Engineering Success with Grit and Grace: The Global Journey of Krishma Dutia
With over nineteen years of progressive experience, Krishma Dutia has become a dynamic force in the technology industry, driving multimillion-dollar projects for some of the world’s most influential companies. Currently serving as Senior Manager of Technical Program Management at Pinterest, she is known for cultivating high-efficiency teams and delivering high-impact programs under pressure. Her career is decorated with leadership roles at Google, Google X (Verily), Amazon, and Fidelity Investments, where she has consistently excelled in leading complex, cross-functional initiatives under tight deadlines while mentoring the next generation of talent.
Krishma’s story begins in the vibrant city of Mumbai, where she was raised as an only child, surrounded by immense love and care. Her formative years instilled values and life lessons that became the foundation of her character curiosity, determination, and a love for learning. From the age of eleven, she was fascinated by engineering, often dismantling household gadgets to understand their mechanics before reassembling them to perfection. This innate curiosity shaped her academic path, leading to an engineering degree in Mumbai and later a master’s from the University of Massachusetts. Boston became the starting point of her professional career, where she also met her life partner and began building a family. Today, she calls California home, balancing her thriving career with a deeply rooted personal life.
Beginning as a software developer, Krishma quickly discovered her talent for leadership and her ability to deliver exceptional results through teams. This realisation drew her toward technical program management, where she combined her analytical skills with her passion for guiding others. At Fidelity Investments, she deepened her expertise in logic and finance as Director of Product Management, before joining Amazon’s Alexa team as a Technical Program Manager. She describes her Amazon experience as a “real-life MBA bootcamp,” one that reinforced her values of perseverance, ownership, and a results-driven mindset.
Her career then took her to Google, where she contributed to delivering transformative features for Android, one of the world’s largest codebases, strengthened infrastructure reliability, and stepped into people management for the first time. Today, at Pinterest, she leads a team of Technical Program Managers, leveraging her diverse industry experience to drive programs that blend innovation with execution. Her approach remains grounded in the belief that leadership is about creating an environment where people can do their best work and grow alongside the organisation.
Krishma’s inspiration has always been rooted in her upbringing. Her parents instilled in her the values of hard work, kindness, and truthfulness, while her schooling nurtured a sense of spirituality and community. Her greatest supporter has been her life partner, a constant source of encouragement and guidance. Lately, she has extended that spirit of support to the wider technology community, mentoring those navigating the career ladder. Her life philosophy is simple yet powerful: put your whole self into everything you do and leave your small corner of the world better than you find it.
Her greatest strength lies in her relentless drive for results and her deep sense of ownership. A natural “completer finisher,” she approaches every task with the determination to see it through from books she starts to the eight-month journey of completing her master’s thesis. However, she acknowledges that this tenacity can sometimes verge on perfectionism, a trait she has learned to balance by reassessing priorities and recognising when to course correct. For Krishma, the key is channeling her determination into work that retains its value and impact.
As an immigrant in a competitive field, Krishma faced early challenges, including discrimination. Rather than allowing these experiences to erode her confidence, she used them as fuel to work harder and prove herself through results. She never sought shortcuts or compromised her authenticity, instead building her success on grit and gratitude. This mindset continues to guide her as she navigates challenges in both her professional and personal life.
Away from the demands of her career, Krishma’s life is a rich blend of creativity, fitness, and family. An avid artist, she fills her home with her own paintings and sketches. She maintains an active lifestyle through regular workouts and enjoys spending quality time with her son and partner playing pickleball, swimming, hiking, or watching comedy sitcoms together. A voracious reader, she alternates between nonfiction and science fiction, immersing herself in stories that inspire and entertain in equal measures.
Her leadership style is adaptive and people-focused, tailoring her approach to the unique strengths of each individual and the specific goals they aim to achieve, whether offering support to unlock potential or providing structured, step-by-step guidance toward a shared objective. She works collaboratively, with a focus on iteration and feedback loops, and uses first principles thinking to navigate roadblocks. By breaking objectives into smaller, achievable steps, she ensures her teams can maintain momentum while staying flexible to change. This blend of structure and empowerment creates an environment where individuals grow, and collective achievements become milestones of shared pride.
To readers, especially introverted leaders, her message is heartfelt: always be true to yourself and never give up. In challenging times, let grit be your engine and gratitude your fuel. She believes that every life experience good or bad holds a lesson and an opportunity to become a better version of yourself. By embracing these lessons and sharing your unique wisdom, you can make the world around you more vibrant and meaningful.
Krishma Dutia’s journey is one of resilience, adaptability, and purpose. She has risen to the top of her field without compromising who she is, proving that success is as much about integrity as it is about achievement. Her story is a testament to the idea that with hard work, authenticity, and a willingness to lead with both head and heart, it is possible to not only achieve personal excellence but also inspire and uplift those around you.
