How did you come up with the name Skcript?
Well, we started out designing code. And for anything to turn out amazing, it needs a strong foundation. So when we thought code, the word ‘script’ seemed to fit because a strong script results in a great movie and clean code results in a well-designed product. So, we tried getting the domain ‘script.com’ but that was already taken. So we put in an S and K which are the first letters from our names and we ended up with ‘Skcript’ and thankfully the domain was available and that’s how Skcript came about!
Imagine that you’re given a million dollars, what will be the first thing that you do?
We think most of that money will be put into R&D and Infrastructural developments, because we believe that’s where it can be put to best use. Our workplace and culture is something that we’re proud of, and we believe the better we can make that, the further we can push ourselves. The rest of the money will be used to take the team on a well-deserved vacation. The destination wouldn’t be something out of the blue, but somewhere where the design and culture inspires us. We want our team to experience the highest culture and quality of life, somewhere like New York, or somewhere to draw design inspiration from, like Rome.
What will your reaction be, if Apple said they’re closing down? What is one thing that Apple does better than Google and Tesla?
We would be very sad. We really think if Apple closes down, it would mark the beginning of the end; the tech apocalypse. Apple is one company that every other company looks up to, be it Tesla, Facebook or even Google. If Apple is falling down, then I don’t see how any other company could stay afloat. Something that Apple does very well is how they plan for the future. They see the big picture, something like 5 years down the road. They are able to predict technology far ahead of the present, and that’s what sets them apart from everyone else. For example, the way they handled their new APFS file system deployment to over a billion existing devices. They have actually released it to different sets of devices in prior updates for testing, which they could then resolve and patch in the next update. They managed to test an entirely new file system and release it without a single glitch to all of its devices simultaneously. They have gone from idea to release to 1.2 billion devices in 24 months, and that’s something only Apple can do flawlessly, and without fragmentation.
What other incredible thing did you guys do, other than charging your laptops from the car battery? ( Click here to Learn more )
When we were almost under, we needed to generate funds quickly. So we came up with a really quick hack for friendship day that could last us for the next few months. We wrote a really quick Javascript code that let’s users customise a fireworks animation depending on the user’s input in the URL, and it quickly became viral and went far beyond our expectations. We didn’t realize that initially, but as soon as we found out it was gaining traction, we slapped a couple of ads onto it. We got quite a bit of revenue, something that would keep us rolling for a few months. This was one of the craziest things that has happened! But the most outrageous thing was the rewriting of Shrink. We took 10 months worth of work and rewrote the entire thing in 2 days. We decided we weren’t happy with the quality of the code and we were still learning, so we just wrote it all again. After this the product worked great, they were no more glitches and we were able to scale it as well.
Our (inside) sources have revealed that you guys shake hands as an act of romance. 😉 If you had to pick a new gesture to replace the handshakes, what would it be?
High Fives! (while high five - ing). We’re scared to hug because it’ll turn into a group hug and it’ll just be a big mess 😅
In the longer run, what is the one thing that you feel will always be the trademark of Skcript?
The quality and the way our culture is conveyed to our team members. We don’t see quality as something we should put in additional work for, because the product should always come with the highest quality. If it’s not the best it can be, then it’s an unfinished product, simple as that. If something doesn’t work, you fix it. Our culture is important to us. It’s not something you write down or distribute to everybody through a book, it’s something you learn over time through your experiences here. We treat everybody like adults, and there aren’t any hard and fast rules. We’ve been through a lot with this company, and we would like to share the good things with everybody. We really are a family.
Which place (city or country) will be your first option for a second Skcript HQ?
S: Chennai is where we are from, and where we would like to stay. We don’t feel the need to go anywhere else. Our culture and work ethic is tied with the city.
Google I/O or Apple’s WWDC?
Apple’ WWDC (unanimously, at the same time, and within 0.2 seconds of asking the question, basically without thinking about it!)
Chips or Vadam?
S: Chips. Easy. 😛
Merc or Audi?
K: Merc 🚘
Management or Development?
K: I like both equally. I tend to veer towards design a bit more but if I had to pick a favourite among these, I’d say that managing is something that I enjoy doing.
S: For me, for a long time it’s been development - coding is something which I’ll always love doing. And I think I speak for the both of us when I say this - what we really love doing is managing the team, making sure that everything is on track and ensuring that we have a smooth workflow at office. That’s something that is really important to us.
Is it easier to hold your CXO position even after marriage? Do you agree to disagree?
We don’t think that there’s a difference when it comes to running Skcript. Skcript continues to be our number one priority and this is our dream and we’re here in it for the long run. Outside of the company, yes we have our own life together but when we walk into office it’s always about achieving higher than the previous day.
