Software People Stories

PM Power Consulting

Stories of what worked and sometimes what did not, in the course of discovering, designing, developing and delivering software based solutions – as shared by practitioners who went through these situations.

  1. Leading Through Every Technology Wave with Indira vidyaprakash

    11h ago

    Leading Through Every Technology Wave with Indira vidyaprakash

    In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri Kalyanaraman speaks with Indra Vidyaprakash, Site Leader for Workday India and Senior Director, for a conversation spanning three decades of technology evolution. From her early fascination with programming in Coimbatore and her journey through Cornell University, Oracle, and Silicon Valley, to returning to Chennai to establish and scale Workday's India presence, Indira shares lessons learned across every major technology shift—from the internet era and enterprise software revolution to today's AI-driven future. The conversation explores product management, customer-centric innovation, leadership, mentorship, women in technology, startup investing, and the importance of staying curious in a rapidly changing world. Through stories of reinvention, growth, and building high-performing teams, Indira offers valuable insights for technology professionals, aspiring leaders, and lifelong learners navigating their own careers Timestamped Show Notes 00:00 – Welcome to Software People StoriesGayatri introduces Indra Vidyaprakash, Site Leader at Workday India and a technology leader whose career spans Oracle, Workday, product management, and organizational leadership. 00:44 – The Atari That Started It AllIndra reflects on her childhood in Coimbatore and how an Atari gaming console sparked her fascination with logic, programming, and problem-solving. Long before technology became a career, it had already become a passion. 02:19 – PSG Tech, Family Legacy, and the Pursuit of LearningA discussion about growing up in Coimbatore, studying Computer Science at PSG Tech, the influence of her grandfather J.R. Damodaran, and the importance of education and lifelong learning. 04:00 – HCL, Cornell, and the American DreamIndra shares her journey from HCL Technologies in Chennai to pursuing a Master's degree at Cornell University, experiencing a new educational culture, and entering the world of advanced computing. 06:30 – Landing in Silicon Valley During the Oracle EraWhat it was like to join Oracle in 1997 and witness the rise of enterprise software, internet adoption, and the dot-com boom from the heart of Silicon Valley. 08:10 – Why Engineering Alone Wasn't EnoughAfter nearly a decade as a software engineer, Indra found herself asking an important question: "Who is actually using what I'm building?" That question ultimately led her toward product management. 10:45 – Reinventing Herself Through Product ManagementIndra discusses taking a career break, exploring an MBA, learning new business skills, and ultimately transitioning into product management through curiosity and self-discovery rather than a predefined career plan. 14:08 – Learning Design Thinking Before It Became a BuzzwordHow customer empathy, usability testing, user-centered design, and direct customer interaction became foundational to her product leadership approach. 16:00 – The Magic of Product ConferencesIndra reflects on Oracle OpenWorld, customer interactions, product demonstrations, analyst briefings, and how conferences became one of her favorite aspects of product management. 18:38 – Moving from Oracle to WorkdayA story about relationships, professional networks, and following trusted colleagues into a new opportunity that would shape the next decade of her career. 20:30 – Why Culture MattersIndra explains how Workday's employee-centric culture, customer focus, and collaborative environment became major factors in her decision to join the company. 22:17 – Entering the World of HR TechnologyThe challenges and opportunities of moving into HR and Financial ERP systems, understanding customer trust, compliance, security, and building enterprise software at scale. 26:00 – NEYTHRI and Supporting Women LeadersIndra discusses joining NEYTHRI, a professional network for South Asian women leaders, and how community-building eventually led her to participate as an investor in NEYTHRI’s venture fund. 28:45 – Why Representation MattersA conversation about women entrepreneurs, access to capital, and the importance of creating opportunities for women founders and leaders. 30:00 – Returning Home After Three DecadesAfter nearly 30 years in the United States, Indra shares the story behind her decision to return to Chennai and lead the establishment of Workday's India operations. 32:00 – Building Workday ChennaiHow Workday selected Chennai, what it takes to build a new technology center from the ground up, and why creating culture is just as important as creating infrastructure. 34:00 – Scaling Talent and Building Future LeadersIndra discusses mentoring, leadership development, gender diversity, and the excitement of working with AI-native graduates entering the workforce today. 36:30 – Product Innovation, AI, and Learning Through ExperimentationLessons from introducing chatbot technology years before today's Generative AI wave, balancing innovation with customer trust, and the importance of thoughtful experimentation. 39:00 – The Importance of Small ExperimentsWhy successful innovation often begins with a small group of trusted customers, rapid feedback loops, and disciplined iteration. 42:00 – The Most Important Leadership Trait: Growth MindsetIndra reflects on the influence of lifelong learning, adaptability, and why curiosity has remained her greatest career advantage. 44:00 – AI, Accessibility, and India's Digital LeapA fascinating discussion on how AI is democratizing access to knowledge, enabling multilingual interaction, and creating opportunities across diverse communities. 46:00 – Human Connections Still MatterDespite advances in AI, Indra emphasizes that relationships, collaboration, trust, and empathy remain the foundations of meaningful work and leadership. 48:00 – Final Advice: Stay CuriousIndra closes the episode with her advice for the next generation: continue learning, embrace change, remain curious, and never lose sight of the human element behind technology. https://www.linkedin.com/in/indiravidyaprakash/

