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!
Job Seeker Café is on again today at 9am and our guest barista, Adam Scott, is ready at the espresso machine! ☕

If you’re job seeking, contracting, or in career-reset mode, this is the perfect way to kickstart your Friday.

Energy up. Mindset switched on. Community around you. Momentum back in your corner.

And today, Adam’s bringing the good stuff:

💡 How to build a meaningful professional brand

⚠️ Why being a generalist or a “Swiss-Army-Knife” candidate is costing you opportunities

🎯 How to position yourself clearly so employers know exactly where you fit and why you matter

This is the kind of conversation that gets you unstuck… and gets you moving again.

Whether you’re in a lull, feeling invisible, or just need a boost of motivation - come hang out with people who get it.

We laugh, we learn, we share the real talk that makes a difference.

📅 Today — 9.00am (Google Meet)
🎟 Free ticket via the Talentology Booking Hub:
https://lnkd.in/gG4defKp

See you in the café - coffee in hand, mindset primed, and ready to build some momentum. 💛

#CareerAGILITY Talentology AU #JobSeekerCafe #JobSeekers #CareerCoaching #ITCommunity #ConnectionCurrency #sydney #melbourne #brisbane #canberra #adelaide #perth #hobart

Slowing down into Christmas?
Waiting to "start fresh in the new year?" - there's a better way.

If you’re stuck in a role you’ve outgrown, or you still don’t have a role - 
another “coast through December” isn’t going to fix it.

In my own circle, two people landed roles on Christmas Eve.
December wasn’t dead.
Everyone else just disappeared.

In the latest edition of my LinkedIn newsletter, I break down:

1. Why “no one hires in December” is a myth
2. 3 simple moves to get interviews and offers before the new year
3. How to stop wasting Decembers and use it to your advantage

Read it below:

#ITCareers #ITLeadership #TechCareers #JobSearch #ITJobs #CareerGrowth #ITProfessional

It’s been a tough year for many. If you’re stuck in the job search, or it’s been another year of feeling undervalued and under-appreciated - I feel yo

Slowing Down Into Christmas?: How To Get Interviews And Offers Before End Of Year

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸

There’s a point in every IT career where you’ve outgrown your role, 
...but you’re unsure what’s next. 
 
Start managing a team? 

Do I keep learning more tech? 
Do I make a complete pivot?? 

The IT professionals I coach are tired of spinning in circles. 
They want a clear, confident plan that gets them into roles they actually want, 
Not just the next logical step. 

If that’s you, 
Let’s get you moving. 

If you’re ready to stop winging it and start owning your next step – send me a message. 

----------------------------------

#TechLeadership #ITCareerDevelopment #CareerClarity #MidCareerCoaching #ITMentorship #NextLevelCareer #CareerDirection

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Burnout isn’t always a breakdown 

Sometimes it happens in silence. 

Logging in, zoning out. 
Meetings that feel like noise. 
Solving the same problems with zero excitement. 

For most of the clients I work with, it’s not dramatic 

They just feel flat. 
Underused. Undervalued. Unchallenged. 

And they wonder: 
“Is it me? Or have I just hit a wall in this role?” 

Here’s what I tell them: 
- It’s not about taking a break. 
- It’s about choosing a better direction. 
 

One that reignites your sense of purpose, progress, and possibility. 

If your work feels like it’s draining you instead of driving you- 
It’s time to reset. 

𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸. 

𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

------------------

#ITBurnout #CareerEnergy #TechProfessionals #ITWellbeing #ResetAndRefocus #CareerCoaching #ITMindset 

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𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀? 

𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 “𝗪𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂...” 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀? 

You’re not alone. 
The market’s tough right now. 

IT pros who used to walk into roles? 
Now ghosted. Overlooked. Ignored. 

But here’s the thing: 
It’s not because they lost their edge. 
It’s because their positioning never evolved. 

𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀. 

My clients aren’t learning new tech. 
They’re learning how to talk about what they already do. 
With clarity. Confidence. Impact. 

If you’ve got the experience - but not the traction... 

𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗗𝗠- 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻. 

-------------------------------------------------------

#ITCareers #TechResumes #CareerPositioning #JobSearchTips #ITInterviews #CareerGrowth #MidCareerMomentum

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“𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀.”

If that thought has already crossed your mind... you’re not alone.

By December, most IT professionals are:

· Tired

· Overloaded

· Just trying to get to the break in one piece

So the plan becomes:

“I’ll deal with my CV, my LinkedIn, my promotion, my job search... next year.”

