Shekhar Parkhi-Sr. Manager, Partner Solutions Engineering @ PayPal

Shekhar Parkhi, Senior Manager of Partner Solutions Engineering at PayPal, breaks down why effective engineering starts with learning how to engage customers deeply enough to uncover the real problem beneath the initial request. He explains how early customer conversations shaped the way he listens for context, constraints, and underlying needs, and why understanding the industry around the customer is essential to making better technical decisions. He also shares how psychological safety helps teams challenge assumptions and contribute stronger ideas. In this episode, we cover: 1) How Shekhar approaches customer engagement to move beyond surface-level requests and uncover the deeper problems that should actually guide engineering priorities. 2) Why getting on calls with customers early in his career taught Shekhar what to listen for, what questions to ask, and how to separate the stated request from the real underlying need. 3) How understanding the customer’s broader context helps engineering teams identify which problems are actually worth solving. 4) What engineers should learn about a new industry or vertical before designing solutions, including the customer’s business model, operating environment, constraints, and what drives value in that market. 5) Why industry knowledge changes the way technical teams interpret customer requests and helps prevent solutions that are technically sound but commercially disconnected. 6) How Shekhar approaches translating customer needs into engineering decisions that are useful, practical, and aligned with real business outcomes. 7) Why psychological safety is essential for strong engineering teams, especially when people need to challenge assumptions, raise concerns, or propose a different direction. 8) How Shekhar creates psychological safety within his teams so people feel comfortable speaking openly, contributing ideas, and learning from mistakes. #PayPal #SolutionsEngineering #EngineeringLeadership #CustomerCentricity #TechnicalLeadership #BusinessStrategy #CustomerExperience #PsychologicalSafety #ProblemSolving #Leadership #SoftwareEngineering #Podcast