(Satwik is that person with Orange Color T-Shirt)
At 20 years old, I joined Satwik's team at Freshworks as the second developer advocate. We aimed to create a developer community, and ever since, we've made notable strides in defining the developer experience. As the saying goes, one's first manager often shapes their career outlook, and for me, Satwik has fulfilled that role.
Satwik's witty humor is the first thing that will put you at ease when conversing with him. If you are fortunate enough to be part of his team, you will experience his support and understanding of your work. Satwik can infuse a sense of progress in others as they leave the meeting room. He has built a team and a community whose unique skills complement one another and work towards achieving a common goal.
Here are some experiences of mine around him:
- I connected with Satwik as soon as we started talking in my interview. He didn’t grill me with questions or make me nervous; he just shared his vision and listened to mine over coffee. He made me feel excited and inspired as he invited me to join him on an adventure.
- I didn’t have a fixed seat as an intern for the first few months. Satwik would joke with me and say, “Saif, you can sit anywhere you like or even hide in one of those Dens (secret spots) to do your work”. Sometimes I would cheekily sit at the desk where Satwik was working. He would laugh and say, “Don’t peek at my inbox! 😂”
- I always wondered what the 30 engineers were discussing in that room (We call it Panchatantra stories). It sounded like they were speaking a different language. I wanted to join them, but I had no clue what they were saying. I was always encouraged to ask simple questions like, “What is Lambda?”. The team would tell me like I’m five.
- He always kept his calendar open for everyone to see what he was up to. Sometimes, his team members would see unusual entries on his calendar, like “Football Training (for his son)” or “Interview Marathon”. The team knew that these were the days when Satwik was either busy with his family or looking for new talent. They respected his choices and avoided scheduling meetings that required a lot of brainstorming or decision-making on those days. He would joke with them and say, “Don’t stalk my calendar!”
- Like most in their 20s, I endured a painful breakup. Satwik would check on me. He taught me 3 crucial learnings as I went through my stages of grief.
- The Stockdale Paradox emphasizes the importance of confronting harsh realities while retaining optimism and a long-term perspective for success.
- You will realize your partner differs based on their closeness to you. Time usually doesn’t matter.
- Looking back on the past, nothing is beneficial moving forward except for the learnings.
- I never had to lie about taking a day off. I would tell him the truth if I wanted to catch up with my college buddies and have fun. He always smiled and said, “Go ahead, enjoy yourself.”
These and many more of them that I did not write about; are all accompanied by habits. Let me share some of them on top of my head.
- Always accept calendar invites for meetings you plan to attend, and avoid declining if possible.
- Assume your teammates have the best intentions, even if they make mistakes or are misinformed. You will show empathy by default this way.
- If you have an outburst, apologize to the group (in public) and take responsibility for your emotions.
- Always find opportunities to think twice before you hit send. Disable “Send on Enter”.
- Avoid sending messages when you're feeling emotional, as they can often backfire. It's better to be seen as unresponsive than to say something you might regret.
- Before making judgments, ensure you have all the information and don't jump to conclusions.
- Focus on improving the quality of work rather than trying to influence people directly.
- As a middle manager, avoid letting negative emotions trickle down to your team.
- Recognize when meetings are going on too long and hold yourself accountable.
- If you need to contribute more to a discussion, write up the minutes to add value.
- Reward twice the behavior to the results the team brings.
- Bring sweet treats from your hometown to share with your colleagues.
I often enjoyed applying these habits and indeed rejoiced in the experiences I have had. But I always believed some hearty principles must reward these habits and create those people experiences. Let me list a few principles I learned as I retrospect and find patterns to look up to.
#1: Remember, we are on the same ship sailing together.
Satwik values an asynchronous work environment where less time is spent on meetings and over-communicating intentions.
For example, Instead of saying, “Can we please provide assistance to this customer team?”
He would say, “They haven't received the help they needed, and because I asked for patience and they obliged, I'm inclined to pay them back. This is a customer developer. Shall we engage and close this as a favor?”
That simple text tells us a lot of things. But where does his authority to get us work done appear? Nowhere! We now feel we are on the same ship, and it's our responsibility to help our captain's promise be fulfilled!
