Setu Shah: Mastering the Art of Technological Alchemy and Human Connection
As industries and societies grapple with the whirlwind of transformation sweeping across the globe, there emerges a crucial need for pioneers who blend visionary foresight with a commitment to comprehensive growth. Setu Shah, Product Strategy Director at Oracle embodies this pivotal role through his journey of exploring and shaping the future of technology and its impact on our world.
Setu’s journey began with the early fascination that many children experience with computers, gadgets, and video games. What started as a simple curiosity about how technology impacts people’s lives, behaviors, imaginations, and businesses evolved into a profound interest in programming and data structures during his academic years. These interests laid the foundation for a career marked by exploration and growth.
Navigating the Nexus of Innovation
Throughout his initial professional career, Setu was captivated by the concepts of problem identification, problem-solving, and ascending the technology roles hierarchy. This appeal guided him through a variety of roles, from tech developer to functional analyst, project manager, and practice leader. His career took a significant turn when he transitioned into OEM presales and product strategy, showcasing his adaptability and willingness to embrace new challenges.
Setu’s mission is to expand the scope, span, and scale of his contributions to generate greater value. His daily pursuits in learning, research, reading, network collaborations, and operations create a dynamic confluence across five key areas of contribution: professional, societal, industry/domain, academic, and personal.
He actively engages in exploring emerging technologies, human capital, and psychology, aiming to develop multidisciplinary assets and solutions that impact at least three of these areas. Setu’s commitment to continuous learning and interdisciplinary exploration fuels his drive to create significant value and advance his contributions across various fields.
From Trials to Triumphs
Setu’s career has been marked by significant learnings derived from his failures and successful, high-risk engagements, which have collectively contributed to building his resilience and a robust “risk mindset.”
- His experience with a startup failure underscored the critical importance of negotiation skills, financial prudence, and sales acumen in running a successful venture.
- The transition from industry roles to freelance consulting, and then to positions at Big Four management consulting firms and in product strategy, resembled the rapid gear shifts of a high-speed race car, reflecting his adaptability and capacity for managing complex changes.
- Regularly stepping out of his comfort zone through migrations across multiple countries, roles, and cultures reinforced a positive, adaptive, and resilient mindset. The significant milestone of shifting from projects and services to product roles allowed Setu to challenge the status quo, driving organizational behavior changes, fostering data-driven decision-making, and achieving transformative commercial success. His international experiences have enhanced his cultural tolerance, inclusivity, and appreciation for diverse perspectives.
Setu is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technology and integrating emerging innovations to streamline HR technology solutions for companies. Under his leadership, Oracle HCM, a comprehensive cloud solution, connects every human resource process and every individual across enterprises.
His mission focuses on helping global companies foster environments where employees feel valued, heard, and engaged. Setu’s expertise spans from classic AI to GenAI, and from secure cloud infrastructure to cognitive analytics, advocating for solutions that are unified, scalable, and secure. Driven by product analytics, his strategy emphasizes a strong customer-centric approach, ensuring that solutions meet the evolving needs of clients while enhancing their overall experience.
Resilience in Adversity
Challenges have served as the greatest source of learning, endurance, and innovation for Setu Shah. The untimely loss of a close family member was profoundly devastating, and he continues to navigate the impact of this personal tragedy. This significant personal challenge has diminished the weight of professional obstacles in his life.
Setu’s failed startup experience initially crushed his spirits, prompting him to focus on his core competencies. As a technology enthusiast, he had previously paid little attention to critical areas such as finance, cash flow, marketing, and sales. However, this failure underscored the importance and power of these elements in running a successful organization. With the unwavering support of his mentors and family, Setu was able to forge a path of learning through academics, professional experiences, and experimentation, leading to his ongoing growth and resilience.
Medals of Merit
Recognition from clients, peers, and team members has been Setu’s greatest motivator, with their feedback serving as his most credible source of evolution. Three awards, in particular, hold a special place in his career, each highlighting a major area of his contributions:
- 40 Under 40 Data Scientist Award 2024 : Issued by Machine Learning Developers Summit 2024 by Analytics India Magazine (Feb 2024) This prestigious award celebrates the brightest leaders in the field of Data Science in India. It recognizes and distinguishes innovative data scientists who are driving the Indian Analytics landscape and shaping the future of the industry.
