1. You have been building the operational foundations of how Oii.ai runs what has that looked like so far? What has been the most rewarding or challenging part?
It’s been a fun experience overall – it looks like a lot of questions, from me and everyone else. A lot of theorising, strategising and philosophising which I could honestly do forever. It’s really rewarding to be able to work on problems that feel meaningful – like building what the next gen workplace looks like. Having your work be valued as well, its a great feeling. Doesn’t come without its challenges of course, because there are so many users and validators of the things I will work on so there is the pressure of being able to cater to everyones needs and to be thoughtful since it affects everyone else in the team.
2. What motivated you to pursue a career in sales and business development ops?
I love to solve problems and understand the mechanics behind how things work. It’s also very people and strategy driven, so it really scratches the itch in my brain. You get to communicate with people across different levels of the organisation and kind of build the puzzle piece by piece. An added bonus is that I get to pick Varinder’s brain – it's a fascinating place.
3. You have worked in both engineering and HR. How do those different experiences help you manage projects and people today?
Both experiences have given me a great blend of logic and empathy. I’ve understood that the best solutions don’t just come from breaking down the problem and being methodical, you need to communicate with the people that turn the wheels – it brings another depth to the entire process and helps to cover blind spots and results in solutions that can be examples for innovation.
4. From CERN to finance to tech, you have worked across so many fields. What’s one thing you have learned from your experience that’s helped you at Oii.ai?
Clarity is really important. Everyone does better when they know what’s expected, what success looks like, and who’s doing what.
5. Oii.ai is a global, remote company. What helps you keep teams connected and working well together across time zones?
The fact that there are clear expectations and an environment of trust. Everyone knows what they need to be doing and by when, so you can’t really mess around with that. Theres a mutual respect here that helps to keep us all accountable and understanding towards each other.
6. You have helped build systems from the ground up, where do you even start when faced with a blank slate?
Questions! So many questions. And experiments.
7. What does being a good project manager mean to you, not just in terms of getting things done, but in how you lead?
I think making your team feel as though they can make meaningful contributions is the base case of getting things done effectively.
8. What is one lesson you have learned about working in a startup that you wish you knew earlier?
You must get comfortable with never having all the information. You can plan and plan but sometimes you just have to do, and clarity comes with action.
9. If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be?
It’s ok to take a non-linear path. It might work out better because it teaches you so much about yourself!
10. If you could invite anyone, dead or alive, to a private dinner party, who would it be?
Salvador Dalí, Richard Feynman, Kris Jenner, Paris Hilton, and Nigella Lawson.
