Prasanth Rajendran

To me, a good leader understands people before expecting results from them. Everyone comes from a different background, has different experiences, and learns at their own pace. A leader should recognize these differences and adapt their approach rather than expecting everyone to work in the same way. I also believe performance alone should not determine how we see a person. Someone may take longer to learn but still have strong potential. A good leader should identify each person’s strengths and give them the right support to develop. For me, leadership is about understanding people and helping them bring out their strengths.

One value I’ve carried since childhood is being honest and straightforward in the way I communicate. Whenever I have a concern or a different perspective, I prefer to discuss it directly with the person involved rather than letting it remain unspoken. I believe conversations are better when they are open and respectful, especially when they involve the people concerned. Over the years, being this way has helped me build trust and avoid misunderstandings.

Early in my career, I worked closely with customers to build something they had specifically asked for. We listened to their requirements and delivered exactly what they wanted, but the result still didn’t solve the problem the way they expected. That experience made me realize that fulfilling a request is not always the same as understanding the problem behind it.

That lesson changed the way I approach challenges. Instead of immediately trying to fix what is in front of me, I now take a step back to understand the situation more clearly and identify what actually needs to be addressed. I also learned to focus on the things I can control rather than worrying about everything around me. Over time, this has helped me make more thoughtful decisions and stay composed when dealing with difficult situations.

My early years in development gave me a strong technical foundation and taught me the importance of learning continuously. As I gained experience, I started taking on responsibilities beyond my regular role. I worked on projects that helped make things simpler for our customers, whether it was finding information, making payments, or completing everyday tasks more easily.

I also had the opportunity to guide and support a small team. That experience taught me that solving a problem isn't always about writing the right code. Sometimes, it's about understanding the people using the product, identifying what is making things difficult for them, and finding a better way to solve it.

Over time, I noticed that I was becoming more interested in these questions. I wanted to understand why we were building something, what problem it was solving, and what we should work on next. My focus slowly shifted from “How do we build this?” to “Why should we build this?”. That change in perspective eventually led me from engineering into Product Management.