Leading With Purpose In A World Built On Speed
Rahul Ramkumar
Chief Product Officer
Rocket.new
Leading With Purpose In A World Built On Speed
Rahul Ramkumar
Chief Product Officer
Rocket.new
Great products often begin as small, messy experiments. An idea sketched on a commute, a prototype built overnight, a team learning on the fly. Rahul Ramkumar is the kind of builder who turned those messy experiments into systems that scale. He cut his teeth in India at Flipkart and Myntra, then led sweeping, multi-billion-dollar transformations at Walmart and Sam’s Club, bringing AI, search, and personalization to experiences used by millions. Along the way, he moved between early-stage teams and massive platform migrations, learning how to combine curiosity with execution. Now, as Founding Chief Product Officer at Rocket.new, he is translating that craft into Vibe Coding, where AI meets human imagination. TradeFlock interviewed him to uncover how curiosity, courage, and craft continue to drive his next chapter.
What surprised you most when you moved from Walmart to leading Rocket.new, a young startup building “Vibe-Coded” ideas?
Well, I went from one of the largest organizations to one of the youngest startups in a fledgling ecosystem. I think I was expecting differences in scale, processes, speed, and thinking, etc., and had trained my brain accordingly, so I was able to navigate all of them easily. What was surprising were the similarities between the world’s largest retailer and a small startup out of Surat, India. Both organizations believe in being people-led and tech-powered and weirdly, their missions are also the same: to save people time and money. Just that, Rocket.new does that in the field of vibe coding, and Walmart does it in retail.
What personal hurdle did you face while shifting from traditional retail to the world of “Vibe Coding”?
I wouldn’t necessarily call it a hurdle, but I got my fair share of “why are you doing this?”, “Are you sure?”, “This is an individual contributor role and you used to leading 100s of people, is this right for you?” to flat out “I think you are making a mistake”, “you are going to fail”, etc. I have had this before too, when I joined Flipkart. I used this as validation that I am probably taking a risk worth taking. In other words, if it doesn’t freak a few people out, then you aren’t thinking big enough. On the work side, basically moving from having people do stuff for you to doing it all yourself is both challenging and exciting. I quickly realized that time is the constraint, and learning/teaching are the goals. In today’s digital age, if we need to build a product with AI, those who can remain curious and utilise their time effectively will have a competitive advantage.
"If it doesn’t freak a few people out, then you aren’t thinking big enough."
As CPO at Rocket.new, how would you describe your leadership style?
Firstly, I wouldn’t call myself young anymore biologically. At heart, I probably always will be. I believe I am accustomed to, and continue to advocate for, a straightforward and transparent leadership style. It’s easier to build when no one has to guess what’s in your head and you create an ecosystem where you don’t have to do the same. It’s faster and more fun that way. I think I lead with explicit TRUST, “trust that people both have the ability and the willingness to do their best”. That’s why they exist. It allows us to focus on ideas and problems while helping one another improve.
What unconventional tactic have you used to inspire your team during high-pressure moments?
I think during tough times, the mind gets overwhelmed a lot as it tries to process a lot in a challenging environment. So clarity and focus are key. I try to help people understand the “why” and the purpose behind our existence, as well as the reason we are building, which addresses the clarity aspect. However, I also do my best to eliminate distractions so people can focus on their best work. Many people have clarity, but they are also subject to many distractions. I suppose the unconventional part comes in that I have almost never discussed work in high-stakes situations. We take a pause. We actually take the time, in certain cases, to hang out, have fun, get to know each other, and share a meal together, one or two days at a time. This helps forge the bonds that allow for focus later on.
What’s the most valuable advice you share with aspiring product leaders in today’s AI-driven world?
I think being curious is fundamentally important. Not just for folks in product but in any discipline, and the hunger to keep learning is critical. That’s the reason why we, as humans, exist. We have survived and thrived, discovered and invented by asking “why” and “why not.” I believe that’s what leads to what is broadly referred to as critical thinking. In a day and age where you can build almost anything, and that too very quickly, when the cost of building is so low, then what you actually build becomes so much more important so if you want it to stand the test of time. For that, we need critical thinking, and for critical thinking to evolve, humans must remain curious and open to continuous learning.
"Humans have survived and thrived by asking ‘why’ and ‘why not’. Curiosity is still humanity’s best edge."
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