Role & Performance (Old)

RESPONSIBILITIES (Finance)

Strategy →

Drives overall Finance, Legal & Business Development Strategy

Work closely with the Executive Team to ensure Finance, Legal & Business Development strategies are in line with business objectives

A big step jump from earlier this year. I’m so pleased to see this progress

SI →

Have a founder’s mentality (Owner not a Renter) → Better Goal Setting

A true finance partner to the CEO and helps drive strategic direction of the organisation

Product planning

Resource allocation

Capital structure

Financial position

Forward looking thinking (M&A etc)

Step up but still not where I’d like it to be - the big question is how do you be more proactive on these matters? Cost optimization is a big example

SI →

1/ Biggest Achievement → The work done on TDS to align teams and enable them to execute quickly

Drives and/or supports fund raising activities

Understands different sources of capital

Can easily model cost of capital

Builds and drives a fund raise plan

Much better than before but still gaps. Why doesn’t meet setup a bi-weekly just on this topic. It’s standing we discuss where we are, any other things on mind

Is aware of external factors and their impact on the business growth (competition, macro, geo-political events, sports etc.)

A true partner to the CEO →

Providing legal advice and guidance to the executives on various matters, such as corporate governance, intellectual property, contracts, and compliance.

Planning →

Drives Finance Planning & Supports Roadmap, Metrics, Budget etc to push the business forward

Gets alignment with cross-functional leaders

Partners with Product/Business/Eng Teams

On the product roadmap, identifies and use the few big levers to push the business forward

Gets alignment with cross-functional leaders

Helps prioritize rigorously and focus on the most important goal

Peer Feedback →

Manish is well-regarded by his peers for his collaborative abilities, and it's always a pleasure to work with him. While there is scope for improvement in collaboration with Sugam, I have never seen an instance where Manish did not proactively offer his hand.

Innovation →

Demonstrates intellectual horsepower by creating and driving DHM ideas

Staying up to date with the latest trends in Finance & beyond

Devises & Deploys Finance, Legal & BD ideas that have a high impact on the business

F2F Matchmaking, TDS

SI →

1/ Biggest Achievement → The work done on TDS to align teams and enable them to execute quickly

2/ Second Biggest Achievement → As a result of deeper understanding of the product, Manish is pushing for product changes such as F2F and driving that initiative with the core teams.

Leading the legal team in providing strategic and operational legal support to the organization's innovation initiatives (Identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal risks associated with new products, services, and technologies)

You have to see the legal teams job as finding workarounds to help product/business teams, not to tell them how and why what they want to do will not work

Operations →

Leads through simple metrics & light process

Operationalizes roadmap with enough forward looking visibility to drive business goals

By identifying key metrics that predict output and prioritises and drives around such metrics with light process

Ensure we have the necessary skills and resources to execute the Finance, Legal & BD roadmap effectively at all times

What does this look like?

SI →

Things that Manish needs to improve

Attention to detail can be lacking, which puts the onus on me. I've seen this a few times now when discussing excels on the runway. The solution to this is utter simplicity. Delete old excels, simplify sheets, and in those sheets, be clear about what are the 4-5 variables that need to be re-checked always

Skilled and successful executioner

Drives day-to-day execution and on top of all metrics and ongoing experiments

Oversee strategic & operational decisions to align all Themes, Proxy Metrics & Tactics with the company's NSM

Always deliver on project goals on time

Very skilled at aligning own and neighbouring teams with a very high focus on team’s productivity

I can see Manish is plugged in and is aware of important changes that have an impact on overall business

Drives Finance Principles, Processes & Systems

A true finance partner to the CEO

Guides the development of all necessary policies and procedures to ensure the sound financial management and control of the company business

Prepare timely and detailed report on financial performance on a monthly/ quarterly and annual basis

Oversee all audit and internal control operations

Drives all record-keeping, reconciliation, transactions, and automations for the same

Ensure adherence to financial, tax laws and guidelines and being an

SI →

Have a founder’s mentality (Owner not a Renter) → Better Goal Setting

Investor Communications & Relationships → Responsible for all investor communication and owns relationships with investors

This is completely dropped - do you not want to be a part of this?

Being involved in this next iteration

Drives Legal Principles, Processes & Systems

Developing and leading internal audit and corporate compliance programs for Hike to be industry-leading in this aspect

Ensure the reliable and timely execution of the company’s legal activities

Draft, review, and negotiate legal contracts with employees, strategic partners, Payment partners, investors, and outsourcing vendors

Managing the company's risk management program, including insurance, indemnification, and protecting company assets

Managing the company's intellectual property portfolio, including trademarks, patents, and copyrights

Participating in fundraising and M&A activities, including reviewing and negotiating term sheets, investment agreements, and due diligence

I can rely on you more from a few quarters ago

Conduct diligent research into legal issues and recommend revisions to Hike as needed across a range of legal documents and agreements. Present the same to the executive team in an easy-to-consume format

Leadership →

True confidante to Founder & CEO

Is an API for all Finance, Legal, Secretarial & BD matters to the CEO

SI →

Have a founder’s mentality (Owner not a Renter) → Better Goal Setting

Reviews →

Conducts superb reviews at the executive level for their pods

A key participant in the other cross-functional leaders’ meetings

weekly, mqr, quarterly

Peer Feedback →

Manish has the potential to improve his communication skills by confidently expressing his viewpoints. It may be helpful for him to thoroughly consider all aspects of his views to increase their chances of acceptance.