Here’s the problem :

January doesn’t magically give you:

· A better strategy

· A stronger market position

· A clearer story for $200k+ roles

It just gives you… the same situation, with a new calendar.

The IT leaders who make the biggest moves in Q1 don’t wait for January. They use December to quietly:

· Get clear on what they want

· Tighten their positioning and story

· Line up conversations before everyone comes back online

So when the “new year, new budget” roles open up… they’re first in line.

If you’re an experienced IT professional and you’ve caught yourself saying “I’ll start in January,” it might be worth asking:

What small step could I take before Christmas to start with Momentum in January?
----------------------
#itcareers #itleaders #techleadership #careergrowth #careerclarity #promotion #jobsearch

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Ignored by recruiters?
You send applications, You have a “great” chat.
Then… nothing. Silence.

Most IT pros think it’s a CV problem or an age problem.

Most of the time, it’s a signal and positioning problem.

In this edition of The IT Leaders Edge I break down:
1. Why good recruiters overlook skilled IT pros
2. The patterns that keep you in the “maybe” pile
3. How to start showing up so they can actually place you

If you’re sick of playing recruiter roulette, this one’s for you.

Read it below:

#ITCareers #ITLeadership #TechCareers #JobSearch #Recruiter #CareerGrowth #ITJobs #ITProfessional #CareerCoaching

If you’re in the middle of a job search, this might sound familiar: You send off application after application. You have the odd recruiter chat where 

Ignored By Recruiters? Turn Recruiters Into Allies (Without Feeling Desperate)

On paper, some of the best leaders fall behind. 

Not because they lack results -because they don’t claim them. 

They’ll say, “The team did it, not me”. 

This may be true, but ask yourself: 

Who chose the approach?
Who negotiated scope creep away? 
Who protected focus, unblocked vendors, defended timelines? 

You can be humble with integrity and still own your results. 

Because without you – it wouldn’t have happened. 

I hear this a lot in sessions: a quiet pause, then a list of things that “don’t really count.” 

 ↪The early risk call no one wanted to make. 
↪The tough conversation that saved the delivery. 
↪The calm when everyone else was anxious. 
↪The trust you built so the team could do their best work. 

Owning your part isn’t taking credit from your people, it’s telling the truth about how the result became possible. 
 
In a market that rewards visible impact, that truth matters. 

You don’t need to be louder. 
You just need your story to reflect what actually happened. 

--------------------

#ITleadership #careergrowth #executivepresence #ownership 

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𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵? 

 Who wouldn’t right? 😊 

The problem is - most people have no idea why they’re being undervalued. 

And that’s the first step: get clear on what’s really holding you back. 

I just put together a free assessment that helps you do exactly that. 
 
It only takes a few minutes, and it breaks down your strengths and gaps in: 

• Career Direction 
• Job Fulfillment 
• Influence & Communication 
• Leadership 
• Strategic Impact 

It’s already been super valuable for other IT professionals looking to make their next move. 

If you want the link, just drop “Send me the link” in the comments -or DM me directly. 

-------------------------

#ITCareers #GetPaidYourWorth #CareerClarity #TechLeadership #MidCareerMomentum #StrategicImpact #CareerGrowth 

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𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲?

You’ve spent years building technical depth. 
Put out fires no one saw coming.
You’ve delivered results. 
Led teams. 

But now?

You’re not “early career.” 

You’re not quite in the exec seat either. 

You’re in the middle.

And the middle gets murky.

You start asking: 

– What’s next for me?
– Is it too late to pivot? 
– Do I need another cert? 
– Why am I still being overlooked?

Most IT pros stall here - not from lack of skill, but because they’ve outgrown their old positioning.

It’s not your talent. It’s how you’re being seen.

If you’re doing senior-level work without the title (or the pay), 

stop upgrading certs and start upgrading how you’re positioned.

Your next move isn’t about adding more. 

It’s about clarifying what you already bring.

Want help making that shift?

Drop “NEXT” below and I’ll send my 5-minute mid-career positioning check.

-----------------

#ITCareers #TechLeadership #CareerGrowth #Positioning #MidCareer

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𝗜𝗳 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.

Certifications are safe. They feel productive. They look impressive.

But if you’re honest... they haven’t moved the needle like you hoped.

Getting seen as a leader isn’t just what you know- it’s how clearly you show your value.

