The captain thing.
Before I ever ran a product org, I learned to lead on eight wheels. I never really stopped.
I learned to skate at school, the same school where I now coach. Somewhere between the first fall and the first trophy, roller hockey stopped being just a sport and became the place I learned everything I still use: reading a fast situation, making the call under pressure, carrying a team through a bad quarter.
I went on to captain the Chandigarh state team, and we took Silver at the Nationals. A wall of medals at home tells the rest of that story. And I never stopped playing. In 2025 I turned out for the Hyderabad Heroes in the Roller Hockey Premier League, and we finished first runner-up.
What it taught me
Captaincy is the job where you're accountable for the outcome but you don't take the shots. Your team does. You set the play, trust your people, and take the blame first. I've never found a better description of product leadership.