    45 min
  2. From Navy to SaaS to AI with Ian Hogg

    Jun 19

    From Navy to SaaS to AI with Ian Hogg

    My guest today is Ian Hogg, the Chairman of SolvedBy.ai, an applied AI company helping SaaS vendors embed enterprise-grade forecasting, demand and decision intelligence directly into their platforms. In this conversation, Ian shares his background, from the Royal Navy and Xerox to building early web businesses, a SaaS platform, and an AI-focused company.He describes how his SaaS business began by solving his own operational problem and then expanded when others in the industry recognized the same need.He shares how, In enterprise AI,  one needs to  distinguish decision-support and forecasting systems from generative AIIan highlights that AI adoption in organizations depends heavily on leadership behaviorThe conversation also covers mindset barriers, the empowerment of non-technical users, and the need to build confidence through hands-on experimentation rather than waiting for formal permission or perfect readiness.On branding and customer acceptance, Ian explains that people may resist AI if it feels like replacement, but respond more positively when it is framed as assistive and human-in-the-loop.He shares career advice for both newcomers and mid-career professionalsIn closing, he shares aspects that help him stay grounded  Ian Hogg is Chairman of SolvedBy.ai, an applied AI company helping SaaS vendors embed enterprise-grade forecasting, demand and decision intelligence directly into their platforms. He has spent his career building, scaling and investing in software businesses, with a particular focus on workforce management, SaaS partnerships and AI-driven operational optimisation. Ian is a strong voice on the “SaaS apocalypse” — the idea that AI will expose weak, seat-based SaaS models while creating huge opportunities for vendors that own deep workflow, data and distribution. At SolvedBy.ai, he is focused on helping SaaS companies add the AI layer their customers now expect, without needing to build specialist AI engines from scratch. Ian may be reached at: https://x.com/ianhogg88 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianhoggworktechgroup/ https://solvedby.ai/

    46 min
  3. From H4 to CEO: Building a Life and Software Company with Rajashri Kidambi