Strategy positions you. Certifications validate you.

One builds visibility. The other builds credibility.

You need both - most IT pros over-invest in the latter.

If you’ve been adding skills and still feel stuck, you don’t need another cert. You need a better strategy.

Which one are you focused on right now?

Comment “STRATEGY” if it’s time to get clear on what sets you apart.

----------------------

#ITCareers #TechLeadership #CareerStrategy #Positioning #MidCareer #ITprofessionals

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“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹. 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿.”

Sounds positive. Often... it’s not.

Back in June, a lot of experienced IT professionals heard things like:

· “You’re on track, just keep doing what you’re doing.”

· “We really value you, but budgets are tight.”

· “Let’s look at this again in 6–12 months.”

Fast forward to December.

Same title. Same pay band. More responsibility.

If that’s you, it’s normal to wonder:

“Did I just waste another year waiting for something that was never really planned?”

On the surface, it’s praise. Underneath, it can mean:

“We’re comfortable leaving you where you are.”

You don’t need to be aggressive. But you do need to get specific next time:

· What exact outcomes are required for the next level?

· How will they measure you?

· What’s the realistic timeframe and process?

If your manager can’t answer those clearly, you don’t have a promotion plan. You have a holding pattern.

As you look back on this year, it’s worth asking: Did my mid-year review move me closer to promotion, or just keep me busy?

If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d be curious - did anything actually change for you after your last review?

-------------------

 #performancereview #promotion #itcareers #itleaders #techleadership #careerdevelopment #careergrowth

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Sometimes it isn’t the “work” that wears you down. 
 
It’s everything that surrounds it 

I hear it from smart people in IT all the time: 
 
The late nights that become normal, 
The MS Teams pings that slice your focus to pieces, 
The culture that says “we are a family” but does nothing to back it up. 

Which one would you change if you could? 

If I missed one, drop it in the comments! 

#ITcareers #worklife #focus #burnout #leadership #productivity #techtalent #workculture

𝗕𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀.

Annoying, but true. 
Interviewing is its own skill.
Different setting. Different rules.

People get tripped up in different ways: 

- Saying your experience clearly.
- Thinking on the spot. 
- Nerves. 


I’ve listed a few that have created some issues,

If you have another to add – drop it in the comments.


#ITcareers #leadership #interviews #executivepresence #careergrowth #australiatech

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲... 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁? 

I’ve worked with hundreds of IT professionals who’ve known they were underpaid, overdelivering, and long overdue for a step up. 

But asking for that promotion? 
Most never do. 

Why? 

It’s rarely about skill. 
It’s almost always about confidence, clarity, or fear of affecting relationships. 

 So what’s holding you back? 

I’ve listed a few main ones, 

If you’ve got another, drop it in the comments. 

#ITCareers #CareerGrowth #TechLeadership #CareerClarity #techcareers

Growth Collective

Growth Collective is your catalyst for leadership excellence specializing in high-impact immersive learning experiences — from dynamic workshops to tailored executive coaching journeys. We enable organizations, teams, and individuals to unlock their full potential and drive meaningful growth.

Our human-centred approach, paired with a focus on measurable outcomes, ensures that every engagement delivers real, tangible results. With a diverse network of expert coaches, learning architects, and industry specialists, we bring real-world insights and proven strategies that drive sustainable growth.

As we continue to provide exceptional services, we're also evolving—developing innovative solutions like our leadership assessment and gamified development platform to accelerate growth.

At Growth Collective, we don’t just shape leaders—we build ecosystems of growth, performance and long-term success.

Founder & Principal

StealthMode

Learning fuels the journey to our best selves!

Currently crafting the future of leadership through AI-driven gamification experiences blending innovation and engagement to fuel effective learning journeys.

Founder 

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

Strategic Advisor

Mad Street Den

---  	Owned the product roadmap and work closely with the executive team to create strategy, vision and delivery model. Maintain, monitor and publish progress to leadership on product goals for maintenance (SLA) and milestones (KPI). 
---  	Lead a team of product/program managers with close collaboration with engineering and AI teams by streamlining agile based development practices. Enforced best engineering practices, competitive analysis, and product usage analytics to enable improved metrics.  
---  	Optimized search results and increased product discoverability on customer websites by consistently increasing accuracy (90% +) of AI based product data predictions. Also, reduced time to market employing data segmentation and automation.
---  	Scouted and managed vendor relationships to fuel product implementation processes.

