Hollywood to Tech with Steven Puri

My guest today is Steven Puri, founder of the Sukha, that offers solutions to help individuals increase their productivity through being in a flow state.Steven was a senior executive at DreamWorks Pictures and 20th Century Fox, who has successfully transitioned into the tech industry.He shares his career journey, from producing computer graphics for movies like 'Independence Day' to his ventures in the tech space, raising $21 million in venture capital.He discusses the importance of cross-domain learning, productivity, and achieving a flow state.Steven delves into how his background in both film and tech has shaped his approach to managing remote and hybrid teams, emphasizing the significance of meaningful work and the right conditions for flow.He also introduces his company, Suka, that has been built based on insights into various tools and techniques. This episode offers useful insights for leaders and individuals aiming to enhance their productivity and creativity.Among the topics he covers are:Career in the Entertainment IndustryTransition to Tech and EntrepreneurshipChallenges and Learnings from FailuresBuilding Remote and Hybrid TeamsCreative Brainstorms and Flow StatesLeadership and Team DynamicsMaintaining Culture in Remote TeamsThe Rise of Gig WorkThe Trigger for SukaCreating a Flow State AppOvercoming ProcrastinationThe Importance of MusicBuilding a Supportive CommunitySynchronizing Team FlowTips for Leaders to Foster FlowSteven is the Founder and CEO of The Sukha Company with the mission to help millions of people find their focus, achieve more and have a healthy work life. Steven's career started as a newscaster/interviewer for the #1 youth news show in the DC/Baltimore market (on WTTG-TV) and then as a junior software engineer & Thomas J. Watson Scholar at IBM. After attending USC in Los Angeles, he began working in film production and produced computer-generated visual effects for 14 movies including Independence Day which won the Academy Award for Visual Effects. Steven’s first tech company was Centropolis Effects that produced those CGI effects, and he eventually sold it to the German media conglomerate Das Werk when he was 28. Steven then produced some indie films and eventually went studio-side to develop and produce live-action features as a VP of Development & Production at 20th Century Fox (running the Die Hard and Wolverine franchises) and an EVP at DreamWorks Pictures for Kurtzman-Orci Productions where he worked on Star Trek, Transformers and more. After Fox, Steven returned to building tech companies and founded The Sukha Company - ‘sukha’ means ‘happiness from self-fulfillment’ in Sanskrit. The Sukha is a focus app that bundles all the tools necessary to have a focused experience and a healthy, productive workday. Steven lives in Austin, TX now.