20. Friendship & Career Growth - A Talk With Surekha Reddy (Cognogent) & Aruna Nadesan (Exponential AI)

Listen and get insights into Friendship & Career Growth in this talk with Surekha Reddy and Aruna Nadesan. Surekha is the Founder & Chief Product and Technology Officer at Cognogent, an AI Start-up streamlining complex RFP processes through AI-driven solutions. Aruna is the Chief Product Officer at Exponential AI, a Healthcare AI Platform Company that helps Health Enterprises build smarter processes.

In this episode of the Women in Big Data Podcast, we explore the significance of Friendship & Career Growth. Tune in to discover how this can enhance your professional and personal journey.

 "Be growth mates. If you look around, you might have that one friend who is in the same industry, or following that industry, or in that space, for example. And you know, be there for each other, not only to help intellectually, but also create opportunities for growth and learn from each other. This is my advice to everyone: always look for how you can become good growth mates with your friends." - Aruna Nadesan

• 01:27 - The start of Surekha's & Aruna's friendship
• 03:40 - Constructive feedback in friendship
• 08:00 - Insights gained from friendship
• 08:52 - Friendship & Career Growth: the one thing you really need to know
• 10:03 - Who's a woman in big data that you admire and why?
• 11:34 - What is the best career advice you have ever got?
• 13:48 - What three ingredients go into your successful career recipe?

Guest Info

• LinkedIn: Surekha Reddy
• LinkedIn: Aruna Nadesan

Resources

• Linkedin: Cognogent
• LinkedIn: Exponential AI
• Website: Cognogent
• Website: Exponential AI

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:27 The start of Surekha's & Aruna's friendship
• 3:40 Constructive feedback in friendship
• 8:00 Insights gained from friendship
• 8:52 Friendship & Career Growth: the one thing you really need to know
• 10:03 Who's a woman in big data that you admire and why?
• 11:34 What is the best career advice you have ever got?
• 13:48 What three ingredients go into your successful career recipe?
• 16:13 Outro

Transcript

[00:00:00] Intro: Hey, Hello, Welcome to the Women in Big Data podcast, where we talk about Big Data, Analytics and Career Topics. We do this to connect, engage, grow and champion the success of Women in Big Data. 

"Be growth mates. If you look around, you might have that one friend who is in the same industry or following that industry or in that space, for example. And you know, be there for each other, not only to help intellectually, but also create opportunities for growth and learn from each other. This is my advice to everyone. Always look for how you can become good growth mates with your friends." - Aruna Nadesan

In this episode, we talk with Surekha an Aruna about friendship and career growth.

Surekha is Founder and Chief Product and Technology Officer at Cognogent, an AI startup streamlining complex RFP processes through AI driven solutions. Aruna is the Chief Product Officer at Exponential AI, a Healthcare AI platform company that helps Health enterprises build smarter processes. 

Let's start!

[00:01:08] Desiree: Surekha, Aruna, welcome to the Women in Big Data podcast. I'm really happy that we have the opportunity to talk about friendship and career growth. 

So, Surekha, my first question is for you. Can you tell us about the story, how you met Aruna? 

[00:01:22] Surekha: It's way back in college days. In the very first few weeks of our college days, we both have different engineering disciplines. She was electronics and communications service, and I was computer science. But we do have a combined classes and we've got into an uncontrollable giggle. Aruna and I were the only two studentsts who caught on this professor's unique style of teaching. That laughter instantly bonded us, and that bond expanded to being a mutual support, right? 

Something tells me that we had that wavelength together. And then naturally we kind of got attracted to each other's activities. We turned that into a support system to both of us. Even during the college days, we make each other accountable to study x amount of hours. And then going to movies or eating good food. As a conclusion, we started our journey of friendship, purely having fun with laughter, and then later turning that into an unwavering support. And that became our true foundation.

[00:02:27] Aruna: I totally agree with that. It started as fun, but then we were very diligent of making sure we get through the work. And we were there to help each other because some subjects were hard for me, some were hard for her, and then we would kind of compliment each other. 

So, after college it just didn't end there. We both ended up in the same city for our first job in Chennai. And from there she ended up in Los Angeles (LA). And then it so happened that I ended up in LA and friendship just kept getting better and better. And during this phase, we not only talked about our families, but we have started to talk about our work and we visit each other's families. Now we both are in AI, so there's always something in common for us, so it kind of brings us closer and closer, I would say. 

[00:03:14] Desiree: Nice that laughing together evolves in supporting each other, and helping each other grow personally and in your career. It's really wonderful. 

And Aruna I was thinking, in friendship it's also important to have constructive feedback. How do you structure that within your friendship with Surekha? 

