Sarbjeet Johal, Principal Advisor, Batchery
Twenty-five years in Technology Industry! I build and architect Cloud and enable Digital Transformation Programs worldwide. I have extensive experience in Cloud Architecture, Pre-Sales, Datacenter/Applications Rationalization and Cloud Migrations. I have directed Cloud Center of excellence programs at Rackspace and Oracle. Led cloud partnerships and alliances work for Oracle Cloud Marketplace. Built and led Data Center and applications audit organization at EMC and VMware, which audited million + servers worldwide. I have done extensive work in Go to Market area for new products and services for several of my employers and customers. I have consistent interactions with PR, analysts and technology media. I know SDLC at depth (been in product development roles for more than a decade) and Datacenter/Applications Operations.
Global experience has served 100+ customers in 10+ countries. Direct involvement in more than twenty cloud implementations and migrations in the last ten years. In the first twelve years of my career.
I wrote enterprise software applications at McDonald's Corporation, VISA, CommerceOne, PeopleSoft and VMware. I have worked with more than fifty Fortune thousand companies in the last twenty years in different capacities. Well-connected in Silicon Valley Startups and VC Community. Experience in building organizations and companies from scratch. I also have an IPO (CommerceOne) feather in my cap.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Twitter: because of interactivity and pithiness!
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
Cloud Computing, Edge Computing, Economics of Technology, Technology Operating Models.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
Vastness and its relationship to innovation through ecosystem enablement.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Never think that you are working for someone!
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
Serving at the industry level.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
Besides my family, it's my professional relationships and body of work. I value people over money and principles over people.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
In-person.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Tenacity.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Value of mentors and sponsors.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
Clay Christensen (deep study of business and technology).
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Family and music.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you been managing it?
Neutral.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
Yes, and yes.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Value of mentors.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Lack of patience.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
A FOOL WITH A TOOL IS STILL A FOOL - Grady Booch (means don't blame technology).
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Adobe, Amazon, Intuit, Apple, Google, Salesforce, Tesla, Samsung.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success is doing what you love while staying healthy and earning enough to raise a family!