It has been ten incredible years at DCKAP and November 10, 2008, seems like yesterday. It has been a roller coaster ride with ups and downs but never a dull moment. From developer to team lead to project manager to product manager, it was filled with lots of learnings. My initial days were naive with hopes of new opportunities and open to unique experiences.
At DCKAP, I was introduced to and started working in Magento. At that time, I did not know that this would be the path breaker in my career and that one day I would speak at Magento Live. (I was given the opportunity to present Productimize in Magento Live Australia 2015, the same year and place when Magento 2.0 was introduced).
November has always been special for me and so it was in 2010. Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO, DCKAP provided me with an opportunity to lead the PHP team. It was a leap of faith and an act of trust. I told myself that I had to live up to the new role and responsibilities.
In the year 2011, I met with a major accident. My life and work came to a standstill. Karthik Chidambaram stood by me and supported me through this tough period. After 4 months of recuperation, I was back in office (again in November), and the organization again lined up more opportunities for me.
It had a great comeback feeling as the organization entrusted me with onsite opportunities. I felt a bigger responsibility as I was the first person to represent DCKAP on client grounds. This opportunity was the next breakthrough because it helped me transform from a technology person to someone who understands both technology and business. This trip changed my perception of clients, projects, and delivery. It taught me client-empathy. It also opened up opportunities for others in the organization to travel. Today, I am glad, that traveling has become a part of DCKAP’s work culture.
November 2015 was another lucky November for me. Productimize (a Product Customization Solution) happened. I had been in services till then. I was again moving out of the comfort zone. Product Management was a different ball game. Developing a product is unlike managing a project. You cannot deliver and forget. Through experience, it dawned on me that developing a product that is market-fit and winning the market is a daunting task. Through some quick failures and great wins we narrowed down what the market needed and today I am happy that Productimize is in a growth phase.
As George Friedman says “ A century is about events and a decade is about people “. Karthik Chidambaram has always given me a free hand to do what I considered best for the services/product and the organization.
I am fortunate to have understanding and supportive colleagues. I absolutely could not have done anything without you. I hope you will keep raising the bar and will tell me when I met your expectations and when I did not.
Looking forward to bigger challenges and a greater journey.
With deep appreciation,
Mohammed Anees.
