Meet Surendar

We were lucky to catch up with Surendar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Surendar, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

I think about my time as four quadrants: (1) things I don’t enjoy but are essential—like sticking to a daily workout even when it’s hard; (2) things I enjoy and are essential—like solving math problems or learning an art form; (3) things I enjoy but aren’t essential—like football Sundays that give short-term pleasure; and (4) things that are neither essential nor enjoyable. In my view, burnout isn’t just about doing “too much,” it’s about having the wrong mix—too much of (1) drains me, too much of (3) leaves me stagnant, and any time in (4) is pure waste. So I balance by first filling my schedule with what I love and that compounds value over time (quadrant 2), then I place the necessary-but-unpleasant tasks in planned, contained blocks (quadrant 1), keep the fun-but-optional stuff as intentional recovery (quadrant 3), and cut or delegate the rest (quadrant 4). This way I stay motivated, make progress that matters, and avoid the slow slide into burnout.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a math lover and a people leader at a Fortune 500, turning ideas into solutions that drive company value. That impulse traces straight back to my mentor and idol, Professor George E. P. Box whose reminder that “all models are wrong, but some are useful” shaped my entire outlook. He didn’t just teach techniques; he taught an attitude: curiosity with humility, precision with practicality. I count myself, proudly, among his last students. I owe my passion for mathematics to him, and I carry his influence into every team I lead and every problem I tackle.

I come from a family of artists and am learning a few art forms myself, so I’m equally captivated by how math and the arts interweave. Fourier analysis turns sound into structure, letting us “see” harmony inside music. Fractals, Mandelbrot’s infinite coastlines reappear in everyday beauty, from Tamil kolam designs to branching trees and river deltas. Exponential curves and sine/cosine rhythms mirror our breath, how much and how long we inhale and exhale, and those patterns, in turn, shape how we feel. Even the Fibonacci family shows up everywhere: in sunflower spirals, in market crowd behavior, and in the uncanny order our eyes find when purpose meets chance. Nature has already solved many of our hardest puzzles; as Yogi Berra joked, “you can observe a lot by looking.” I try to look closely.

Day to day, that means using models as lenses, not laws, useful simplifications that guide decisions while staying honest about their limits. It means honoring pattern and nuance equally: numbers to measure, art to reveal, and judgment to connect the two. Most of all, it means paying forward what Professor Box gave me. A great learner, teacher, and mentor can change a life and by extension, a community. Mine was changed by him. So I work to be that kind of learner, that kind of teacher, and that kind of mentor for the people around me.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

“Satyam bruyat, Priyam bruyat” – Speak the truth and speak nicely

“Parivatho asathamiva” – Accepting that everyone is imperfect including myself. So dont talk negatively about people especially when they are not in the room

Try to channel your ego towards positive outcome.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

I have shared that in one of the previous question.. Professor George Box. He is my idol, mentor and teacher. He is the reasone I’m passionate about math. Here is is his wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._P._Box

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ziksaintel.net ( i only contribute to articles here)
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/surendararasimhan/