"Hello everyone! Great time to talk to a very, very, special person today - Mahendra Sonwane! Mahendra is a tech specialist at WonderBiz and has spent close to 12 years in the industry, but what makes him special here, is his employee code: EMP#001! Yes, that's right, we're talking to our very first team member here at WonderBiz. "

"Hello bhai log! Thanks Trupti. This talk about being first & special and all matlab thodaa "aged" type lagane laga hai ha ha... Let's keep it normal, if you don't mind..." <smiles>

"Oh ya, so can I start by asking you about a memory that has stuck with you about WonderBiz - I'm sure there are many but is there one such that has stuck with you for a while?"

"Wasn't that the same match where Virat Kohli had smashed 94* against West Indies at Hyderabad?"

"Exactly, stadium ke andar, Virat phod raha hai aur staduim ke bahar hum! And then I spent some more time and literally for the entire week, I was with them. Sarvesh offered to help me in my project and we just managed to pull things back, in the nick of time. Looking back, that trip was so different - I was with RK & Akshay, the whole time and Sarvesh helped me with my work. But hey, that's how we work here - don't we?"

"Perfect! That's how we work here, all the time. Help each other, be flexible, take challenges, learn rapidly and then go full speed!"

"Yep, that's how we work - simple, direct & effective! That's what gives us the speed."

"Mahen, you've really been a witness to the journey that has been WonderBiz. How has it been?"

"Glorious! I still remember, how I started. I know one of the co-founders and I'm toh that guy who doesn't hesitate to take up small bets & so here I was, literally working out of Kaustubh's home and another smaller office - but hey, that's how they all start - you know where Apple started & Microsoft was started in Bill Gates' garage. And now, we have this wonderful office, wonderful team. It has been truly magical."

"It must have been a great learning experience right?"

"Our first real customer - when we worked for GE in the Bay Area - I learnt so many things. Silicon Valley is a unique place. People are extremely talented, extremely smart. And disciplined. It's an awesome, unbeatable combination. And I'm glad, I got a chance to work with some of these guys. When I came in, I already knew a few things. But my approach was a bit haphazard. There was no structure to my thought process."

"So that's what you learnt here?"

"Yep, the insistence or rather, the obsession on questioning things! Delving into the roots, working things out from First Principles. The focus on design. The flexibility to do things my way."

"You get all the flexibility as long as you own things up."

"Exactly. And the environment"

"Yet casual. And getting a pat on the back, every time you do the right things and pulled up where you need a course correction."

"That's how we've been able to move mountains!"

"Got to work with some of the bestest guys in the industry. What a team we've been able to build!"

"Absolutely! 

"Take risks. 

"Purely because of self belief and team-work. It's great to work together and that's why I see that people stay around for longer here."

"You've been around for nearly 5 years yourself! So have Sandesh and Amarjeet. Shubham and Sarvesh have been around for 4 years. That's how the team spirit builds up to raise the bar, higher than before."

"Right, I guess, we tend to enjoy together in highs and lows. And that's why you've also been around for more that 7 years now."

"And I guess, that's the secret to solving problems, you once thought were impossible! And big things start to happen. <smiles>"

"Absolutely! Spot on!"

"I know! Wish many more can get to experience the magic. <smiles>

"I know! Wish many more can get to experience the magic. <smiles>

Amarjeet Prajapati

Sarvesh Sawant