Head of Product

Odessa

--- Spearheaded an agile transformation for a product team of 150+ and successfully setup & led the Devops practice for CICD enablement & implementation of core engineering practices for the product team.
---  Skillfully increased the utilization of the team from 17% to 80% in 4 months to establish a profitable P&L practice. 
---  	Took the product through a full upgrade to adhere to the latest regulatory Financial Accounting Standards as established by the US government and ensured compliance for all customers.
---  	Enabled an enterprise wise test automation program, to maintain a regression suite  to reduce turnaround time, improve quality & enhance code coverage.

AVP - Strategic Product Management/Engineering

OneShield

Senior Product Manager (Core Platform)

Implementation Manager

Technical Team Lead

Senior Java J2EE Developer 

Wells Fargo Bank

Lead Design Analyst

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC)

Senior Java/J2EE Developer

Harbinger Pvt. Ltd

Java/J2EE Developer

Zensar Technologies

Java/ VB Developer

As larger than life it may seem, I’m often torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. 

Enabling people, products & processes on their growth journey, through my work at Growth Collective, has helped me achieve the strife, to make the world a better place, while enjoying the process of doing it. 

-- I bring an overall industry experience of 24 years, focused on product, technology, coaching & entrepreneurship. Across domains of insurance, BFSI & ecommerce. 

-- My experience & passion lies in working with individuals, academia  & organizations, enabling career growth, process transformations & product innovations to maximize potential.

-- I'm a Harvard Business School, PLD graduate & an Erickson & Gallup coach.

-- I'm passionate about Leadership Development & performance coaching. I use a strengths focused approach to convert ideas into actions. 

-- I have skillfully built cross-functional teams across geographies & coached leaders with a focus on progress & productivity leading to profitability.

-- My extensive global experience enables me to understand various cultural nuances enabling organizational transformations & strategically developing partnerships & business relations. 

-- I leverage my technology & product experience, to enable teams to develop best engineering practices, agile methodologies & human centered design thinking for innovative product building.  

-- My startup experience enables me to bring order to chaos & enable leaders to navigate cross-functional teams through ever changing landscapes

-- I have spearheaded agile transformations for organizations, enhancing predictability, productivity, quality of products/services & agile mindsets with teams. 

-- I am an enthusiastic contributor to various industry and academia events for design thinking, career counselling, women in technology, diversity championing, leadership development etc.

Reach out to me for  - 
1-1 or team coaching for
      -- Leadership Development 
      -- Performance Coaching
      -- Personal Branding
Enabling teams for 
       -- Design Thinking
       -- Agile & other team enablement
       -- Growth mindset, socio-emotional skills
       -- Product management
Business Coaching
        -- Enabling Entrepreneurs & their teams make traction on their product journey.

Some of my clients- Microsoft, Cisco, Zetwerk, Target, OneSheild, Odessa, Grundfos, IIM, Indian Oil, Meredith & others.

When not working I can be found exploring -  places, books, cafes, people, technologies & many other interesting things the world offers.

Janet Rajan

She was made a teenage bride at 14. At 28, she became the role model of every teenage girl by becoming an IPS officer.

Where N Ambika was from, a girl’s only life plan was to get married as soon as she hit adulthood.

But she wasn’t even a proper adult when she was married off. 

However, she never complained of that. 

She was respected. Her husband was a constable. 
She gave birth to two beautiful kids by the time she was 18.

This seemed like an almost ideal situation.

Almost. 

Something was still missing from her life. 

But then something happened. 

At a Republic Day parade, she saw her husband salute to IPS officers.
That was the moment she realised what she wanted to become.

So she started from zero.
Completed her 10th. Then her 12th. Then her graduation.
All while managing a family.

But to prepare for UPSC, she had to move to Chennai leaving her husband and children behind.

This was a big decision.
But her husband didn’t even hesitate for a second. 

He took care of the kids, managed the home, and became her backbone through it all.

Attempt 1: She failed.
Attempt 2: She failed again.
Attempt 3: Failed again.

Her husband requested her. 
“Please come home now”. 

It was not a warning. He just didn’t want her to face back-to-back failures.

She didn’t want to give up. After all, she didn’t want to disappoint after putting so much at stake for the last 3 years.

In 2008, on her fourth attempt, she cleared UPSC.

Today, she serves as the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Mumbai, Maharashtra cadre.

