Adaptable and Dynamic, with a Love for Computers
Passionate for how things are engineered and how computers operate since his early days, Saurabh Deochake loved participating in science projects and demonstrations in primary and secondary school. Belonging to a family where his mother, father and sister are all lawyers, he followed his childhood passion and became the first engineer of the family. Coming up in a small town in Maharashtra, India, he deeply cherished the significance of being the first family member with a master’s degree. He received his undergraduate degree in Information Technology from MIT, Pune and joined NTT Data’s R&D lab, where he worked on a multitude of research and development projects.
The internet was late to reach the small towns in India, and Saurabh’s first interaction with the computer was during secondary school during a 30-minute teaching class on computers. A single computer was shared by 3-4 students, thereby leaving less time on hand, but it would always fascinate him how multiple computers were able to ‘talk’ to each other in the lab. His curiosity found new heights when his father got his first personal computer home. This led him to take digital electronics as his field of study in senior secondary school, information technology as his undergraduate studies, and distribution systems as his post-graduate studies in the US. He specialises in his day-to-day professional life in cloud computing and large-scale distributed systems.
“My interest in business stems from a love of technology and education. As the first engineer in a family of lawyers, I see business as a vehicle for positive change. Adapting to industry shifts and closely witnessing how businesses operate has only fueled my enthusiasm further,” he shares. Saurabh adds that he is especially interested in fields that help bridge the digital divide and advance education for the underprivileged and also believes that this appetite is essential for fostering positive change through business. He is extremely passionate about teaching computer science to students.
Limitless technological advances keep fascinating him, and he believes that teaching computers to children at a young age can help them prepare for this rapidly changing world. As he recalls his stint at Rutgers University as a part-time lecturer, witnessing the ‘aha!’ moments on his students’ faces when they understood the complex workings of the computer made him feel rewarded. He exclaims, “Beyond just coding, I believe it is about developing curiosity, creativity, problem-solving skills, and a growth mindset. I continued my passion by teaching an internal technical course while working at Twitter. This has also helped me improve my communication and mentoring skills.”
Balancing the challenges in professional and personal lives will continue to be an ongoing endeavour but Saurabh believes that effective time management and adaptability to changing circumstances can be key to balancing these challenges and avoiding burnout at work. He remembers the words of his manager, who said, “Remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint”. Additionally, he has a strong support system in his wife, who, being in a similar profession, understands these challenges. Prioritising self-care and having some hobbies bring him some much-needed joy and relaxation.
A man of many strengths, Saurabh Deochake believes that adapting to rapidly changing circumstances allowed him to thrive in rapidly changing professions. During the eight months leading up to the Twitter acquisition, the landscape was full of uncertainty and rapid changes. Still, his adaptability helped him navigate the tumultuous times, allowing Saurabh to quickly adjust to shifting circumstances and priorities while staying focused on the longer-term goals. In the midst of uncertainty, effective communication also proved invaluable and facilitated collaboration and alignment with other teams. His strengths have helped him accomplish several awards and accolades. His research project HENRI: high efficiency negotiation-based robust interface for multi-party multi-issue negotiation over the internet won the Gold Medal and the Best Research Project Award given by Tata Consultancy Services. He has around 30 spot accolades from Twitter teams and peers recognizing various team and cross-organizational projects. Saurabh has been the Industry Expert as the Judge on the Jury Panel at the Stevie Asia-Pacific Awards 2022, SIIA CODiE Awards 2023, Globee Business Awards 2023, Stevie American Business Awards 2022, and others. Similarly, he was the judge and reviewer at TechTogether Hackathons and at IEEE Transactions of Industrial Informatics Academic Journal, respectively. He was also invited as a guest speaker as a cloud infrastructure expert from Twitter to Google’s Organization Policy Summit and Google Cloud Storage Summit.
The passion for teaching computer science to young minds and adapting to the ever-changing landscape in the profession demonstrates Saurabh’s dedication to growth and leadership. He hopes his contributions through publications, accolades, and speaking engagements can inspire others to pursue their passions. William Arthur Ward’s quote sums up his mantra for growth, development, and success: “Opportunities are like sunrises. You will miss them if you wait too long”.
