Hello, I’m

Karthikeyan Viswanathan

Senior Product Manager - Essential Studio

Unwavering Trust

“If he’s handling it, it’ll be right”, a belief that shaped my entire journey.

My Current Role

I currently work as a Product Line Owner, still within the same core product I started with—Chart. Along with this, I am part of the Center of Excellence team, where I work closely with multiple teams across the organization. My role involves observing how different teams work, understanding their strengths and challenges, and helping apply best practices across teams for the overall betterment of the company.

My Experience Throughout My Journey

This could include my life experiences, challenges overcome, personal growth, and lessons learned.

About Me

I’d describe myself as someone who thinks deeply before taking any step. Whether it’s something personal or professional, I take time to analyze things from every angle before deciding. And for me, a decision has to feel unique and meaningful, not just trendy. I always look for value in everything, how useful it is, how it benefits others, and how it fits within my surroundings.

Values I Live By

When it comes to values, I always stand by my word. If I say I’ll do something, I’ll make sure it gets done. I never promise anything I can’t deliver. But once I give my word, no matter what challenges come up, I’ll find a way to fulfill it. For me, that’s how trust is built. Once someone trusts me, I make sure that trust stays intact.

A Challenge that Strengthened Me

One of the biggest challenges I faced was when I moved from Support to Development. Once I started, I realized how different and demanding development work really was. I couldn’t easily follow the processes at first, it was overwhelming. I learn during the office hours with the help of senior developers and teammates and implement what I learned, and come back the next day prepared. I wanted to understand why something worked, not just how.

It was a tough phase, almost a year of constant struggle and self-learning. There were days when I thought about giving up, switching projects, or even looking for other work. But instead, I chose to spend extra hours learning, testing, and improving. Many people would say, “Spend more time learning,” but few would explain how. My first team lead, Abdul, once told me something that stuck: “Do it your way – follow your own thought process.” That single piece of advice changed everything.

People Who Inspired Me

Professionally, I’d say Rajasekar has been a major influence. He’s someone I’ve worked closely with, and what stands out about him is his calm nature. He hardly ever loses his temper. Even if something goes wrong, he addresses it gently. That level of composure really inspires me.

On a personal level, my biggest inspiration goes back to school—my math teacher from 10th and 12th grade. He taught the math subject with such logic and clarity that it completely changed how I viewed problem-solving. That’s where my love for reasoning and analysis started. That foundation he built in me still shapes the way I work and think today.

Don't just follow anything blindly; Think through it and always try to bring your own ideas.

- Karthikeyan Viswanathan

More About Me

Additional insights into my interests, experiences, and traits that shape my journey and perspective.

My Perspective on Leadership

For me, the foundation of any good team is trust. You have to trust your people and give them the space to take ownership. My input is always minimal in the beginning, I don’t tell them exactly how something should be done.

That approach encourages questions and discussions. Even if the implementation goes wrong, it becomes a learning process, not a failure. I assign responsibilities and then step back, trusting the team to handle them.

When a leader builds that kind of trust, it truly makes a team grow.