Modern tech leadership approach: Fail fast to learn faster

A chance decision to enroll in a computer program after graduation paved the way for a career spanning over 15 years in engineering, software development, computer applications, and development, for Head of Engineering - Services & Solutions R&D India at KONE, Ruchitgiri Goswami. Get to know his journey.

Who is Ruchitgiri Goswami?

In this rapid and fast moving tech industry, learning and thinking out-of-box is vital to keep up with the pace and to bring a new perspective of the changing ways of working. Technology scale has grown multifold in the past years and continues to push boundaries. I am curious about learning new things as well as keeping myself updated on current and new trends in technology. I read blogs, aim at going hands-on in my free time and also aim for some certifications to validate my learning. I believe people are key to keeping the company winning and leading edge. The more we invest in the overall development of people, the better it shapes us for this changing world. I am here to serve my team with my experience and encourage them to focus on re-usable, repeatable and automation wherein win together as One Team.

When not at work, I love spending time with my wife and my 4-year-old daughter Swara. Naturally inclined towards continuous self development, I spend time on technical self help programs which helps to reduce any manual work in my day to day activities , certifications, and reading blogs. I also dedicate a lot of my out-of-office hours to playing various sports.

I started my career as a software developer for a small company based in Gujarat, India . After a year or so I joined John Deere as a developer, then moving up to senior lead and finally engineering manager. But my urge to venture into something new, push myself out of my comfort zone, and pick up new challenges kicked in. I dived into the world of digital innovation, internet of things (IoT), analytics, and cloud technologies, and soon found myself learning more about KONE’s digital innovation technologies.

Earlier, I knew KONE as an elevator service provider but the more I got to know the company’s digital capabilities, the more I got intrigued with the world of KONE Technology and Innovation (KTI).

In today’s complex environment, where things are changing constantly, speed of execution is a lot more important than perfect execution. Continuous learning is my mantra. Whether at work or in sports, I believe in learning new things and pushing my boundaries. Having worked as an engineer for a long span of my career, my interest in pushing my boundaries helped me pivot into the IoT, software, and digital development space. It is with this same focus and impetus that I learn and participate in sports, with cricket, football, and table tennis being closest to my heart.

“Why KONE,” you ask. “Why not?” Ruchitgiri replies.

Working at KONE has opened my senses to the physical and digital worlds coming together for continuous growth and innovation. The vision of our digital services is unique. When one thinks of an elevator, one thinks about its physical aspect. But how the digital side of elevators is addressing safety, efficiency, and innovation through smart technologies and IoT is a goldmine. And we have only scratched the surface.

The beauty of working at KONE also lies in the thrill of seeing how our work directly impacts our clients and end customers. Our unique position as a product company, with ample scope to grow with the digital ecosystem is what allows continuous learning for new talents, future leaders, and role models who join our flow to build up their competencies.

But the best part is undoubtedly KONE's Nordic roots, which ensure that work-life balance, health, and well-being are ingrained in our culture In fact, when I was pondering my decision to join KONE, I called up my former colleague, now working in KONE Finland, and my colleagues' testimony of how we work at KONE was enough to convince me to sign the dotted line.

As the head of engineering in KONE India within the SRD unit, my contribution is in strengthening the process governance across our digital ecosystem wherein we focus on leveraging components/tools/processes which can be common across the product, look for opportunities on process development, which helps in faster delivery with quality. We want to continue our focus on collecting technology footprint and evaluating the same with current and future needs, which are synchronized across global teams.

What are the biggest industry shifts that KONE India will face in the next 5 years?

As an organizational change leader, one of the biggest shifts I foresee in this industry in the next five years is that the service (Software as Service) will become the product. The change is happening already as we speak. This shift will lead to further innovative uses of cloud technologies, IoT, DevOps technologies, and a need for higher collaboration and engagement with startups to enable ‘outside-in thinking’ to stay ahead of the game.

KONE’s presence in Pune and Chennai, India, is on the cusp of experiencing a major boom, and the ball has already started rolling! The right technical talent in both locations is the key to ensuring a growing technical ecosystem that will lead to overall growth in India in the coming years.

We aspire to build agile teams of innovators and self starters. Our technical professionals work on the implementation of Javascript (Node.js), Typescript, Java, Python, DevOps, automated testing, cloud technologies, Docker. Teams skilled in analytics, product delivery, and services compliment our technical expertise. Combined, these professionals will become the leaders of the future.

Ruchitgiri’s leadership approach: learning, collaboration and failing fast

As a leader, as a professional, and as a human, I believe that failure teaches the best lessons. Hence, I always tell my team it is okay to fail, discuss it with everyone, learn from failures, and make the best out of a challenging situation. And as a leader, I walk the talk by sharing my stories and experiences of failure with my team and brainstorming on ways to best avoid them in future. This approach not only sprouts the best collaborations and ideas, but also reinforces faith in the team, the leadership, and creates a core for the team to build upon.

However, this is just one part of my leadership narrative. A huge part of my leadership approach is about the values that I live by – health, happiness, and trust. Since my first day, I feel right at home at KONE.

Who are the people who build KONE?

I believe that KONE is the company of the future. With our unique position as a product company focused on building new products and services through digital skills. Coupled with the opportunities for global collaboration, caring and helping people across the organization and openness to adopt or explore technologies/tools/processes, this is a perfect platform for any aspiring professional.

The elevator industry is growing, and we are continuously pushing the digital and physical horizons. But it is the people who make this company, and it is the company that creates the best of professionals and leaders. Since we are always breaking barriers and creating our own path, the people at KONE are passionate about self learning. They are innovators who come up with the best solutions to highly ambiguous problems. They are collaborators striving to broaden their skills in, for example: DevOps, cloud technologies, TypeScript, Javascript, Node.js, Java, React, Angular, Field Engineering, C, C++, hardware connectivity and testing. And they are the kind of professionals we look out for to join our mission to improve the flow of urban life.

Read more about KONE India and KONE Technology & Innovation careers.

For further reading: KONE India’s Head of Design Padmini Gorthi’s career story.