Swiggy’s Principal Product Manager, Raunak Singh shares memorable experiences that shaped his five years at the company.
Building something from scratch is a journey of revelations, roadblocks, and reinvention. Here’s a Swiggster who has experienced it all while bringing multiple forms of unparalleled convenience to life. Five years ago, Raunak Singh entered Swiggy as a Product Manager. From working on building new initiatives for Swiggy to now heading the growth and consumer side of products for Instamart, Raunak’s journey is filled with moments of fun, challenges, and lessons learned. Here’s his story.
- Tell us about the beginning of your Swiggy ride. What was your role when you joined the company and how has that evolved over the years?
I was hired straight out of my MBA at ISB Hyderabad to join Swiggy’s New Initiatives Product Team. Back then, the goal was to expand Swiggy beyond just food delivery and provide more unparalleled convenience to customers. I got the chance to work on launching Swiggy Stores and was fortunate enough to be there for the initial stages of developing Instamart. I have been a part of the Instamart team ever since and now lead its consumer-facing product team.
- How would you best describe your Swiggy journey?
My journey with Swiggy has been a huge transformational experience. The first few months challenged me, but I also found it exciting to work with so many high-performing people. Since then, it has been a dream ride. I am grateful for the opportunity to build Instamart from scratch and be a part of developing the quick commerce segment in India.
- What led you to join Swiggy?
Like many, I was a customer of Swiggy long before I joined. I admired the way Swiggy was building an innovative product in India. It was an easy decision for me to join the company, and there’s an interesting story behind it. During the interview process, I was asked if I had other options open on the professional front. So I revealed that I had almost cleared all the rounds for a large multinational company. And fortunately, since the hiring decision had to be made quickly, I was offered a job by Swiggy right then and there!
- Going back to the beginning of your Swiggy ride, what was your first day here like?
It was a fun experience. The workspace was so compact back then, that if you got up for any reason, you’d find that someone else took your chair! It was always exciting to feel that energy where you could tell how much everyone enjoyed their work.
- What would you say has been the best moment of your time with Swiggy?
When we were building Instamart during the pandemic phase, it was both the best and most challenging period. Due to the lockdown, we had to work on creating something remotely, that too in an already emotionally and mentally taxing phase worldwide. It was the first time we were working without collaborating in person. However, as I look back, it has also been the best time for me as we eventually learnt that we were able to actively communicate with each other and get things done seamlessly, all despite the distance.
- From all that you’ve learned in your time here, are there any lessons that you look to carry forward in life?
There are many valuable lessons that I have learned. Most importantly, I realised the power of humility from Swiggy’s founders and leaders. They have shown me that it is possible to be both powerful and humble while still remaining focused on achieving one’s goals.
- What would you say played an important role in your decision to stay with Swiggy?
The key aspects that made me stay are the amazing colleagues and the constant learning opportunities that make for a powerful combination together.
- If you could, what would you say to the Day 1 version of yourself?
I would simply tell him that joining Swiggy was the best decision he could have made.
- What’s one Swiggy value you resonate the most with and why?
I resonate the most with two of them – ‘Be Humble’ and ‘Consumer Comes First.’ As I mentioned earlier, Swiggy’s leadership team inspires me to be humble. Along with that, keeping the consumer first is such a powerful value to imbibe especially as a Product Manager. It gives me a lot of energy when I feel the responsibility of representing our consumers inside the company and making sure that we design everything around them.
- How has your experience been with the Blended Ways of Working Policy?
Personally, I do miss the in-person working environment at times. Thankfully, the Blended Ways of Working Policy makes it possible for me to enjoy the monthly meetups and quarterly Jamboree where I get to meet my colleagues and friends at work.