[00:03:32] Aruna: So, we know each other for, oh my gosh, like almost 35 years. So more than half of our life, we actually know each other and we became close friends. And through that, obviously we were close enough that we could also see each other's improvement areas. But not everybody takes time to first understand where the other person needs improvement and work on it. So whereas in our friendship we were able to have that level of, I would say, trust and respect for each other, that we were able to have those difficult conversations.

And I give you an example that I clearly remember. I was co-founder of a startup, it's a spinoff from Westinghouse very early in my career. So through that I was becoming honestly very addicted to work. You kind of get into this working 18 hours a day and then you just think about work all the time. And honestly, I wasn't doing much of other social activities, and that is when we had a phone call and I explained to her how it has been very rigorous from a work perspective. And that is when she actually, like: you know what, you slow down, right? You need to kind of look at other avenues where you can calm down and you can balance. And that is how I actually started attending Chinmaya Mission. It's a Hindu based spiritual school. The principles and the concepts are applicable to anybody.

Then I also started focusing more on serving the community. So in a sense, kind of creating those outlets for me, which now I thoroughly enjoy. But honestly, that opportunity converted into a strength, not only for me, but my family. So the impact is huge. Probably Surekha beyond what you may have thought when you originally made that suggestion.

[00:05:21] Desiree: Well, Surekha, that's a compliment for you, the constructive feedback you gave to Aruna. 

So Surekha, what helped you stay motivated, focused, and inspired? 

[00:05:32] Surekha: I think there was a time actually I was struggling in my leadership. I got some kind of a roadblock where I was very good at execution, but transitioning to strategic was a huge blocker. And for some reason I thought I was doing it but the feedback was not telling that. There was a time that me and Aruna decided to go on a friend trip just alone. And on the flight I brought this up with her: hey, Aruna, this is the feedback I'm receiving, but I think I'm doing it, I don't know what is missing yet. 

She looked the feedback and she said: hey, you know, it's simple, when team is talking and focusing on the why aspect of something you're already on the how aspect. Your brain already thinks in how. You're getting into the details so quickly, so fast where the strategic teams still figuring out what is the why. You know, spend time on why with the team first, and understand that together as a team. And then take on the how. 

Initially, also a little bit hard for me to take that feedback, and I was like: I don't know, you're also saying the same thing, you know, I think I'm doing it. But no, no, no, no, no, no, you're not. So, Aruna has a way to tell in a very constructive way: no, you're not listening, see this is what is happening. And she was very particularly about and articulating that to me. And then I got it. Even though hesitantly, I accepted it. And then I went on, and then thinking about, because Aruna, I trust her a lot. That friendship, that trust made me to listen to that feedback. So I started working on that. 

What Aruna did was she kind of act like an accountable partner to me. And she traveled with me at least I remember three to six months, pointing it to me in some other calls or whatever: see, you are doing it. She really helped me to be honest, and that's what I appreciate of Aruna so much. That change was very necessary to the role. Without that transition, I don't think the roles I'm doing is even possible. 

[00:07:37] Desiree: I can imagine. 

[00:07:38] Aruna: It's a safe space for both of us. We don't judge each other, but we diligently work towards making each other better. 

[00:07:45] Desiree: Yeah, that's really great. 

And Aruna, what is an important insight that you gained from your friendship with Surekha?

[00:07:53] Aruna: The number one quality I learned from her is be there big or small, be there for your friends. The second thing I would say is that she's very technical. So she's my go-to person for anything that's happening in the AI space now. Because AI is evolving on a daily basis, lot of new standards are developing a lot of new applications, lot of new models emerging. It's fantastic, I learn from her all the time. And she tells me she meditates every day morning just to keep things grounded. And that is something I'm now picking up and trying to learn. 

[00:08:27] Surekha: Yes, it is so important for me to have a very clear mind. And meditation was one of the things really helping. 

[00:08:35] Desiree: So, if you would give advice to our audience about friendship and career growth, what is the one thing that they really need to know, Aruna?

[00:08:44] Aruna: Be growth mates. If you look around, you might have that one friend, who is in the same industry, or following that industry or in that space, for example. And you know, be there for each other not only to help intellectually, but also create opportunities for growth and learn from each other. This is my advice to everyone. Always look for how you can become good growth mates with your friends. 

[00:09:09] Desiree: That's wonderful. 

And for you, Surekha, what's the one thing you would say to the audience that it's important to know about friendship and career growth? 

[00:09:18] Surekha: I completely agree with Aruna on the growth mate concept. What worked really well in our friendship, which I would like to share with the audience, is the compartmentalization of the conversation. We do have a very good synergy of having fun, right? That's a truly fun time. And then when we have a career talk, I'm an advisor to you and you're advisor to me. And then we genuinely respect the difference. 

