Akhil Navuluri: A Journey Built On Curiosity, Courage, and Quiet Conviction
A Leap into the Unknown!
Every person reaches a moment when the future feels unsettled. For Mr. Akhil Navuluri, that moment arrived right after finishing his MBA. He had a polished idea of what his future should look like. He pictured himself walking into management roles, shaping teams, and building strategies that pushed companies forward. The plan made sense. Life, however, rarely follows the plan.
Fresh out of his MBA in 2020, he sat in front of his laptop browsing job portals. Most listings pointed him toward sales positions, and he knew that was not where he belonged. As he remembers it:
“I was looking for some jobs in the management side, which could not connect with me, and everything was more a sales job.”
Confusion set in. But uncertainty has a way of opening unexpected doors.
A few weeks later, a message arrived from Yexle Limited, a UK-based tech firm. The opportunity looked solid. The only problem was simple and obvious.
He did not come from tech.
“I was not pretty sure whether I would be able to make it into the tech space knowing what happens in a tech world… everything was new for me.”
Development, features, functionalities, user flows, and architecture, none of it belonged to his background yet. He could have said no. Instead, curiosity nudged him forward.
He said yes. And that yes, changed everything.
The first few months were overwhelming. Every day felt like walking into a room where everyone else already knew the language. He learned by observing. He studied silently. He practiced after hours. Slowly, understanding replaced confusion. And before he realised it, he enjoyed the structure and problem-solving that tech demanded.
“As time kicked on, I started falling in love with what I did, and I felt that this is the place where I really wanted to be.”
That leap into uncertainty became the turning point.
Tech did not just welcome him.
It reshaped him
Clarity Comes from Doing the Work
Akhil often repeats a simple truth.
“Clarity doesn’t come from theory. It comes from real exposure.”
When he joined Yexle Limited and worked with Appian, a low-code /no-code platform used across industries, he assumed Appian itself was the world. Over time, his view expanded. He began to see the vastness of tech, DevOps, cloud computing, analytics, automation, machine learning, and now AI.
He describes the shift like this: “Tech is such a beautiful place to be in, and there are buckets full of opportunities that I need to have my eyes on.”
The deeper he went, the more he realised how little he truly knew, and how much more he wanted to learn.
That hunger pushed him forward.
Learning How the World Builds Technology
Working with clients from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Ireland shaped him in a way no classroom could.
He remembers those days vividly: “When I was part of these projects… what I grabbed was understanding culture. How the client in Ireland is different from the client in South Africa.”
He learned how global teams discuss requirements, how technical decisions are made, how development cycles work, and how solutions evolve from rough ideas into functioning systems.
His confidence grew slowly but steadily.
“Before that, I was not camera-shy, but I was hesitant. As time went by, I enjoyed the process.”
These experiences built something deeper than skill. They built adaptability.
Surprises in Global Collaboration
Akhil learned early that collaboration is about more than delivery. It is about rhythm, trust, and shared effort.
He recalls moments where projects ran behind schedule, or requirements shifted suddenly, or clients came back with unexpected feedback. He even laughs now, thinking about some internal exchanges: “I remember one incident where we were behind schedule, and my development team literally mocked me… then they said they were just pulling my leg.”
Humour turned into learning. Pressure turned into perspective. Feedback turned into fuel.
He also saw how raw requirements transformed into polished applications that solved real business problems.
“When we see the finished product, it gives a lot of satisfaction.”
Collaboration became its own form of reward.
What Companies Actually Value
Moving from development to QA changed how Akhil saw the system. His mentors in quality analysis shaped him significantly.
“They guided me and gave me a roadmap, how to create test cases, test scenarios… how to find issues and report them.”
Testing enables him to see workflows end-to-end: first name fields, submission buttons, dashboards, KPIs, navigation paths, everything that a user would eventually rely on.
He realised something important.
Companies value people who understand the whole picture.
“A developer creates tasks, but a QA sees everything from start to end.”
This broader understanding became one of his strengths.
