Meet Bharath Srinivas, OSS Platform Implementation Lead at Rakuten Symphony Deutschland. Bharath shares how his journey from media to SymWorld platforms shaped his leadership, focus on organizational habits, and dedication to team success.
Beyond your resume, what's the story behind your career choices? Tell us how your professional evolution led you to join Rakuten Symphony.
My bachelors degree was in computer science, but for the first eight years of my career, I worked in the media domain. During that time, I realized that media's vast ecosystem is merely a thin layer atop the telecom network. My curiosity got me to dig deeper into how telcos operated, which led me to Rakuten Symphony. I joined the product team to build the SymWorld platform and later moved to Germany as part of the delivery unit to work on the 1&1 project, implementing the platform we had built.
What has been the highlight of your time at Rakuten Symphony?
For me, Rakuten Symphony is more than just an organization; it's a dynamic, evolving organism. Our leadership team, with some members considerably younger than myself, consistently inspires humility and sharpens my perspective. We're empowered with the freedom to critically examine and dismantle conventional solutions, then reconstruct them. Collaborating with such talented colleagues has been immensely rewarding, and I genuinely thrive in this unique environment that Rakuten Symphony has cultivated over the past few years.
What are some of the most valuable lessons or advice you’ve received from your managers that have shaped your approach to work and leadership?
Over my 14-year career, I've had the privilege of working with a wide range of people. I believe each interaction serves as a valuable data point. I picked up many "good practices" from each of my managers, but equally important, I identified patterns of effective action in critical situations, and perhaps most crucially, what pitfalls to avoid. Two enduring lessons have profoundly influenced my approach: Firstly, always hire people smarter than you, without an ounce of insecurity. Secondly, build teams and create autonomous structures such that even without your presence, the team can operate on its own.
What daily habits or principles do you follow to stay focused and consistent in your performance?
I consciously cultivate specific habits and principles, both personally and professionally. Early in my career, my focus was primarily on optimizing my individual output. Now, the emphasis has shifted entirely to amplifying the team's collective output; my own performance is merely a derivative of what the team consistently achieves. Consequently, I dedicate my energy towards optimizing organizational habits that directly impact my team's effectiveness. For instance, we enthusiastically embrace AI tools as part of the company's broader AI-nization initiative, which has demonstrably enhanced the quality and speed of our deliverables. Furthermore, we've refined our approach when engaging with all user groups and stakeholders, striving to first understand the context before rushing to a solution. This recalibration was vital because, when adapting our platform for Europe and other geographies, many functions required significant rethinking or re-engineering to ensure global applicability.
Rituals and routines are my antidote to mental chaos. I read 15-20 books annually, and I feel compelled to synthesize them into a yearly article on Medium. Cycling is another activity which helps give me peace and clarity. I’ve recently got into drone photography and video editing. It's a creative kick for me, another avenue to see the world from a different vantage point.
The world is changing very fast. Roles and titles are losing value or becoming a burden if you hold on to them dearly. If I were starting my career as a new joiner, I would give myself a goal: to become an absolute learning machine. I would pick a complex topic and develop the ability to learn as quickly as possible. This is the only meta-skill that matters.
