Observation Book

Category: Software

Communities, Cohorts and the Rise of Post University Career Launchpads

Born from the internet and for the internet, a new paradigm of professional education is opening up through cohort-based courses. I dive into what has led to its arrival and its advantages over traditional degree programs, on-demand MOOCs and YouTube education. Bonus: I’ve added links to some of the best CBCs for Software Engineering, Marketing,…

October 5, 2021
Why Telegram Rocks

Find out why Telegram is a superior messaging app for privacy conscious people.

November 26, 2020
System Design: Horizontal vs Vertical Scaling

This is a primer on System Design written as a series to explain fundamental ideas. In this post, we discuss Horizontal and Vertical Scaling.

September 17, 2020
The Most Important Thing to Me is to Stick to My Core Values and Philosophies

Our guest this week is Kalpana Sundar — Director of Product Management, Pricing at PayPal —who lives in San Jose. Kalpana’s career trajectory is phenomenal, so are the lessons she’s picked up along the last decade. I am excited I discovered her and can’t wait to share her thoughts.

August 19, 2020
Charting Her Own Course in Software with a Knack for Extreme Empathy

I caught up with Sushma Padmanabhan — a Senior Product Manager at Intuit — for profiling her trail-blazing career. A native of Mumbai, she explored the nine yards of finance for a decade — from stockbroking, banking, insurance to taxes, before moving to Bengaluru for opportunities in FinTech. In 2008, Sushma joined Intuit as a…

August 13, 2020
How This Military Veteran Switched Gears To Tech And Set Her Career On Autopilot

An abrupt end to her career in military was the start of her fast-paced journey in product management. Brittany credits her mother’s lessons on building relationships and finding a partner who supports her line of work.

June 1, 2020
The Tsunami Crashed Her Dreams. Now She is Breaking The Glass Ceiling as a Tech Leader

I wrote to Silva Thom on the possibility of profiling her. We spent the next few weekends discussing her intensely unconventional journey into software and product management.

May 22, 2020
Your career is a team sport — you won’t get there alone.

Got the chance to have a tete-a-tete with product management leader Jill Solley. Read what she has to say about her early experiences in tech and her advice for young women.

April 27, 2020