Latest news with #ex-Microsoft
Economic Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
With AI at the core, Heizen has a new model for software development at scale
Aman Arora, Co-Founder & CEO at Heizen. Historically, software releases were achieved through immense scale, increased engineering, prolonged cycles, and ever-growing expenses. Heizen, a young startup working between Bengaluru and San Francisco, is providing a distinct alternative to this model. Heizen achieves faster and leaner high-quality software with measurable outcomes by integrating AI agents into small, agile engineering teams. The company recently raised $500,000 in pre-seed funding from Titan Capital and Aman Arora, CEO and Co-founder of Heizen, says the capital is not for experimentation, but to build foundational infrastructure for scale. 'We have spent the last year proving that a new model of software delivery is not only possible, it is inevitable. AI agents working alongside elite engineers unlock a 10x improvement in how software gets built,' Arora said. Arora, who previously held leadership roles at JP Morgan and IHS Markit, co-founded Heizen with Abhilasha Singh, an ex-Microsoft engineering lead with a master's in Machine Learning from TU Munich, and Nijansh Verma, a GTM leader based in San Francisco. Together, they are building what they describe as the next generation of software delivery infrastructure, blending machine precision with human judgment. Smaller teams, smarter systems Heizen focuses on pods: compact, cross-functional groups comprising engineers, designers, and AI agents. Each of these agents has a specific purpose: Helix writes code, the PM Agent plans sprints, and others handle deployment and QA. The goal is to eliminate waste, enabling humans to focus on high-impact work like planning, debugging, and strategy. 'A typical codebase migration that takes three to six months in a traditional setup can now be completed in just three weeks,' Arora explained. 'AI agents handle the execution work in parallel, while senior engineers oversee direction and quality.' Today, 30 to 40 percent of Heizen's delivery cycle is already powered by agents, and that number is increasing each month. Investor backing Titan Capital was the startup's first choice for investment, due to funds and shared conviction. 'They saw what others didn't—that the future of software delivery isn't about adding more people, but building smarter systems,' Arora said. 'Kunal and Rohit understood from the start that engineers remain critical even in an AI-first world. They have backed that belief with support, clarity, and experience.' Titan is not involved in daily operations but actively helps Heizen grow through strategy and Pasricha, Vice President at Titan Capital says the Heizen team had a level of clarity and purpose that is rare at the pre-seed stage. 'Their understanding of how artificial intelligence can be embedded meaningfully into the software development process is both practical and forward-looking. What stood out to us was their focus on delivering real value through a combination of strong engineering practices and thoughtful product design. Aman and his co-founders have built a model that prioritises outcomes, client alignment, and execution speed, without compromising on quality. We see long-term potential in the way they are approaching this space, and we are pleased to support their journey from the very beginning," Pasricha says. From pricing to delivery Heizen has also moved away from traditional pricing models. Rather than hourly billing or tracking engineers, the company bills based on results. Clients pay for value, not has gained popularity with early-stage startups and mid-market teams, especially in SaaS, AI tools, and customer success platforms. These companies often need quick turnarounds, product-level thinking, and strong execution from day one. Heizen says weekly sprints let them release new features and workflows while avoiding inflexible delivery schedules. Recently, the company helped a B2B SaaS startup with customer insights integration across Salesforce, Gong, and product data, and modernised a 30-year-old legacy system for a biomedical enterprise. 'These teams are building fast and can't wait six months for delivery. They are looking for speed, precision, and deep integration of AI tools into their stack,' said Arora. Heizen says it is already clocking over 100 sprints a month, and the team is gearing up to scale that to 1,000 as the platform matures. They anticipate reaching $10 million ARR in the next 12-18 months, given their current company continues to focus on the U.S. market, despite rising interest from European and Southeast Asian founders and innovation teams. 'If we're stepping into a new market, we want to be sure we can show up with the same level of speed and execution our clients already count on,' said Arora. Future forward India's IT sector has been recently in the news because of large-scale layoffs, which has substantially increased the number of people on the hunt for a job. Heizen, however, says it isn't heavily recruiting from big IT layoffs, but is keeping an eye out for talents wanting new challenges. Heizen says it wants engineers who are curious, product-focused, full-stack generalists ready to work alongside AI. 'There's a growing wave of engineers in India who want to solve harder problems, who are tired of assembly-line delivery. Those are the people we are building this team with,' said global tech services enter a period of recalibration, Heizen says it is working on a different tempo—fast, focused, and AI-native by design. There is no attempt to upend the legacy giants or declare disruption. The idea is simple but potent: develop a quicker, more intelligent software delivery method, iteration by iteration.