Ambika’s story is proof that dreams don’t belong to the privileged, the lucky, or the perfectly prepared.

They belong to the ones who show up, again and again, even when life keeps telling them they shouldn’t.

Because sometimes, the only thing standing between who you are and who you want to become is the courage to try one more time.

Kudos to Ambika for sharing with the world what’s possible!

#ips #motivation #womenempowerment

This small Bengaluru team built something so reliable that Google acquired them.

No ads.
No hype.
No massive engineering budgets.
Just a product that solved one of India’s biggest daily pain points so well, it became unavoidable.

This is the story of 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 and I love a good travel tech product. 

Where Is My Train began because the founder missed an important meeting - his train was 3 hours late and he realised something simple:

In a country where the internet drops when you need it the most, the problem wasn’t “𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.”

The real problem was uncertainty. And this team decided to solve that.

Google noticed.
And “Where is my Train” became their first-ever India product acquisition.

But here’s what most people get wrong:
The success wasn’t because of offline tracking.

The real moat was this:
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.

Every commuter had one question:
“Just tell me when my train will actually arrive.”

Not live maps.
Not dashboards.
Not 20 shiny features.
Just clarity.

So instead of chasing traditional tech KPIs (speed, load, uptime, GPS integrations), the team aligned around a single north star:

“How fast can we give a passenger a trustworthy answer?”

Everything else was secondary and that’s why the product earned the trust of millions.

And to me, that’s the real power of any well-driven product team.

Products win when 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸.

When you measure what truly matters, your product becomes inevitable.

P.S. We’re breaking down how great teams find the metric that changes everything at 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗘: 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 on Dec 13. 

If you build products, you’ll want to attend. Seats are filling fast - Register at -  https://lnkd.in/g6i_28dE

#productmanagement #productdevelopment #successstory #buildbetter

Most people don’t outgrow their careers because of a lack of skill. They get stuck on Child’s Hill 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

We expect growth to be a 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯.
But real learning is more like 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻.

Having coached some of the brightest leaders, one pattern that stands out:

The ones who move teams, products, and ideas forward aren’t the “smartest” in the room.
They’re the ones with clear conviction - the kind rooted in curiosity, not ego.

They don’t panic when they hit a gap in their knowledge.
They turn it into 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺.

They’re the ones who say:

“I might be wrong.”
“Let me test that.”
“Tell me what I’m missing.”

They don’t fear what they don’t know.
They use it to ask 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.

They are self-aware enough to see their limits,
Secure enough not to be threatened by them.
Curious enough to unlearn and relearn.
Courageous enough to keep climbing even when the path feels uncomfortable.

That’s how they move from Child’s Hill → through Insecure Canyon → to Grown-Up Mountain.

You don’t win by knowing everything.
You win by 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

#leadershipdevelopment #growthmindset #learning #leadership

𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲: 
I’ve always admired founders who are shameless.

There is a certain type of founder who can walk into a room and ask for what they need with zero second-guessing.

They’re not aggressive. They’re not loud. They’re just unapologetic.

I’ve spent a large part of my life around entrepreneurs, and having built products myself, the one truth that has become clearer with time:

➝ A founder’s real job is to 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.
➝ To 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 that aren’t obviously open.
➝ To gather the 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺.

It’s less about having answers and more about having the courage to go looking for them.

So if you’re starting out, or have started your entrepreneurship journey, you know what your biggest superpower is going to be?

To be 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀. 

And I don’t mean shameless in the loud, performative way.

I mean in a gentle, hopeful way, the kind that lets you say:

“Hey, I could use your help.” 
“Can we talk?” 
“Would you take a chance on this?”

Because if you never ask, you’ll never find out the kind of opportunities you might get!

#founder #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurs

2025 didn’t just give me milestones, it created 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺.
Two cities. Two full houses.
 
A fast-growing circle of PMs, tech leaders, designers, and builders committed to 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.
And that’s what excites me the most.
 
For 24+ years, I’ve worked at the intersection of tech, product, and leadership growth building products, shaping AI solutions, scaling teams, and coaching leaders.

This year, I brought these worlds together with 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗘 under 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: A space where product leaders grow by thinking, learning, and building together.
 
In Chennai and Bangalore, the rooms were buzzing with energy and insights.

And as we carry this learning journey forward, one pattern across my coaching, advisory, and product work has been impossible to ignore:
 
Teams weren’t struggling with effort. They were struggling with 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀.
 
