Software People Stories
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.
From Punch Cards to AI Companions
My guest today is Paramu Kurumathur: IT Leader, Author. Here is the snippets of interesting stories around how AI has changed his life and how he’s impacting AI - From building AI in 1980 to using AI to code, write, research and imagine the future
What makes Paramu's story unusual is that his AI journey actually began in 1980, when his M.Tech project explored automatic program generation using structured data and if-then rules. Four decades later, he finds himself using generative AI in almost every facet of his life.
AI...
From Soldering to Software with Yeshwant Satam
My guest today is Yeshwant Satam, an ICT professional and consultant with over four decades of experience.
In this conversation, he freely shares:
His four-decade journey from soldering boards and PROM patching to firmware, software, IT services leadership, and manufacturing automation.Continual learning multiple programming languages including Pascal, Fortran, C, and Occam, then rapidly building capability through curiosity and commitment.Memorable moments including reverse engineering an IBM PC BIOS before realizing the boot floppy was still in a drawer in the US.The early days of Indian software exports: faxed requirements, shared processors, STPI floppy submissions...Learn, Adapt, Work Hard with Arun Subash Manickam
My guest today is Arun Subash Manickam. An Engineering leader at Google.
In this conversation, Arun shares:
his journey from Chennai schooling to computer science and a long career in networking, startups, acquisitions, and Google.transitions from individual contributor to manager, startup life, acquisitions, autonomy, AI, and career growth.learning continuously, adapting to change, and working hard with purpose as core career principles.Highlights
From Stethoscope to Software with Dr. Kishore Reddy
My guest today is Dr. Kishore Reddy, co-founder of & Chief Strategy Officer at ProHance.
Conversation highlights:
Background & Early Life:
Kishore grew up across India—moving from Gujarat to Delhi and eventually settling in Bangalore, which he considers his home.Medical Career & Transition to IT:
Completed his MBBS from Bangalore Medical College with plans to pursue neurology residency in the US, inspired by family members.After facing US visa denials (under section 214B), his brother Kiran suggested exploring the booming IT field around 1998–1999.Approached Sudhir Sharma at Network Solutions to learn IT on the...Don't Worry About AI. Keep Learning with Vasu Vadlamani
In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayathri Kalyanaraman speaks with Vasu Vadlamani, a technology leader, architect, entrepreneur and Professor of Practice, about a career that has evolved alongside the software industry itself. About his accidental start to an AI Era tech leader who’s defining mantra has been Every role has an expiration date!
Vasu takes us back to the early 1990s, when software meant client-server systems, handwritten notes and face-to-face communication. From his early work with Citibank to working with Sun Microsystems, building a professional services organization, experiencing the disruption that followed Oracle’s acquisition of Su...
Data Science and Human Foundations with Ashish Jha
In conversation with Ashish Jha, Chitra and Ashish explored -
Accidental Start to an AI-Era Technology Leader with Vijaya Kadiyala
My guest today is Vijays Kadiala, ,Executive Director for Architecture, Engineering, AI, Data, Cloud in DBS Tech India talks about his accidental start to an AI Era tech leader who’s defining mantra has been Every role has an expiration date!
Conversation highlights
00:32 — 25 years of a career that wasn't planned
Vijay introduces his journey across startups, TCS, Infosys, Capgemini, JPMorgan Chase and DBS, with data and data-intensive applications as a recurring theme.
02:35 — From a two-bedroom startup to the corporate world
Vijay recalls his unexpected entry into entrepreneurship after graduating with no...
Systems thinking, Social bonding & new contracts with Jithu Gopal
Intro:
Jithu Gopal is a fintech product leader based in Bangalore, with 18+ years across engineering, consulting, and product. He is AVP Product at Scripbox and currently owns the charter of building the advisory experience that'll help a million families make confident choices about their portfolios.
Before Scripbox he co-founded Nilenso, a boutique technology consulting firm, where he built a social network, rewrote the checkout experience for a ticketing platform, and took on a few other projects.
He is curious about what creates habits and what motivates people.
Shownotes:
In...
