Menu
Founders / Interviews

Balancing the Grind with Vaibhav Namburi, Co-Founder of Cenario

Vaibhav Namburi is the Co-Founder of Cenario, a new financial planning software that uses intelligent AI models to deliver advanced analytics and business decisions.

We’re looking to partner with companies that share our passion to promote healthy work-life balance around the world. Get in touch with us!

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I started off my career as a mechanical engineer and then moved to sales for a bit. Soon after I went back to my original passion which was software and started working at a few companies doing mainly engineering architecture and data management.

This led me to launching my own software development agency, Five2One, where we’ve been involved in building some of Australia’s most successful companies.

Whilst servicing all of these clients, I stumbled across the concept of Cenario which is a goal driven data analytics platform!

2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

Each day is different, however we always have our stand ups with the team where we discuss all the activities of the day and the goals we want to achieve.

This is followed up with a team discussion on issues, technical and product, that we’re facing to make sure we can find a solution in the best way possible

I follow that up with some growth activities as I believe a large part of building a startup in the early days is sharing a story, a journey, and building a relationship with your customers, so a majority of the day goes into doing just that.

I also code whenever I get the opportunity to, so I’ll often take on a few tickets and help the team ease their workload.

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

Given the current situation, we’re all working remotely at the moment, however we’ve always been a remote-friendly company.

I try my best to achieve a balance, but I have to admit that working from home requires a lot of discipline in establishing boundaries so that you don’t find yourself working all sorts of odd hours because there’s no separation of concern.

So far it’s been going well and I’ve been able to maintain a healthy balance.

4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

I believe if you enjoy what you do, then you don’t need to balance enjoyment. If you are finding work tiring and mentally exhausting by all means take a break, but I’m one who’s always excited to make things happen, whether that’s coding, designing or marketing – and I personally find it really fun.

However, I understand the need for a break and encourage my team to take them when they need to. They should be able to close their laptops and enjoy the day, work on fun side projects and find balance with what they’re doing. I don’t want my team working mental hours – efficiency over effort.

If you never want to miss one of our conversations about work, life & balance, subscribe to our newsletter.

5) What do you think are some of the best habits or routines that you’ve developed over the years to help you achieve success in your life?

I think setting up a routine in general is a great way to set yourself up for success (I don’t personally think I’m “successful,” to me it’s a perpetual journey).

In general, reading a lot, meeting new people, networking with people I look up to and finding inspiration in what they are doing, have all been great ways to keep me in check and motivated towards finding success.

One more thing – I’m a big believer that done is better than perfect. We continuously launch our product and that’s really helped me stop being a perfectionist and be an executor.

6) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?

The 4-Hour Workweek is a great book that speaks about prioritization, but the one book that fundamentally changed the way I think is How to Win Friends and Influence People. The way the writer Dale Carnegie understands human psychology is unmatched.

Even in the internet world, his words from back in the early 70s-90s still stick true. The Internet or not, people are essentially driven by some core principles and factors which he covers in the book.

7) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?

I organise everything, I’ve got a to do list that I track by the minute. It’s the only way I stay on top of everything on my end.

The Pomodoro Technique is a great way that factors in mini breaks to give your brain a refresher.

8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

Warren Buffet is the all time winner in this where he constantly talks about wealth building actions. He spends the majority of his time reading and delegates literally everything to everyone around him.

Before you go…

If you’d like to sponsor or advertise with Balance the Grind, let’s talk here.

If you never want to miss one of our conversations about work, life & balance, subscribe to our newsletter.

This conversation is brought to you by The Well-Suited Group, providing premium executive support services to high level executives, who also recognise the value of work-life balance.

About Author

Hey there! I'm Hao, the Editor-in-Chief at Balance the Grind. We’re on a mission to showcase healthy work-life balance through interesting stories from people all over the world, in different careers and lifestyles.