Scaling SAP Ariba, LinkedIn, and Uber from the Front Lines | Aarathi Vidyasagar

From the elite lecture halls of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT, Delhi) to the driver's seat of an Uber delivery run, Aarathi Vidyasagar (VP of Engineering and Science at Uber) defines what it means to lead with both technical craft and deep empathy.   In this episode of the HumanizeHer Podcast, Aarathi joins former colleagues Erica Lockheimer and Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser to share a career journey that is as much about "grit and spunk" as it is about high-level strategy. Inside the Episode:   IIT Trailblazer: Aarathi reflects on being 1 of only 11 women in a class of 500 at the Indian Institutes of Technology, navigating a male-dominated world from age 17 and learning to "blend in" before finding her true voice. 17-Year Legacy at SAP Ariba: Discover how Aarathi rose from an entry-level engineer to VP, her pivotal role in Ariba's migration to the cloud, and the moment she realized that "staying quiet" about her ambitions was leading others to make assumptions about her career path. Bridging Enterprise and Consumer at LinkedIn: Aarathi shares her "outside-in" transition to LinkedIn, where she broke unit tests in her first week to earn her "engineering cred" and spearheaded the massive "NRJ" (New Recruiter Jobs) transformation. VP by Day, Delivery Driver by Night: To truly understand the "supply side" of Uber, Aarathi signed up as a delivery driver during her interview process. She recounts the hilarious and eye-opening experience of delivering food to a gated community in the dark to stress-test the app she now leads. Product Innovation for Safety: A deep dive into Uber's "Women's Preferences" feature, discussing the technical and ethical complexities of matching female riders with female drivers to provide choice and safety. The Next Generation: Inspired by her mother—a "rocket scientist" in India—Aarathi discusses her commitment to mentorship, her role as executive sponsor for Women in Tech, and her advice for young women facing imposter syndrome.   This episode is a masterclass for any leader looking to balance technical rigor with a human-centric approach to building products.  Jump into the full episode and join the conversation.