Life at Zoho
What is your current role within the company?
In my current role, I work as a Product Manager and Head of Marketing for some of our upcoming new product brands. I don't have to consciously think about fitting into the culture of the company any more, it's something that's a natural part of me now.
What does your work space currently look like?
My current workspace is very functional. On my desk is a large monitor that usually remains connected to my MacBook. I always like to have a bottle of water there so I remember to stay hydrated. I like to keep my desk clutter-free and there’s really not much room for anything else. But I like to have a plant (or two) either on or around my desk.
What were your expectations when you started and how have they changed over time?
I joined as the first-ever remote employee in 2008, in an era when remote work was completely unheard-of. I was hired as a Product Evangelist, a role where I learned the basics of marketing and building a web-based software product. I really didn’t know what to expect back then. I guess it felt like a huge experiment to take on work in an industry I was completely new to, and to be able to do it remotely. Over the years, I learned that it really didn’t matter if I wasn’t working from the same location as the rest of my colleagues, there were other ways to be in sync with them and to work well together.
What role does Zoho’s company culture play in your identity and the work that you do?
I’ve imbibed so many unique and wonderful work practices as a result of being exposed to the Zoho culture from an early stage in my career. For instance, an important one is about not having to follow a rigid, structured approach to anything I take up. This gives me the freedom to experiment, the freedom to trust and hone my intuition, and the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. I like to ensure that everyone on my team enjoys this freedom as well.
At Work
Tell us about a time you overcame a challenge you didn’t think was possible?
This was an experiment that I took to completely reimagine a core feature on one of the products I worked on. The product was doing really well and most people on the team were not in favor of making a change to the core feature as they believed that might negatively impact usage. However, I believed we could make it better and persisted in trying to persuade them to consider the change. I worked closely with the product designer. We were able to come up with a redesign that we believed simplified the core actions and made it easier for the user to take these actions and get their job done.
After facing a lot of initial reluctance, I was able to convince the team to try an A/B test to see how many users would choose to switch to the redesigned interface over the current one. When we ran this test, we found that over 80% of users switched to the redesign. This result was enough to convince all stakeholders on the team to go ahead with implementing the redesigned interface as the default.
Your most embarrassing blunder?
Sometimes I fail to recognize colleagues in person, although they seem to know me - that can feel a bit embarrassing to admit and has largely been a consequence of always having worked remotely. The other embarrassing thing that occurs frequently is not being able to pronounce someone’s name the right way, especially with colleagues who come from a different cultural background and speak a different language.
Is there a project or an accomplishment at Zoho you’re proud of?
On the marketing side, I had the opportunity to set up the first social media footprint for the Zoho brand - our official Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn channels, and start the first-ever brand newsletter. I also got to work on several brand marketing campaigns for Zoho.com as well as for some of our key products.
On the product front, one of the things I enjoyed building was Zoho Social, a social media management tool for businesses and agencies. I worked on the product team for a period of 6 years during which I was able to contribute towards shaping the growth trajectory of the product right from it’s inception - from shaping most of the core features, positioning the product for the market, and watching it achieve product-market fit, it was a journey where I was able to experiment and learn a lot.
Getting Personal
Are there any habits or routines you take part in, to refocus or to keep yourself motivated?
I try to get some physical exercise and fitness into my routine, even something simple like walking, stretching and breathing exercises. This helps me stay calm and focused.
What are some of your favorite activities outside of work?
I love gardening. I am an avid plant parent with over 200 plants in my apartment. I also like drawing and have been learning to illustrate with Procreate lately. These activities are completely unrelated to my work so they don’t really bleed into it. However, I do find inspiration in nature and art for a lot of the work that I do. Another activity I really enjoy is reading a lot and this does bleed into my work sometimes, because I like to read a mix of books, and often they end up being related to the work that I do.
Words of Wisdom
Don’t do something just because everyone else is doing it. Letting FOMO drive our behavior and habits is probably the quickest route to killing originality of thought.
Instead, spend more time trying to learn and do the things you truly believe in. Come up with original ideas and don’t be afraid to experiment with unconventional methods even if they seem unpopular or uncool.