Business Before Technology with Mario
In this episode of Software People Stories, I speak with Mario Lewis, a manufacturing specialist turned IT expert with over 35 years of experience. He talks about his career that began far away from software—in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, operations, and quality—and eventually found its way into the software services world. We talk about what manufacturing can teach software teams, why domain knowledge and business understanding matter, how to stay adaptable through career transitions, and Mario’s experiment with AI-assisted software development through Project Klyve. It’s a thoughtful conversation about learning, reinvention, and doing meaningful work—even when the path i...
Making Products Matter with Saraswathi Shant Kumar
In this episode of Software People Stories, I speak with Saraswathi, a marketing leader with over 15 years of cross-industry experience, about the role of marketing in technology—especially how product marketers translate technical ideas into stories customers can understand and care about. We talk about digital communication, customer empathy, product adoption, AI in marketing, useful metrics, and practical career advice for anyone curious about moving into marketing. It is a thoughtful conversation on bridging products, people, and business impact.
Among the highlights from this conversation are:
Marketing fundamentals stay consistent, but customer pain points differ across ind...Accounting, ERP and Change management with Chander Sankaran
My guest today is Chander Sankaran, an ERP and change management Specialist. With a professional background in finance and accounting, he has played many cross-functional roles that bridge the gap between finance and information technology.
In this conversation, Chander talks about
Beginning his career in finance and accounting, then entering software through early ERP implementation work in a manufacturing plant in India.His move to the U.S. in the late 1990sHow his accounting and operational background helped him stand out in consulting by giving him stronger context for business r...An Idea Today, an Outcome Tomorrow with Mathangi Sri Ramachandran
My guest today is Mathangi Sri Ramachandran, Co-Founder of YuVerse. The conversation included Mathangi ’s early fascination with data-driven decision-making → AI as a force for democratisation → empathy at scale → career choices driven by impact → sustaining a long career as a woman → the ecosystem behind innovation and patents.
00:00 – Introduction: A life and career deeply rooted in AI
Mathangi introduces herself as someone whose “heart and soul” are in AI. She talks about her role as CEO and co-founder of U-verse, a last-mile AI company focused on taking frontier AI models beyond experimentation and applying them to r...
Enabling Better Decisions Through Data with Sree Krishna Kumaraswamy
My guest today is Sree Krishna Kumaraswamy, known more popularly as Krishna, a data and analytics leader with over 20 years of experience spanning consulting and large enterprise technology companies
In this conversation, Krishna
traces his journey from growing up in Chennai with an expected engineering path to discovering mathematics and statistics through the Indian Statistical InstituteTalks about his early work in applied statistics and computer vision,applying concepts of machine learning before “data science” became a mainstream term.Describes how Carnegie Mellon’s Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining program deepened his expo...AI, Integration, and Innovation with Elangovan Shanmugam
My guest today is Elangovan Shanmugam, a seasoned software professional with over 30 years of experience. Among the multiple roles Elangovan has played are Distinguished Engineer, Director of Engineering, leading strategic AI transformation initiatives in a large organization.
In this conversation Elangovan:
Traces his journey from FoxPro and 4MB RAM days to AI engineeringShares how software evolved from standalone systems to connected business ecosystems.A major theme is that the problem often stays the same, but the solution changes.Elangovan describes AI agents as digital humans that help people interact naturally with systems.He e...Leading Through Every Technology Wave with Indira vidyaprakash
In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri Kalyanaraman speaks with Indra Vidyaprakash, Vice President | Workday Chennai Site Leader, 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 cu...
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 AI...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 Notes
00:00 – Welcome to Software People St...
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...
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 th...
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 bankin...
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, document...
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...
Unleashing Potential with Rajesh Sharma
In this episode, I am in conversation with Rajesh Sharma, co-founder and chief product officer of ProHance. Rajesh covers a lot of ground starting from his move from Public Sector to SaaS Founder.
Rajesh describes his path from a modest middle-class upbringing in Shimla and a mechanical engineering degree to a stable career at HPCL, then a major career reset into software after quitting his public-sector job to take an IBM course and restarting as a trainee. He later co-founded JaMocha Tech (now ProHance) in 2009 with co-founder Kishore Reddy, backed early by angel investor Sudhir Sharma, aiming t...
