About the Episode

Today we’re going to talk about how focusing on internal processes can provide both internal and external benefits to a business.

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Nikhil Nandagopal, Co-Founder and CPO of Appsmith.

About Nikhil Nandagopal

Throughout his career, Nikhil Nandagopal has always looked for a better way to do things: he’s built out a logistics operation for the largest e-commerce company in India (a direct competitor to Amazon), helped build up a travel company with over 5 million users, and even worked to scale a food delivery service from 50 meal deliveries a day to over 50,000.

Now, his focus is on internal tools. From developer to product manager to entrepreneur (twice!), Nikhil's experience lends itself to both sides of the internal tool development conversation. Engineers need helpful internal software, but hate actually sitting down and making it for themselves. And businesses must use tools if they want to scale properly.

Nikhil wanted to find a way to turn the arduous work of app-making into a streamlined process that would only cost engineers hours instead of months. So he teamed up with Arpit Mohan and Abhishek Nayak to create Appsmith, a program built to put easily customizable tools directly into developers’ hands. What started as a small open-source project has become a program that is used daily by over 1,000 teams, employs people in eight different countries, and has raised over $10 million in capital. With a project built by engineers, for engineers, Nikhil is helping companies work better and dream bigger.

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Synopsis

Step one in resolving inefficiencies within a team is to address gaps in alignment and agree on a unified approach to tackle them. This involves sitting down together and discussing how each team member interprets and understands the process of completing tasks. By openly discussing and documenting these interpretations, the team will likely realize that they each have slightly different understandings, leading to misalignment and frustration. Once these gaps are identified, the team can work together to reach a consensus and commit to necessary changes. This step is crucial in ensuring that everyone shares a common understanding of how to achieve tasks and goals.

Step two involves establishing a shared understanding of the process for accomplishing tasks. Each team member should have a clear and unified understanding of the steps they need to follow. The transcript suggests that teams often have different interpretations, resulting in misalignment and inefficiencies. To address this, the team should openly discuss their individual thoughts on the process. By doing so, they can identify gaps in alignment and work towards a shared understanding.

Having a shared understanding of the process is crucial for effective teamwork. It ensures that everyone is on the same page and knows the necessary steps to accomplish tasks. This shared understanding also facilitates the integration of new team members and minimizes the risk of mistakes or misunderstandings that could hinder progress.

To achieve a shared understanding, the team should commit to addressing gaps in alignment and finding a way to tackle them. This may involve modifying the existing process or creating a new one that everyone agrees upon. Regular team meetings should be held to assess progress towards the desired outcome. This iterative process allows for continuous improvement and adaptation to current circumstances.

Overall, a shared understanding of how to accomplish tasks is essential for improving efficiency and reducing frustration within a team. It enables smoother collaboration and ensures that everyone is working towards the same goals.

In the episode, the speaker mentions that step three involves constantly evolving and being responsive to present situations. They emphasize the importance of staying informed about current circumstances, such as changes in the team, customers, and product. It is crucial not to assume that what worked in the past will continue to work in the present. The speaker also highlights the need to be proactive in addressing gaps and making necessary changes to achieve the desired outcome. They stress the importance of being in a constant state of iteration and evolution, as well as being responsive to the ever-changing environment. Overall, the episode emphasizes the need for adaptability and agility to effectively navigate and succeed in a dynamic business landscape.