Words of wisdom from Shikha Arora, CTO, MAZ Digital

1.   What does your current role as CTO entail at MAZ Digital? Which functions do you perform at MAZ Digital?

Everything you can imagine!! I own the entire technology behind our digital magazine product called MagAppZine. So, I look at what goes into the product, plan the future versions of the product, assess the tablet market trends, plan for future products and the technology to be used for them. I also run the India office, which is primarily a technology office. Due to the huge demand for our products in the Asia Pacific region, I might soon be heading a sales office in India.

2.   Which stakeholders do you communicate with in the organization, and outside?

We are a small team of 11 as of now. Everyone communicates with everyone within the organization. In addition, I also communicate with existing clients (for their specific development needs), prospective clients and investors.

3.   Please share your experience of setting up Indian operations from the scratch. What were the challenges you faced? What were the highs and lows of this journey?

I started setting up the office in December 2011. The first hire was the biggest challenge. We are a high-end technology company, so quality of talent is extremely important to us. People in India still look for job that seems stable, and has brand association, none of which we had to offer J. Thus, it was a big challenge to convince bright people, and show them great future prospects with MAZ. Today, we have a great team with people joining in from companies such as Adobe, Lime Labs, Headstrong, Xavient etc.

4.   Please share some latest projects you have worked on.

We’ve been working on building our digital publishing product called MagAppZine (www.magappzine.com). It’s a SaaS-based self service platform for publishers to create the tablet version of their content, primarily magazines. Since we started our India operations, we have launched two major releases of this product. We have scaled very well, and currently have publishers in ~42 countries and end users in ~90 countries using our product on their tablets.

5.      Which project was your favorite, and what did you learn from it?

Working on the mobile platform was my personal favorite.

6.      How was the transition from an institutionalized large organization to a start-up? Did you face any major changes related to work-life balance after the transition?

The transition was huge and positive for me. I love the pace at which we work at MAZ. Decisions are just one call away, which is generally not the case with large organizations. Also, the euphoria, the thrill and the satisfaction of work is what keeps me going at MAZ.

I am married and a mother of a beautiful daughter. My work life balance is not the best at the moment, but thanks to my highly supportive husband, I’ve been able to manage it all. If MAZ wins, it would eventually be a win for all of us, and my family would be a huge contributor to this success story.

7.      As the head of the India center, what kind of culture do you wish to inculcate into the DNA of MAZ Digital, India? How do you think it should be different from your previous experiences?

I wish to inculcate a very open culture, and form a flat organization, where everyone is approachable and involved in the company’s success story.

8.      You’re a highly successful individual today. But when you started your journey to accomplishment, was it hard to make people believe in you and your capabilities?

Thanks, but this is not what I call success. I have only begun and I still have a long way to go. At every step, I have to make people believe in my capabilities and strengths. It is difficult, but my passion for MAZ keeps me going. MAZ has a compelling product, a very strong team and financial backing. I’m confident it will sail smoothly. After all, people believe in you if you believe in yourself!

9.      How do you balance time between professional and personal life?

Every day in a startup is challenging. We have three centers in New York, Hawaii and India, and each center works in a different time zone which we must keep in sync J. My working hours are currently anywhere between 16-18 hours a day and that includes calls during odd hours. I think self-discipline is the key. I keep separate times for my family and work and I don’t mix them together.

10.  How do you think the growth of women entrepreneurship can be increased in India?

India Inc. does not believe in woman entrepreneurs. It believes almost certainly that women will fail because it’s a man’s world. Many believe that once a woman has kids, they are her foremost responsibility and she should dedicate 100% of her time to that responsibility, always!

It is also related to financial independence of the woman. Even today, many women don’t take big financial decisions in their homes. Entrepreneurship, in many cases, requires capital investment, and many women don’t have the decisive power at home to put money into their idea and turn it into a successful business.

This would change as more and more women are successful. Initiatives like this forum are a great way to set examples for other women.

11.  Do you have any closing message for the future women leaders at the Indian School of Business?

Follow your dreams and don’t settle for anything less than what you’re worth.