If a book had to be written on Skcript’s legacy, what would you name it?
We wouldn’t call it a ‘book on our legacy’ but rather a ‘how to make it big in this game’ guide. And if we that guide were to be written, it’ll be about the what we faced earlier while setting up and what dreams we have for Skcript in the future and it would be titled “The Only Investment you need is Rs.250”
Tell the world what your ultimate job role is [to Karthik]?
K: Yes, I am a CEO/Designer/Developer 😂 (because every one hour his job description changes) As a CEO, I think it’s important that I stay flexible and collaborate with everyone to work. I believe in making leaders and that’s what I want to achieve with my team as well.
Skcript is perceived as an elite company meant for the big shots and those who are rich in terms of wealth. Is that the image you wanted to portray?
We think that people perceive being rich as having money. No, that’s not it. If we’re perceived as rich, it’s because our quality of work is rich. What we want to put out there are some really well-designed products that speak for themselves. The richness should show in the way the product is designed and portrayed and not by it’s price tag.
Why is it that Skcript never compromises on the quality of design? Many start-ups do that - they compromise on the quality and have a lot of money rolling in. Is there any incident or moral belief behind this that you follow?
When we talk about building products that are well-designed that’s because we get into designing a product that we would like to use. We make products that we would like to use and then we put them out knowing that they’re made really well. We would like to quote a piece of advice that Steve Jobs heard from his father - ‘you have to look at all the sides while designing any product that you want to use’ and the same philosophy applies to us too - we don’t do anything half-baked and that stands true for our products as well.
Skcript started three years ago, the team back then was different from what it is now. Do you think having a core constant team and working with them is better or undergoing changes in the team and working with different minds now is better?
Yes, we have had changes in our team and it’s tied to the change in interest that people have - we have to be able to accommodate for that as well. A few of the people from our team have wanted to take a different path career-wise and we have respected that. You can’t always get lost in the path that a person wanted to take because it’s important to bounce back and focus on what’s on hand. We truly believe that the ones who believe in Skcript will always stay and we firmly stand by that. That being said, we’re very happy with the team we have now because we have newer heights and we’re tasting success now thanks to the team that we have.
The strategy and rules followed back in the old days is a lot different from what we have now. What made you make the necessary changes?
See, the culture that we followed then is a lot different than the one that we have now. And we think that this largely translates to the people that we have. What we want to promote is a happy environment while at work - a place where people can have fun while working, that’s what we want. 😃
How do you feel about the present Skcript family?
This is definitely going to take a while!
Varun - When we started making decisions about starting the company, one of the people we decided early on is Varun - he’s one of the most rad guys that we’ve ever met! Varun for us is like family. He’s someone who’s been there from the very beginning of Skcript’s journey and no matter where we go and what we do, Varun is part of it by default. We’ve known him right from the time we began Skcript and when it comes to the team, Varun is someone who is indispensable.
Naveen - Naveen is someone who we’ve seen grow consistently because he’s gone from writing very elementary code to doing some kickass AI work. He’s quick to learn and his understanding of algorithms and formulas is way too good. And this is what we’ve always wanted from our team - to be smarter than the founders 😄
Dikson - He’s just this gem of a person. We’ve seen him go from strength to strength and the best thing about him is self-management. He sets his own tasks each day and he can predict what he has for the next and he sets his own targets and achieves them. We don’t have to go behind him for updates, it’s already done by the time we ask!
Praveen - When we first interviewed him, we were very skeptical about bringing him on board because we thought he wouldn’t even turn up for work daily, but cut to now - he’s such a hard worker and he sets his own vision where he finds what’s new, he works on it and then implements it and that quality is something that’s very good.
Hareessh - Hareessh’s work is very meticulous - he looks into the littlest of details, he’s able to see what the user wants and he’s very empathetic - which are very qualities a designer is known for. His designs are top notch and to get to that he goes through the minutest of things and makes them even better, that’s why he’s so good at what he does.
Sankriti - It’s easy for anyone to announce a blog post, but creating a brand value around that post is tricky - but she’s been able to do that and that’s how people are now recognizing us for our work. We love how she takes command over a client meeting and even though we pull her leg a lot, she’s got this amazing personality to take it lightly and focus on the next important thing.
Pankaj - A lot of the things that we’re doing now would be next to impossible if it weren’t for Pankaj. She is someone whom we can trust with managing the team when we’re not around - she makes sure that everyone is working, that all our projects are on track and she can also tell the developer what a client needs, and for her to be able to do that is very commendable.
This interview was transcribed and co-authored by Srihari M , our Marketing Intern.