This conversation features Senior Solution Architect Hari Krishnan and Platform (WCS) Lead Swathi Shetty. Reflecting on their journeys at Metyis, they share how they helped build teams, transition from legacy systems for one of our clients, and drive stability and optimisation. From improving application performance and reducing costs, to fostering a culture of ownership and collaboration, Hari and Swathi give some insights into the evolving partnership model and provide valuable advice for professionals navigating technology and delivery roles. 

"I'm Hari, based in Bangalore, India. I was one of the early joiners in the technology team at Metyis. Currently, I work as a Senior Solution Architect. Since I joined, I’ve been deeply involved in building our team and shaping the project. I contributed to sourcing, screening, and interviewing candidates. It’s been a fun and rewarding journey so far." 

"I'm Swathi, I'm a Platform Lead based in Porto, Portugal. I joined Metyis in December 2021. My role involves understanding client needs, providing tailored solutions, and collaborating across different teams to ensure successful delivery."

Growth and experimentation 

Beyond day-to-day delivery, Hari and Swathi share how Metyis fosters a dynamic environment for growth, where experimentation is encouraged, cross-functional learning is accessible, and collaboration across nationalities and technical domains creates space for continuous development and innovation. 

Hari Krishnan 

"When I joined, I came in as a backend specialist, but the ecosystem was new to me. Over time, the team cross-skilled across front end, middleware, DevOps, and QA, including automation. We learned collaboratively, supported by Metyis through training sessions on various tech stacks.  I became one of the first in the company to get certified in Salesforce Commerce Cloud. 

Knowledge sharing has been continuous. We've worked closely with the Academy to deliver internal training, and Swathi, for example, has been exposed to nearly all tech stacks we use. 

There’s never been a sense of stagnation—there’s always something new to learn or contribute, both within the project and across the organisation." 

Swathi Shetty 

"I was hired as a backend developer, but there were no restrictions on exploring other areas. If I wanted to work on front-end tasks, both the client and team were supportive. The environment encouraged experimentation and learning. 

We had strong DevOps, frontend, and back-end teams, and it was easy to reach out for help—even outside our areas of expertise. I took courses on Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Shopify, and there was always a platform to cross-skill and contribute. 

Even beyond our project, Metyis welcomed our input on other initiatives. This aligned with the company’s philosophy: we don’t hire narrowly defined specialists—we hire adaptable engineers who can thrive in any situation." 

Team strength

With the team now fully formed, Hari and Swathi highlight how shared experiences and strong collaboration have shaped a dependable, high-performing unit.

Hari Krishnan 

"Over the past 4–5 years, we’ve had both successes and challenges. One major issue came when we remodelled a critical module. It passed initial testing and went live without problems, but under high traffic, flaws emerged. The feedback was strong—we had made a mistake.

In response, the entire team came together across geographies, brainstormed solutions, and worked under pressure to resolve it within our service-level agreements. That moment showed the strength of our collaboration. We regained customer trust within days, which was a huge achievement for both the client and Metyis.

Another challenge was managing input from multiple external teams—other companies, previous engineers, and other agencies—all pushing changes. As the main owners of the application, we set up daily cross-squad syncs to ensure nothing broke and that all changes were aligned.

Since then, we’ve had smoother implementations. The key takeaway: our success came from teamwork, adaptability, and proactive communication."

Swathi Shetty 

"One of the major challenges we had was because we were working with four to five different teams. It wasn’t just us — we had to coordinate with several others. That added complexity, especially since each team had its own perspective and priorities.

We also had to consider external competition. It wasn’t just internal teams within Metyis; we were also up against other competitors. So, navigating all those dynamics was a challenge.

But the good thing is, like Hari mentioned, even though we were working across multiple teams, we always had an internal call before meeting with the client. That gave us a chance to discuss things among ourselves, share suggestions, and decide on the best approach.

We had people with different levels of experience — seniors, juniors — but everyone was encouraged to contribute ideas. There was no strict hierarchy within the team. If someone had a good suggestion, it was welcomed. We were open to accepting whatever worked best, regardless of who proposed it."

Proudest achievements  

Hari and Swathi reflect on the moments they are most proud of while supporting their client’s projects and driving successful outcomes.

Swathi Shetty 

"For me, the proudest achievement was that, at a certain point, we weren’t just working within our own team during the season — we had to take ownership of responsibilities from another team as well, like the operations team. There was a rotation within our team, so sometimes we were managing both areas. 