Consider applying this approach in all internal and external team communication. While some may view it as a straightforward delegation strategy, the approach emphasizes a broader understanding that we are all part of the same team sailing on the same boat. By fostering this collaborative attitude, we can create a more harmonious working environment that encourages teamwork and minimizes finger-pointing.
#2: Human-centered investments, not project-centered.
I was responsible for onboarding a vendor who would work with us for several months. However, the negotiation and response handling could have been more considerate and effective. While drafting emails to the vendor, Satwik noticed ample room for improving methods to help me achieve project success more efficiently. Despite this, Satwik refrains from micromanaging and trusts me to handle the situation. He patiently waits for me to approach him with challenges, which he views as opportunities to provide constructive feedback.
He chooses to invest in people in natural situations who will find success for themselves and then the project. He knows he is as good as his team. He understands that his team's proficiency reflects his leadership style.
#3 Foster diverse thoughts and, importantly, respect them.
When conducting team hires, we often encounter talented candidates. As a younger team member, I expressed interest in conducting interviews for potential hires. Despite my limited experience - and knowing this - Satwik encouraged me by allowing me to lead intern interviews. During these interviews, Satwik consciously amplified the parts of my discussions that mattered and helped the rest of the hiring panel to recognize the value of what I had to say. This experience taught me how to identify the essential qualities in hires and honed my interviewing skills. He would often say, "Maybe I am missing some perspectives," to remind himself that he is not immune to bias and only half trusts himself.
These days, when I talk to recruiters, I try to make a connection with them. If they see that I'm not fit for a particular role, I still ensure our conversation ends positively. Recruiters tell me, "I'm based in Pune; let's catch up if you're ever in town!"
#4: He truly feels responsible for one’s career.
Satwik used to manage over 25 direct reports before any engineering managers joined the team. He was able to remember each person's personal and career goals, even with such a large team. He didn't just evaluate their work based on how well they completed tasks; he gave them ownership of their work and created milestones to help them achieve their goals. This approach makes him a great manager, unlike other managers who prioritize progress and view their team members as resources to achieve the company's goals. Satwik feels responsible for his team members' career paths and wants to help them achieve great things in their professional lives. He weaves a professional story that we could tell others as we reflect. This is why his team members love working for him.
If someone were to measure Satwik's success by comparing the output of his team to another team in the company, they should focus on outcomes rather than output.
#5: Beyond his Job Title of an Engineering Leader: What's Left Unsaid?
Satwik is ambitious and bold, despite his lack of formal developer relations experience. He did not wait to hire a leader in Developer Relations and leave the responsibility of building the team to them. Instead, he chose to hire a 20-year-old as his first hire. He was willing to spend time researching, learning, and feeling responsible for the careers he would build for the DevRel team.
He understands that developer relations is not just about marketing to developers but also about building relationships with them and helping them to be successful. He is also aware that developer relations is different from other engineering teams, and he is willing to adapt his approach accordingly.
Satwik is known as an Engineering Leader to the rest of the world. His success is often measured by the accomplishments of his team in comparison to the peer engineering teams, but this can be unfair because his role requires more than engineering expertise. While I may have the privilege of conversing with Satwik, he also needs someone who shares his vision and appreciates the direction he takes. Despite the challenges, Satwik is optimistic because he believes in the potential of individuals to achieve great things. He often says, "I'm blessed with amazing people to work with."
Cheers
This person who nurtured me,
More than a mentor, I see,
Inscribed on this page so dear,
Are memories and learnings clear.
From this person, I have gained,
Traits that will forever remain,
Etched in me for all time,
A part of me, pure and prime.
Satwik brought us together,
A team positioned to build better,
World-class creations, we aim,
A chance we're grateful to claim.
Our standards are high, it's true,
But the journey is fulfilling to pursue,
Working with Satwik, a genuine joy,
Each of us looks up, in him we find buoy.
To work with him, a chance rare,
A privilege beyond compare,
To someone who will, in future, start,
Our advice is simple, be excited in your heart.
— Saif & ChatGPT