Too many dashboards. Too many debates.
Too many numbers… and not enough clarity on what truly moves the product forward.
 
That’s why the next chapter of 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗘 is here: 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜.
 
A session that enables product leaders to think clearly, decide confidently, and drive impact with data.
 
We’ll explore questions every product leader should obsess over:

→ Which metrics accelerate your product and which derail it? 
→ How do top teams find the metrics that shift outcomes?
→ How should product leaders rethink metrics in an AI-first world?
 
Because if 2025 taught me anything, it’s this:
𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.
 
𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, | 𝟭𝟬 𝗔𝗠 – 𝟭 𝗣𝗠 𝗜𝗦𝗧 | 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
 
𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/g6i_28dE
 
This session is for anyone building products and ready to elevate how they think, decide, and lead in 2026.
 
The Build Collective community is expanding. If you want to grow with us, join in.

#productmanagement #productdevelopment #productgrowth

I recently spoke at the Google DevFest 2025 hosted by Google Developer Group Chennai at the IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP). and it was a reminder that AI is evolving fast but our understanding of how to use it well must evolve even faster.
 
A huge shoutout to Bhavani Ravi for moderating with so much clarity and warmth. Her questions pulled out a lot of interesting perspectives. 
 
And I’m grateful for my fellow panellists Kayalvizhi Karthikeyan and Prashant Srinivasan, two sharp voices bringing in experiences from fintech, engineering and product trenches, the conversation felt refreshingly real.
 
Somewhere in that exchange, a few insights surfaced that stayed with me -

1️⃣ 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀; 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.
Whether you’re a designer, engineer, PM, or founder, AI changes the mindset from “What should we build?” to “What should this system learn next?”
 
It’s a different mental model and product builders who embrace it will shape the next decade.
 
2️⃣ 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹; 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽.
During the AI boom, I was swiping on every shiny new tool. And just like dating apps, I realised: Most matches are interesting… only few are meaningful.
 
The ones worth keeping help you think clearer, choose better, and become a better version of yourself. Everything else is just another swipe.
 
3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘁, 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹.
If you taste the salt, it’s too much. If you don’t feel its presence, it’s too little. Tasteful AI is the same quietly reducing friction, not loudly announcing itself.

4️⃣ 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸
We often talk about hallucinations as the big risk, but the real risk is overexpectation. “Just add AI” is not a product strategy. Before adding intelligence, we must ask:
 
What problem are we solving? What data supports it? What value does a user experience?
Clarity is the moat. Not the model.
 
5️⃣ 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱
AI will accelerate creation across design, engineering, content, and strategy. But the builders who stay irreplaceable:

✅ what not to automate
✅ when to pause
✅ what still needs human courage

Because your edge isn’t speed. Its intention.
 
Walking out of DevFest, I felt more certain about one thing:
 
𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 - 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
That’s the real human edge going forward.
 
#productdevelopment #ai #googledevfest

I usually don’t indulge in “internet outrage.”
But this one stayed with me longer than I expected.
 
A friend sent me this post yesterday, and I remember thinking:
“Okay, this is extreme. Sad, but rare.”
 
Then I scrolled down to the comments.
Person after person.
The SAME experience.
 
At organizations that proudly call themselves “people-first.”
 
Here’s the truth:

If a leader cannot show empathy during a moment of grief, they’re not a leader.
They’re just a title.
 
And they have no business expecting commitment, loyalty, or “alignment to vision.”
 
Because meetings can be moved.
Targets can be pushed.
Projects can wait.
 
But trust?
Once broken, doesn’t come back easily.
 
We keep calling empathy a “soft skill.”
Honestly - It’s the hardest skill to fake,
And the strongest one to build teams around.
 
It’s not the fluff.
It is a performance multiplier.

It is the difference between:
A team that does the bare minimum…
and a team that goes the extra mile because they feel seen.
 
High-performing teams are not created by KPIs.
They’re created by leaders who show up when it matters the most.
 
Leadership is not tested in your all-hands meetings.
It’s tested in these tiny, human moments that don’t make the dashboards.
 
If you lead people, remember this:
Your behaviour in someone’s worst moment will become your legacy.
 
No metric will ever matter more than that.

#empathy #leadership #toxicworkculture

If you’re someone who builds products and has got a free weekend coming up, trade doomscrolling for a dose of brain fuel.

These 6 books will not only elevate your craft but also sharpen your perspective on how you build, decide, and communicate:

1️⃣ The Lean Product Playbook (Dan Olsen): Step-by-step frameworks to build what customers really want.

