Connector Spotlight: Eklavya Bhatt

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

What does an Engineering Manager like to do? If they’re anything like our own Eklavya, it’s trying to keep things simple, all while helping those around him grow and succeed. From his love of hitting things with a racket to the fact that he uses his favourite book for so much more than reading, it’s his practical, thoughtful, and honest approach to work and life that has made him a fan favourite among partners and practitioners alike. So can you guess what his favourite product is? Here’s a hint – if you’re hungry and feeling a little lazy, it may just be one of your favourite products too!

Tell us a bit about the projects you’re working on?

I just finished a project with one of the biggest North American automobile manufacturers. Working on connected vehicle services that leverage indicators to predict and provide early detection of any potential issues. In parallel to learning from this experience, I also worked on a project to build a platform that quickly provides all the infrastructure setup including a spring initializer style code template for easy prototyping and faster time to production.

Right now, I am working on a project with a client that is in the connected fitness space working on their new service offering that provides innovative ways to engage customers, enhance their experience, and give them insights into their fitness journey.

What’s the most interesting challenge about the project?

The challenging part of working on a platform that is being made for technical users is getting to understand how they will interact with it and curating an experience for them which is a totally different ball game than creating something for non-technical users which helped me gain a different perspective. Also, working on the scale at which the clients’ operates in while utilizing the latest tools and technology means I am always being challenged to stay on top of it.

Where did you work before Connected?

Prior to Connected, I worked at Marsh McLennan, which is one of the largest global professional services firms. PointClickCare, a leading cloud based healthcare service provider and Symcor.

What achievement are you most proud of in your career to date?

I have been fortunate enough to work on several projects that have made significant impact to its users but personally the biggest achievement for me has always been being able to help people grow and see them succeed.

Do you have a mantra you live by?

It’s going to be the famous principle coined by Kelly Johnson – keep things simple! There’s actually one more word that gets tacked on to the end that gives it some extra flare, but as per the principle I’ll lean into the simplicity. 

What do you love to do outside of work?

I love playing tennis! I have been playing since I was around 10. For a year or so now, I have also picked up squash but believe me the skills you need are totally different from tennis. Another interest is exploring food joints so the chances are that you might find me at one someday.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what album, movie, and book would you take with you?

​​I would not have planned on being stuck so probably none, but if I were to be stuck, I would rather work on finding a way out. I always have some sort of survival gear on me but these will definitely aid my efforts

Album – ‘Works’ just a playlist I have complied over the years because it just works.

Movie – ‘Cast Away’ the classic, fits right in and will keep me going.

Book – ‘Yellow Pages’ they really are multi purpose! Heavy enough to get a workout in unless you use up the Pages as fire starter or just find a business and call them to fly you out

Describe yourself in three words. 

Practical, thoughtful, and honest.

And finally, what’s your favourite product and why? 

It’s not one product but it’s the category of the products, all the delivery services (Instacart, UberEats…)! They provide the convenience of getting things delivered to me while I get to focus on the things I like the most.