After a long day of discussions, it felt like a small victory to step out of the bank’s office knowing we had made progress. But the day wasn’t over yet. A few of us decided to wind down by visiting a nearby chat street called Gokul Chats.
It was a simple but special moment—standing under the city lights, enjoying spicy pani puri, and reflecting on the day. It wasn’t just a break; it was a reminder that shared challenges bring people closer. The bond we forged that evening over casual conversations strengthened the trust and camaraderie within the team and with the client.
It was all set !
It was a predefined meeting with a major bank client. Key leads from our team had flown in from Delhi, the UK, Mysore, and Hyderabad itself. Our agenda was straightforward but crucial: align on the integration strategy for their private cloud implementation over VMware Tanzu, using Kubernetes clusters across their data centers.
The meeting carried significant weight—not just because of the scope of work but because of the expectations riding on us as their System Integrator (SI). Everyone was geared up to address tough questions about processes, technology, and delivery challenges. But as with any big day, the challenges began long before we reached the meeting room.
The Hyderabad Commute
We had arranged for a taxi to get us to the bank’s office. Hyderabad’s traffic, however, had other plans for us. Navigating the dense streets felt like an obstacle course, with cars, motorbikes, and pedestrians competing for space. Just when we thought we couldn’t be delayed further, the sky opened up, and heavy rain turned the already congested roads into rivers.
By the time we reached the bank’s premises, we were drenched—not from the rain but from the stress of making it on time. The downpour only added to the drama as we hurriedly stepped out of the taxi and made our way inside.
Facing the Client Together
Once inside, we regrouped quickly. It was evident from the start that the meeting was going to be intense. Questions were thrown at us from all directions—technical, operational, and even logistical. The bank wanted to understand how we planned to scale their Kubernetes clusters, the operational feasibility of running the infrastructure across geographically isolated data centers, and how we would address their unique demand for a 6-day workweek.
The discussions grew heated at one point, especially when it came to the OEM’s operational constraints. While the OEM account manager was polite and proposed a cost-based model to accommodate the bank’s requests, the conversation bordered on disagreement between the customer’s developers, the customer manager, and the OEM team.
As a team, we recognized that clarity was needed—both in understanding the client’s expectations and in explaining the feasibility of the proposed solution. Everyone played their part, ensuring that every question was met with logic and empathy. The turning point came when we shifted the focus from disagreements to shared goals. That’s when the conversation truly became productive.
Making It Click
One of the most challenging aspects was helping the bank’s team understand modern infrastructure concepts. Terms like Virtual Machines (VMs), containers, and scaling aren’t always intuitive to everyone.
Rather than dive into technical jargon, we used analogies and visual aids to demystify these topics:
- VMs as separate rooms in a large building, each with its own setup.
- Containers as shared workstations within a room, optimized for quick setup and teardown.
- Scaling as the ability to add more rooms or workstations as needed, depending on demand.
Seeing the “aha” moments on their faces was rewarding. It was a reminder that simplifying complexity is often the most powerful tool we have.
This experience left us with some important notes
Preparedness is Key: Whether it’s traffic, rain, or tough questions, being adaptable is half the battle.
Clarity Wins: Explaining technical concepts in simple terms bridges gaps between business users and technical teams.
Collaboration Over Conflict: Heated discussions can turn into productive outcomes when we focus on shared goals.
The Human Element Matters: Relationships built during informal moments often create the trust needed to overcome formal challenges.
