From code to community with Sundar Rajan

From code to community with Sundar Rajan

Author: PM Power Consulting April 27, 2025 Duration: 54:34

I am in conversation with Sundar Rajan, a serial entrepreneur, currently the founder of OneMyle, a platform that seeks to address the needs of hyperlocal digital marketing in neighborhoods. He was earlier the co-founder of JustBooks, a lending library chain, supported by an innovative technology platform.

Sundar reflects on his journey from a software developer to an entrepreneur, sharing his experiences and challenges along the way:

Early Career in IT:

  • He worked in IT, building software for banking and financial services.
  • His exposure to implementation and user experience shaped his professional growth.

Transition to Entrepreneurship:

  • His entrepreneurial journey began unexpectedly with a family-run library project, Just Books, which turned out to be a success.
  • He faced challenges balancing a job with entrepreneurship and gradually pivoted to focus on growing the library business.

Expansion and Challenges of Just Books:

  • The business grew organically to over 60 libraries across cities, driven by franchising.
  • He adapted to changes like the rise of digital books and evolving customer behaviors.

Shift to OneMyle:

  • After exiting Just Books, he started OneMyle, a digital marketing platform aimed at connecting local businesses, communities, and creators.
  • He shared insights into shaping the platform, testing features, and learning to target specific personas, including local creators.

Personal Practices and Reflections:

  • Sundar emphasized the importance of reading code, context switching, and his method of note-taking (emails to himself) as tools for managing stress and priorities.
  • He candidly discussed the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship and the learning process involved.


Sundar Rajan is an Entrepreneur, Co-Founder Onemyle, JustBooks

Technology & Entrepreneurship remain big areas of interest.

Worked in IT industry for 15 years, before turning Entrepreneur.

While in IT, was involved in software product development for financial services industry. 

As an Entrepreneur, have keen interest in 'Neighborhoods', especially the interaction between local businesses and residents nearby.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsundarrajan/

r.sundar@onemyle.com


Behind every line of code, there's a person with a story. Software People Stories, from PM Power Consulting, moves beyond abstract theory and polished case studies to explore the real, human experience of building technology. This isn't about hypotheticals; it's a collection of candid conversations with the practitioners themselves-developers, designers, product managers, and architects-who share firsthand accounts from the trenches. They talk about the paths that led to success and, just as importantly, the unexpected detours and failures that provided the most valuable lessons. Each episode delves into the nuanced journey of discovering what users need, designing elegant systems, navigating complex development, and ultimately delivering solutions that matter. By focusing on these personal narratives, the podcast reveals the core of software creation: a blend of technical skill, creative problem-solving, and team dynamics. Listeners gain practical wisdom and relatable perspectives on the challenges and triumphs inherent in the tech industry. Tune in for an honest look at the craft, where the stories of people are just as crucial as the software they build. You'll find this podcast a refreshing source of insight for anyone involved in or curious about the technology and business landscapes, offering career lessons learned the hard way.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Software People Stories
Podcast Episodes
Engineering Futures and Purpose with Dr G Uma [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:37
In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri Kalyanaraman speaks with Dr. G Uma, Professor in the Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering and Dean of Institutional Development & Alumni Relations at N…
Technology and Society with Chris Miller and Allen Batteau [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:00
My guests today are Cultural engineer-anthropologist Allen Batteau, Ph.D. and design anthropologist Christine Z. Miller, Ph.D., co-authors of the book: Tools, Totems, and Totalities: The Modern Construction of Hegemonic…
Building the Future: From COBOL to AI with Spart Parthasarathy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:57
My guest today is S Parthasarathy, better known as Spart who is the founder at CuedIn Technologies.In this episode, Spart shares his extensive journey in the software engineering field. Spart's story begins with his init…
A Journey of Innovation and Challenges with Galvin Widjaja [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:40
My guest today is Galvin Widjaja, founder and CEO of Lauretta.io ….In this episode he talks about:Origin story: Galvin Widjaja shares his origin story, including his background and how he got associated with the AI indus…
Insights into Dev Tooling with Tom Elliott [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:51
I am in conversation with Tom Elliott, founder of Ocuroot and former Engineering Productivity lead at Yext, Introduction:Tom Elliott shares his career journey, starting from his early interest in computers to his current…
Story of a fractional CTO with Thanos Diacakis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:38
My guest today is Thanos Diacakis, Software Delivery Coach & a Fractional CTO.We covered a wide range of topics that included:Insightful Experiences: Thanos shared many insightful and thought-provoking experiences and pe…
Rewiring Careers, Redefining Impact with Anu Dwaraknath [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:51
In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri Kalyanaraman speaks with Anu Dwaraknath, Staff Technical Program Manager at Lam Research, about her dynamic journey across geographies, domains, and roles. From her ear…
Passion, Patents, and Powering Down AI with Fred Jordan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:50
Gayatri Kalyanaraman is in conversation with Dr. Fred Jordan, CEO and Co-Founder at AlpVision and FinalSpark - Expert anticounterfeit technologies - Expert biocomputing talks about his journey to make a difference in AI…
Entrepreneurship, AI, and Social Impact with Santosh Kaveti [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:57
I am very happy to bring you the inspiring story of Santosh Kaveti, CEO and Founder of ProArch Technologies.In this conversation he talks about: His Origin Story: From applied mathematics to entrepreneurship, navigating…
Interpretability and Explainability with Aruna Chakkirala [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:02
Her early inspiration while growing up in Goa with limited exposure to career options. Her Father’s intellectual influence despite personal hardships and shift in focus to technology.Personal tragedy sparked a resolve to…