My guest today is Dr. Kishore Reddy, co-founder of & Chief Strategy Officer at ProHance.
Conversation highlights:
Background & Early Life:
- Kishore grew up across India—moving from Gujarat to Delhi and eventually settling in Bangalore, which he considers his home.
Medical Career & Transition to IT:
- Completed his MBBS from Bangalore Medical College with plans to pursue neurology residency in the US, inspired by family members.
- After facing US visa denials (under section 214B), his brother Kiran suggested exploring the booming IT field around 1998–1999.
- Approached Sudhir Sharma at Network Solutions to learn IT on the job without demanding a salary.
- Leveraged his medical background’s intensive reading habits to quickly master IT manuals.
Early IT Experience & Growth:
- Had early exposure to computers during childhood thanks to his father and brother, including learning GW-BASIC.
- Worked on a World Bank-funded Health Information System (HIS) / Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) project for the Government of Karnataka.
- Mentored by DVN Sarma, gaining early exposure to data analytics and statistics.
- Network Solutions was acquired by IBM in 2005, leading to Kishore working at IBM for four and a half years.
Founding Jamocha Tech:
- Decided to start his own venture in October 2008 and teamed up with Rajesh (his former colleague from Network Solutions).
- Received early mentorship and backing from Sudhir Sharma.
- Named the company Jammocha Tech over coffee at Barista, driven by their passion for Java technology.
Evolution to ProHance:
- Initially built multiple products (e.g., network management, energy management) before streamlining focus.
- Shifted roles based on advice: Kishore transitioned to sales/technology head, while Rajesh handled delivery and support.
- Coined the name ProHance from “Productivity Enhancement” (“Pro” + “Hance”).
- Rebranded completely to Prohands to avoid market confusion between the company and product names.
- Formally established ProHance India Private Limited in 2020, with ChrysCapital taking a majority stake in 2023.
Key Entrepreneurial Takeaways:
- Adaptability: Expect the journey not to be a straight line and remain flexible.
- Team Building: Recognize that while founders start the journey, the team drives the company’s ultimate success.
- Brand Focus: Avoid confusing customers with too many entity/product names; stick to one strong identity.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kishore-r-2a37aa5/
Experienced Chief Technology Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Strong product engineering skills. Built and rolled out several large enterprise class products across various domains.