    Jun 14

    From H4 to CEO: Building a Life and Software Company with Rajashri Kidambi

    In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri Kalyanaraman sits down with Rajshri Kidambi, CEO of Radus Software LLC, for an inspiring and deeply personal conversation. Rajshri shares her journey from arriving in the United States as an H4 dependent to building a successful software company serving federal agencies for over two decades. Together, they discuss entrepreneurship, motherhood, Agile transformation, government technology, resilience, AI, and the power of taking calculated risks. A thoughtful conversation about leadership, growth, and creating impact that lasts. Timestamped Show Notes00:00 – Welcome to Software People Stories - Gayatri introduces Rajshri Kidambi, CEO of Radus Software LLC, and sets the stage for a conversation spanning technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and life.00:57 – From Electronics Engineering to Software Development. Rajshri shares her early journey—from studying Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering in India to arriving in the U.S. on an H4 visa and transitioning into software development during the tech talent boom of the 1990s.02:38 – The Birth of Radus Software. After nearly a decade at CACI Federal, Rajshri realized she could build a company of her own. She discusses the decision to launch Radus Software and the motivation behind becoming an entrepreneur.05:43 – Discovering a Passion Beyond Programming. Moving from coding to customer interactions, Rajshri explains how becoming a subject matter expert and presenting software solutions to military stakeholders revealed her aptitude for business development and sales.07:18 – Overcoming Language and Confidence Barriers. Growing up in a Kannada-medium school, Rajshri initially struggled with confidence in professional communication. She shares how experience helped her overcome those challenges.09:11 – The Turning Point: Why She Started Her Own Company. Rajshri discusses seeing the value she created for her employer, understanding government contracting economics, and making the leap into entrepreneurship while raising young twins.11:28 – Motherhood, Career Pivots, and Personal Choices. An honest discussion on balancing career ambitions with family priorities, and why every woman's professional journey follows a different path.14:49 – Wearing Every Hat in a Startup. Rajshri reflects on the early years of Radus Software, where she managed accounting, invoicing, operations, contracts, and business development while learning entrepreneurship from the ground up.17:31 – Building Software for the U.S. Federal Government. Rajshri discusses her work across agencies including the Department of Defense, FAA, GSA, and NNSA, and explains how government technology modernization differs from the commercial sector.19:19 – Digital Transformation, Data Governance & SAM.gov. A look into large-scale government modernization initiatives, Agile adoption, business process automation, and the evolution of digital government platforms.22:48 – Agile, SAFE Frameworks, and Government Transformation. Gayatri and Rajshri compare experiences implementing Agile practices in government organizations and discuss the challenges of cultural transformation.26:01 – Working with Multiple Vendors on Large Government Programs. Rajshri explains the realities of delivering federal programs alongside large consulting firms, balancing collaboration, competition, and customer expectations.37:19 – Building Credibility as a Small Business. The journey from subcontractor to trusted prime contractor and the importance of past performance, reputation, and persistence in federal procurement.38:45 – The Highs of a 25-Year Entrepreneurial Journey. Rajshri shares one of her proudest moments—co-presenting with SAFE creator Dean Leffingwell and showcasing Radus Software's Agile product innovation.41:18 – The Lowest Point: Losing a Contract She Loved A deeply personal reflection on losing a major FAA contract after years of investment and how family support and lessons from the Bhagavad Gita helped her recover.45:06 – The One CEO Responsibility She Will Never Delegate. Why customer relationships remain the foundation of business growth and long-term success.47:15 – Looking Ahead: AI, Automation, and Agentic Systems. Rajshri discusses the future of AI, how tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are already changing the way people work, and the importance of governance and guardrails.50:52 – Human Intelligence in an AI-Powered World. A conversation about preserving critical thinking while embracing AI-assisted productivity.53:30 – Final Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs. Rajshri's closing message: take calculated risks, build something you care about, stay resilient, and enjoy the journey. 55:44 – Closing Remarks. Gayatri wraps up the conversation and thanks Rajshri for sharing her story and insights. Memorable Quotes"If I can do it, anybody can do it." "Take calculated risks." "Relationships are what give you business." "You should be passionate, but not too attached to the outcome." "The future belongs to people who can work with AI, not compete against it." (paraphrased from discussion) Rajashri (“Raj”) Sankavaram, CEO Radus Software LLC, is the driving force behind the company’s culture of excellence, integrity, and continuous innovation. With a strong background in quality management, program delivery, and organizational leadership, she has built Radus into a trusted federal and commercial partner known for precision, transparency, and reliability. Raj is the evangelist behind the creation of Metronome Orchestrated Agile®️, the company’s flagship platform that unites human-centric design, compliance automation, and AI-assisted orchestration to simplify complex software delivery. Under her leadership, Radus has achieved recognition for its federal contracting excellence, delivering mission-critical solutions for agencies such as the IRS, FAA, NNSA, and DHA. Her emphasis on collaboration, mentorship, and quality-driven growth continues to shape Radus as a company that not only delivers outcomes but also builds enduring relationships grounded in trust and accountability. can be contacted at https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-sankavaram-0947427/

