Final Advice: Stay Curious

Bala's closing counsel: remain curious, learn from anyone, stay hands-on, and focus on creating impact to scale careers.

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Episode notes

What does it take to build platform products that scale from startup to enterprise?

And in an AI-forward world, how do product managers stay relevant and lead?

In this episode, Bala Venkatrao joins Shobhit Chugh for a powerful conversation on what it really means to build with intention. Bala has scaled product orgs at every stage from founding his own company to leading Atlassian’s cloud platform and now driving innovation at Harness. His approach to leadership, platform strategy, and AI-first product thinking is grounded, tactical, and proven.

Whether you’re growing a new initiative or navigating the executive track, this episode is your blueprint for creating impact that compounds.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

What it takes to build scalable platform products
Why AI-forward platforms are winning and how to lead with data, context, and agents instead of buzzwords
How to apply the founder mindset in any company, from startup to enterprise
The CATS Leadership Framework Bala uses to lead with clarity, accountability, and trust
What separates product managers who stay stuck… from those who step into executive roles
Tactical advice on using AI as a real tool, not just a label

Highlights

00:00 Introduction

00:29 Guest Introduction: Bala Venkatrao

01:09 Harness: The AI Native SDLC Platform

03:40 Bala's Role at Harness

07:02 Journey at Atlassian

10:24 Entrepreneurial Mindset in Product Management

15:02 The Role of AI in Product Management

18:43 Embracing Change for Continuous Learning

19:22 Practical Tips for Staying Updated

21:43 Leadership Philosophy and Evolution

24:26 The CAT Framework for Effective Leadership