By The Sterling Report
With the belief that a CEO who succeeds must have the right team, business plan, passion and persistence, Niraj Tenany gives credit to luck as well. The Sterling Report talks with him about his opinions on onsite and offshore resources, entrepreneurship and more.
The Sterling Report (TSR): You have worked in both the US and India. How much of an asset is that in today’s globalized economy?
Niraj Tenany (NJ): It is a great asset to be able to deliver products/services with the best from all over the world.
TSR: Much has been said regarding outsourcing. With Netwoven providing offshore resources based out of India, how do you see this trend progressing in the future?
NJ: I think it is a very positive trend in capitalism to use the most optimal resources for delivery. I am a big proponent of using resources where they are for developing products and services. I am not a big proponent of bringing people on Visas.
TSR: Was this your motivation for starting Netwoven?
NJ: My key motivation was to pursue my passion of a start up, focused on technology. I did not have a lot of money or a break through idea to pursue a product company so I went for delivering services.
TSR: People often don’t fully understand the challenges that can come with running onsite and offshore operations. What, in your opinion, are the challenges that exist to run both onsite and offshore resources?
NJ: Several challenges exist. The key ones being having the local workflow (US-based) adapt to working odd hours and having the customers understand the impact on deliverables due to remote work and time zone gap.
TSR: Will Netwoven continue to focus on the US market or do you have plans to expand?
NJ: Netwoven will continue to focus on the US market for the next 12 – 18 months. We still see lots of opportunities here. Microsoft is launching a series of new products that drive more service demand. Netwoven has always been on the leading edge of Microsoft products and we hope to reap the rewards with the new launches.
TSR: Speaking of Microsoft, you had a long and successful stint with them. How did this part of your career influence and shape you as a CEO?
NJ: I have had the opportunity to work at some of the world’s largest software companies including Microsoft and Oracle. The culture and values at Microsoft really impressed me. It always felt like a start up in a big company. I appreciated the focus towards employees and providing them all possible tools and training to deliver successfully on products and services. I have carried these values to Netwoven.
TSR: You mention the focus towards employees. How important do you think it is to have the right team in place when starting your own business?
NJ: In my opinion, this is the most important element as an entrepreneur. I have been fortunate to work with a business associate and business partner who complements my skills.
TSR: A lot of people believe that luck plays a major role in an entrepreneurial venture. What are your thoughts?
NJ: Luck does play a big role. In addition, I have found that having a good team, persistence, passion and relentless focus on execution are critical to success.
TSR: And what about the background of a leader? Do people from tech backgrounds necessarily make better CEOs?
NJ: Sales is one of my primary roles. I strongly believe that every entrepreneur who is a CEO should excel in this area. I also believe that having a technical background in the software business is important to be a better CEO. It does not have to be a technical degree; one can develop technical background without a technical degree.
TSR: Changing gears a bit…aside from your work, what are you passionate about?
NJ: I am very passionate about making a difference in society. I work with non-profit organizations on the weekends and help them with organizational development or any other work that would be valuable to them.
TSR: What is something most people do not know about you personally?
NJ: I am a big fan of thriller movies in both English and Hindi.
Niraj Tenany is Chief Executive Officer and a Co-founder of Netwoven, an industry leading consulting firm that specializes in the Microsoft SharePoint, SQL, BI and Enterprise Content Management areas. He is responsible for the strategic vision and direction. Niraj has been working with Fortune 500 companies to implement large-scale enterprise systems for the past 15 years. Prior to founding Netwoven, he led a profitable Enterprise Applications Consulting Practice at Microsoft. Niraj’s team implemented large scale deployments of enterprise applications like Siebel, Ariba, and SAP with Fortune 500 customers. His team also led the design and implementation of OLAP solutions based on the Microsoft platform. Prior to joining Microsoft, Niraj led a profitable Business Intelligence Consulting practice with Oracle Consulting Services. He has also worked with startup organizations in senior management positions. Niraj was the Director of Consulting Services at Zaplet, a Kleiner Perkins funded company. For interview feedback, contact Niraj at ntenany@netwoven.com