Versatility and the Unexpected Lessons
In every project he worked on, challenges revealed themselves only mid-way.
“Problem-solving comes based on the situation because when a problem comes, it enables you to become stronger.”
He learned that the unexpected teaches you just as much as the structured.
That mix of humour, pressure, mistakes, and teamwork shaped his instincts.
Understanding Agility in the Real World
People love talking about agile. Akhil learned what it actually feels like inside real projects.
He breaks it down, saying: “Every company has a different requirement. If they want something quick, they go with agile. If they want something super quick, they go with DevOps.”
The waterfall ran slowly and linearly. Agile moved continuously.
DevOps amplified speed through automation. The truth he learned is simple.
Agility is not a ritual. It is a mindset.
The Reality of Guiding Young Professionals
Akhil believes exploration only works when it matches skill.
“Passion is one thing, but expertise and skill decide whether a person can fit the role of a QA, developer, automation tester or business analyst.”
Companies look for credibility. Young professionals need focus. The message is straightforward:
Start where your strengths meet opportunity.
Grow from there.
Mentorship that Changes a Career
Every journey has someone who quietly shifts its direction. For Akhil, that person was Mr. Vijay Poondy, Managing Director of Yexle Limited.
“He always took me by the wing… through his mentorship I excelled. I cannot thank him enough.”
Vijay guided him through transitions, helped him find his footing, and shaped how he saw his own potential.
Mentorship became the bridge between who he was and who he could become.
Seeing the Power of Data
Today, Akhil works with machine learning and analytics. He explains concepts simply because he understands them from the ground up.
“Data-driven decisions always start from the root level. Everything begins with data.”
Machine learning trains on patterns. Data reveals the gaps.
Companies improve by understanding what the numbers hide.
To him, data is the foundation of modern decision-making.
Mindset And Gaps in the Data World
Skill shortages happen when people avoid data because it feels intimidating. Mindset issues appear when people fear privacy leaks or lack confidence.
Akhil puts it bluntly: “Skill shortage happens when people do not have the willingness to move into that side.
Upskilling can eradicate it.”
Everything changes the moment learning begins.
When Initiative Creates Something New
The Yexle Podcast began because Akhil noticed something beautiful: his colleagues had stories worth sharing.
“The initiative… that was my own. I felt, why don’t I give a stage for all these IT professionals to talk about their journey?”
With the support of Yexle Limited’s former HR Ms. Priya Bhogineni (Head of Human Resources, Red Kite, UK), he built a platform where expertise and experience could flow freely.
The podcast strengthened his connections. It pushed him out of his comfort zone.
It revealed a voice he never knew he had.
Curiosity Expands Horizons
After four episodes, he realised something meaningful, tech was far bigger than Appian or Yexle.
“Tech is like an ocean where you can explore a lot of things.”
The more he explored, the more possibilities he saw. Leaving the Yexle podcast was not an ending.
It was the spark that lit everything that came next.
Leaders Who Build Companies Differently
Akhil observed something powerful during his conversations with founders and enterprise leaders.
Startup leaders chase credibility, innovation, and breakthrough ideas.
Global leaders chase continuity, excellence, and stability.
He puts it simply: “For startups, it is about credibility. For big firms, it is about maintaining consistency in excellence.”
Both mindsets matter.
Both shape the way companies grow.
A Podcast Finds Its Voice
His personal podcast journey began with a bittersweet goodbye. He left Yexle Limited to pursue his master’s degree in Australia. His parents encouraged him to use his voice meaningfully.
His mother often told him: “You have such a good voice… why don’t you try RJ or VJ?”
He had even worked briefly for a local radio station “Hyderabad FM” before the pandemic paused everything.
One video call in 2024 changed everything. He remembered her words.
He remembered the dream. And he took action.
The breakthrough came with Mr. Benny Pan (Founder, InspiraEd) from New Zealand. Benny trusted him, supported him, and helped build momentum for the podcast. That support became the turning point.
When Tech Stories Became Meaningful
Akhil believes tech stories matter deeply. People outside tech see complexity.
