Hey Pranab! Can you share your journey into gaming?
‍Thanks, Himanshu! I studied Computer Science at Assam Engineering College and began my career with TCS before moving into the e-commerce sector. I joined Junglee Games over two years ago, and it’s been an exciting shift. Here, I get to align tech strategy with business goals, balancing urgent priorities with long-term investments.

How do you align tech and business at Junglee Games?
‍In gaming, we face intense, high-frequency challenges. For instance, during IPL, we get "Black Friday" traffic every day for 60-70 days straight. This high scale brings engineering challenges that require quick adaptation to keep systems stable while delivering a smooth user experience. It’s an engineer’s paradise to work on such dynamic systems that directly impact user engagement.

How do you keep lean teams productive and avoid burnout?
‍My leadership philosophy focuses on three core values: trust, job enjoyment, and working at the peak of our capabilities. Lean teams thrive on collaboration, and clear visibility into how each member’s work impacts the business is crucial. We maintain open communication with one-on-ones, team syncs, and monthly meetings to keep everyone aligned and engaged.

‍How do you keep lean teams productive and avoid burnout?
‍My leadership philosophy focuses on three core values: trust, job enjoyment, and working at the peak of our capabilities. Lean teams thrive on collaboration, and clear visibility into how each member’s work impacts the business is crucial. We maintain open communication with one-on-ones, team syncs, and monthly meetings to keep everyone aligned and engaged.

What’s your approach to balancing speed and quality?
For us, speed and quality go hand-in-hand. We break down large projects into smaller, testable chunks to gather quick feedback and refine each part. It’s similar to the MVP approach from Lean Startup test, learn, and iterate. This lets us move fast while ensuring quality and scalability.

How has Gen AI changed your work as a leader?
Gen AI has brought big productivity gains through tools like code generators and chatbots. But while these tools are efficient, they don’t create lasting differentiation. To make a long-term impact, we integrate AI into core product flows, making it a strategic part of our business and tech roadmap.

Advice for engineers entering gaming in leadership roles?
Gaming offers unique challenges at scale, so it’s rewarding for engineers who enjoy high-impact work. My advice for new leaders is to stay humble, support your team with the right resources, and always be authentic. Technology is evolving fast, so keep learning and remember that, especially in lean teams, every role has a direct impact on business outcomes.