I joined Intuit in 2007. Our team in India was small, with just over 20 people. One of the things that stood out to me at that time was when the hiring manager characterized our culture as: ‘We innovate—and coding is a by-product of that’.
I was hooked then and there. Even though Intuit’s focus on Customer Driven Innovation (CDI) and customer-obsession remains unchanged, I have witnessed significant transformations in our tech domain, particularly regarding our shift to a fully-fledged platform company.
Read on to know the conversation led by some of our interns who successfully transitioned into full-time roles last year.
Did you ever imagine on your first day at Intuit that you would still be here 17 years later?
From the moment I set foot in the company, I knew I had found the perfect place to start my career. Despite Intuit’s relatively unknown brand in India at the time, I was drawn to the work culture and assignments that ranged from product development to product management. At the young age of 23, the level of responsibility entrusted to me was impressive. This allowed me to take ownership and accountability of my work, while also working closely with a seasoned technical leader who provided guidance and support.
One of my closest collaborators in those early days was Saurabh Saxena, who is now the site leader and vice president of go-to-market tech at Intuit India. We worked together on the same team, and we still apply the most essential principle of investing in people—an Intuit principle that I love.
Tell us about the incredible work you were involved with in the early years that bolstered your career at Intuit?
Document imaging was part of my internship project way back when. The concept of optical character recognition might sound simple now, but in those early days, this was a big task. We used available technology and tools to recognize optical characters in a form and presented it to users. Once the users checked and accepted the accuracy of the data, they could proceed ahead. I had a chance to experiment with such innovations. Now, I see that this early concept has evolved into Intuit’s work, which is a fantastic reminder of how we started small but laid the groundwork for revolutionizing concepts and innovations. Upon being converted to a full-time role, I was assigned a critical project to enhance the security of Intuit QuickBooks. I had to gain a complete understanding of the different workflows. I worked on this project, a huge learning experience at the beginning of my career.
Take us through Intuit’s transformation and how it solves systemic problems today?
Intuit has embraced technological advancements that have swept the world. Previously, our work was founded on individual use cases which was great in its way. We are now a platform company, an incredible transformation where we can build for multiple use cases instead of one-offs.
Our shift from use case-based development to a platform-driven company is remarkable. I have seen firsthand how tasks that were once challenging have become much simpler. Instead of producing multiple solutions, we build a standardized, shared solution. For example, we had separate desktop and online segments within Global Business Solution Group (GBSG) for processing payments, leading to many duplicates. With our transformation into a platform company, we eliminated this duplication. All components required for payment processing leverage the same capabilities now, resulting in a more streamlined system to achieve scalability and increased velocity. When a new guideline or change is introduced, we only need to modify it in one central system.
Cut to 2019, our strategy shifted to becoming an AI-driven expert platform. By 2022, the world had recognized the significance of AI, while we were already ahead from playing catch-up to advanced tech because of our early investments in AI.
How can Gen Z engineers evolve their approach to become empowering technologists?
One of the most exciting aspects of being part of a leading edge technology company is the constant availability of better tools from the past. While there is no doubt that Gen Z is at the cutting edge of technology, it’s essential to focus on the fundamental principles underpinning their development. These essential principles form the backbone of technological development and provide a sturdy base for understanding the technology landscape.
By creating a thorough understanding of such principles, Gen Z can analyze problems, deconstruct them into manageable parts, and then reconstruct them in new and innovative ways. This approach enables them to use the vast choice of technology available today to its utmost potential. By prioritizing such foundational principles, Gen Z has a solid and dependable base from which to pursue their endeavors, realizing their full potential as innovative technologists.
How does Intuit City Map accelerate velocity?
Intuit’s City Map provides engineers with a complete view of our platform and increases visibility into existing capabilities.Its implementation has empowered our engineers by streamlining workflows and reducing duplication. Embracing the concept encourages product developers to leverage existing capabilities rather than building from the ground up, which saves time and accelerates velocity.
Our City Map acts as a core framework across Intuit. It structures the engineers’ thinking and effort, leading to greater efficiency in the use of resources. Maximizing utilization of new capabilities can be achieved by integrating them into the existing framework. For instance, any new capability created for business process automation should ideally be placed within the L0 integration and automation of the City Map, which enables fellow engineers to easily discover and use it to their advantage.
Can you describe any practices you’ve spearheaded that engineers still lean on to inspire career growth?
I recall asking questions about debugging as a new college graduate myself. Today, we have programs that help new hires to better their skills and learn about advanced technology. I’m involved in crafting and implementing the new hire orientation program, which includes assigning a buddy to help them navigate their first months at the company. The impact has been significant, with smoother onboarding and better preparation for success. I even led the first pilot of Assessing for Awesome (A4A) in India in 2017.
Our goal is to equip engineers with the right set of craft skills to expand their knowledge, and increase efficiency in a constantly evolving tech world. This ongoing initiative is led by our CTO and senior tech leaders, with my involvement in mapping out required craft skills across various roles such as software engineer to product engineer. From web development to foundational software development skills, I strive to maximize their efficiency and output to better tackle future challenges.
How can Gen Z engineers demonstrate strong commitment to cutting-edge tech?
New talent often challenges the status quo and has the ability to disrupt the company, as we’ve seen in the past with major shifts like the introduction of smart mobile devices and the move to tile-based Windows. Rather than watching these changes from the sidelines, it’s essential to be an active participant and take advantage of new opportunities for learning and growth, such as in the field of AI.
As Gen Z engineers explore the cutting-edge field of AI, it’s crucial to continuously ask ourselves how technology can improve productivity and enhance product experience. With constantly evolving tools and innovations, adapting to changes and embracing the power of technology is key to achieving success. In this pursuit, we should strive to leverage emerging practices in fintech, and the latest technology to constantly propel our journey forward. By doing so, we can create a more efficient and impactful future for ourselves and others.
At Intuit, we take care of our own and include everyone on our journey to the top. Whether you’re a new hire or a seasoned veteran, every day is a chance to learn, grow, and reach new heights. Come join us and see for yourself what makes Intuit such a special place to work.
A strong commitment to responsible AI and data stewardship
Intuit’s AI-driven expert platform and products are built in keeping with the company’s commitment to data privacy, security, and responsible AI governance. Intuit safeguards customer data and protects privacy using industry-leading technology and practices, and adheres to responsible AI principles that guide how the company operates and scales its AI-driven expert platform with its customers’ best interests in mind. Intuit is also a member of the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium, established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).