The Story of Unvired Inc. and the Power of Doing Things the Right Way
A founder’s journey built not on noise or funding, but on integrity, patience, and belief.
The year was 2004. The glass-walled tech office in Bengaluru was quiet, long past working hours. It was 11.30 at night on a Tuesday. The release was supposed to go out hours ago, but an issue had surfaced. Without the build, the consultants in Europe—lined up by the product leader to test the release—would be sitting idle. Pressure was quietly mounting.
“This should’ve been released by now,” the product leader said over the phone to Srinivasan Subramanian (Srini), who was our engineering manager then. His tone was tight. “There was no indication of a delay. I didn’t see this coming. I expected better communication. I’ve lined up the consultants to test starting tomorrow.”
Srini had the phone on speaker. He muted it and turned to us — three tired developers, each trying to keep one eye on the code and the other on our manager on the line.
“How much time do you guys need to fix this?”
“Two hours,” my lead said. The two of us nodded.
Srini unmuted the phone. “It’ll be released in the next two hours,” he said.
The product leader paused. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Srini replied. “I trust my team.”
He hung up, looked at us and said, “Alright guys, I’m heading home. Call me if there’s anything.”
That was it. No big talk, no frustration, no pressure. Just calm belief.
And we did it. We fixed it, built it, and released it.
That night has stayed with me ever since. It taught me what leadership really is — trust and accountability.
No drama. No speeches. Just the confidence that your team will do what they said they would.
I met Srini recently for this conversation. Over the years, I’ve had many chats with him, some about work and some about life, but this time was different. This time, I was interviewing him. Some conversations make you pause and think a little deeper. This was one of them.
From My Conversation with Srinivasan Subramanian, CTO & Co-Founder, Unvired Inc.
Q: When did the idea of starting up first take root?
Srini: Around 2006 I would say. It wasn’t a grand vision or a business plan drawn on a whiteboard. It began as a silent urge — a need to move, to create, to build something of our own. We had a few projects in mind that we thought could sustain us for six months, maybe a year after we start. That was enough. We said, let’s begin, and we’ll figure it out as we go. What mattered most was building something meaningful, not just running a consulting outfit.
Q: What made you walk away from a stable, well-paying role to start something so uncertain?
Srini: I suppose it came from some kind of restlessness. I was managing people, budgets, plans — but I wasn’t building anymore. The work was comfortable, maybe even enviable from the outside, but comfort has a way of dulling you over time. I missed the thrill of solving problems, of writing code, of seeing something come alive because you created it. Just because you’re good at managing people doesn’t mean that’s the only thing you should do in life. My core was still technology — and I wanted to get my hands dirty again.
Q: Was entrepreneurship something you always imagined, or did it come later in life?
Srini: I think it was in the genes somewhere. My father was a divisional manager at United India Insurance — a stable government job, good position, everything society called success. And then one day, he decided to walk away and start his own consulting company. I must have been in school, maybe ten or eleven. He believed in doing things on his own terms. Watching that taught me it’s okay to leave certainty for conviction. Maybe that seed stayed buried in me for years until it was my turn to take the leap.
Q: You once stepped away from corporate life to chase something of your own, only to return later. What did that experience teach you about yourself?
Srini: Yes, it was in 2000. That phase taught me a lot about timing and self-awareness. When I left, I thought I was ready to build something on my own — but maybe I wasn’t. The stint outside didn’t go as planned, and when I was considered for an opportunity at the company again, I said yes. People often see returning as a step back, but to me it was validation. It meant I had left well — without burning bridges. There’s no greater endorsement than a company wanting you back. It taught me that exits matter as much as beginnings. How you leave often defines whether doors will open again later.
Q: So when did those side projects turn into Unvired Inc— a company with a purpose?
Srini: It happened almost quietly. A few of us had some consulting work that could keep the lights on for six months, maybe a year like I earlier said. But deep down, we knew we didn’t want to be just another services outfit. We wanted to build products, create something of our own. There was no investor deck, no funding, just conviction — that we could do things faster, smarter, and better than large companies weighed down by their own processes. That’s how Unvired was born — out of belief, not a business plan.
Q: The early days of any startup are usually a blur of chaos and hope. What were those first months like for you?
Srini: They were intense and strangely grounding. We had a few projects, mostly helping customers untangle stuck SAP mobile implementations. The momentum felt good, we were solving real problems, earning trust, getting noticed. But about a year in, reality hit. One of our major contracts ended abruptly over a difference in expectations. It was a wake-up call. Suddenly, there was no pipeline, no guarantees. We had to think harder, not just about survival, but about direction. That’s when we started shaping Unvired around products and long-term value, not just short-term work. Those months tested us, but they also made us sharper.