People inside tech live creativity.
He wanted to bring that creativity forward. “I wanted to create a platform where I highlight the journey, the superiority of tech through storytelling, through insights and anecdotes.”
That purpose shaped everything that followed. Tech deserved a voice. He decided to give it one.
The First Step That Changed Everything
His first pitch came with nerves. Would anyone say yes?
Would people take him seriously? Would this idea even work?
Then came the yes.
And that yes changed the arc of his career. “I did three podcasts… then I reached out to more people and got 10 accepted invites. That blew me.” Credibility had arrived.
Confidence followed.
That person was Mr., Benny Pan from Hamilton, New Zealand. That moment taught Akhil something simple. Nothing is impossible when you take the first step.
Conversations With Leaders and What They Taught Him
His podcast introduced him to leaders from Microsoft, Deloitte, Capgemini, AWS, MongoDB and more.
“It is a teaching for me. I hear my own podcast as an audience and learn from it.”
He listened to their words not just as a host but as a student. He felt drawn to their stories. He wanted to understand what shaped their journeys. He wondered how their insights could help others. That curiosity lingered at the back of his mind until one day he decided to follow it. He recorded a simple conversation. Then another. Then another. Without realizing it, he had taken the first step toward building something new.
Every episode sharpened his direction. Every insight became a guidepost.
The Birth of Tech’o’Space
The Tech’o’Space Podcast became a natural extension of everything he cared about.
A space for learning. A space for storytelling. A space for curiosity.
The Tech’o’Space Podcast became a platform built on purpose. Akhil wanted his listeners to grow, not just listen. His advice was simple. Upskill. Master what you choose. Clarity comes through action. Insight comes through experience. Take ownership of your learning, because no one can do it for you.
While balancing work, studies, and podcasting, Akhil realized that growth often happens quietly. Building a side project expands skills, networks, and self-belief. Podcasting became the highlight of his week, even when responsibilities piled up. Every connection he made through it added something valuable.
Small Habits That Create Big Shifts
Consistency changed everything. He reached out to leaders regularly. After the 3rd episode, something unexpected happened. 10 leaders said yes. That moment told him he had built credibility.
Then came the surprise invitations from leaders in Canada, Australia, and the United States from the likes of Mr. Steven Martin (Enterprise Account Executive, RapidScale) and others reached out to collaborate. Those moments told him he was building something real. Realising this gave him the drive to explore more.
With this vision in mind, Akhil wants to explore the tech stories of the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Canada. He wants to cover robotics, a field that fascinates him deeply. He also wants to record episodes in company offices, speaking with the developers who rarely get the spotlight but build the backbone of every system.
He believes those stories deserve recognition.
Lessons For the Younger Self
Thinking about where he stands now pulls him back to the very beginning of his career. Akhil often reflects on what he would tell the version of himself who was just stepping into the tech world for the first time. When he looks back, he imagines meeting his younger self — maybe someone from 2023 or 2024 — someone confused, someone eager, someone unsure but still moving.
He smiles when he says it:
“If I met my younger self, I would just tell him… relax. Even if you are finding a little bit of difficulty, you will have to go through that no matter what. There is no antidote for struggle.”
He would tell that younger version that challenges are not signs of failure. They are checkpoints. They build direction. They build clarity. They build the muscle needed for bigger opportunities.
He repeats the one belief that carried him through every phase:
“Nothing is impossible. Just work hard.”
And he would remind his younger self that hard work brings the right people into your orbit — people who guide you, collaborate with you, and help shape the path ahead.
Akhil describes this idea almost like time travel:
“It is more like someone from the future meeting someone from the past… telling him to stay calm, enjoy what he is doing, and take the podcast as a passion project, not something he does for time pass.”
To him, full investment matters. Curiosity matters. Approaching each episode with sincerity and diversity in perspective matters. He believes meaningful outcomes come from honest effort, not shortcuts.
He would also prepare his younger self for the realities of outreach — a part of the journey that shaped him deeply.