    52 min
  4. Reviving Developer Passion with Paramu Kurumathur

    May 29

    Reviving Developer Passion with Paramu Kurumathur

    My guest today is a good friend and colleague - and not to forget with whom I was a co-author for a book, Paramu Kurumathur. In this episode, Paramu discusses how his recent development work evolved from small Google Apps Script utilities copied and adapted from online examples to building AI-connected applications via APIs to tools like Gemini and ChatGPT, including enabling Q&A over his book content.  He describes surprises from “conversing” with his books—especially that LLMs retain details he has forgotten—while noting key risks such as hallucinations and the need for precise prompts. He explains learning Cursor with guidance from our colleague, Raja, discovering that it can generate code, and rapidly producing a proof of concept that maps citizens to the Government welfare schemes using PDFs, Chroma DB, sentence transformers, and queues—work that took about a week instead of months.  The conversation contrasts older development eras with today’s dependency-heavy environments, argues many SDLC intermediate steps are compressed, and highlights transferable mid-career skills in requirements and problem translation, alongside concerns about limited debugging and testing depth. The timestamps are approximate and do not include the time for the intro. Add about 90 seconds to locate the section 00:00 Welcome and Setup 01:16 Rediscovering Coding via Apps Script 02:02 Connecting Scripts to LLM APIs 03:21 Talking to Your Own Book 05:32 Hallucinations and Prompt Control 06:50 Learning Cursor and Building a POC 09:09 Old School Dev vs Modern Tooling 12:00 AI Changes the SDLC 13:36 Testing and Trusting AI Output 15:10 Debugging Gaps and Assumptions 16:34 Setting AI Standards 17:20 Mid Career Transfer Skills 18:48 Prompting Without Hallucinations 20:21 Courses vs Learning by Doing 23:25 Overcoming First Step Fear 25:24 LLM Limits in Astronomy 28:24 Cursor for Reliable Code 29:37 Anybody Can Code Now 31:13 Next Projects and Wrap Up

    34 min
  5. From Gaming to Global Efficiency with Evan J Schwartz

    May 22

    From Gaming to Global Efficiency with Evan J Schwartz

    My guest today is Evan J. Schwartz, the COO of AMCS Group North America, a global leader in sustainable cloud technology. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor and Board Advisor at Jacksonville University, mentoring graduate students in AI, cybersecurity, and technical project management. Evan traces his technology origin from early-1980s bulletin board systems to founding a company that built graphic multiplayer BBS games and a scripted graphics language,  that he says predated HTML, reaching 33 titles across a global BBS market before the internet rapidly displaced it around 1995.  He then shifted from internet gaming into business software, automating insurance workflows and later working in commodity and “reverse logistics” industries including forestry, natural gas, and waste/recycling at AMCS, citing route optimization across 770,000 trucks that saves 17–20 gallons of diesel per truck.  He discusses why ERP adoption is hard, advocating game-design-style gradual introduction, putting people first, and having product teams do end-user jobs.  He emphasizes vendor relationships over feature requests, AI governance and risk frameworks, a “person + AI” stewardship model, and evolving education/career paths toward broad skills, clear communication, domain knowledge, and knowing what “good” looks like. The timestamps are approximate and do not include the time for the intro. Add about 90 seconds to locate the section 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:31 Early Computing Origins 01:20 Building BBS Games 03:02 Internet Shift to Business 05:01 Reverse Logistics Mission 06:34 ERP and AI Adoption 08:31 Gaming Lessons for ERP 11:03 People First Strategy 13:00 Empathy by Doing the Job 17:29 Vendor Trust and Roadmaps 21:31 Universities vs AI Change 24:58 Training Architects Without Coding 26:03 AI as Faster Camera 26:58 Stewardship Over Replacement 28:34 Why Hallucinations Happen 29:52 Capstones in One Class 30:37 Excel to AI Migration 33:08 M&A Governance Interop 35:45 EU AI Act Reality Check 37:56 Culture Shapes Adoption 40:31 Interstellar Waiting Trap 41:53 Career Skills for Stewards 44:41 Quiet Failure Risk 45:57 Protect Time and Values 48:52 Closing Thanks Evan J. Schwartz is the COO of AMCS Group North America, a global leader in sustainable cloud technology. With 35+ years of experience in resource-intensive industries like waste, recycling, and natural gas, he drives digital transformation through AI and data science. Formerly AMCS’s Chief Enterprise Architect, Evan is also an adjunct professor at Jacksonville University, mentoring future IT leaders. A Forbes Technology Council member and sought-after speaker, he advocates for AI-driven sustainability and ethical tech. His bestselling book, People, Places, and Things, cements his expertise in seamless ERP implementation. SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Website: https://www.evanjschwartz.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-schwartz-live/

