Humble Beginnings – Evolve 2024
(Above): Monica Kumar, CMO, Extreme Networks; Magy Seif El-Nasr, Dept. Chair, Computational Media, UCSC; Smita Hashim, CPO, Zoom; Chhavi Arora, Partner, McKinsey & Company; and Padmaja Dasari, CIO, Nextdoor. (Vansh A. Gupta/Siliconeer)
Decked in the halls of the Santa Clara Convention Center, the inaugural Evolve 2024 Conference was packed with wisdom from startup founders, C-Levels, and women business leaders. Held amidst a frigid November week, the halls were warmed up by secrets to Silicon Valley success. A Siliconeer report.
Envisioned as a conference for the young working professional, the Evolve 2024 conference was an event providing opportunities to network with and learn from the greatest minds of Silicon Valley.
Headliners included Zscaler Founder and Chairman, Jay Chaudhry; Nextdoor Chief Information Officer, Padmaja Dasari; and Zoom Chief Product Officer, Smita Hashim.
Although the focus was mostly on business leaders discussing the future – mostly repetitive AI talk – there were some fresh ideas that a crowd full of young professionals could benefit from.
Product-Market Fit
Many of the founders shared that the secret to success is to find the right product fit in its respective market. Every business student is taught this concept. We often learn the concept of knowing your customer. In this case, the product-market fit is a symbiotic relationship that can make or break a company. The company has to tailor its products to suit a certain market. For the startups, it’s a little different. Startups have to start by identifying the market for their projected product.
“Minimum-Viable Lovable Product”
Cohesity Founder, Mohit Aron, coined this term. Aron defines the standard “M.V.P.” is a bare-minimum product that a customer may accept. A “minimum lovable product” brings value to a customer and makes the product lovable. Bringing value to the customer and some more, can be the difference between a million-dollar entity and a billion-dollar entity. We are often told to focus on the bare minimum and to fulfill requirements. In reality, we should focus on excellence.
Lead with Intention
Especially in the world of AI, the concept of leading with intention and integrating core values would greatly benefit humanity. Businesses are transcending from maximizing stakeholder profits to putting people first. This was made evident in the Women-Empowerment panel. Leading with empathy and creating the right work environment is equally as important for business success as innovation and finding the right market.
With a very humbling start, Evolve is on a track to become a global brand that will empower young professionals and connect them with industry magnates. There is a lot of knowledge and wisdom to be gained from these speakers. They are eager to talk and share their insights as long as there is an audience.
