A typical introvert hailing from Krimanjeshwara, Udupi, Srinidhi has come full circle by going from the “shy guy”, as he calls it, to the SME Business Unit Head for a company that works with over 500 brands! A professional journey for which he wholeheartedly credits his parents, leads & colleagues.
Srinidhi walked into Mobisy in 2013 – a time when the company barely had 20 people. And this too, was at a time when professionals preferred the better-known employers because start-ups were looked at as risky career investments. Initially, neither did he have a great understanding of what a start-up is nor did he know what supply chain was, but when he read up about them, he was inclined to be a part of both. He recalls how he was overwhelmed by challenges such as the long work hours, clients delaying payments, language barriers (the clients preferred speaking in Hindi), as well as performing multiple functions – all things good or bad, depending on your opinion, that come with working in an early stage start-up.
Just to bring in some perspective, Srinidhi was a part of the team (in 2014) when Bizom’s Monthly Recurring Revenue was roughly 1/1000th of what it is today. The time period also marked the start of digitization when it came to retail and supply chains, and those were certainly some tough times. So much that Srinidhi has even had days where he found himself waiting outside clients’ offices for over 4 hours, just to secure a small deal of Rs. 60,000. Fortunately, that isn’t a problem that exists anymore because the shoe is now on the other foot – clients now ask for Bizom!
Having spent many a late night in office working till 3 AM, Srinidhi also reminisces about the camaraderie shared with his fellow teammates – when they spent the rest of the time playing table tennis and carrom, and eventually sleeping in the office itself.
Brought in for Support & Testing, Srinidhi ensured that he didn’t let his role define him. It is the path that he chose that shaped him into the professional and the leader he is today. Apart from what he was initially brought on for, Srinidhi has actively been a part of Bizom’s product development, Delivery Management, Customer Handling as well as Sales, where he has gone on to be the Regional Head. Today, Srinidhi says that the challenges he faced at Bizom have enabled him to foresee any slip-ups that might happen and fix things beforehand.
At the same time, leadership is also something that Srinidhi has grown into. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, he believes that growth happens when we surround ourselves with good people. He looks forward to contributing towards making great memories with his team, while at the same time motivating them and positively contributing to their professional development.
Now it has been more than a year in Bizom. And what a year it has been! I have grown, both professionally and personally, made some unexpected friends that I treasure, and so many memories that I cherish. I am forever grateful to Bizom for helping me change my life and do something I love doing! I hope that this journey of change, hope, and growth continues in the future and also I keep on developing amazing bonds here.
His advice to those that are just starting out – To be open to new professional experiences whenever the opportunity arises and have a genuine learning mindset, for growth to follow. At the same time, he says that you may have to accept some tough love that comes your way from customers or even your leaders and colleagues. But taking it in the right spirit will always help.
“Considering that the world around us is changing so quickly, I don’t like making long-term plans but prefer to stay agile”, says Srinidhi when asked about his goals for the future. However, he does add that he would love for his team to grow and come up with amazing things for our SME clients over the next 3-5 years. The icing on the cake for him would be to see his clients go public!
Over the years, Srinidhi has grown with Bizom and has played an integral role in scaling existing teams in the organisation. A modest group of 20+ in 2013 has now become a solid 350+, and the numbers continue to rise. As the Bizom family continues to grow, he hopes to see more such stories arising from youngsters in the organisation.
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