At Futuristic Labs, #WeAreTheProduct. Our people are passionate about using their expertise to change the world. Each interaction and every feedback from our teammates contribute to our development. We asked our teammates to share their experiences, and what we can improve next at the company. Today, meet Tejas Patel, one of our maverick Research & Development Mechanical Engineers working on Riku!
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It's been a year! Do you remember your first day here?
Yes! August 12, 2022. It was quite adventurous in fact. I couldn't find the office location. I reached late and agitated. I was worried about how my first day would be, but it turned out well. I met an Industrial Designer for the first time and learned about User Experience Design. Many like me were new to the organization at that time and welcomed me wholeheartedly. I found people with diverse backgrounds and experiences but many had shared life goals. I couldn't wait to learn everything about them.
Can you share your background and current role at Futuristic Labs?
After graduation, I built a startup called Care N Pair with a friend. It was a mobile repair service. We addressed the pain points of users who didn't want to go to local or official repair services. We saw much growth within six months, catering to around 8-10 customers per day. While the startup was doing well, I felt a lack of satisfaction. This led me to build another startup, Students Root. It connected local academies with schools and helped students explore their sports interests.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 disrupted it. So I had to shift my focus toward finding a job. I found one in Bangalore. After working there for 1.5 years, I realized it was time to move on to the next level. That's when I applied to Futuristic Labs. There were a total of four rounds of interviews. Two of them consisted of technical interviews.
At Futuristic Labs, I'm working as an R&D Mechanical Engineer. My role involves understanding and researching user requirements and designing products with user-friendliness and minimalism in mind. It has been a rewarding journey so far.
What are you currently working on?
I'm working on Riku, one of our flagship products. It is divided into various subsections. Each team works on a specific subsection. It is fun seeing a new product being built from an idea. It is fun being part of the solution. Comparing our progress now with last year, there is a noticeable difference.
Apart from this, I'm part of the data management team. We noticed that our data was not properly organized. We decided to improve and formed a Data Management Scrum Team. We are now standardizing data storage methods to ensure easy retrieval.
What's your proudest moment so far?
A few months back, I don't exactly remember what problem I was stuck at, but it had become quite a frustrating situation. Instead of accepting defeat, I came to the office at 11 at night and solved it after working straight for four hours. The next day, I came back to work. And though it was a normal day for everyone else, for me, it was a proud moment. Having solved the issue, the sense of accomplishment I felt at that moment was immense.
Could you outline your daily work routine?
My day-to-day work involves starting by listing out the problems that I need to address on that day. I rank the tasks and check if there are any requirements on priority from other departments. I do quantitative analysis without overpredicting the outcomes. When you take on achievable tasks, you get a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. It is a confidence booster.
What’s your problem-solving approach?
I’m used to working independently. I see myself as a problem-solver. When faced with one, I get motivated by the problem itself. I enjoy the interesting problems we get to solve here. At Futuristic Labs, we emphasize cross-functional collaboration. This has been an interesting quality to adapt and improve. In the beginning, I felt hesitant to reach out to other team members. I used to ask a senior colleague to handle other teams, and I focused only on technicalities. But realizing its importance, I have started to pick up on this skill.
What surprised you about the work culture at Futuristic Labs?
I used to be an extrovert during my school and college days. Starting my own company turned me into more of a listener. I found comfort in being an introvert. In my previous job also, I didn't need to have interaction with other teams. I assumed that the same would happen at Futuristic Labs. But was I wrong! Every day we have to work collaboratively. We sit in open spaces. We don't have personal cabins as such. We are big on celebrating birthdays, work anniversaries, and team lunches. It's like walking out of your comfort zone every day.
What can we improve?
Working on innovative products comes with various challenges. You don't have a fixed blueprint. You can't only google and get things done. The challenges are unique and need unique approaches. It requires collaboration and being on the same page. On the same sentence to be exact. We are growing fast, and as our mission becomes bigger and broader, we must continue to improve our processes and establish more.
What's your most ambitious vision for Futuristic Labs?
I want to see Futuristic Labs at a stage in which when we imagine a product, within 6 months, we should be able to bring it out in the market. I want to see us doing research, designing, and product development faster and more automated.
What’s the best advice you received at work?
Each of my teammates in the Mechanical Team has taught me something memorable.
Hemanth taught me 'to break down a complex problem into smaller chunks.'
Bharath taught me how 'to see the problem with clarity.'
Asif taught me how 'to document my work.'
Neeraj taught me 'to have the clearest picture possible before trying to solve a problem.'
Veerababu taught me 'to observe and define the problems in parameters.'
Any favorite dish that you cooked on Riku?
There are many, but I specifically remember the ones I cooked with my team.
1) Carrot Halwa: On Samriddhi's birthday, we tested this recipe. It was funny because the Halwa was somewhat undercooked, and we asked Samriddhi to taste it first. She didn't even realize anything.
2) Zucchini Fry: We tested this dish so often that I got nightmares about it. It's good that we have now perfected the technique.
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We are working on great products with great teams. #BuildWithUs