A real natural with Arundathi Rao
Host: Chitra Gurjar
A real natural with Arundhati Rao
Host: Chitra Gurjar
Bits, Banking & Business Analytics with Muthusamy Vetrivel
In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri speaks with Muthusamy Vetrivel, Manager – Business Analytics at Saudi National Bank (formerly Saudi French Bank), about a career that spans over four decades of technological disruption.
Vetrivel’s journey is anything but conventional.
He began in the granite export business — negotiating documents and standing nervously at bank counters. That experience sparked curiosity: “What happens behind the counter?” That curiosity led him into banking.
In the mid-1980s, when computers first entered Indian banks, he was among a select group trained in programming through Aptech — at a time when...
Beyond Coding: Thriving as a Thinker in the Age of AI with Manisha Deshpande
In this special Women’s Day episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri sits down with Manisha Deshpande, VP, Digital Platform Engineering at Neurealm, for a deeply reflective conversation on career evolution, motherhood, leadership, and thriving in the AI era.
Manisha’s journey begins in the early 2000s — renting desktops with friends, coding in C++, and working at startups before “startups” were cool. A pivotal on-site experience early in her career changed how she viewed engineering — from writing code to understanding customer impact.
Across 25 years in technology — from digital asset management to identity & access management, from services to pr...
Belong, Don't Blur with Dr. Vaijayanthi Srinivasaraghavan (Viji)
In this deeply personal and inspiring episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri speaks with Dr. Vaijayanthi Srinivasaraghavan (Viji) — a seasoned technology leader, Senior Director at UPS, and a resilient voice for women navigating complex careers and life transitions.
From learning C++ through shared manuals in the early 90s to leading global logistics technology at massive scale, Viji shares a journey shaped by grit, reinvention, and purpose. The conversation explores her early career struggles, health challenges, and defining leadership moments — including navigating motherhood, rebuilding her career, and evolving across roles at IBM before helping build UPS’s Global Capabi...
Belong, Don't Blur with
In this deeply personal and inspiring episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri speaks with Dr. Vaijayanthi Srinivasaraghavan (Viji) — a seasoned technology leader, Senior Director at UPS, and a resilient voice for women navigating complex careers and life transitions.
From learning C++ through shared manuals in the early 90s to leading global logistics technology at massive scale, Viji shares a journey shaped by grit, reinvention, and purpose. The conversation explores her early career struggles, health challenges, and defining leadership moments — including navigating motherhood, rebuilding her career, and evolving across roles at IBM before helping build UPS’s Global Capabi...
Beyond Clean Tech: From Science to Scale with Hiranmayee Vedam
In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri sits down with Hiran , Co-founder of Ashwatta Sustainability Ventures (domain Ashwatta.earth) , to explore how climate innovation is evolving beyond buzzwords into real systems change. From her beginnings in chemical engineering to building a venture studio focused on translating breakthrough science into scalable climate companies, Hiran shares a grounded perspective on what it truly takes to build a sustainable future.
Leading with Purpose with Sujatha Ramani
Sujatha Ramani brings together corporate precision and grassroots purpose. With leadership experience at global companies like HP and Wipro, and two entrepreneurial ventures of her own, she made a deliberate shift into the social sector to build opportunity where it matters most.
Since 2019, as CEO of Pollinate Group, she has led with clarity and conviction advancing women’s entrepreneurship, sustainability, and ethical growth across underserved communities in India and Nepal. She balances sharp execution with long-term vision, always anchored in dignity and agency.
An MBA and co...
Evolving Workplace Culture with Srini Sundararajan
This is part of the specials we have every year focusing on women in IT.
In this conversation, Srini Sundararajan shares his experiences and perspectives on empowering women in the workplace, particularly in IT. Srini's key messages include:
- His upbringing which emphasized the importance of education and non-discrimination between genders.
- His early professional experiences, including managing and interacting with women colleagues for the first time.
- The importance of treating women as equals in the workforce and his approach to avoiding gender discrimination.
...
Building Global Tech Solutions with VR Govindarajan
In this episode of Software People Stories, VR Govindarajan, aka Govi, the co-founder and executive chairman of Perfios Software, shares his comprehensive journey from the early days of his career to building successful startups. Govi dives deep into his academic background, industry experience, and the various startups he co-founded, including Aztec Soft and Perfios. He emphasizes the importance of technology-focused innovation, building a product company out of India, and navigating the challenges of operating in a regulated industry. Govi also shares his insights on the value of teamwork, culture, and maintaining a larger purpose beyond just making money. Throughout...
