[Culture Series] Scale your professional career with ScaleArc

This article is a part of the Culture Series we’ll be carrying as a run up to the Startup Jobs Fair, India’s first exclusive campaign to connect the most promising talent with the most exciting startups. This series will bring out the culture of some of the most dynamic startups that have managed to scale and make a mark… Here, we talk about ScaleArc…

Large technology companies that everyone aspires to work for, are those which solved very pertinent problems. But have you ever wondered what these companies were like when they first started up? What was in the DNA of these companies that helped them solve the gargantuan problems?

When you speak to Gaurav Gupta, who heads engineering at ScaleArc, you get a peek inside the mind of a typical engineer at a startup. He says, “I think the most important aspect of a startup environment is to be able to realise and share your idea, no matter who you are. Whichever level you are in the organization, you must have the freedom to communicate. You must not be bogged down or bothered about anything other than work. But you must take ownership of the problem you’re solving.”

So if a person as senior as Gaurav’s can speak with the passion similar to someone just starting out, you begin to wonder if it is because of ScaleArc. “A startup is built by its people. If you get all these things right, people will want to come back to the company, day after day,” and Gaurav Gupta believes ScaleArc is one such place.

Founded in 2009, ScaleArc now has offices in Santa Clara CA and Mumbai. They will be looking to expand their team of over 30 engineers working on their Database infrastructure software product, the ScaleArc iDB.

Work while you work

Work at ScaleArc is no mean feat. It’s involves solving a burning issue in a complex technology. Gaurav says, “Startups are born to solve big problems

and the story is no different with ScaleArc. Our founders were ready to take on a complex problem and that runs in the DNA of the company. We aren’t scared of taking on big problems and everyone in the team shares the passion.”Gaurav says this influences their hiring choices as well - “Because of the kind of people we are, we also hire people with the same mindset, which makes it easy for everyone to work together.”

Play while you play

Along with work, ScaleArc has a healthy practice of doing out-of-work activities regularly. Gaurav says, “Our’s is a fairly young organization. I’m barely over 30 and I feel slightly old here! The general attitude is to work hard and play hard.” Along with regular hiking trips, parties, team outings and movie nights at office, Scalearc also gives its employees the freedon to do what they like. “One of our employees decided that we must all eat healthy and decided to make our own sandwiches. We bought our own vegetables and bread and today, every evening, you will find the whole office making their own grill sandwiches. While they leave quite a mess by the time they’re done, those are possibly the tastiest grilled sandwiches that I’ve ever eaten!”

The startup superstars

When asked about the superstars at ScaleArc, Gaurav distinctly mentions two people. “Naresh and Prateek joined us three years ago from Symantec and IBM respectively. They were young and had some experience. But the way they’ve grown over the years has been exponential and they own their product groups. Their work is regularly showcased at the company.” Such things can only happen at a startup. From being cogs in the large corporate wheels, Scalearc has transformed them into superstars.

But the fame and recognition isn’t restricted to the senior level. Gaurav shares another interesting story about a fresher they hired, called Tej. “He didn’t do very well in his interview, but I had a feeling that he will pick up quickly. In a short span of about 3 months, he’s become a dynamic engineer. He doesn’t shy away from work and has ScaleArc’s “no fear” attitude. I can trust him with any kind of problem, and I know that he will put his head down and solve it or at least produce something that we can work with.”

Gaurav hopes to find more people of the same kind at YourStory’s Startup Job Fair. And who knows, it could be you.

Register today.