[00:09:44] Desiree: Okay. Well thanks for that. 

I now have a short lightning round for both of you. So Surekha, I will start with you. Who's a woman in big data that you admire and why?

[00:09:55] Surekha: There are not one, many. I will start with my mom. Why I start with my mom is I kind of like and admire the woman who excel in their duties and also lift others. What my mother did was, she's extremely good at taking care of the family and the needs of the family. But not only that, she expanded her time and energy to lift so many children along with her own children. And that actually a very huge thing for me, and I watched her doing it so selflessly. And that selfless component is what I admire in women. 

And then look at Aruna, she is someone I definitely admire. And then I genuinely enjoy the conversation with her. She's take extra time to really lift me and a lot of people around her. And then I have another person, Shala is co-founder of the Women in Big Data. She did that a lot. 

And Janet George is another corporate VP I worked with at Intel. She's a technologist, but she always created time for others, you know, other people to mentor them. And then creating that time and energy to build a community.

The blend of success and then empowerment is so impactful, is the qualities I always admire in women. And you see that in all the examples I have given. 

[00:11:20] Desiree: I also admire that. 

So Aruna, for you, what is the best career advice you have ever got? 

[00:11:26] Aruna: I would boil it down to three. 

The first advice that I really took to heart is: whatever we learn, share and pay it forward. Let somebody else learn from you. Any way we can give something back or paid forward is something that you have to make time to do and it gives a lot of happiness. You learn as much as you give. 

The second one, I would say, is something that I learned through an advisor of mine 20 years back: like strategy and execution go hand in hand. You can be a great strategist and poor at execution. You can be great executor with no strategy. Especially as we are growing in our careers and leading companies, leading products, we need to wear both hats. But one advice that I got is: when you are in the strategic thinking, take the execution hat and put it aside. In that way, you are not getting bogged down in the details of how to solutioning things, because here you are actually understanding how best to serve the market, staying focused on the strategy. Then after that, you come back and wear your execution hat and then think about how I'm gonna do it. And if you're seeing that there is a discrepancy, then you can again go back and adjust your strategy. Don't try to do both in the same spot in the same minute. I have really taken that advice. 

The third advice I would say is change management, change leadership, because obviously with so much of technology advancement, it's disrupting the processes that have been set in motion, the systems that have been built. So as a result of that, how people perform their day-to-day jobs are also changing. So always look back to see where your teams are. You might be going too far too fast and your teams may be struggling to climb. So look back and if you are seeing a gap, take a few steps back, bring them with you.

And these are the three advice I got, and I'm so thankful for the folks who actually gave me this advice and I try to pay it forward. 

[00:13:28] Desiree: That's really nice. Thank you for your valuable insights. 

So the last question is for both of you, and Surekha, I'll start with you: what three ingredients go into your successful career recipe? 

[00:13:39] Surekha: I think first is doing the right thing for the organizations that you're working for, you're contributing to, that is just given that integrity has to be there. With that being the foundation, there are three ingredients that somehow I really embrace throughout my career. 

The first one is the grit, being determined. We all face so many setbacks, but you have to have that fire to keep it going, so you need to be extremely determined.

The second piece is the growth mindset. So many challenges present themselves in the journey, and then you see the tons of opportunities to learn from those challenges. And then allows you to improve. And that actually adds to the grit: it allows you to keep that momentum to moving forward. You have to have that learning mindset constantly.

And then finally, the most profound thing I bumped into was the connection. Building strong relationships and networking, and focusing that genuinely friendship as I said. More than what I could do, the community was able really shape me up and put me to the right places. And enable me to really succeed. That network is the support system. 

[00:15:01] Desiree: Thanks for these wonderful ingredients. I also hope that it'll help others. 

And for you, Aruna, what are your three ingredients for your successful career recipe?

[00:15:12] Aruna: I think we need to be genuinely interested in people and accessible. Whether it is accessible to your team, accessible to your friends, accessible to the community: be there and be genuinely interested in them. That is one thing. 

Second thing I would say is: influence through learning. Like you learn a lot and then through that you influence a lot, and through that you kind of automatically grow.

And then the third one is: always keep the strategy and execution in perspective. Make sure you always take into consideration both strategy and execution. 

[00:15:50] Desiree: Well, thanks for that. And I want to thank you both, Surekha, Aruna, for paying forward your insights about friendship and career growth. Thank you very much for that.

[00:16:00] Aruna: Thank you so much. 

[00:16:01] Surekha: Thank you.

[00:16:04] Outro: Thanks for listening to the Women in Big Data Podcast. For more information and episodes, subscribe to the show. Or contact us via  datawomen@protonmail.com. 

Tune in next time!