Knowledge Management Insights with Jordan Richards
In this episode of Software People Stories, Jordan Richards, a Digital Transformation and Knowledge Management technologist, and Founder of Tacitous (www.tacitous.com) a Knowledge Management blueprint and platform designed to help organisations capture, retain, and share critical knowledge at scale shares his extensive experience with technology and knowledge management. From his early days with the ZX 80 computer to his consulting work with oil companies, Jordan emphasizes the importance of solving real-world problems through technology. He advocates for a 'people first, process second, technology third' approach, and shares insights on how to ensure successful adoption of IT solutions by...
Navigating Technological Changes with Sudipta Lahiri
In this podcast episode, Sudipta Lahiri, Head Of Engineering and Products at Nimblework, Inc shares his compelling journey from growing up in a cosmopolitan township and studying metallurgical engineering to becoming a leader in the tech industry. He discusses his early career experiences, including a pivotal moment that led him to quit his job at SAIL and pursue further education at IIT Madras. Sudipta delves into his transition from engineering to account management and later into sales. He emphasizes the importance of attention to detail, the challenges and benefits of using AI in software development, and his personal practices...
Tech Entrepreneurial Insights with Bhargav Bhikkaji
In this podcast episode, Shiv is in conversation with Bhargav Bhikkaji, a tech leader, entrepreneur, and founder-CTO of MajorDomo Inc with deep expertise in cloud and Gen-AI driven enterprise software.
In this episode of Software People Stories, Bhargav shares his inspiring journey from his early interest in physics and mathematics to becoming a DevOps pioneer. Initially focused on engineering and computer networking, Bhargav's career path led him through various roles at HCL Cisco and Dell before transitioning to an entrepreneurial venture. He describes the challenges of moving back to India, starting a consulting business, a...
Navigating Career Paths with Anees Haidary
In this podcast episode, Shiv is in conversation with Anees Haidary, Global Head, Operational Excellence, Data Privacy, and Global Workforce Management at Sasken Technologies.
In this engaging episode, Anees shares his remarkable journey in the IT industry, starting from his humble beginnings in a lower-middle-class family in India to becoming a prominent figure in various leadership roles. Anees discusses his educational background in engineering, his early struggles with job interviews, and the pivotal break that led him to a successful career. He emphasizes the importance of self-belief, continuous learning, and the role of mentors...
Loving Failure and Learning Daily with Kumaran Anandan
In this podcast episode, Gayatri Kalyanaraman is in conversation with Kumaran Anandan, CTO of TinyMagiq and Enterprise Architect —shares a refreshingly honest journey across hardware, industrial automation, embedded systems, startups, consulting, and Microsoft. From writing programs on a programmable calculator (and storing them in audio cassettes!) to building deep learning habits through daily compounding, Kumaran explains why modern technologists must fall in love with failure, understand fundamentals, and stop building software without users who will pay. A thought-provoking conversation on architecture, human psychology, AI hallucinations, and what it really means to create value.
From Backend IT to Frontline Digital Transformation with Shubhangi
In this podcast episode, Gayatri Kalyanaraman is in conversation with Shubhangi M Josiam, Digital Head APAC of Alstom about her 18+ year journey across GE and Alstom, moving from core IT and infrastructure roles to customer-facing digital transformation leadership across APAC.
Shubangi shares candid stories about career pivots, leadership programs, Lean Six Sigma, building IT from scratch post-acquisition, and navigating cross-cultural teams—ending with powerful advice for women professionals to be bold and go for roles before feeling “fully ready”.
00:00 – 01:50 — Introduction to Shubangi’s APAC digital leadership role and IT’s shift from backend to cus...
New Year message from our Hosts
As we step into 2026, a heartfelt thank you to all our listeners for your time, trust, and continued support. Your engagement, feedback, and encouragement mean a lot to us and inspire us to keep creating meaningful conversations and content.
Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy New Year 2026—may it bring good health, fresh opportunities, and continued learning. Looking forward to growing and learning together in the year ahead!
Here is the link to the AI story mentioned in the podcast
https://youtu.be/wjgbCiZmbEE
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