Break a problem into fundamental first principles- PGPX alumni stories

Blog Team

April 17, 2019

Ravindran is working as a Consultant with the UN-WFP supporting the agricultural transformation of an African country. The experience of IIMU reminds him of his remarkable moments with his professors and friends.

The long night case works and case briefing with Professor LS Murthy had remained unforgettable for Ravindran. The vibrant brainstorming sessions while designing Skein-the Supply Chain Management and Operations Club remain another extraordinary experience for him at IIMU.

Ravindran’s philosophy and success mantra are all about fundamental principles. He believes that any responsibility can be carried out if we carry it out keeping in mind the basic principles. He shares his experience of a project where he got an opportunity to lead a team to design the supply chain management for an agricultural input of a country. The level of impact of this project itself felt magnanimous and changed his perspectives.

In his words, “Irrespective of the magnitude of the problem statement, break them down into fundamental first principles. The simple concept of Little’s law that you learn at school can still be applied when assessing the efficiency of a country’s distribution system.”

Learning at Purdue University in the US as a part of his PGPX program was a global experience for him and helped him become a global citizen. He shares, “I remember once having a long conversation with a classmate from an Asian country when we exchanged experiences and stories about what drives high-performance in teams, in each of our countries. To this date, I reflect upon that conversation when I work and interact with colleagues from that part of the world.”