The foundation of any successful team begins with some modest beginnings.
This certainly held true for iARATech which began with 2 individuals and a dream much larger than the confines of the living space where the two sat. While there was no lavish budget or expensive office to rent, the team did have an abundance of experience, a clear sense of direction and a quiet, unassuming resolve that worked rather than talked.
January 2016. Surat, Gujarat. Subhash Singh was looking to build a large organisation, but his first and foremost goal was to establish a “good” one. There is a difference and this distinction has influenced every decision he has made regarding hiring, processes and client relationships since day one.
In the early days of iARATech, all aspects of the business were handled personally. Each client’s request was addressed individually, and each project deliverable was carefully examined with the same level of scrutiny as if Subhash himself had put his signature on the line. The early days of iARATech were intense, however, this was due to both necessity and training. This high standard set the bar for future employees as to what “good enough” would be acceptable and would never be tolerated at iARATech.
Expanding a staff is one of the greatest challenges a developing company faces. It is not merely a matter of recruiting people who can perform the necessary functions; it is also about identifying those who share your passion for the work, those who can connect emotionally with clients, and those who recognise that each data set represents a real company attempting to grow, that each LinkedIn message represents a founder searching for their next opportunity, and that each social media posting represents a company trying to convey something meaningful. Identifying such people would take time and be worth every minute.
Today, iARATech employs approximately 30-35 people, and the organisational culture developed by those original two people has successfully expanded with each new employee. Flexible. Grounded. Transparent. These three terms represent how iARATech makes decisions. The way in which iARATech provides feedback. The way in which iARATech treats its employees, whether they are experiencing their best days or worst days.
Subhash frequently states that a team that feels valued produces work that reflects it. Ten years later, that philosophy demonstrates itself in the results. Clients do not simply continue to use iARATech, they refer other companies to iARATech because they are able to perceive a significant difference between iARATech and vendors.
iARATech’s growth has not been a straight-line growth model. At times, the company has focused on expansion, while at other times, the focus has been on consolidation and refinement of processes, quality control, and ensuring that the standards established on day one do not diminish as the company grows in size. This vigilance has been one of iARATech’s most important internal commitments stemming from Subhash’s many years of quality assurance and team management experience.
The numbers (2 to 35) tell only part of the story, The rest of the story relates to building trust with each employee one at a time, establishing values one at a time, and building upon each day. Additionally, the story illustrates that when you build a team slowly and deliberately, what you build endures.
The iARAtech team continues to grow today. However, the team is not only growing in size but also in capabilities, confidence and the collective knowledge that the best work that iARAtech will produce is yet to be done.