Believer, giver, and go-getter, such is the tale of Shashank Bhaskar!
It’s a well-known fact that the attrition rate has sky-rocketed in tech companies yet Nucleus Software is fortunate enough to have retained most of its employees for a long period. Shashank is one such valued employee who has worked for more than two decades in Nucleus, let’s fathom what made him stay.
Beginning with his background, Shashank’s childhood was spent in Amritsar’s business family. His grandfather, a law-abiding citizen, was a well-known businessman selling yarn who strongly believed in charity. Only after he passed away did Shashank and his family become aware of the goodwill he had left them behind and the people whom he had touched by his generosity. His grandfather believed in the saying- Ek haath se daan kar rahe ho to doosre ko pata nahi chalna chahiye.
Shashank always idolised his grandfather and imbibed his spirit of giving back to society which moulded him into the man he is today!
Shashank’s spirit affects his work at Nucleus as he wants the technology he has created to be put to use for the service of society. He believes this dream could only be achieved at Nucleus as it complies with the company’s vision To Make Financial Services Accessible, Easy, and Enriching, Worldwide.
Having started his career as a member of the product development team, he is currently the Associate Vice President of the Engineering Build division that designs complex enterprise systems for the BFSI domain in lending, corporate internet banking, and fraud management systems. Since March of 2022, Shashank has been leading an important initiative of harping on the theory of constraints for various functions in the company.
His mission of serving society is deeply intertwined with the vision of the company. He believes that ‘credit’ is at the heart of how a society can grow, and his work in Nucleus is directly impacting the lives of many who will be able to take loans faster and in a more efficient manner due to digitalisation.
His biggest strength is his dedication and determination to walk the unknown path and build ground-breaking products. He recalls a challenging moment in his career, when he was given the reins of an ambitious project and told to design a product from scratch. He was a seminal member of the team that designed the architecture of this product called FinnOne Neo. This next-generation sophisticated lending solution is built on an advanced technology platform designed to reshape the future of lending across the Retail and Corporate sectors. The flagship product offers benefits such as security, scalability and high performance while keeping in mind the various needs of the customers so they can make better and faster credit decisions.
Shashank attributes his success to the trust of his seniors during the initial years and the learnings he obtained working across different geographies – Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Egypt, Philippines, Singapore, etc., to name a few. Experiences in different geographies helped him not only learn from different cultures but also understand the nuances of lending in different kinds of societies. This understanding helped him in building flexible business processes in the code he was working on. Furthermore, the company’s collaboration with top universities such as MIT uncovered a whole new avenue for him. It helped him thrive as a professional and acquire social skills to collaborate with people from other cultures.
When asked with several new VC and FinTech companies in the purview, what keeps him going on in Nucleus Software, he explains that the finest minds working together in a company are pretty rare to find.
This keeps him going!
Shashank’s candid take on work-life balance tells us that it is not a cakewalk! He shares how he tries to spend as much quality time with his family, especially his daughter with whom he laughs and plays and unwinds. ☺
Speaking from 21+ years of experience in articulating and executing a technical vision, Shashank’s advice for newcomers is to be a team player, build a good rapport with both seniors and freshers, be a learner first and then use innovative ideas to build world-class systems. This process will not only foster growth but also boost confidence.
“Listen to your parents, respect them a lot, love your brother and sister. It is the code of our culture.
Some part of you is a reflection of your mother, your father, your background. Be honest with yourself, and do what you want.”
“That sense of pride we all seek? It comes from building something that lasts beyond this lifetime”, he says.
