Anish Mathew
Senior Product Marketing Manager
Years with Zoho
Years with Zoho
What did you want to be while growing up?
I never had/have a clear answer to this. I am still figuring that out as I am growing.
A leader that inspires you
I like leaders who lead by example, protect their team, and fight for what they believe in. I am inspired by anyone who does these better than me.Your go-to comfort food?
Coconut bun :)
Describe your current role in the organization.
I help our sales team and partners overcome customer objections. I also lead sales enablement for Zoho’s CX suite.
What role does Zoho’s company culture play in your identity and the work that you do?
Zoho taught me that you get second chances in your life. Until Zoho, I used to think there was only one chance and you had to take it. That used to add immense pressure on me. Zoho reshaped that thinking for me. This changed my attitude towards myself, others, and the world as well—forgive, forget, and try again.
What were the highest and lowest points of your journey with Zoho?
Years after I left as the lead of a Zoho team, the current manager pinged me one day. He said that many of the team members were thankful to me and they expressed that publicly in a team meeting. That was a surprise to me because it was a team that I built more through passion than relationships. I was striving to make the team the best one but I had wondered if I developed a personal connection with my team. The fact that my team took it the right way—and saw what I was trying to do—remains the highest point in Zoho.
One time, in 2020, I forgot to attend a meeting that I had called for myself. I was going through a personal setback then, but that moment still remains one of my lowest points.
Your most embarrassing blunder?
I have been a person who tried to get everything right the first time—elaborate preparations! It never occurred to me, until recently, that beautiful work is an iterative process. It is the outcome of repeated failures and renewed effort. It never ends. Something so obvious, but I was oblivious to it. I feel this mindset was an embarrassing blunder.
What are your hobbies or favorite activities outside of work?
I like to repair things and solve small household problems. I am trying to follow a motto: reduce, reuse, repair. Extending the usable life of things gives me a high. Doing experiments, for example, figuring out the time it takes for a geyser to heat water under different conditions, also gives me satisfaction.
Words of Wisdom
Aim to achieve clarity—“Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya.” Leaders are ones who can take us from darkness to light. If you want to be a good leader, you have to see light, achieve clarity. Read wide, think deep, build an internal feedback loop.