A successful enterprise comes with its own story, and there is no such perfect time to bring an idea to existence. But this household name started a bit differently.
During the era when the startup culture was gaining momentum in India, the founding members of Divami found their calling in the specialized realm of UX & UI Design. It was a period when the startup ecosystem was evolving and taking shape.
In the midst of this dynamic era marked by the emergence of innovative concepts and the successful introduction of new products and apps, there was a glaring gap in the startup landscape. Despite the excitement surrounding the startup culture, one crucial element for a product's success—User Experience and Design (UX/UI)—remained relatively unexplored.
The dire need and gap were quickly observed by the team, which they could fill, and they never looked back. Soon, Divami was brewed.
What started initially as a product startup has fruitfully revolutionized itself into a leader offering a comprehensive set of best-in-class UX & UI Design services. It was for both consumer-centric and enterprise application providers.
To gain insight into the secret recipe behind this decade-old expertise, Startup City magazine interviewed Mr. Naveen Puttagunta, who chairs as the CEO and co-founder at Divami. The leader dished out his heart over a host of issues in line with the operations of Divami. Here are the edited excerpts of the same…
Simply put, it is our team's collective vision: "To be recognized as a UX Studio with global impact." Since our start, we have been committed to delivering designs that are exceptional, innovative, out-of-the-box, and most importantly, a class apart from the rest.
Our emphasis on user research and analysis ensures that we diagnose the right pain point of our clients and their end users. Our approach is rooted in teamwork, fostering trust, and ensuring accountability in every project. What truly distinguishes us is our well-established process and meticulous attention to detail.
We strongly believe in "We are only as successful as our work is." Clients approach us because of our drive for perfection and quality. It has become the hallmark of our work.
It all stems from the collective effort of a passionate team that believes in making a difference in the world of Design. We believe in bringing fabulous designs to the most mundane of tasks. Therefore, a great user experience should not just be limited to the techno-elite.
"With the proliferation of mobile apps throughout the fabric of our society, User experience and design matter to everyday lives, and we want to make a difference in that experience through our designs."
Our client base comprises small to midsize product and SaaS companies, as well as corporate departments spearheading Digital Transformation initiatives in both the US and India. We reach out to them through a combination of networking, referrals, and digital marketing efforts.
Additionally, Entrepreneurs coming up with new products also approach us via mentoring sessions, grassroots activities, conferences, etc.
"I believe it all comes down to three factors. Firstly, our focus on delivering perfection and quality, and secondly, our absolute commitment to customer satisfaction.
There are several instances where we went above and beyond what was called for to ensure that our clients are delighted with us. We have to balance these with keeping our staff happy and motivated."
Whether a startup or not, hiring, and that too for design companies, is particularly tough. Firstly, the talent pool for top-notch UI and UX Designers is very narrow.
So, it becomes more like choosing the rarest of the rare. Second, in this competitive market, if there is something that design companies are aggressive on, then it has to be getting the best designers on board, which in turn makes the hiring even tougher.
Third and the most important thing is talent retention. As much as hiring is difficult, retaining your best talent is equally tough, if not more. Thus, the onus is on the hiring manager to not just hire the best talent but also have a roadmap for them for better engagement and retention.
One of the stand-out aspects of Divami is the work culture. It is all about freedom of expression, fun, being you, trying new things, a happy atmosphere to work in, a shared passion for new challenges, and most importantly, the feeling of being part of what we call the "Divami Family" where everyone is treated equally and with respect.
While continuing on our journey to maintain leadership as one of the best UI/UX Design Studios in India, we want to be counted as a significant player with a global impact in the next 3 years.
We want to gain expertise in new areas and expand our footprint – both geographically and in areas of business.
The great potential offered by new technologies like AI and AR/VR poses major challenges as well as huge opportunities, especially in the design field. We want to establish ourselves as a leader in these areas over the next few years.
"Firstly, Know the customer and their pain point. No matter how great you are at technology or marketing or finance, or the 100 other factors that are important to the business, if you are not solving the right problem the right way, you can never get off the ground.
Second – while ideas are important, success only comes with great execution. We have seen time and again that being first to the market is not what matters – whoever excels at execution is the one who wins. Finally, follow your heart, but also listen to your mind."
CEO & Founder
Naveen possesses a wealth of experience spanning diverse industries, with a strong background in UX Design, Databases, and Enterprise Software.
His expertise is particularly concentrated in product planning, strategy development, and providing direction in technology-related matters. Before his move to Hyderabad, he was in a product management role at GoldenGate Software (an Oracle acquisition).
Prior to that, he dedicated more than a decade to Sybase (now part of SAP), where he held several positions in both product management and engineering. His tenure culminated in a leadership role where he oversaw product management for enterprise databases, replication solutions, and data access product lines.
Naveen has a Business degree from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Houston, Houston, and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from BITS, Pilani, India.
Chief Designer & Executive Director
In a career spanning over 15 years, Prathima has held various positions in Software Development and Design. For the last 7+ years, she has been an integral part of Divami's journey and provides the vision and design direction for Divami.
Before Divami, starting with a short stint at Peoplesoft (now part of Oracle) as a QA Engineer, Prathima spent several years developing and managing software for Synopsys' IT group.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Siddhartha Engineering College and a Master in Computer Science from California State University.