Q: What did you decide to focus on after that turning point? How did Unvired find its footing?
Srini: We realized we were often early — too early, in fact. We were building platforms when the market wasn’t ready for them. Customers didn’t want architecture; they wanted outcomes. That changed how we thought. Instead of talking about frameworks and integrations, we started talking about problems and impact. When you sell a platform, you talk to IT. When you build an application, you talk to business. And business is where conviction lives. That shift, from platform to purpose-built apps, gave Unvired its direction. It made us practical without losing ambition.
Q: Most founders chase funding early on, but you chose to stay bootstrapped. Why?
Srini: We did explore funding once, but it quickly became clear that the ecosystem here was tuned more toward consumer tech, not enterprise software. Investors wanted fast scale and flash. We were building depth. So we decided to grow through revenue instead. It wasn’t easy; in the early days after starting up, there were a couple of times we had to dip into our personal savings just to make payroll. Founders got paid last. That discipline built trust — with employees and clients. In hindsight, I’m glad we stayed bootstrapped. It forced us to think like owners every single day.
Q: You’ve spoken about a difficult period where you had to let people go. What did that experience teach you?
Srini: That was one of the hardest phases of my career. We were going through a downturn, and I had to lay off close to forty people — not because they weren’t performing, but because the business had to downsize. It was gut-wrenching. You build relationships with people, see their families, their hopes, and then one day you have to look them in the eye and tell them it’s over. It taught me that leadership isn’t just about targets and plans — it’s about carrying the emotional weight of your decisions. I think that’s when I realised I wanted to build something where we’d handle people differently, where trust wouldn’t be situational.
Q: What kind of culture did you consciously build at Unvired?
Srini: From day one, we wanted decency to be non-negotiable. In smaller companies, you often hear stories of founders holding back salaries or making exits messy. We were determined to be the opposite. People who leave should remember us for how we treated them, not how long they stayed. Many of our early hires joined as freshers and grew into leaders. That, to me, is success — when people build their careers here and still speak fondly of the place after they move on. We run a tight ship, but never a fearful one. Trust and respect are what keep it afloat.
Q: You’ve seen technologies come and go — mobility, cloud, now GenAI. What keeps you curious after all these years?
Srini: The problems. They never stop changing. Every new wave—whether it was mobile back then or AI now, throws fresh puzzles at you. Some days I think, why am I solving this again? But truth is, that’s what keeps me alive. Technology has kept me sharper than I was ten years ago. Every day, someone walks in with a new challenge, a new unknown, and you have to figure it out. It’s frustrating, yes, but it’s also the best kind of fuel. The day I stop being curious is the day I’ll stop being relevant.
Q: How do you see AI and GenAI shaping the future of enterprise software?
Srini: I think AI’s biggest strength is also its biggest weakness — it’s powerful, but unpredictable. In enterprise systems, you can’t afford that. You need determinism, explainability. So for me, AI isn’t a standalone product; it’s a supporting layer. It should make processes smarter, not replace them. The future isn’t about AI taking over—it’s about AI working quietly behind the scenes, making humans better at what they already do. The real shift will come when people stop selling “AI solutions” and start selling better outcomes powered by AI. That’s when it’ll mature.
Q: Can you share a moment when an AI project didn’t go as expected — something that changed how you think about technology?
Srini: One that stands out was a reconciliation tool we built for a customer. It matched bank statements with invoices using AI. Technically, it worked beautifully. But it failed in reality, because the client didn’t want to change their process. They wanted the same manual workflow, just faster. That’s when it hit me: technology alone doesn’t transform anything. People and processes have to evolve with it. If you plug AI into an outdated system, you’re not modernizing; you’re just automating the mess. That lesson still guides how we build today.
Q: You often talk about problem-solving as the core of engineering. How do you mentor your teams to think that way?
Srini: I tell them not to come to me saying, “something’s broken.” Come and tell me what broke, why you think it happened, and what you’ve tried so far. Half the job is defining the problem well. Most people rush to fix things without understanding them. I use a simple analogy—think of your problem like an equation: X + Y = Z. If you have too many unknowns, you can’t solve it. Reduce the variables. Make some assumptions. Fix what you can, then go after what you can’t. That applies to debugging, to business, and to life.
Q: How do you approach decision-making, especially when the data isn’t clear?
