Steven Puri and Sukha - Episode 47

Steven Puri and Sukha - Episode 47

Author: Bill May 19, 2025 Duration: 54:39
40% Better - Engineering Leadership
BusinessManagement
Software engineer to Hollywood powerhouse and back to software.

Raised $21M to fund startups and was a senior executive in Hollywood studios. 

Independence Day, Transformers 1/2, Star Trek, Eagle Eye, Wolverine, etc - all movies where Steven's teams contributed to special effects. The man has worked with legends (and he has a great sense of humor).

We talked engineering, Office Space, leadership, and a few movie insights :-)


‬‭ Steven 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.‬‬

Hosted by Bill, 40% Better-Engineering Leadership is a conversation for those who build and guide technical teams. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a practical dialogue focused on the tangible mechanics of morale, motivation, and output. Each episode features a single expert in employee engagement, and together we dissect the specific strategies that lead to measurable leaps in performance. You'll hear detailed explorations into what actually moves the needle for engineers and their managers, translating research and experience into actionable leadership techniques. The goal is straightforward: to provide the insights that can help your team operate at a significantly higher level of effectiveness and satisfaction. Tune in for a focused, deep-dive podcast that cuts through the noise of generic management advice, offering concrete ideas you can apply directly to the unique challenges of engineering leadership.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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40% Better - Engineering Leadership
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