2️⃣ Essentialism (Greg McKeown): A masterclass in saying no. Do less but do it better.

3️⃣ Radical Candor (Kim Scott): Care personally. Challenge directly. A mindset that reshaped how I coach my team.

4️⃣ Storyworthy (Matthew Dicks): Turns everyday moments into unforgettable stories. The storytelling book every product builder needs.

5️⃣ Let My People Go Surfing (Yvon Chouinard): A founder’s guide to building products with soul not just scale.

6️⃣ Think Faster, Talk Smarter (Matt Abrahams): Real tools for real-time speaking next time you’re put on the spot in a meeting, thank this book.

If you could add one must-read for product builders what would it be?

Activity | Janet Rajan | LinkedIn

Zomato just dropped a truth most product teams hate admitting:
The metric you’re proud of might not be the metric your users need.

And that’s the question 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗰 𝟭𝟯, but let me explain.
 
Zomato changed how an entire country eats. It became one of those rare products that you don’t realise you’ve depended on until you try going without it.

But as Deepinder said himself:
“We made eating out and ordering in easier than ever, but we never really helped people truly eat better.”
 
Healthy options existed. Discoverability didn’t.
 
And that’s where most product teams slip:
We measure 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹.
 
Zomato’s new Healthy Mode fixes this by reframing the metric itself.
 
Instead of calories → It measures what users really care about:
Protein. Fibre. Complex carbs. Micronutrients.
 
This isn’t just a feature.
It’s a 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, the kind that shifts from 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 → 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.
 
That's real product strategy:
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 → 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 → 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲.
 
And this is exactly what we’re unpacking on 𝗗𝗲𝗰 𝟭𝟯 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗘: 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

→ Decode what makes a metric meaningful
→ Spot metrics that silently sabotage your product decisions
→ Identify the 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗹𝗲-𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 for your team
→ Build your own 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀
→ Integrate 𝗔𝗜-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 methods to design sharper metrics
→ Learn (and apply) how world-class teams pick the right metrics
 
If you’re a PM, designer, tech leader or anyone building product, remember:
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.
 
Save your seat.

𝗦𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡: 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜

Date: December 13, 2025 

Time: 10 AM – 1 PM IST 

Where: Online (Zoom link will be shared post-registration) 

Entry: ₹799 for early sign-ups | ₹999 after Nov 30

Registration link: https://lnkd.in/g6i_28dE

#productmanagement #productdevelopment #zomato

The future of product work isn’t about who ships fastest, but who still takes the time to build features that solve actual user problems.

Thanks to AI, every PM today can ship faster and iterate quicker.

But thanks to it, we’re also skipping the hard parts.

This isn’t an AI problem.
It’s a product thinking problem.

The best PMs I know are actually doing something opposite. 

They’re not using AI to build more, but to actually free up their critical thinking time, and not replace it.

They’re reintroducing forgotten rituals: teardown sessions, design reviews, and user story mapping.

That’s the irony of modern product work.
AI doesn’t have to make craftsmanship obsolete. It can actually make it more visible. 

Only if you know how to allocate resources at hand justly. 

What are your thoughts as a PM on this situation?

#productmanagement #productbuilding #productdevelopment

If you are at AnitaB.org India's Grace Hopper Conference in Bengaluru definitely go check this out. Namita and Shreya have put together an excellent model to enable you. Sign up in the post below! 

Congratulations Nams and Shreya.

“I hate to break this to you, but if you call yourself self-aware and are only aware of your faults, not your strengths, you’re not self-aware.

You’ve just repackaged your self-hatred.”

This is what most leaders went through in 2025.

And so, we’ve decided to help you unlearn it.

Every leader carries a signature rhythm. A way of thinking, deciding, dreaming, and connecting. 

It’s a blend of their wiring, strengths, inner drive, and the neural patterns that shape how they move through challenge and change.

At the Grace Hopper Conference on December 2nd–4th, we're discussing something that'll help you see yourself clearly, not critically.

Something super exciting is coming, stay tuned.
And if you want to be part of the launch, sign up below:

https://lnkd.in/g-jb5XEk

See you there! Shreya Krishnan  

#gracehopper #event #women #leadership

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The Battle

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Janet Rajan

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taplio

The Battle

Adam Scott

Janet Rajan

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Adam Scott's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreAdam Scott's LinkedIn Performance