Recapping 3 years at Fusemachines

Today, I completed my third year at Fusemachines. In the lifespan of a career, this tenure is nothing. In today’s startup culture, it feels like forever. Over the last week, I have been going through a myriad of emotions reliving this rollercoaster journey and am trying to capture them here.

Fusemachines is my home!

What is your identity? Is it your name, culture, degree, title, family or a combination? For the last few years, Fusemachines has been like my second skin and a big part of my identity. [Fun fact: Snakes shed their skin 2-4 times a year over their 9-year lifespan. Thank God humans don’t]. I have a personal attachment to Fusemachines. It is not just a company I work for. It is home! Just as I am about my real home, I am brutally honest about the accomplishments and the shortcomings of Fusemachines. I don’t sugarcoat my faith in the organization or its flaws. Just like with my real family, I am very protective and have strong opinions.

Why I joined & why I stayed

I joined Fusemachines in 2016 because the role seemed interesting [My initial role was to lead Operations, I moved to Marketing in Jan 2018]. I knew absolutely nothing about Artificial Intelligence and this was a good avenue to learn.

“Democratize AI” is a big audacious goal - making Artificial Intelligence education accessible around the world is like climbing Mount Everest wearing scuba diving gear. In a world full of Goliaths like Google & Facebook, it’s not just ambitious but BRAVE to be the lone David. Brave to dream this big - brave to take on this challenge of stitching up the digital divide and put the existing status quo on its head. This opportunity to create REAL impact is exciting and I have enjoyed turning our MISSION into a MOVEMENT. Building a brand for a David might be an uphill battle, but it is a fulfilling one. I stayed because we’re CHANGING the world.

Our Founder/CEO Sameer is an educator, not just by profession [he’s an esteemed professor at Columbia University] but even in spirit. While he runs our 200-strong company, he is in his true element in front of a group of students helping them learn new concepts and understand a complex topic. There is nobody better suited to disrupt AI education and lead the movement to democratize AI than a passionate educator. I stayed because I believe in Sameer’s vision.

Some of my key learnings (too many to list all!)

- You can’t always expect to zoom forward in a straight path. Life makes you speed up, slow down, take turns and even reverse at times. During the last few years, we’ve changed the core business from products to services and explored education in many formats. The vision of changing the world remains the same, the channel we use has altered. For individuals as well as organizations, taking stock of who/what you are at any given point and steering according to the variables is necessary - for survival and growth.

- Leadership doesn’t always have to be top-down by barking down instructions. You can lead from the back as well - by playing an advisory role and letting your team shine. One of my favorite experiences was the AI Expo in Nepal this Aug where the team pulled off an international quality conference with 2,000+ visitors and showcased the caliber of our AI talent. I loved cheering from the sidelines and stepping in only when needed.

- People matter, more than the technology we create and the products we build. Diversity in people is essential as well - not just in terms of gender and race, but in background, culture, personality and life experiences. An organization is better when people disagree, but with mutual respect. The best decisions happen when there are open dialogue and conversation. My journey has been enriched by the people of Fusemachines, past & present. Each individual has been a unique stamp in my memory book.