That was a positive experience because we weren’t just focused on development; we were also interacting directly with customers. Personally, I consider it a significant achievement that I was able to gain new knowledge — learning different things, engaging more with clients and customers, and deepening my understanding of their needs. 

Working closely with them gave me a new perspective. When you're part of the development team, you don’t get much direct exposure to what the customer wants. Usually, that information comes through stakeholders or the product owner before reaching us. But in the operations team, you talk to customers directly — through Teams or on calls — and that close collaboration provides much more insight and exposure." 

Hari Krishnan 

“From my side, I’d say my biggest achievement was building this team. I’m proud of the people we hired — we made sure they were the right fit for Metyis and for the partnership. Even after some moved on to other projects or organisations, I continue to receive great feedback about them. Another achievement is the stability we’ve reached from an application perspective for the client we work with. In the beginning, we had frequent issues, but now incidents are rare. 

Lastly, we’ve managed to stay effective while working with an organisation facing its own internal challenges. Sometimes people we collaborate with leave unexpectedly, and we must quickly adapt, identify risks, and find solutions without them. This has definitely been one of the most challenging assignments of my career." 

Culture at Metyis 

Hari and Swathi share what makes Metyis more than just a workplace—from the openness in communication to the inclusive culture that encourages connection beyond project work. 

Swathi Shetty 

"In India, my work was mostly remote since I started after COVID. I only visited the office a couple of times, but even then, I got to meet the team — we went out for lunch and spent time together outside of work. 

Once I moved to Porto, I started going to the office regularly. My team was quite small, but there were others outside my project. We used to meet for lunch, and sometimes they'd say, "Hey, we're going for paddle, come join us," or someone would invite me for climbing. We had different groups at the office—climbing, paddle, and sometimes fun Fridays. So, it never felt like I was just part of my team and couldn't mingle with others because everyone was always open and welcoming.

Now I know many people who are new to the project, and we also have sessions outside of work—like women’s activities. I was part of that group too and worked closely with them, offering some solutions, which was great. 

Culturally, it was a big move for me as well. This is my first time working outside India. My entire career before this was based in India, so this experience gave me global exposure. It’s been more than two years now. I actually landed in Porto the day the campus opened, so I’ve been here since the beginning." 

Hari Krishnan 

During COVID, we were working remotely from different parts of India and the world. Once we transitioned back to office work, I was based in Bangalore, and the office was nearby, so I started going in a couple of days a week. That’s when I began meeting people from other parts of Metyis, like the data, admin, and recruitment teams. 

The office had a great atmosphere. We had regular events, games, lunches, potlucks, birthday and anniversary celebrations. Our Bangalore group chat was always buzzing with photos of cakes and activities—so much so that people from other locations joked about wanting to transfer there! 

What keeps me at Metyis is the challenge I was given when I joined: building a team from scratch for a specific project. That sense of ownership still drives me. I also work with amazing colleagues—my manager Keshav, now a partner, and others across teams. It’s inspiring and makes me feel privileged to be part of this organisation." 

Advice for upcoming professionals 

Hari Krishnan 

“During interviews, we always emphasise that Metyis is a different kind of organisation. People coming from service-based or product companies often expect a similar experience, but Metyis operates differently. Some new joiners assumed it would be easy and tried to stick to their usual tech stack, but they faced challenges and needed support. 

My advice: keep learning and adapting. With AI now playing a bigger role in how we deliver solutions, staying current with market trends is essential. Metyis supports this through the Academy, but you also have the freedom to learn independently. 

One thing we often do in our project, is revisit solutions we implemented three or six months ago to explore possible optimisations. That mindset of continuous improvement is key here - that's the advice that I have for people." 

Swathi Shetty 

"I think learning from experience is a key part of growth. Sometimes we make the right decisions, and sometimes we don’t, but that’s all part of the learning process. It helps prepare us for both personal and professional challenges. 

It’s also important to find the right environment that supports growth. That means exploring different opportunities, talking to people—not just within your project, but outside of it too, and learning from what they’re doing and how they approach things." 

It’s been truly insightful to hear from Hari and Swathi’s experiences and see how they are growing in their roles. We hope their efforts in shaping this team will result in stronger delivery for our clients, with new opportunities, partnerships, and learning.