Transitioning from MNC to Startup: My Experience @ The Commit Company

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Two months ago, I embarked on a new chapter in my career, swapping the comfortable confines of a large MNC for the dynamic and fast-paced world of a startup. The decision to join The Commit Company was easy for me as I always felt I was more suited to a startup environment, and it has indeed proved to be a transformative experience that has challenged me in the best way possible.

Coming from Oracle Financial Services Software Limited (OFSS), where I spent a year and a half as an Associate Consultant, the shift to the startup environment at The Commit Company has been eye-opening. I've personally never resonated with the rigid hierarchies, bureaucratic processes, and the sense of being a cog in a massive corporate machine. I've always wanted to hold great responsibility and make a tangible impact in whichever capacity I can and here @ The Commit Company, I've found a collaborative, agile, and highly autonomous work culture that has empowered me to do just that.

A Heightened Sense of Responsibility

I've always been a huge Spiderman fan and as the infamous quote goes-"With great power comes great responsibility", this is exactly what I like about The Commit Company. Whilst we have a lot of freedom here, it comes at the cost of being responsible and doing our work with the right intent. (Everything good starts by having the right intent. Must have trait according to me.)

One of the most notable differences has been the pace of decision-making and execution. At OFSS, even the smallest changes would get bogged down in layers of approvals which although necessary in such a massive corp, didn't resonate with how I wanted to work. At The Commit Company, I observed that they move with a remarkable sense of responsible urgency. Ideas are rapidly prototyped, built, tested, and iterated upon, allowing us to quickly respond to market demands and user needs.

This heightened agility has also meant that I've had to adapt my approach to problem-solving. I've learned to embrace a more iterative, experiment-driven mindset that doesn't tolerate mediocre work on a personal level. "Have zero tolerance for mediocre work" This was one of the quotes by Nikhil that had stuck with me when I was joining here. I relate to his values because I strive to do better work and avoid mediocrity. To deliver quality, might take a few extra minutes for me, but I know for sure that quality with agility would only come once I master quality at first.

Moreover, failures are not viewed as setbacks or escalations here, but as opportunities to learn and improve which is very much needed when you are just starting your career.

Embracing the Open-Source Community

Another significant shift in my experience has been my deep involvement with the open-source community. In my first two months at The Commit Company, I've already attended 3 FOSS United (Free and Open-Source Software) events namely - Pune FOSS 2.0, Chennai FOSS 2.0, and Frappe Build, where I've had the chance to connect with like-minded developers, learn about the latest trends and best practices, and gain a deeper appreciation for the power of collaborative software development. Notably Frappe Build was a great learning opportunity for me to learn more about how people at large-scale open-source organizations think.

This newfound engagement with the open-source world has directly impacted my work on Raven, an open-source work chat application spearheaded by The Commit Company. As a team member, I've had the opportunity to dive into the codebase, fix bugs, and implement new features within the first month. The process of getting my pull requests (PRs) reviewed and merged has been a valuable learning experience, allowing me to sharpen my coding skills, understand the intricacies of a huge codebase, and collaborate effectively with contributors.

There's just something about watching your code in production being used by real users who give you feedback that you cannot put into words. It's a surreal feeling. I've always wanted to contribute actively to Open-Source, and this surely gives me a platform to do so.

Embracing a Growth Mindset

The transition from MNC to startup has also enabled my growth-oriented mindset. Part of the reason for leaving OFSS was that I had settled into a comfortable routine which was a hurdle for my personal growth. And to break that comfort zone I knew I had to take a risk. Fortunately, at The Commit Company, I've had to constantly challenge my skills, learn new tech, and venture out of my comfort zone.

Whether it's diving deeper into React(very deep), TypeScript, and Python, exploring new open-source libraries and tools, or tackling complex architectural challenges, I've embraced the opportunity to continuously expand my skillset. The Commit Company's focus on upskilling and personal development has been a crucial aspect of my journey so far, and I'm grateful for the support and resources provided by everyone here to help me grow both professionally and personally.

Nikhil once told me that to grow in this field of Computer Science, you need to have a lot of patience and the ability to go deep into any work you do (without digressing). I second that thought and if I had to share any learning in my career so far it has to be this -

In a field where technologies come and go each day, to succeed you have to have patience, constantly upskill yourself and most importantly always have the right intent towards your work.

I guess that's a good thought to conclude this blog. This is written purely out of my interest in writing stuff. As I look to deliver impact ahead in my journey at The Commit Company, this is a reminder to me to be grateful and do better.