    52 min
  6. Navigating Career Curves and Breaks with Chaitra Rao

    May 15

    Navigating Career Curves and Breaks with Chaitra Rao

    My guest today is Chaitra Partha Rao, Vice President at Daimler Truck Innovation Center India – Manufacturing , Sales & Aftersales. Chaitra shares how her childhood aspirations to become a neurosurgeon shifted to commerce due to cost constraints, eventually leading her into IT through an internship at a medical diagnostics firm automating stores processes.  She describes observing early requirement-gathering and MVP-style delivery, learning the importance of user empathy, and contrasts it with a later failure where a $15M trading interface was rejected because designers didn’t listen to analysts.  Her career spans core banking, Fidelity-style investing, equity trading transformation (including crypto/digital assets focus in 2015–2017), and automotive/trucking, emphasizing designing for human touchpoints even amid AI trends.  She discusses patience versus outcome-chasing, staying focused via “recalculating” and timeboxing, scaling systems using “day in the life” simulations, cross-cultural user commonalities, cautious optimism about synthetic data, guidance for women returning from career breaks, and grounding routines like yoga, reflection, cooking, and music.  The timestamps are approximate and do not include the time for the intro. Add about 90 seconds to locate the section 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:42 From Medicine to Commerce 02:37 First IT Breakthrough 05:41 Curiosity Meets Automation 10:56 User Empathy in Practice 16:33 Human Touch vs AI 18:39 Patience and Ambition 22:04 Staying Focused Timeboxing 26:07 Commute Predictability Hacks 26:37 Banking vs Trading Reality 28:10 Learning Traders Language 31:27 Designing for Scale Patterns 36:38 Cross Culture User Insights 40:12 AI Synthetic Personas Limits 44:27 Returning After Career Break 49:12 Staying Grounded Daily Routine 51:13 Closing Reflections Thanks Chaitra is a seasoned leader with 26 years of experience in IT traversing through Fintech & Automotive domains. Her formative leadership experience stems from working for Fidelity Investments , a company that shaped who she is while putting it to practice and being able to coach and nurture A teams is an opportunity that she experiences with her current organization. She has played various roles that have taken her through learning paths that have been challenging as well as fulfilling in the areas of technology, process and team building.  She calls herself as ‘still a work-in-progress’, curious learner who takes one day at a time , enjoying it to the maximum and helping coach leaders and teams to bring their best.  She may be reached on: chaitrasreesha@gmail.com

