Pandemic Diaries - Episode 09
October 11, 2021
“Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to do the work. I live by that. You grind hard so you can play hard. At the end of the day, you put all the work in, and eventually, it’ll pay off. It could be in a year, it could be in 30 years. Eventually, your hard work will pay off.” — Kevin Hart
I always wanted to work in an environment where learning new things, feeling the adrenaline rush of creating new products is as common as it can be. Because, for me, only in such environments are we molded. I am a Commerce graduate with an honors in Computer Application from a reputed college in Chennai. I am also one among the many aspiring to settle in the USA, working in a conglomerate with a designation of a Product Manager – your typical desi neighborhood boy. With such high ambitions, I started my career at a reputed firm in Chennai. I was the sole contact point for one of the clients in the hospitality business. It was a strenuous job, to be honest. I was not performing to my full potential, and also I knew that it was not what I wanted in life since it was not the trajectory I wanted for my career. So, I quit the job, served my notice period, and whiled my time away at home for some time.
A month or two later, I was approached by Harishankar Krishnamurthi from Zumen, through LinkedIn, for a role in Lead Generation. After all the initial formalities, I met the CEO, Viswanathan Kuppuswami, for the final round of discussion. I openly conveyed my skepticism since the role was completely new to me – highly skewed away from what I learned in my undergrad – but I was motivated by Viswa and Hari to take up the challenge. Surprisingly I also got selected for the role the same day as my interview, a first in my life. My Zumen journey started in the month of February-2020 as the 6th employee of an ever-growing organization. All I wanted in life was to transform into a Katana Sword from raw iron. I believed I would become one.
After I joined, we celebrated for securing funding, such unforgettable moments, as I gelled with the whole team and Zumen started becoming a family.
I enjoyed my work to the core despite it being an uncharted terrain. Alas, the Covid-19 and lockdown played spoilsport as gathering leads became difficult due to distorted communication. I was unaware and new to the nuances of working from home and to add fuel to the fire there was no proper Wi-Fi connection. Also, to add to the misery, the pandemic worsened the situation in the USA – one of our target regions. Notwithstanding all the problems, I backed myself in finding a solution and I did that.
“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” –John Wooden
The self-learning phase in lockdown is one of the best phases of my life. I started the search for online courses related to product management and decided on one that piqued my interest – the cherry on the cake was, the online course was from an Ivy League University: Dukes University. With the office work on one side and a hectic curriculum on the other, I worked meticulously, in the pursuit of life. Weeks passed, and I took control of things and did not worry about the variables I could not control. It was sometime in November 2020 when I had a call from Viswa. After discussions related to work, I was offered a role as a business analyst. I readily jumped at the opportunity since it was what I wanted.
“You become what you think about most… But you also attract what you think about most. (John Assaraf) – Rhonda Bryne”
I started work as a Business analyst at the workation, Zumen arranged at the Bodhiwoods resort, Mahabalipuram. It was here I learned more about the product – thanks to constant support from Harsh. He was the catalyst to my chemical reaction. I learned the intricacies of the job and aced the tasks with full aplomb. Newfound confidence creeped out like a larva coming out of a cocoon.
“ Buoyed at the hope of a new beginning,
A newfound energy filled my veins,
With every joule rejuvenating the cells,
I felt renewed and reviving. ”
Life has not been a bed of roses for me. I have always had to find ways to come out of predicaments right from childhood. In retrospect, it molded me in ways I cannot imagine. Thanks to Viswa, Harsh, and Hari for helping me throughout my journey and continue to do so. The past taught me a lesson,
“ Even during worst of times,
Life seems rife with possibilities.”
