What Three Decades in Software Engineering Have Taught Us

It was 1997. We started with one two-storey building, but with lots of ambition. The ambition to do something meaningful, to bring change in the world of software engineering. We had fewer people, but abundant courage and clarity of purpose. Nearly three decades later, we’ve grown into a global technology company, present in 15+ countries, operating across 9 different verticals, from automobile to healthcare, logistics, fintech, and more, backed by a 3000+ member global team.

Looking back, the evolution of software engineering is not just about code or infrastructure. It’s a story of people, persistence, and purpose. It’s about how ideas matured into platforms, how manual processes turned into intelligent automation, and how companies like ours evolved from service providers to innovation partners.

Lessons from Our Journey

In the early 2000s, our team built a solution for a mid-sized logistics company. The project taught us one thing clearly: software engineering is as much about people as it is about platforms. Understanding user behaviour, aligning with business goals, and ensuring that every line of code improves usability, that’s what drives long-term impact.

We’ve witnessed the shift from waterfall to agile, from on-premise to cloud-native architectures, and from code-heavy stacks to low-code platforms. What hasn’t changed, though, is the importance of communication, collaboration, and client trust. One of our earliest clients, a regional auto-part manufacturer, is still with us. We grew alongside them, transitioning from legacy systems to AI-driven forecasting tools. These long-term partnerships have been our biggest teachers.

What Still Surprises Us

Despite all the advances, the human element of software development still surprises us. Technology has evolved rapidly, but the pace of adoption often depends on how clearly the vision is communicated. We’ve seen brilliant systems fail due to poor onboarding and modest tools transform businesses because they were implemented with empathy and understanding.

Another surprise? How simple solutions still outperform complex ones. In 2010, we rewrote a core application using fewer lines of code and a more intuitive interface — it not only saved hosting costs but reduced client training time by 60%. It was a strong reminder that growth doesn’t mean adding more, it often means simplifying more.

The Rise of AI

AI has changed the rules — and continues to do so. We were early to experiment with machine learning in healthcare, creating predictive models for patient monitoring. Fast forward to today, AI is embedded in everything from logistics planning to conversational interfaces.

But here’s the learning: AI doesn’t replace people, it amplifies decision-making. It’s a co-pilot, not a commander. Our teams don’t just build AI solutions, they integrate them thoughtfully into workflows to enhance human judgment, not override it.

Management Mantras That Stuck with Us

Over the years, our management philosophy has matured from supervision to support. Empowerment, not control, is the key. Three simple rules helped us stay the course:

• Build with clarity, not just speed.
• Let teams fail fast, learn faster.
• Don’t chase trends, align them to your vision.

In one instance, when a client demanded a complete tech stack change mid-project, we paused, realigned with the leadership, and co-created a phased migration roadmap. It saved months of chaos and deepened the relationship. Sometimes, it’s not about saying yes quickly, it’s about saying it with responsibility.

Keeping Pace with a Shifting Landscape

Growth of a tech company is a constant balancing act, scaling while staying relevant. Our formula? Stay curious, stay consistent. We made deliberate investments in R&D, encouraged cross-training among teams, and partnered with startups to stay ahead of innovation curves.

We also created a ‘Trends to Transformation’ task force, a cross-functional group that scans new technologies, runs pilot programs, and recommends scalable adoption strategies. Whether it’s moving to microservices or integrating tools, this initiative helped us avoid getting caught off guard.

Staying Connected

Across geographies and departments, we made it a point to stay aligned. We developed internal tools that synced development, design, and deployment pipelines. Weekly inter-department check-ins, cross-functional Slack channels, and leadership town halls became rituals of rhythm that kept everyone on the same page.

When the pandemic hit, this connectivity helped us transition to remote work within 48 hours, without any service disruption. That agility was not accidental, it was engineered through culture.

What It All Means Today

Nearly three decades later, we still consider ourselves students of this craft. The software development history we’ve lived through reminds us that the only constant in this field is change. But in every algorithm, every line of code, every interface, there lies an opportunity to rethink, reimagine, and rebuild.

Our journey in software engineering evolution has taught us to keep listening, keep adapting, and above all, to keep building what matters.

And if there’s one thing we know for sure, we’re just getting started.