Srini: I’ve always believed you make the best decision with the data you have at that moment. It’s like taking a snapshot of a moving system, you act on what’s visible, knowing that things will evolve. If the data changes, you course-correct. I don’t waste time regretting yesterday’s call; it was the right one for the context I had. Too many people freeze, waiting for perfect information—it never comes. Leadership is about moving when others hesitate, and adjusting when you must. Progress comes from momentum, not paralysis.
Q: You’ve seen co-founders and early colleagues move on. How do you handle those moments as a leader?
Srini: With acceptance. People leave for their own reasons - different life stages, financial needs, family priorities. You can’t hold that against them. What I do wish is that people would talk before they decide, not after. Most conversations about leaving happen once the decision’s already made. I’ve learned not to take it personally. If someone’s mind is set, the best thing you can do is help them exit gracefully. Everyone deserves to leave with dignity. And I’ve always told my team this — leave in a way that they’d want to hire you back. That’s the true measure of how you’ve conducted yourself.
Q: You’ve often spoken about integrity and gratitude in how people leave a company. Why does that matter so much to you?
Srini: Because how someone exits says more about them than how they performed. I’ve seen people leave quietly and with grace, and I’ve seen others walk out entitled, thinking the world owes them something. The truth is, no company is perfect — but if you’ve learned, grown, and built relationships, that’s worth acknowledging. Gratitude isn’t weakness; it’s maturity. Even when someone moves on, I want them to look back and say, “I learned something there.” That means we did something right. In the end, integrity is currency — it travels with you long after the paycheck doesn’t.
Q: After all these years, what does success mean to you now?
Srini: It’s not money, not anymore. Money comes and goes. What stays is the satisfaction of having built something that lasts — and the people who grew along the way. Some of our earliest hires joined as freshers and are now directors, heading teams and running operations. That’s what makes me proud. You realise after a point that your true impact isn’t in the code you wrote or the deals you closed, but in the careers you’ve shaped. If people leave this place wiser, more confident, and still willing to call when they need advice — that’s success.
Q: You’ve mentored several generations of engineers. What do you think has changed the most in young professionals today?
Srini: I think the sense of entitlement has grown faster than the hunger to learn. Many young engineers want instant results — bigger pay, faster growth, everything now. Some even walk in with multiple offers, treating jobs like transactions. But the best ones, the ones who truly grow, still value craft and patience. What worries me isn’t skill — it’s attitude. People underestimate the value of consistency, humility, and curiosity. The industry doesn’t reward noise; it rewards reliability. If you stay grounded, there will always be space for you — no matter how fast technology changes.
Q: Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
Srini: I’ve learned not to dwell on regrets. Every decision made sense with the data I had then — that’s all any of us can do. But if I had to pick one thing, maybe I’d have started Unvired’s presence in the U.S. earlier. Being based in India was both a blessing and a challenge. It gave us resilience, but it also slowed us down. We survived longer — sometimes because we could, not because we should. If we’d been in the U.S., we might have failed faster, learned quicker, maybe even grown bigger. But then again, maybe we wouldn’t be who we are today. Every detour built some part of the company’s character — and mine.
Q: What would you tell young founders or engineers who dream of building something of their own?
Srini: Don’t wait for the perfect plan. It never comes. Start small, but start. Be ready to get your hands dirty and your ego bruised. Learn to solve problems, not just chase trends. And most importantly, leave every place, every person, a little better than you found them. Because in the end, businesses are built on trust — and trust is built on how you show up every single day. If you can keep that intact, the rest will find its way to you.
Q: And when you look ahead — after all the storms, pivots, and reinventions — what does the future look like for you and Unvired?
Srini: I see it as a steady ship in moving waters. Technology will keep changing — AI, automation, whatever comes next — but our compass stays the same: build honestly, treat people right, and solve problems that matter. We may not always have the loudest marketing or the biggest funding rounds, but we’ll have a story that lasted. For me, that’s enough. The goal now isn’t speed — it’s substance. To keep building, keep learning, and maybe, inspire a few more people to believe that you can stay ethical, stay small if you have to, and still make a dent.
Final Thoughts from Our Conversation
When our chat ended, Srini leaned back in his chair and smiled the same way he did that night years ago — the night he trusted three developers to pull off a release past midnight. Nothing about him had changed. The same steadiness, the same belief in people, the same confidence that good work always finds its way.
As I walked out, I realised Unvired Inc wasn’t built on slogans or pitch decks. It was built on a way of working — show up, do what you say, and let the results speak.
I’ve worked with many leaders in my career, but if I had to pick one who defined what leadership truly feels like, it would be Srini. No contest. He didn’t lead from the front or push from behind — he simply stood beside you, made you believe you could, and somehow, you did.