Learn, Adapt, Work Hard with Arun Subash Manickam - Software People Stories | Lyssna här

My guest today is Arun Subash Manickam. An Engineering leader at Google.

In this conversation, Arun shares:

his journey from Chennai schooling to computer science and a long career in networking, startups, acquisitions, and Google.
transitions from individual contributor to manager, startup life, acquisitions, autonomy, AI, and career growth.
learning continuously, adapting to change, and working hard with purpose as core career principles.

Highlights

A teacher’s suggestion changed Arun’s path from commerce to computer science.
Early Cisco work built strong engineering foundations, while startups deepened product and business understanding.
Startup experience offers intense learning, faster execution, and visible impact.
Moving from IC to manager requires mindset change, feedback, and self-awareness.
Hybrid work balances flexibility with in-person collaboration and team bonding.
Acquisitions vary: autonomy depends on overlap, integration model, and business uniqueness.
AI is a major productivity enabler, but domain knowledge remains essential.
AI-generated code and documents still need clear human direction and review.
Career advice: learn, adapt, and work hard—smartly and consistently.
Late-career focus shifts toward impact, enjoyment, experimentation, and grounded personal practices.