“There might be a chance where the person will not even respond to you… a chance where the person says ‘I’m not interested’… and a chance where someone says ‘yes, I am interested.’ You need to be prepared for all of this.”
That is where perseverance comes in. The courage to send the message anyway.
The willingness to try again even when the last attempt stayed unread.
The discipline to stay focused on the core purpose of the project.
To that earlier version of himself, he would offer one final assurance — a reminder that has guided him ever since:
“Just be cool, relax, and enjoy the process. The right people will come. The right episodes will happen. You just need to keep going.”
The People Who Leave a Mark
This mindset of staying steady, open minded, and resilient shapes the way he approaches every conversation. It also influences how he thinks about the people he hopes to learn from. Akhil has spoken with many interesting individuals, yet he often wonders who he would choose for a deep conversation about design and creativity with someone he genuinely admires or is curious about.
When asked who that person might be, he does not hesitate.
“Firstly, it has to be one of my mentors,” he says with a quiet certainty. “One mentor is Mr. Vijay Poondy. I have done a podcast with him back in my Yexle days.”
Vijay was more than a mentor. He was one of the earliest voices who saw something in Akhil long before the world
did. That podcast episode was one of the first times Akhil felt the full weight of possibility in storytelling.
But another name rises even more strongly in his voice — Mr. Vaughan Moriondo (now Senior Program Director, implement/solution), his former Senior Delivery Lead on the Irish insurance project Akhil once worked on.
“Vaughan always gave me that confidence,” he says, smiling at the memory. “He reassured me that I could achieve big things… he saw something in me.” Vaughan, based in Bedford, United Kingdom, made an impression that stayed with Akhil for reasons beyond expertise.
“It is not just about the guidance,” Akhil explains. “It is about his humbleness.”
He recalls a moment that shaped his understanding of leadership. During a reunion at the Yexle Hyderabad office, Vaughan had flown down to join the team. Most people in his position would stay at the center of a crowd. Vaughan chose differently.
“He went to each colleague,” Akhil remembers vividly. “And he said, ‘No matter what, do not worry, do not hesitate to approach me. I am always there. We are one team.’”
For Akhil, that simple gesture carried the weight of true leadership. It was personal. It was genuine. It stayed with him.
“When someone who started his journey in 1980 comes to you and says something like that… it strikes a chord,” he says.
These moments shaped how Akhil treats people today, with attention, humility, and genuine respect.
Vaughan also pushed him to continue his podcast journey. “He motivated me to go ahead with it,” Akhil says. “Even when I moved from the Yexle podcast to starting my own, he encouraged me.”
While Akhil respects all his professional connections, each with their own strengths, stories, and impact, he openly acknowledges the influence of these two mentors.
But inspiration did not stop there.
Another person who left a mark on him is Mr. Wilco Burggraaf who is the Principal Lead (Green Software Engineering & Software Engineering), HighTech Innovators with whom Akhil collaborated on a global conversation about Green Software, a topic exploring the intersection of sustainability and technology.
Akhil’s voice brightens when he talks about that collaboration.
“I want to sit down with him again,” he says. “Maybe have a coffee in the Netherlands and talk more about Green Software.” That episode became a milestone. It earned recognition in an international article featuring top podcasts on sustainability and Green ICT.
“That episode getting featured meant a lot to me,” he shares. “I will always thank Wilco for giving me that opportunity.”
These relationships — Vijay, Vaughan, Wilco, and many others — became the threads that strengthened his path. They left fingerprints on his journey, shaped his thinking, and opened doors he once did not know existed.
They guided him when he was unsure.
They encouraged him when he questioned himself.
They helped him refine his voice in the world he was building.
And each one left a mark that continues to move with him.
Choosing Topics and Guests
Building on these experiences, he has developed a thoughtful approach to planning podcast episodes. He explains that there are two main aspects to planning an episode. First and foremost, it is not about the topic. He notes that sometimes a topic may receive approval, but often it is necessary to move on to the next idea. He does not plan episodes strictly based on topics.