During the past six months, Manish has exponentially improved his ability to clearly & succinctly convey his points during weekly meetings.

Extract peak performance from team members

Identify, Build, cultivate, manage, and coach a rockstar team (better than self) to deliver on business goals

Leads a team of Directors & leads from all the 3 functions → Legal, Finance & BD

Builds trust, evangelizes courage, and drives out fear and negativity

Great at motivating and developing their people; invests in peer relationships

Very rarely loses good people. Bad hires are fixed quickly

Focuses on teams inputs such as quality of thinking, ideas > outputs

Has clear principles on how to lead teams

Team contributing to business self directing

SI →

3/ Other Important Achievements →

Managing growing complexity with a small team

Works superbly well with other functional leaders

Integrate finance strategy into company-wide processes and goals

Invests big in peer relationships

Develop deep respect from all leaders (including the ones outside the org): Strategic business partner to the senior leadership team

Incorporates peers views and thinking into his own to evolve finance strategy and operations

Effective at driving change and able to negotiate and build consensus among senior stakeholders

Serve as a vital influencer and escalation point with other internal leaders, customers, and external organizations

Handles conflicts maturely and directly

SI →

3/ Other Important Achievements →

Significant improvement in collaboration and trust with the core product and revenue teams. This has driven much better goal setting. Manish has also been the watchful eye to ensure we cover all bases on goal setting from a financial perspective

Peer Feedback →

Manish is well-regarded by his peers for his collaborative abilities, and it's always a pleasure to work with him. While there is scope for improvement in collaboration with Sugam, I have never seen an instance where Manish did not proactively offer his hand.

As TA to CEO → Partner with CEO and drive ancillary responsibilities that do not yet need a full functional leader

Should we drop TA to CEO?

Excellent communicator

Masterful storyteller

Organized mind and succinct in conversation

Succinct, high signal-to-noise ratio

Communicates complex ideas very well

Scenarios

One on one: clear, effective, efficient, and inspiring

One in many: ‘example setting’ meeting participant

One with many: leader of effective meetings

One to many: effective presenter to large audiences

SI →

Things that Manish needs to improve

Communication - written and verbal. It is highly strange for the Head of Finance in a company not to be involved in writing investor updates. You've been missing from this completely. Pitch deck too. Why? If it's about not having time, then your team is not pulling weight. Let's discuss

Peer Feedback →

Manish has the potential to improve his communication skills by confidently expressing his viewpoints. It may be helpful for him to thoroughly consider all aspects of his views to increase their chances of acceptance.

Cultural champion/Role Model for Hike Code amongst his peers and in his organization

Shows strong leadership - by cultivating an egoless, reality-based, truth-seeking culture amongst team and peers

Is energy positive and peers want to follow you

You’re ‘cool under fire’

Peer Feedback →

Manish showed exceptional dedication to his professional responsibilities, even while going through personal turmoil, and managed to perform his duties to the best of his abilities despite getting little to no sleep. It's truly an exceptional feat!

WORKING WITH KBM/HIKE CODE

Top Talent →

Missionaries & Misfits

You’re a missionary (not a mercenary) - we make better products because we care more

Non conformists and misfits are most welcome

No jerks allowed

Quest for excellence (Something to prove)

Unreasonably high standards and continued desire to raise the bar

Aspiration to be great/excellent → Excellence is just the capacity to take pain. Understands this and chases after it

Little thrashing - gets things right fast

Output is 110% by most standards

Default optimism and enthusiasm (it’s worth 50 IQ points)

Intellectual horsepower

A sponge whose rate of learning and recall is outstanding

Develops ideas which prove to be important

Multi-tasker: Can carry multiple (4-6) "top" priority items simultaneously

Fast and effective context-switching

Can have a laugh

Does not take oneself too seriously

Pro Sports Team →

Winning Mindset

Results driven

Is patient but persistent and has a habit of turning potential losses into wins

High on discipline & consistency

Plays to strengths and relies on other's strength

Trustworthy

Say vs do ratio is high (totally dependable, never flaky)

Total candor - clear about what matters to you

SI →

Build Trust & Collaborate (Pro Sports Team) → The work done on TDS showed Manish building trust, improving his collaboration

Strong Leadership & Collaboration

Has perspective/steady/"cool under fire"

Have backbone and can engage in healthy conflict

Peers love collaborating with & trust him/her (you are energy positive)

Morale, attitude leader. People walk away with more energy. Peers want to follow him/her

A cultural champion for Hike Code amongst his peers and in his organization

Peer Feedback →

Manish is well-regarded by his peers for his collaborative abilities, and it's always a pleasure to work with him. While there is scope for improvement in collaboration with Sugam, I have never seen an instance where Manish did not proactively offer his hand.

