Herding Squirrels Ep 20
w Gowri Sivaraman
Director of Software Engineering, Intuit
Episode Overview
What does it take to scale a fintech product from startup to flagship while keeping your team aligned and engaged? Gowri Sivaraman has spent 25+ years answering that question across multimillion-dollar products at companies like Intuit. In this episode, she shares the hard-won wisdom behind building teams that hold each other accountable and have fun doing it—revealing why the best teams never lose sight of their shared vision, how to remove emotion from cross-functional accountability, and what a failed basketball attempt taught her about leadership vulnerability.
About Gowri
Gowri Sivaraman is a technology leader with over 25 years of experience shaping multimillion-dollar products across consumer, small business, and fintech sectors. Currently leading QuickBooks Capital and Lending at Intuit, she has built and scaled AI-driven platforms and digital solutions that millions rely on daily. Known for blending big-picture vision with hands-on execution, Gowri has a track record of turning ideas into innovations that engage users and fuel significant business growth. Outside of work, she's an avid gardener who brings her love of automation to everything from irrigation systems to holiday lights.
Timestamps
[00:00] Introduction and welcome
[00:40] Build #1: Who Gowri is outside of work—gardening, automation, and building things that grow
[02:10] Build #2: Best team experience—QuickBooks Capital's journey from COVID startup to flagship product
[04:45] Keeping your eye on metrics and KPIs as you scale
[05:03] Build #3: Nightmare team scenario—when everyone runs in different directions without a shared vision
[06:52] Build #4: Leading through uncertainty—adaptability, role modeling, and painting vision for the team
[09:39] Staying on top of market changes: TLDR AI, conferences, and dedicating 10% of time to industry learning
[12:41] Global Engineering Days at Intuit—a full week for experimentation
[13:07] Building cross-functional accountability without being abrasive—using data to separate person from problem
[16:09] Building fun and camaraderie: Top Gun, Top Golf, and the power of team activities
[17:36] The basketball moment—how showing vulnerability inspired a team member
[19:05] Build #5: Leadership advice—stay true to your north star and build a community you can lean on
[20:49] Gowri's reflection on building with LEGO bricks
Notable Moments
"The constant is change." Gowri's framework for leading through uncertainty starts with accepting that flux is the norm—and then equipping yourself and your team with the right tools and learning mindset to adapt.
Separate the person from the problem. When holding cross-functional teams accountable, Gowri emphasizes using data and facts rather than finger-pointing. Lay out the evidence of what happened, and the actual person becomes secondary to solving the problem.
Vulnerability builds trust. Gowri shared a story about playing basketball at a team event despite having no skills—and kept trying anyway. A team member later told her how inspiring it was to see a leader be okay with failing publicly. Sometimes the low-stakes moments create the biggest lessons.
"Never take your eye out of sight." Her best team build featured an eyeball at the top—a reminder that as teams and technology grow, you must maintain clear focus on what matters: customer outcomes and system stability.
Where to Find Gowri
LinkedIn: Gowri Sivaraman
Herding Squirrels is a podcast about modern teams, hosted by Brandon Wetzstein. Each episode uses LEGO® Serious Play® methodology to help leaders uncover insights about team dynamics, leadership, and what makes teams actually work.
Other Episodes:
Herding Squirrels Ep 14 w Adam Tal
Herding Squirrels Ep 13 w Oliver Gray
Herding Squirrels Ep 12 w Louie Celiberti
Herding Squirrels Ep 11 w Nicole Tibaldi
