Unlimited Opportunities, Unstoppable Spirit

If Valli Lakshmanan’s time at SRI-B were made into a film, she knows exactly what it would be called: “Just Ask for It.”

According to her, this phrase perfectly captures the essence of her entire journey. “You might have doubts, insecurities, or a lack of confidence, but growth only begins the moment you ask.”

Ask for that new project. Ask for ownership. Ask for the chance to learn something new.

It is easy to get inspired by Valli; she has a unique way of speaking from her heart. From building products to building confidence, her story is a testament to what happens when curiosity meets clarity. When Valli joined SRI-B in November 2021, she didn’t imagine that her biggest growth here would transcend titles and roles to experience, ownership, and the courage to ask.

Her journey began with the 3P Camera project, which laid the foundation for her understanding of product development. Soon after, she moved on to EnhanceX, an independent app developed entirely within SRI-B. The project gave her something she values deeply: hands-on experience, creative independence, and the thrill of building something from scratch.

Three years later, she made a decision to switch teams. It wasn’t driven by monotony, rather Valli is always driven by a thirst for continuous learning. “I wanted to see how I’d perform with a completely different product,” she recalls. “After three years with one team and project, I knew it was time to challenge myself again.” Well, her ambition for learning is unstoppable.

A Culture of Trust and Togetherness

The culture at SRI-B has been a defining part of her experience. “I’ve always felt trusted to take ownership,” she says. “People are approachable, collaboration flows freely, and learning happens every single day through doing.”

Beyond projects and processes, it’s the people who’ve made her time special. Over the years, she’s found a close-knit group of like-minded colleagues who’ve become her friends; the kind who hype her up, give her unsolicited life advice, and laugh heartily at her (sometimes dad-level) jokes.

“We discuss tech and cinema with the same seriousness,” she laughs. “They’re my support system, my brainstorming squad, and conversations with them help me unwind.”

Mentors Who Made a Difference

If there’s one thing Valli feels deeply grateful for, it’s her managers. To her, they’ve been mentors in the truest sense, people who noticed her struggles even when she didn’t voice them.

She recalls one instance when a manager noticed her supporting late-night calls and gently told her to push back: “You can tell your stakeholders that it can’t be done in that timeline,” he advised. A small but powerful act of mentorship that reminded her to set boundaries.

Another time, when she was managing a challenging situation for a long time, her manager insisted she take a break and gifted a vacation coupon to “come back fresh.”

“That’s the kind of leadership that builds loyalty,” she says. “They guided me without judgment and helped me grow both personally and professionally.”

Experiment, and Evolve

Ask her what she loves most about SRI-B, and she doesn’t hesitate: “The ability to go both deep and wide with technology.”

She explains how the organization’s diversity of projects allows people to either specialize in a single product or move across different ones. “I worked in camera for three years, and then moved to data - simply because my manager and I knew that’s where my curiosity lay.”

That freedom to explore, she says, makes SRI-B a place that celebrates growth in every form.

A Writer at Heart

Before she ever thought of product management, Valli dreamt of being a writer. A voracious reader who reads at least one book a week, mostly fiction, with an occasional non-fiction title thrown in - she once believed she lacked the creative spark to write.

But her manager saw something else. Encouraged by him, she began writing articles for Samsung Members, and to her surprise, some of them were published. “It reminded me of that childhood dream,” she smiles. “Even if I’m not a full-time writer, I found a way to tell stories here.”

Valli’s story is one of curiosity, courage, and connection. From hands-on projects to heartfelt friendships, from thoughtful mentors to rediscovered passions - every chapter of her SRI-B journey reflects her belief that learning never stops, and that sometimes, all it takes to grow is to just ask for it.