Customer Obsession →

Thinks backwards from customers

Take a deep interest in customer behavior (understand their why)

Always keeps that customer in mind and works backwards (in everything you do)

Builds incredible things

Simplifies & builds trust with customers for long-term relationships

Look around the corner for non-obvious but impactful solutions

Delights them with Romantic Value

F2F, TDS

Innovate & Make Magic →

Demonstrates Great Craftsmanship

Values the need for great craftsmanship in innovation

Realising that it takes a lot of work to take an idea and convert it into reality and showing that dedication and not giving up

Understands that value lies in innovation - me too won’t do

Values both types of Innovation - Product & Process

Comfortable with risk

Understands, embraces and is comfortable with the risk that comes with innovation

Owner not a Renter →

Have a Founder’s Mentality

Takes radical responsibility for your work, emotions and relationships (no finger pointing)

Isn’t just a problem spotter, solves problems pro-actively

Always find a way and care only about results (not who gets credit/blame)

SI →

Have a founder’s mentality (Owner not a Renter) → Better Goal Setting

Self Directing

⁠

Leads > Manages → Solves problems proactively (story

⁠

)

Anticipates what CEO wants and is right most of the time

Takes things off the CEO’s plate, not add to it

Keeps CEO informed but not constantly looking above for direction

Abstracts complexity by being the API for role

Company First in Attitude and Actions

Company Ambition >= Self Ambition

Non-political, fcoonot empire builder, not spin doctor, not brown-noser (with no iota of doubt)

Understands win-win, never hedges, doesn’t have hidden agenda

Peer Feedback →

Manish's unwavering consistency in displaying this trait is truly remarkable, making him an exceptional model of soundness at Hike.

Think Deeply →

Goes Beyond Shallow Thinking

You are comfortable being ‘mind deep’ across all your projects

Obsesses to simplify your thinking → You assume less as you understand that quality of thinking is inversely proportional to number of assumptions

Understands and uses first principle and second-order thinking

Peer Feedback →

Manish has the potential to improve his communication skills by confidently expressing his viewpoints. It may be helpful for him to thoroughly consider all aspects of his views to increase their chances of acceptance.

SI →

Go Beyond Shallow Thinking (Think Deeply) → F2F product changes

Strategic & Systems Thinker

A systems thinker and understands how levers interact to affect the business equation

Can zero into key risks and nets out issues with ease

Understand our customer & business levers better than I do

Ability to think at an abstract level

SI →

1/ Biggest Achievement → The work done on TDS to align teams and enable them to execute quickly

2/ Second Biggest Achievement → As a result of deeper understanding of the product, Manish is pushing for product changes such as F2F and driving that initiative with the core teams.

Can incorporate time into decision making

Both short term and long term focused

Stays ahead of the curve through second order thinking

Can think in decades (it avoids a lot of bad behaviour)

Move Fast →

Value Speed & Works at KBM’s Pace

You move fast and agrees that the standard pace is for slow pokes

You avoid hierarchy (less work about work, just work)

Use me as a force to move forward faster (escalate where slow) (see

this

⁠

)

Continuously align with me as you iterate your thinking (see

this

⁠

)

TDS, F2F, Runway

Fast & High Quality Decision Maker

Make quick decisions with 70% information (not perfect certainty)

Create momentum in execution & proactively bring clarity to others

Understand reversible vs non-reversible decisions and take risks accordingly

TDS, F2F, Runway

Be Curious & Keep Learning →

Tinker & Iterate Constantly

Get real world feedback asap (build, test early, find failures and adapt)

Mistakes will happen. You tell me early so we can catch and solve quickly

Get dopamine from improving your ideas (and not having them validated)

Beyond the Comfort Zone

Step outside your comfort zone & be insatiably curious

Comfortable with change and feedback

No job as beneath you

Anti-Fragile

Deal well with failure and (you don’t want to fail but you can’t be afraid of it)

Setbacks make you stronger

Seek truth over trying to look good

Dream Big →

Courageous & Bold

Thinks unconstrained and is not afraid to set big stretch goals

Bring ordered sense to crazy ideas

Courageous, bold and keeps surprising us with unexpected excellence

Cost exercise e.g.

Long-term Thinker

Prioritizes long-term value over short-term gratification

Comfortable being misunderstood in the short-term for long-term gains

Taking full charge of capital requirements

Opportunistic

Short-term opportunism to accelerate progress towards big dreams

Think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers

TDS, F2F

Stay Fit & Manage Your Energy →

Realise energy is a vital input to building great things

Stays Fit

You stay fitter than most (mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually)

You realise this itself is hard work

SI →

Things that Manish needs to improve

Energy & Stress Management - I think you've come a long way since the beginning of the year. But we have more room to unlock more energy in you.

Lead above the line

Live in creative > victim consciousness

Play infinite games with me and the team (over finite games)

Constant search for seek the truth/best answers over trying to look good

1. Overall Performance Rating

2. Responsibilities, Skills & Core Values