CxO Of The Week: Chaitanya Peddi, Co-Founder and Product Head, Darwinbox

CxO Of The Week: Chaitanya Peddi, Co-Founder and Product Head, Darwinbox, he co-founded, Darwinbox, has been recognized as the “coolest startup of the year – 2017” by business today and as “Tech companies to watch out for – 2018” by Business world.”

Your top priority while making decisions to improve tech infra in your organization?

While most large and medium organizations have concluded that a creative workspace has helped leading companies make themselves more efficient and improve their customer experience. Considering this, the tech infrastructure of an organization cannot be ignored as it is directly aligned to business strategies. In such a scenario, the right investments need to be made to provide stable, secure and scalable platforms which directly addresses business needs.

Challenges you face in driving digital transformation?

The rapid changes in technology influence the way we work across the globe. Digital technologies allow companies to reevaluate how they do business and improve efficiency. While many IT leaders feel comfortable with the tangible technical deliverables of facilitating digital transformation, understanding the human element of real change across the workforce is a complicated task, and is often underestimated. People play a massive role in digital transformation, and its crucial for organizations to empower their workforce in order to drive this change forward. The culture of a company affects both the speed and effectiveness of digital transformation across an organization. Integrating new technologies and an unsupportive corporate culture are the top challenges for failure of digital innovation.

Do you feel that freshers in the industry come with only basic knowledge but don’t have the right skills to fulfill job requirements? If yes, your suggestion to students and colleges?

Application-based learning is the best approach to equip young students with the necessary knowledge and skill set when they enter the workforce, and it is something that is lacking at the moment. For a successful career in a primarily skill-based industry, technical courses such as programming for real-time challenges needs to be inculcated in the curriculum. To gain adequate experience, graduates should focus on long-term internships for a practical understanding of a subject area that will otherwise just be theoretical in nature.

What’s your mantra to become successful in life?

Ideas remain as just ideas unless acted upon. Execution is the only thing that matters.

What would you like to give back to the society?

I want to give the next generation of talent an opportunity to understand how they are contributing to the progress of an industry through the work they do at an organization. I intend to do this, by creating a great work culture in organizations that provide these opportunities for young minds to learn and thrive.

Your favorite book and what are you reading now?

I read a lot on inspiring figures who speak about the journey of following their passion to eventually run a successful business. I am currently reading ‘The Principles by Ray Dalio’.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

According to my peers, I’m a big fitness geek! I read a lot about diet, workouts regimes, and healthy living and do put a fair bit of it to practice as part of my daily routine. Sports, movies and online entertainment are some of my preferred pastime activities. I also enjoy playing with my 2-year-old son and watching him grow whenever I get a chance.

Achievements (Awards & Recognitions)

Chaitanya is a thought leader and in the space of HR technology and has spoken at multiple events such as the NASSCOM Product conclave, TechHR and SHRM conferences. Chaitanya is an alumnus of XLRI. Prior to co-founding Darwinbox, he was an HR Consultant with EY and has consulted multinational companies on organization development as Human resource excellence.

The company he co-founded, Darwinbox, has been recognized as the “coolest startup of the year – 2017” by business today and as “Tech companies to watch out for – 2018” by Business world.”

Take a look at the previous CxO of the Week