Mint
08-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Bill Gates loses $52 billion in a week, drops out of top 10 world's richest persons list. Know how and why
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is no longer among the world's top 10 wealthiest persons after he lost over $52 billion during the past seven days. The billionaire, who once ruled high on the coveted Bloomberg Billionaire's list, dropped to the 12th position as markets closed on Monday. As of July 8, Bill Gates' net worth is $124 billion, as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Seven days ago, his net worth was a staggering $172 billion. This means that the ex-Microsoft CEO lost 30 per cent of his net worth in the past seven days. In the past one day, Bill Gates' net worth plummeted by $351 million, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His latest losses has rendered Gates falling behind Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, Google-parent Alphabet's co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Here is what we know about Bill Gates' net worth and why it has fallen. The abrupt decline of Bill Gates' wealth stems from his large charity contributions and donations to the Gates Foundation. In a blog in May this year, the Microsoft co-founder shared that he had $108 billion in net wealth and had committed to donate almost all of it towards charity in the next 20 years. He estimated that the Gates Foundation might spend over $200 billion before closing by the end of 2045 in charity. 'On the occasion of its 25th year, the Gates Foundation today made a new commitment to accelerate its mission to help all people live healthy, productive lives by spending $200 billion over the next 20 years. The decision marks a major acceleration in the foundation's work and sets a new date of 2045 to sunset its operations,' as per the blog post. Gates currently owns about 1 per cent stake in Microsoft and has received $60 billion worth of stocks and dividends. The Microsoft co-founder has been replaced by Steve Ballmer, his colleague and ex-Microsoft CEO in a remarkable feat by a former employee in comparison to the one who founded it. Steve Ballmer, who quit as Microsoft CEO in 2014, now stands in the 5th position of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with a net worth of $172 billion. 1. Elon Musk - $361 billion 2. Mark Zuckerberg - $254 billion 3. Larry Ellison - $253 billion 4. Jeff Bezos - $244 billion 5. Steve Ballmer - $172 billion 6. Larry Page - $163 billion 7. Bernard Arnault - $161 billion 8. Sergey Brin - $152 billion 9. Warren Buffett - $146 billion 10. Jensen Huang - $139 billion
NDTV
08-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Bill Gates No Longer In Top 10 Richest List After Net Worth Falls By 30%
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is no longer among the 10 richest people in the world after losing $52 billion in net worth in a matter of seven days. Mr Gates' net worth plummeted by a staggering 30 per cent when his charity contributions were recalculated, as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Mr Gates was replaced in fifth position by his former assistant and ex-Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, who now has a higher net worth of $172 billion. The co-founder went from fifth to twelfth on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index after his net worth dropped from nearly $175 billion to $124 billion following the recalculation. In the rankings, Mr Gates is now behind long-time friend and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, Google-parent Alphabet's co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Here's a list of the 12 richest people as of July 4, 2025: Elon Musk - $361 billion Mark Zuckerberg - $254 billion Larry Ellison - $253 billion Jeff Bezos - $244 billion Steve Ballmer - $172 billion Larry Page - $163 billion Bernard Arnault - $161 billion Sergey Brin - $152 billion Warren Buffett - $146 billion Jensen Huang - $139 billion Michael Dell - $138 billion Bill Gates - $124 billion Mr Gates' personal wealth abruptly declined as a result of his large charity contributions and the Gates Foundation donation. They claimed to modify the appreciation rates to "better reflect Mr Gates' outside charitable giving and the wealth estimate" he shared in a May blog post. In the blog, he said he had $108 billion in net wealth and committed to donating almost all of it over the next 20 years through the Gates Foundation. The foundation will have spent over $200 billion before closing by the end of 2045, he estimated. Mr Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, gave the Gates Foundation an astounding $60 billion by the end of December 2024. He currently owns around one per cent of Microsoft and has received dividends and stock worth approximately $60 billion. Mr Ballmer has surpassed his former boss in wealth, a remarkable accomplishment for an ex-employee in comparison to the company's founder. This is mostly because Microsoft changed its early compensation agreement from profit-sharing to stock. Mr Ballmer took over as CEO in 2000 and exited in 2014, leaving with a 4 per cent ownership stake. His fortune has increased dramatically over the last 10 years due to the rise in Microsoft's shares.
