Description

On this episode of the podcast, I speak with Amandeep Khurana. Right now, he’s helping me out with the San Francisco Chapter of Founders Network while he is plotting his next move. We talk about as a kid, how he wanted to be an industrialist, which back then, he didn’t even know what that meant. 

He came to the US for grad school (in Computer Science) and decided that he wanted to build stuff instead of getting his PhD. His first job was at AWS when it was around 100 people and as it grew, he realized he wanted to do more. That led him to found his first company to solve the problems he saw customers facing.

His curiosity, hunger to solve problems, and more importantly, the chip on his shoulder to be successful, is what led him to the entrepreneur path. That inner force, which is hard to see, is what drives him to this day to build solutions to customer problems. The hunger to succeed has been with him since he was a kid. His peer group is what brings it out in him.

Being around other people who have the “we can do this” is one of the most powerful motivators for an entrepreneur. He also feels that his secret to success is that he is coachable and solicits feedback from people around him. This is especially important when you don’t know what you don’t know and you’re a pathfinder blazing a trail forward. This is both a gift and a curse because he does not know when to stop.

Now let’s get better together

• Even though he went to engineering school, he did not enjoy the actual engineering. What he really enjoyed was solving problems for customers.
• Being in front of customers is what drives me. It’s his favorite part of the business.
• You can’t tell if someone will be successful but you can usually tell if an entrepreneur will not be successful because they lack hunger or curiosity or desire.
• Solicit Feeback: Be active in soliciting feedback from the people around you. Be open to what they have to say even if it’s hard to hear. This feedback, from trusted sources, will help you get better.
• Have people you trust to give you input in tough moments. These coaches are invaluable to tell you when you’re being an ass.
• Trust needs to be built over time. A new manager will be tested by the current staff to see how far they can push it.
• It’s hard to be open as a boss. What you say as a boss will be amplified by 10 worst than you except.
• Every word you say is going to be amplified and taken out of context every time.
• Context is extremely important. As a leader, you need to make sure to meter your comments when it’s a work in progress.

• Amandeep on LinkedIn
• 
  Cloudera: We deliver an enterprise data cloud for any data, anywhere, from the Edge to AI.
• Anandeep’s company Okera: Enable self-service analytics responsibly to unlock the full potential of your company’s data.
• Founders Network

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