NAME: Vineeta Puranik
JOB TITLE: SVP, Engineering and Operations at SmartBear
Based in Massachusetts (U.S.), Vineeta Puranik is SVP, Engineering and Operations at SmartBear where she manages engineering and operations with a global distributed team of more than 350.
With a career in software engineering that spans over two decades and a master's degree in electrical engineering, Vineeta specializes in cloud operations, multi-shore development, and Agile-to-DevOps workflows and has led teams through the entire lifecycle of delivering innovative products to market. (e.g. Her teams are leading cutting-edge AI solutions in the software testing space.) Known for strong execution that delivers impactful business outcomes, she prioritizes people, retention, and training teams in modern, changing technologies and giving them the appropriate tools for success.
Vineeta knows that empathy and high emotional intelligence take you further as a leader than programming speed. She believes we do our best thinking and work when we are comfortable in our own skin, not when conforming to others' expectations. She likes to say, “You be you.” She is a strong proponent of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She was recently named a 2024 Women Worth Watching® in STEM by Profiles in Diversity Journal®, recognized as a high-achieving woman in STEM who is blazing trails for other women in their organizations across the globe.
Vineeta is thankful to many amazing mentors who have guided her along her career path, providing opportunities to grow and learn many leadership skills by watching them.
Let's get a glimpse into a typical day in Vineetha's life:
6AM: Starting the day with exercise helps me get my mind and body in the right positive state. I tend to begin my morning with some yoga. I’ve found that taking care of myself is essential to taking care of work and family. Prioritizing self-care helps me stay focused and energized throughout the day. Additionally, it sets a positive example for my son and daughter, encouraging them to also take care of their well-being.
I also talk to my mom every single morning; she is in a time-zone 10 hours ahead. Good relationships with family and friends are the basis of a healthy mind. In relation to work, they provide the emotional stability and support necessary for better focus and productivity. My mom is my biggest strength and support. In her mature years, she really appreciates the daily chat, and so do I.
7:30AM: Meetings with Europe/Asia teams: Every single company now has a global element. This means we must plan our day so that we are in touch with every location. Most of my remote teams are off for the day by noon Eastern Standard Time. I take time each day to connect with teams in every region. It does mean my day starts earlier and some Australia meetings end at 8 pm. Regular connects and communication are crucial for global teams to work. Do they have feedback? Do they need help? Are there any escalations around customers or people or hiring? These are just some examples of why daily connection is necessary.
10AM: Staying on top of tactical work: No matter the size of your team, it important to stay ahead of your tactical items or to-do list. I’ve tried different apps that remind me of those items, and but I’ve found that allocated time every day in my calendar helps me stay ahead of it. Whether it is approving requisitions and POs or staying ahead of metrics and data, I need to allocate time in my calendar.
When it comes to managing any team, your teams and people are your biggest asset. Hence, it is important to schedule those 1:1s and show up prepared. I make it a focus to be present at 1:1s with nothing else distracting me, like my phone, slack, or another meeting. As an engineering leader, it is also important to stay connected to quality, security, and predictability and to roadmap planning and key customer metrics as well as vendors and costs – and the list goes on. Managing my time daily is the only way to not get overwhelmed.
2PM: Cross-functional catchup: As your responsibility and accountability as a leader grows, taking care of your direct team is part of your job. As I grew into a strategic leadership position, collaborating with other functions to get the most effective and efficient outcome for the company became critical. For example, I work closely with product management leadership on strategy and roadmap planning. I regularly meet with finance partners for budget planning and P&L review. People and culture team partners and I plan together for hiring, training, and onboarding. I regularly meet with my peers in sales on customer escalations that may require extra attention or getting on the phone. As leaders, we are all collaborating to solve issues that are impacting the company. This cannot be solved in silos by a single function. Your first team is your cross functional team and giving it time daily keeps collaboration strong.
4PM: Focused time to catch up on strategic items: We must look beyond today, this week, and this month. How is the industry going to change in upcoming years? Is the hiring landscape changing? Is the market impacting the business? Are there disrupting technologies that are going to change how your teams operate? AI is a perfect example. It’s impossible to think about such questions if we’re always busy taking care of tactical items. Planning time in the day to think big picture is one way to train yourself to think strategically. There are many tools to help organize such ideas. I can recommend a few. Mind map, visually representing ideas, concepts, or tasks which helps organizing information and brainstorming, is one tool that can capture what is on your mind. SWOT analysis (Strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats) is another that helps categorize items. All these exercises should end up in actionable next steps to keep tasks moving forward and advancing the goal or mission.
6PM: Family time, dinner, walk our dog, Bubba, catch up with friends and family: Doing things that give us joy daily is so important. Everyone has personal priorities that we should identify. My family comes before anything else for me. During weekdays, I make the time to cook healthy meals at home. It is not a chore but a fun time to try different recipes my mom or my grandmother taught me. I also like to experiment with different cuisines of the world.
Our 2-year-old rescue pup demands a lot of attention every day. He’s a Mini-aussie, so he needs a daily long walk, rain or shine, an awesome way to incorporate some exercise in our day.
8PM: Plan upcoming day; catch up on tech reading or other items from work. A little planning goes a long way. I take some time in the evening to prepare for what is coming the next day. This helps me show up ready for my work and my team. As I started to take on more responsibility, this became even more important. Planning ahead helps me make the best use of my time and choose what I can delegate. I can also make sure I leave time before important meetings or presentations to give myself some headspace.
Once I’m done mapping out tomorrow, I’ll wind down with some reading. I recently read, “Real Self-Care" by Pooja Lakshmin, MD, and enjoyed it. I also love the library app, Libby, which allows me to check out fiction, non-fiction, and magazines. Home and garden magazines are some of my favorites. Meditation is also an excellent option to wind down. Deep breathing techniques like “Pranayama,” a practice in yoga focused on breath control, have proven to help.
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