Business Insider
03-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Microsoft laid me off twice in 6 months. Here's how I'm moving forward and why I'd still return.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Patrick Lyons, a 29-year-old ex-Microsoft employee, based in Austin. It's been edited for length and clarity. After five years at Microsoft, the last three of which I was a product manager for Microsoft Teams, I felt fulfilled and completely secure in my job. I learned new things every day, pushed boundaries, and collaborated with brilliant minds. I saw how people needed me and called upon me at work for my expertise, and it brought me a real sense of purpose. I had also been running three side businesses outside of work for several years, namely an online fitness coaching company. This allowed me to pursue my fitness passion while having bidirectional income streams. I had no plans for anything to change. Then, in October 2024, I woke up to an early call from my VP letting me know that my role had been permanently eliminated due to business restructuring. I was shocked, but my next thought was, " How can I get rehired?" During my unemployment, I enjoyed my hobbies The next day, I started looking at Microsoft's internal job portal, which I'd only have access to for two more weeks. I didn't have any success in that period, so I started applying to jobs at other companies while keeping an eye on Microsoft openings. Despite the stress about my sudden layoff, I was financially stable because of my businesses and a generous severance. I spent the next few months applying to jobs and pouring my time into hobbies like improv comedy, fitness, and movies. It was one of the best times of my life. I started having such a good time away from work that a big part of me started questioning if I shouldn't go back to corporate at all and just fully commit to my fitness businesses. I kept finding myself coming back to how much I missed Microsoft I missed the ritual of logging into Microsoft Teams, doing my job, and collaborating with the same great people. I loved feeling as though I was really contributing to something larger than myself. Microsoft's work culture is unbeatable. The idea of a growth mindset was tangible in our daily work, and our expectation was not to be a "know-it-all" but a "learn-it-all." I was surrounded by brilliant minds who wanted to help me become just as brilliant, not put me down for making mistakes or questioning the status quo. A few months into unemployment, a former mentor of mine at Microsoft forwarded my résumé to a hiring manager, and I got rehired at Microsoft as a program manager for Azure, a cloud computing platform. I got rehired and laid off in two months When I returned to Microsoft, I treated my job the same as before, but I doubled down on my communication to make sure I was always on the same page with my team and superiors. It might sound counterintuitive, but I felt even more job security this second time around, because Microsoft had invested a massive amount of money into Azure. Two months later, I woke up to a nearly identical message inviting me to a meeting where I would be laid off again. It was so jarring. I've already started applying to jobs again, but to be honest, I would still go back to Microsoft if I had the chance. Even though Microsoft can be political at times, as there is a clear hierarchical structure in which you often have to cater to leaders' preferences, I feel as though I've learned how to navigate it. I can't always just "do" things; I need to consistently present and seek out buy-ins from various leaders. My advice for people going through layoffs I've stayed so level-headed while navigating two layoffs because I have diverse income streams. My businesses allow me to completely support myself and remain in a comfortable financial position. However, I'm still choosing to seek out full-time employment because of health insurance and my desire for multiple streams of income. I don't think it's possible to be lay-off proof, but you can limit the ability of a layoff to cause harm to your life. If you have something outside of work that you're passionate about that you can realistically monetize, do it.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
She flies 1,000 km every week for work: Why this AI executive calls her ten hour commute the best career move?
When most people think of long commutes , they picture a frustrating hour in traffic or a crowded train ride. But for Janet Lee, leading go-to-market strategy at a rising AI startup , the daily grind takes a dramatically different shape. Every week, she boards a 7 a.m. flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco , spending nearly five hours door-to-door each way — and does it all over again by Friday night. For her, it's not a sacrifice; it's a strategy. This unusual rhythm, which might seem overwhelming to many, has become the backbone of her professional rise — and an unorthodox recipe for long-term growth. Face-to-Face > Zoom: The Power of Proximity Speaking to CNBC Make It, Lee explained that what started as an impulsive decision turned into a game-changing career move. 'Being in the room changes everything,' she says. In a city like San Francisco, where the AI scene buzzes with innovation and off-the-record networking, proximity isn't just a perk — it's a power move. Her current role at AI startup daydream came out of one such face-to-face interaction. A conversation over SEO unexpectedly turned into a job offer, despite her having no formal background in sales. "Is it crazy if we brought you on?" a new connection asked. She didn't hesitate. The lesson: spontaneous opportunities like this don't usually knock through screens. She credits her success — including the last three jobs she's landed — to being physically present in the right spaces. 'Those doors don't open over Zoom,' she says. You Might Also Like: Nikhil Kamath's 'lifelong learning' advice is only step one: Stanford expert shares the key skills needed to survive the AI takeover Torn Between Ambition and Belonging; So She Chose Both The jet-setting life might seem glamorous, but the real story is more nuanced. In San Francisco, she leads the company's go-to-market efforts — a high-pressure role that constantly challenges her. But Los Angeles is still home — where her support system, oldest friends, and passion project are rooted. Outside of her full-time job, she runs a personal finance coaching business called Doing Well. It was born out of her own journey with financial anxiety and has since evolved into a side hustle that helps others take control of their money. Balancing these two lives — both professionally and geographically — hasn't been easy. But she wasn't ready to give up on either. 'I didn't want to choose between ambition and roots,' she says. Sacrificing Comfort for Career Growth Despite the long-term payoff, the early months of this lifestyle were grueling. She left a steady job, stayed in short-term rentals in unsafe neighborhoods, and picked up the tab for all her flights and accommodations — averaging $450 a week. There were tears in Ubers, lonely late-night meals at the office, and moments of real doubt. You Might Also Like: How this ex-Microsoft and Amazon techie saved 90% of his salary and retired at 39 with Rs 30 crore But she reframed the discomfort as part of the growth process. 'I started doing affirmations every morning,' she recalls. 'Discomfort wasn't a sign to quit. It was proof I was growing.' Eventually, she found her rhythm — building connections in San Francisco, settling into her leadership role, and staying emotionally tethered to her life in Los Angeles. The chaos gave way to clarity. Now, a year into this unconventional routine, the results are showing. She's grown in confidence, expanded her network, and turned a wild experiment into a sustainable lifestyle. What looked like burnout risk became momentum — simply because she kept showing up. In an era where remote work dominates and virtual meetings are the norm, her story is a reminder that sometimes, success still belongs to those who show up in person — even if it means flying five hours to do it.