Occasionally he does, but if that does not happen, he shifts to other possibilities.
When it comes to conversations with guests, Akhil focuses on topics that are relevant to them and their careers. He keeps discussions within the circle of their IT journey, ensuring that the conversation resonates with them.
Questions that feel disconnected or irrelevant are avoided. If a question arises spontaneously that does not make sense to the guest, he removes it and instead asks something closely affiliated with their experience.
Funny Moments Behind the Mic
Because of this mindful preparation, Akhil has experienced plenty of moments that brought laughter and surprise. One of the most memorable happened during his student years while living as a paying guest in Tarneit.
He recalls it with a smile:
“I thought the network connection was perfect. I even set up the equaliser. But when the episode got over, I checked the recording and saw glitches everywhere. I felt like crying.”
The episode was with Mr. Adam Parnell, the enterprise architect working with Queensland Rail and co-founder of Colloquial Solutions. Akhil had thought everything was under control, yet the connection failed silently on his end.
It became one of those moments where nervousness turned into humour only after the frustration had passed.
He adds: “Later I laughed at myself. That was a learning. Never trust the connection fully. Always double-check.”
There were other times when he had to repeat long segments of the conversation. “I repeated almost ten minutes once because my connection dropped. The guest waited patiently, and that gave me so much respect for them.”
Each incident, whether glitch or delay, tightened his approach and sharpened his presence as a host. Even the awkward moments became memories he now cherishes.
“Sometimes a guest gets surprised by a question and says, oh wow, I did not expect that. Those moments are fun.”
They remind him that conversations grow stronger when both sides stay real, relaxed, and open.
How Episodes Come Together
Despite glitches or spontaneous reactions, Akhil emphasizes that producing each episode requires structure.
He follows a clear three-phase process.
He lays it out in his own words: “First comes the handshake phase. That is where the guest gets comfortable.”
Then comes the session where the flow begins to take shape.
“Second is the dry run phase. Guests understand what I will be asking, and they get a feel of the session.”
Finally comes the actual recording.
“The last is the main podcast phase. That is where the real discussion happens.”
For recording, he uses Microsoft Teams and adds external tools when needed.
“Lighting, webcam, clear audio… everything matters. I review the episode end to end and remove anything that repeats.”
Quality sits at the center of his work. He polishes each episode with intention, treating it not as content but as a craft.
The Path Akhil is Still Building
Akhil’s journey never began with a clear map. His interests stretched across creative fields. If he were not working in IT or podcasting, he might have chased acting, singing, or writing.
But life moved in its own rhythm. Tech found him. He responded with curiosity. What shaped his growth were the people who believed in him before he fully believed in himself. Supporters like Mr. Brice Ominski from Canada, Mr. Darryl Carr, Mr. Steven Martin from the United States, and Mr. Pierre Peterson from Sweden stood by him during the early stages. They encouraged him to simplify his podcast structure, focus on clarity, and trust the process.
One mentor gave advice that changed his workflow. “Eliminate one phase. Guests do not always have that much time.”
That insight saved time and improved the experience for everyone involved. Generosity defined much of his path. Each guest offered guidance that made him better at listening, better at framing questions, and better at understanding the stories behind the work.
His vision expanded with every conversation.
He wanted to connect across domains and borders. He wanted Tech’o’Space to become a platform that informs, inspires, and stays grounded in human experience.
The story stays simple.
He stepped into tech with hesitation.
He stayed with conviction.
He built a career through curiosity and resilience.
He built a podcast through patience and sincerity.
He built confidence through experience and reflection.
His journey is still unfolding, but there is one thing he sees clearly now.
Possibility always starts where certainty ends. And Akhil has learned to walk straight into that space.
“Last but not the least I would like to laud and thank my dearest friend Mr. Ajithsah Ravisah (editing team), one of the crucial people and members in The Tech’o’Space Podcast Initiative. Without his editing prowess whether it is with the amazing edit cuts and poster designs never would this become a reality of what it is today.”