Who is Annu Augustine?
We met in 2002 when we worked together at a small software company. Without realising it we both resigned on the same day to join another company, Workshare. Here we were both introduce to eXtreme Programming. Although we left Workshare a few years later, we have both continued to follow an agile approach. When I worked with Annu she was a developer. However she has now flourished in the Product Management space.
What is something people usually don’t know about you but has influenced you in who you are?
I am an Indian and a catholic, brought up in Africa for the most of my life and completed my higher studies in India. I am kind of a hybrid, and I see myself as an African and Asian, an Afro-Asian, is that possible? I am incredibly passionate about these continents and feel really lucky to have spent significant portions of my life in both. This mixed upbringing has no doubt influenced me.
What would have become of you, if you were not doing the job you do today?
That is a scary thought as I am convinced I have found my passion. So I would have been a frustrated person for sure and a major irritation to those around me :-) I probably would have been bringing some order to something chaotic out there, not sure.
What is your biggest challenge and why is it a good thing for you?
My biggest challenge is that I have way too many things to do, and not enough time, sounds familiar? It is a very good thing for me as I am learning the art of prioritization and learning to say no.
I used to be one of those individuals who used to say yes to everything and got involved in way too many things, overcommitted. Now I have learned to vigorously prioritize and this is good in both my personal and work life.
What drives you?
Working with motivated individuals who really care and are incredibly passionate about the work they do, that is something special, and this helps me push my boundaries as well. One needs to be incredibly lucky to get to work with a team that has just the right mix of individuals, even luckier if you have the privilege of building a team from scratch. I am also someone who is driven by facts and not assumptions, I am always in search of data to prove an assumption, this is very important to me and helps me to make the right decisions.
What is your biggest achievement?
Hmm, interesting one as I don’t often stop to think about these kind of things. It is difficult to point to a specific achievement, but I am incredibly happy about where I am in my professional life. I am a working mother and blessed with two beautiful children. I have managed to balance the demands of being a mother, a wife and lead a professional life. This is something I am incredibly proud of, something I have struggled with in the past and has only been possible because of a very supportive and understanding husband.
Is there a piece of music that has a special meaning for you?
Yes, it is an Indian song, love its beat, enjoyed it since university days. I can listen to it fifty times a day and not get tired of it. My children think I am crazy when I keep listening to it.
What is the last book you have read?
I am busy reading the book ‘The four steps to epiphany’ by Steve Blank, and I am absolutely enjoying it. It highlights about the common mistakes one makes when building a product and it is an eye-opener for me. It has changed my thinking and approach to product development, just can’t wait to apply it now.
What question do you think I should also ask and what is the answer?
What challenges have you experienced in product development?
Product development is really hard, creating a product, getting it out there and creating a sustainable business takes lots of sweat and hard work. I find that way too often there is a serious disconnect between those who are responsible for creating products and those who use the products, the end users. There are various organizational layers between the two groups and this is not ideal. I have also realized that we are very comfortable making assumptions on behalf of end-users, this is dangerous. One needs to connect with the customers and almost ‘crawl into the skin of your customer’; following a customer centric model to product development increases your chance of success.
Whom do you think we should ask next in South Africa?
Cara Turner and Leanne Nel, I know both of them really well and both are very passionate about agile.
Whom do you think we should ask next, not in South Africa?
Tathagat Varma, Sampath Prahalad
How would you define your relation to the South African Agile community?
I have a very close relationship with the community although I miss a lot of the events due to family commitments. I make it a point to stay in touch with everyone, it is a very active and passionate community and I know most of them personally. I have also played an active role in involving some of our members in Agile India conferences.
Cape Town, April 2013
How to connect with Annu
Twitter: @annua
Linked In: za.linkedin.com/in/annuaugustine