    54 min
  7. Navigating Tech and Chaos with Tyler Wells

    May 8

    Navigating Tech and Chaos with Tyler Wells

    My guest today is Tyler Wells, co-founder of Brain Grid. Tyler recounts 25+ years in software, from an early IBM XT to work across military communications, startups, Skype/Microsoft, and seven and a half years at Twilio building video and SRE organizations, before founding Propel Data (which didn’t find product-market fit) and then Brain Grid.  He describes an experiment-driven approach to building high-performance systems by defining hypotheses, creating a “steel thread” MVP, and prioritizing observability for 2:00 AM incidents.  He discusses how AI coding shifts focus from typing code to architecture, documentation, critical thinking, and red-teaming plans, while warning that agents need guidance on separation of concerns and DRY to avoid refactor side effects. Brain Grid emerged from using Cursor agents during Propel’s wind-down and aims to generate detailed specs, acceptance criteria, and validation loops so agents implement features reliably, with attention to token efficiency.  He also covers co-founder traits, chaos engineering, compliance challenges for solopreneurs, career advice, and staying grounded through exercise, cooking, and family. Tyler Wells is the Co-founder and CTO at BrainGrid, BrainGrid is one of the first platforms built specifically to replace the missing product management role in AI-native software development. He is currently building BrainGrid — helping engineering teams ship faster with AI-assisted requirements breakdown and task management. We're focused on bridging the gap between product ideas and implementation-ready work. His Background: He has spent 25+ years building systems where failure isn't an option—from satellite communications at Hughes Space to real-time video at global scale. I led the team that built Facebook's first video calling feature powered by Skype, then spent 7+ years at Twilio building their Video Platform (WebRTC) and leading SRE/Observability across the company.

    50 min
  8. Building a Business Dream with L A Balamurugan

    May 1

    Building a Business Dream with L A Balamurugan

    My guest today is L.A. Balamurugan, known as Bala. With extensive experience in software development, he now plays the role of a delivery coach. In this conversation filled with nuggets from his experience, Bala shares his career journey from a computer science degree in the early 1990s to roles at HCL, Perot Systems in the US, and Manugistics. After earning a master’s in information systems and software engineering from George Mason University, he joined HP Labs in Bangalore as an R&D project/program manager on HP OpenView and became involved in early Agile/Scrum adoption and scaling.  He later launched a boutique consulting firm and co-founded BookMyTrainings.com (a training marketplace), grew it with angel funding, and expanded into payment collection and L&D program management before COVID led to winding it down.  He then spent about seven years as an Agile coach and recently published a startup-focused book, "What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Up," covering founder blind spots, idea alignment, co-founder choices, and emotional resilience. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:30 Early Career at HCL 01:53 Textile Systems Tech Stack 02:28 US Onsite Perot Systems 03:41 Supply Chain at Manugistics 05:20 Return to India and Masters 06:13 HP Labs and Agile Shift 08:10 Entrepreneurship Leap 08:57 Building BookMyTrainings 10:23 Payments and Revenue Model 11:52 SAFe Training and Coaching 13:43 COVID Impact and Book Writing 16:22 Learning New Domains Fast 19:03 Dual Hat PM and Scrum 22:48 Two Sided Marketplace Insights 25:03 Training Pain Points 26:05 Building Trust Platform 26:53 Win Win Marketplace 29:26 AI In Learning Paths 32:06 Agile Culture Vs Delivery 34:49 Writing Startup Book 40:08 Career Tips In AI Era 44:47 Co Founder Dilemma 47:24 Staying Grounded 49:56 Closing Thoughts L. A. Balamurugan, or Bala, began his career as a computer science engineer, studying in India and later completing his Master’s in the USA. After sixteen years building software products and leading teams, he moved into entrepreneurship, founding multiple ventures including BookMyTrainings, a well known training marketplace in India. Following the pandemic and the closure of the startup, Bala now works as a Delivery Coach helping software teams deliver better products faster. His entrepreneurial journey inspired his book, What I Wish I Knew Before I Started: A Founder’s Guide to Understanding One’s Blind Spots and Equipping Before Venturing. Bala’s Linkedin profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/labmurugan Link to his book: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0GFNP7NTG

    52 min
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About

Stories of what worked and sometimes what did not, in the course of discovering, designing, developing and delivering software based solutions – as shared by practitioners who went through these situations.

Information

  • Creator
    PM Power Consulting
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    397
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 PM Power Consulting
  • Show Website
    Software People Stories