Turning needs into technical projects
Sunita Shah helps Google's clients turn business needs into projects for technical teams. She works with engineers, data scientists and sales colleagues to understand the problem, agree on what can be built and coordinate the work. Meetings and emails are part of that connecting role, even when the result is less visible than a piece of code.
Learning the value of her skills
A conversation about a small startup led Shah into a job where she learned product management from scratch. Earlier study in economics and international affairs had not pointed to a fixed technology career. Surrounded by developers, she sometimes underestimated her contribution because she was not coding. She came to recognise the value of understanding both technical and business needs.
Being new is part of learning
Shah treats admitting that she does not know an answer, then finding it, as a consulting skill. She did not describe a single crisis about belonging, but did recall uncertainty about which work suited her. For younger listeners, she suggests trying a club, project or internship before ruling it out. Enjoying something can be a reason to keep learning even before you feel good at it.