Meet Prahasi Kacham | Product Delivery Sr. Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Prahasi Kacham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Prahasi, how do you think about risk?
I have always been a risk taker and live by the philosophy that “at least I have to try”. I truly have always believed that without risk, there is no reward. My story was filled with risks. Whether they were professional or personal risks, they made me who I am today. Recently, I took the biggest risk of my life and hopefully it is setting me up for the future.

I graduated with my bachelors and masters in computer science and have worked as an engineer for the past 5+ years. I have worked in various companies across South Florida and focused on full stack development. As a full stack engineer, my main responsibility would be working on both the parts of the site that you would see (like buttons, menus, and colors) and the parts you don’t see (like how information is stored and processed on the website).

I had always told myself that eventually I would transition into a business role. My goal has always been to be able to be someone who has that technical and business knowledge and be a leader in both those sectors. I finally decided to make that switch a few months ago.

Making a switch from an engineering role to a business role is a big transition. When you are an engineer, you focus on a specific part of the product – the execution. When you are in a business role, you generally focus on all phases of the product (analysis, execution and support). It’s not common for engineers to want to switch over to a less technical role.

With that in mind, I still decided to take the risk and try to transition over to a business role. I am fortunate enough to work for an amazing company who values career mobility. I reached out to various individuals across our different product groups and found out what opportunities are available and got a feel for the group. I eventually found a group that I felt I aligned with the most and decided to interview for a Product Delivery Sr. Manager position they had available. I have never been through an interview for a business role and I was extremely nervous, but I made it and received a job offer.

I love my new team and I am enjoying learning tons of new skills, and this opportunity is helping me further fulfill my dreams.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being born and raised in the United States to immigrant parents, I constantly feel the weight of expectations. Despite growing up here, I have always felt the need to excel and prove myself due to this lingering pressure. My journey hasn’t been without challenges, as I strive to strike a balance between American and Indian cultures and try to make my parents proud. However, I take pride in the progress I have made in my life.

I must admit, the path that led me to my current position was far from smooth. I encountered numerous moments of self-doubt, questioning whether I had made the right career choice. Imposter syndrome struck me repeatedly, and there were instances when I lost faith in my abilities. Even after graduating from college and completing multiple internships, technical interviews remained arduous. The stress was overwhelming, and if I’m being completely honest, I felt utterly clueless at times.

However, I didn’t allow fear to hold me back. I decided to confront my insecurities head-on and took a leap of faith by seeking guidance from seasoned professionals in the field. I reached out to experienced individuals within the community for advice on crafting an impactful resume. I devoted countless hours to watching educational YouTube videos, honing my skills in navigating technical interviews. Additionally, I delved into resources like the book “Cracking the Coding Interview” to expand my knowledge. As a result of these efforts, I secured my first full-time job. Since then, I have maintained a relentless pursuit of growth, consistently learning new skills and enhancing my marketability.

In addition to being a dedicated professional in the corporate world, I possess an inherent entrepreneurial spirit, and my ultimate aspiration is to establish my own business ventures, possibly even multiple ones. My ideal vision entails founding a technology company where I can continuously innovate and develop groundbreaking technologies that enhance people’s lives on a daily basis. During my college years, I maintained a small notebook where I would consistently jot down various ideas spanning websites, mobile apps, and unique products. I firmly believe in my capacity to be an exceptional leader, and I remain determined to transform this dream into a tangible reality. I am committed to persevering and never abandoning my pursuit of this goal.

My advice to the world is to never give up and that no goal is hard to achieve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is the most perfect question for me because I have friends who visit all the time because let’s be honest – who doesn’t want to vacation in Florida? Everyone calls me the Fort Lauderdale tour guide because I really have the best places and the best activities.

If my best friend visited, I would have an amazing plan ready.

Places we would eat for breakfast/brunch/lunch would be Foxy Brown, Louie Bossi’s Ristorante Bar Pizzeria, The Hen and the Hog, Matchbox Restaurant, YOLO Restaurant, Tap 42 & First Watch.

Places we would eat for dinner would be S3 Restaurant, Phat Boy, Canyon Restaurant, Boathouse, Batch, Timpano, Beach House The Rusty Hook Tavern, Holly Blue & Lucky Fish.

Bars & clubs we would check out would be anything in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Some fun activities we would do would be going to Las Olas beach, jet skiing, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Historic Stranahan House Museum, Sawgrass Mall, Riverwalk & renting a boat on the Boatsetter app and chilling at the sand bar.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, every single person in my life deserves a shoutout. Everyone has helped me grow and become the person I am today. It really does take a village!

Instagram: prahasikacham

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prahasik/