- India’s Brightest Talents : The Indian Alert’s 40 Under 40 Issued by The Indian Alert (Feb 2024) This accolade honors exceptional individuals under the age of 40 who are making a significant impact in their respective fields. From entrepreneurs to artists, the award recognizes those who are setting new benchmarks and leading with distinction.
- 40 Under 40 Change Maker Award : Issued by Human Resources Association of India (HRAI) (Jun 2023) This award acknowledges professionals and entrepreneurs who are trailblazers and innovators across various sectors. HRAI’s recognition highlights Setu’s role as a transformative force in the HR domain, celebrating his contributions to advancing human resources practices and strategic solutions.
Unleashing Potential and Embracing Growth
Setu Shah shares the following words of wisdom with aspiring leaders:
In Setu’s view, everyone is a hero in their own right. He believes that each person has unique goodness and superpowers, and that success will manifest in individual ways. Rather than competing with one another, Setu emphasizes the importance of collaboration. By working together, we can amplify each other’s strengths and achieve greater results.
Setu also encourages leaders to read more than they did last year. He asserts that immersing oneself in a variety of books and perspectives opens up new worlds of understanding and enriches one’s view of the world. This continuous learning process is essential for personal and professional growth.
He acknowledges that our minds, thoughts, and identities can often imprison us, limiting our potential. Setu reminds aspiring leaders that we all have unlimited capacity for growth and can live lives filled with abundance. The key is to break free from self-imposed limitations and embrace the vast opportunities available.
On a lighter note, Setu advises to make more mistakes and to learn from them. He believes that making mistakes is an invaluable part of the learning process. Additionally, by observing and learning from others’ mistakes, leaders can accelerate their own development and gain deeper insights.
Setu is a staunch advocate of the growth mindset, strategic outlook, and critical thinking. He approaches his work by integrating professional, societal, and personal impacts, emphasizing the importance of investing in emerging technologies, such as AI and its derivatives. By predicting future business and industry trends—such as evolving consumer demands and new business models—Setu ensures that his strategies remain relevant and forward-thinking.
He values the practice of questioning assumptions and actively seeking feedback from diverse sources, which drives customer-centric innovations. Setu believes that fostering psychological safety among collaborators is crucial, as it allows them to experiment with agility and deliver their best work with conviction.
Harmonizing AI and Human Insight for a New Era
Recognizing that the business environment is evolving at an unprecedented pace, Setu maintains that a multi-disciplinary approach is essential. This adaptability enables him to navigate and leverage innovations across various fields, ensuring that his strategies remain effective and impactful.
Setu is a firm believer in the democratization of artificial intelligence, viewing it as a key to unlocking limitless potential and making the future of work, workforce, and workplace more human-centered. He distinguishes between artificial intelligence and consciousness, acknowledging that while AI excels at completing procedural tasks and generating creative ideas, consciousness—rooted in intuition, feeling, and instinct—is essential for humans to identify and solve problems in a deeply empathetic and instinctive manner.
To bridge this gap, Setu is dedicated to investing both efforts and resources into making AI more user-friendly, accessible, and efficient. His goal is to leverage AI to enhance human capabilities rather than replace them, allowing individuals to be more empathetic, cognitive, and authentically human. Through this approach, Setu envisions a future where AI and human consciousness work in harmony to elevate the quality of work and enrich the human experience.
Crafting a Better Tomorrow
Setu aspires to enhance human capabilities by integrating AI insights to foster deeper connections, collaboration, and innovation. His vision is to make work more meaningful, purpose-driven, and relevant by harmonizing technology with a human touch.
In his role in product strategy and management, Setu advocates for data-driven decision-making that combines analytical insights with intuitive understanding. His focus is on optimizing product investments, identifying clusters and patterns in product adoption, and providing personalized recommendations to improve processes and engagement. He is committed to exploring multiple solutions to the question: How can technology and AI alleviate redundant tasks to free up more time for meaningful human interaction at work?
Beyond his professional endeavors, Setu is dedicated to nurturing the next generation. He believes that children hold the key to a brighter community and future. To this end, he plans to upskill, mentor, and inspire young people through inspirational storytelling, gamified idea-thons, and instilling strong values through sports. Setu aims to leave a legacy of empowerment and positive impact, shaping a future where technology and human values coalesce to create a better world.
