The Art of Speaking Last

The first time I walked into a professional event, I was just two weeks into my new role and still trying to break into my work shoes. I was immediately confronted by a linguistic and conceptual landscape that was unfamiliar, yet exciting; an environment where terms such as ACV, APIs, and EBITDA casually circulated the room. I found myself mentally cataloguing these terms, intending to decipher them later on. What surprised me most wasn’t how out of my depth I felt, it was how that feeling reshaped the way I approach the industry.

Rather than attempting to assert my presence through speaking, I knew just enough to adopt the role of a listener; asking questions that, sometimes, felt too simple. It was the only way to confront what felt like mountainous concepts head-on rather than postponing the climb. I chose to face it early, knowing that in the fast pace of SaaS and AI, delaying my learning would set me back.

A New Way of Learning

As I began to navigate these spaces, the role of FreshIdeas evidently became more than a platform for software, more than just a consultancy. It is a space defined by accessibility and mentorship, cultivating an environment where “freshers” aren’t sidelined. Speaking to our CEO, Charles, and my colleagues who carry decades’ worth of experience has become a new kind of classroom, far removed from the rows of tables and textbooks I was used to.

The difference in this learning space is liberty. The kind where I am not bound to a textbook, but rather, I am trusted to be in control of my learning, my execution and the pace at which I grow. The subtle guidance that comes with genuine mentorship enables me to observe how colleagues, partners, and customers think, how they strip complexity down to something digestible.

Work-Life Integration

What makes this experience distinct is the seamless coexistence of work and life. Being in a position where my days aren’t confined by fluorescent offices or commutes; I am able to have choice. The flexibility gives me the opportunity to explore interests alongside work; whether it’s working behind the scenes at Melbourne Fashion Week or taking online courses with Harvard, it doesn’t distract from my role; instead, it enriches it. The blend of creative pursuit and growth across a manifold of professional pathways could suggest what a workplace of the future might look like.

Finding My Voice

By the time I attended FreshIdeas’ 9th edition of “DistillingIdeas”, something had shifted. I was no longer a fly on the wall but part of the conversations. I was inspired by how productive the conversations were despite the contrast in experiences. On one end, there were people with 20-30 years of experience who could dissect a SaaS strategy with a glass of whisky in hand. On the other, there were the “fresh minds” Simran and I, still finding our way.

These experiences have clarified that entering this world of AI and service management is not about immediate perfection, but rather, continuous engagement driven by the impossibility of ever mastering something that is in a constant state of change. I entered believing I was a fresh mind among experienced professionals, but quickly realised that we shared the same sense of adaptiveness, and a strong will to unlearn and relearn. So I guess you could say the essence of a fresh mind isn’t a state of being, but a mindset.

In all, I have understood how critical it is to resist waiting until you feel “ready”. Engage directly with the complexity around you, analyse even the simplest things, and break down the most complex. I’d love to hear from you… What helped you find your footing in the early stages? What mindsets or lessons shaped your journey?

It is the spaces in between – conversations after meetings, the pauses where clarity is formed, the trust to experiment, and comfort to push the boundaries – is where most of my growth has happened. Thank you, Charles and the team for creating this kind of space.