🚀 Engineering Growth at Startups – Ankur Oberai’s Journey & Insights
Better Engineering & Management Podcast
Guest: Ankur Oberai | Host: PRADDY
🎥 Watch the full interview here
👋 Who Is Ankur Oberai?
Ankur Oberai is an experienced engineering leader who has worked across some of India’s top startups — including MakeMyTrip, Paytm, OLX Autos, MagicBricks, MobiKwik, and Freight Tiger. With over 16 years in tech, he’s helped build scalable systems, led high-performing teams, and driven culture transformation from the inside out.
In this episode of the Better Engineering & Management podcast, Ankur shares his practical wisdom on how engineering teams can scale sustainably — without losing sight of people, purpose, or product.
🛠️ From Developer to Tech Leader
"Started as a developer... building features, delivering stuff, and gradually graduated to management and leadership roles."
Ankur's journey began at the code level. Over time, he moved into more strategic roles — mentoring, managing people, leading engineering outcomes, and helping businesses execute better.
"You start by mentoring one person... then suddenly you're managing delivery, hiring, and team dynamics."
🚀 What Makes Startups Succeed (or Fail)?
PRADDY asked, “What do you think differentiates startups that scale successfully from those that don’t?”
Ankur points out that execution, alignment, and clarity of purpose are what set winning startups apart.
"It boils down to clarity and alignment. Execution is easier when everyone understands the ‘why’ — not just the ‘what’."
Startups that build with impact in mind — and not just the latest tech stack — tend to stay focused and move faster.
🌱 Culture Is What Happens in Tough Times
"Culture isn’t what’s written on walls. It’s how you act when things break, how you support a struggling teammate, how you treat someone during offboarding."
According to Ankur, strong engineering culture isn’t about ping-pong tables or swag. It’s about trust, consistency, and how people show up — especially when things go wrong.
🔁 Moving from Engineer to Engineering Manager
Thinking of stepping into management? Ankur has a few tips:
"Don’t wait for a title. Start owning outcomes today. Mentor others. Take messy problems and bring structure."
The shift from IC (Individual Contributor) to EM (Engineering Manager) is about scaling your value — not just writing code.
"As a manager, your code is your team. Your design reviews, your one-on-ones, your hiring pipeline — that’s your architecture now."
💡 Key Takeaways from the Episode
✅ Startups win with clarity and alignment, not just velocity
✅ Great culture shows up under pressure, not in offsites
✅ Transitioning to leadership? Start with influence, not authority
✅ Stay close to your product and your people
✅ Build trust early — and protect it at all costs
📺 Full Interview with Ankur Oberai
🎥 Click here to watch the full episode
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