How I Succeeded is a regular series on Lifehacker where we ask business leaders for the secrets and tactics behind their success. Today: Ashik Ahmed, CEO and CTO at employee management tool Deputy.
Current gig: CEO/CTO at Deputy
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Location: Sydney, Australia
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Current mobile device: iPhone (since forever)
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Current computer: I have 4: MacBook Air (office portable), Mac Pro (For my coding at office), MacBook Pro (Travel), iMac 27” (Home office)
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One word that best describes how you work: Problem-solver
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What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?
Gmail. All it takes is a simple email to start a conversation and you never know what big ideas you’ll stumble upon.
What social network do you find most useful?
LinkedIn is an incredibly valuable tool, I use the platform to share my thoughts (both personal and professional) and to network with Australia’s larger tech community. At Deputy we’re on a mission to build Australia’s best engineering team so, don’t be shy to reach out and connect!
What were the most important lessons you learned while growing your business?
A person’s hunger will always triumph experience. When hiring, I evaluate a candidate’s attitude and passion for the mission to determine they are a good fit. From there, we can train for skill but the kind of person they are and the soft skills they possess are far more important.
What has been the most surprising part of your business journey?
I’ve spent my career devoted to building technologies that create better, more efficient organisations. Before solutions are created, you need to deep dive on an issue and workshop how to solve it. The insights and learnings gathered in that process are the greatest surprises of the whole journey.
What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?
Uniting my team towards a common goal.
I envisage a day where every single shift is on Deputy. It may not be in my lifetime but, every day I work to inspire the team to help us get there. I place a lot of importance in explaining Deputy’s mission, whether that’s new team members, potential customers or even people not in our industry. The shift workforce is consistently growing globally and it’s redefining what the word ‘work’ means in modern vernacular. I’m just passionate about sharing that with Australia.
What’s your sleep routine like?
I am in bed by 11pm, but I will always rise before sunrise no matter the time of the year. I am a big believer that the early bird catches the worm. You need to take advantage of the entire day to achieve your goals.
What advice would you offer to other businesses on how to succeed?
See the company you’re building as a community working together to achieve a clear common purpose. In my eyes this is what success comes down to and how a business is maintained through the years.
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