“Anvl is unique based on the way we are thinking about our product and why we are doing what we do. We are not here just to digitize forms and put them in a mobile application- we are really going back and asking why we are doing this, what do workers need, and drive that culture change.”
Tell me a little more about what you do in your role as the Senior Director of Product at Anvl.
Being the Head of Product in a startup environment means that I have a lot of different tasks to manage. In a typical day, I start with our daily Stand-Up with the engineering team so we can go over things and what we will work on today, as well as discuss any challenges. The rest of the day is split between short term and long term goals. For the short term, we work on our sprint action items and making sure we are all lined up and maintaining momentum on our goals for next 1-2 months. For the long term, we are constantly thinking about where we want to take this product and what will we do next. I try to focus on that and do a lot of research to see how we can transform our product for the long term. I try to connect with my users as frequently as possible to identify problems worth solving.
What inspires you about your daily work?
The Anvl team is what truly inspires me on the day-to-day. Our team is so great, and the speed we are moving forward with keeps me excited about working in a startup. I am also super passionate about building a product that makes a difference in the frontline workers’ lives.
What would you say is the most rewarding part of your role?
The most rewarding part of my role at Anvl is when customers come back and tell me that they love they features that we add to tailor to their needs. Even when we take an idea and concept to them for validation and hear “That is what we need!” – this brings a lot of value.
What do you think sets Anvl apart? What makes Anvl unique?
Anvl is unique based on the way we are thinking about our product and why we are doing what we do. We are not here just to digitize forms and put them in a mobile application- we are really going back and asking why we are doing this, what do workers need, and drive that culture change. That is what sets us apart.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I plan on opening an Indian Fast-food drive through someday.
What accomplishment, personal and/or professional are you most proud of?
My largest professional achievement occurred at my last job at a different company. There was an application that we used internally and was only provided to knowledge workers and the corporate office. Being a product owner in the company, I would connect with our frontline workers and they would speak about how much they wanted access to this application that we had. The application did not have the necessary security measures for frontline workers in place from legal and compliance perspective. I advocated for those measures to the vendor who provided the application and was met with lot of pushback. So, I worked with my development and engineering team to create an integration which allowed us to eliminate those barriers. With the integration in place, the application ended up getting approved and was sent to about 12,000 users- the application was connecting frontline workers from all over the US. And, we received great feedback form the frontline because for the first time they were able to receive support and connect with workers anywhere in the country. Within the next two months, our vendor productized it. It showed the value in feedback from the frontline worker and acknowledging workers for their contributions, which is really what Anvl is all about.
What are your hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time?
Since I am a parent, I spend a lot of my free time (if I can get any) with my kids. We paint, do crafts, and do at-home science projects together (usually the science project kits like building robots, mechanical vacuum cleaner)!
During your time at Anvl, what is the most important thing you have learned?
Coming back to the roots of product has been a good refresher for me. I get to be more hands-on with the product at Anvl and have a contribution to impacting frontline workers’ lives. Also, while this is not new for me to learn, I really appreciate how much respect there is for each member of our team and we appreciate each role that contributes to our company.
What is one thing that has surprised you about working for Anvl?
Anvl is a small company, and I was surprised by just how intuitive we are and how we have performed despite a pandemic. We are able to break those barriers that may exist in remote work and continue meeting and having fun times together, like when we play virtual games every other week and maintaining effort in connection.
Who do you look to as a role model and why?
For me role models come from every walk of life – it is usually an act which becomes a role model for me. It could be an act of filling-in for someone at work, or selfless care/concern for someone or a friend standing up for another friend and the list goes on.
What Nidhi’s coworkers have to say about her:
“Nidhi has been able to leverage her significant career experience to help Anvl move forward in crazy and shifting times. No matter what happens, Nidhi charges forward undaunted; she has infused the team with lots of positive energy!”
“Nidhi is a fast learner who has gotten up to speed in a small amount of time since joining our team. She is already making a huge impact on the product side. I can’t wait to see where we go from here!”
“Nidhi is an absolute joy to work with! She brings a great deal of product knowledge and experience to the team along with fresh ideas and a drive to continuously improve. Team Anvl is so fortunate to have her!”
“I don’t think anyone was more excited when Nidhi joined the team than I was. She is the epitome of cool, calm, and collected. She’s very diplomatic and asks tough questions in a way that gets answers without ruffling feathers. I love it that she is not afraid to ask questions and is in constant learning mode. She is also really funny and enjoys a good laugh. I’m excited to work with Nidhi – she’s a great team player and role model. I know I’ll learn a lot form her.”
