TechCulture Staff In today’s ever-changing business landscape, companies need nimble strategies and tools to adapt and thrive. It’s no wonder agile methodologies are on the rise. To discuss this growing trend, we sat down with Harry Narang, co-founder and Consultant at Unleashed Agile Consulting. Harry shares with us the inception of his company, the challenges he faced, and his ideas for making a difference in the tech industry.
Harry, thank you for joining us today! Your company is all about helping businesses evolve their tech product development practices. Can you share with us what sparked this idea for Unleashed Agile Consulting?
My pleasure, and thank you for having me! I noticed a significant gap in the industry; exceedingly few consulting companies/agencies offered hands-on expertise in scaled agile transformations. Many digital transformations would fail to deliver business outcomes and, in fact, negatively impact employee engagement and stakeholder experience. We realized our expertise and skillset could help bridge that gap in the industry.
Finding initial clients can be tough for startups. What challenges did you face when starting, and how did you overcome them?
Finding initial clients was undoubtedly the most challenging part! I still remember being so underpaid for the initial engagements that I could not even afford to stay in decent hotels when traveling. I would stay in hostels and sometimes even sleep at airports when I had early morning flights – so I could avoid a hotel night.
Startup life, I suppose! There are many other consulting firms out there. What differentiates Unleashed Agile from the competition?
Our differentiation comes from our expertise and track record of successful work. We have supported 100+ companies in the last nine years, including world leaders like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon Labs, TechnipFMC, and the US Air Force. In this process, we have had the opportunity to coach 500+ teams and 100+ portfolios to higher levels of agility.
Remote work is on the rise. Do you plan on expanding your market focus beyond the US and Canada?
With remote work becoming more prevalent today, our clients already span multiple countries. However, our primary focus continues to be the US and Canada.
Speaking of clients, what are some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had while working with your clients?
The magic happens in our clients’ teams and product value streams. When team members start showing up differently, when they start collaborating differently, and when teams and value streams start delivering real stakeholder and community value – that is the most priceless and memorable experience in our work.
Tha magic seems to be working! Stress is often an inevitable part of work. How do you manage it, and what strategies do you use to keep moving forward?
Stress is a part of an intense work environment. Some stress is healthy and promotes higher levels of performance and productivity. However, when the stress grows beyond an acceptable threshold, we must focus on the process and things we can control and worry less about the results.
That’s a great way of looking at it! What type of company or market would be ideal for your agile consulting services?
Our ideal client is a medium to large-scale technology company or portfolio.
How satisfied have your clients been with the transformational improvements they’ve experienced?
The feedback has been humbling. Our clients consistently produce measurable results through their agile transformations. Some typical results include reduced time to market for their products, improved product quality, improved employee engagement, and improved team productivity.
Recent economic events have affected many businesses. How have you adapted to the changes?
The recent economic impact has dramatically impacted our service delivery process. We had to go fully remote with our engagements. Our training courses are delivered in 100% remote environments with much reliance on shared collaboration tools, zoom breakouts, etc. Regarding market demand, the impact was generally positive because more and more organizations realized the need to evolve their product development practices to stay relevant.
It seems you guys have gracefully adapted to that challenge! Can you share a project you’re particularly proud of and why?
There are so many to list, but our engagement with a global oil and gas company based out of Texas is the most recent one. We helped implement scaled agile practices across their global tech portfolios, resulting in solid business outcomes. They improved employee experience and productivity and grew revenues by millions of dollars in their value streams.
That retainer was probably the best check they ever wrote! Lastly, what advice would you give to your past self or a new entrepreneur?
Focus on mastering your craft. Build authentic relationships—Chase impact over profit. Give more than you receive. Be patient.
Harry, thank you so much for your time today! Harry Narang and Unleashed Agile Consulting are making a difference in the tech industry by helping organizations revamp their product development practices. To learn more about Harry and his company, visit Unleashed Agile’s website at unleashedagile.com and follow them on LinkedIn. Discover how their expertise can help your business thrive in a rapidly changing world.
