Career Growth Advice from Priyanka Thakore, Design Engineer Leader | Career Tips for Women in Design Engineer

2B Bolder Podcast – Episode 59
Featuring Priyanka Thakore, Co-Founder of TenaFe

Episode Title: #59 Career Podcast Featuring Priyanka Thakore, a Woman in Tech & her Journey from Designer to Co-Founder of a Silicon Startup

Host: Mary Killelea
Guest: Priyanka Thakore



Mary Killelea (Host): Hi there. My name is Mary Killa-Olea. Welcome to the To Be Bolder podcast, providing career insights for the next generation of women in business and tech. To Be Bolder was created out of my love for technology and marketing, my desire to bring together like-minded women, and my hope to be a great role model and source of inspiration for my two girls and other young women like you. Encouraging you guys to show up and to be bolder and to know that anything you guys dream of, it's totally possible. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

Thanks for tuning in. Today's guest is an incredibly intelligent and humble woman. Priyanka Thakur is a technologist and serial entrepreneur in the semiconductor space. She is co-founder and chief architect at TenaFe. Prior to this, Priyanka was leading the architecture group defining internal SOC controller strategies at Micron Technologies. Her career covers silicon design to leading engineering and product teams in both mobile and enterprise segments. She was also a founding team member at Tidel Systems, which was acquired by Micron. A creator at heart, she gets most joy out of building things from scratch and seeing her work out in the real world. She loves spending time with her two girls and pushing them to debunk stereotypes. Priyanka, thank you so much for being on the show.

Priyanka Thakore (Guest): Hi, Mary. Thank you so much for having me.

Mary Killelea: I love the way you describe yourself as a creator at heart. Why did you choose technology as a career path and I guess the tool to create with?

Priyanka Thakore: Yeah, that's a good question. I suppose the language of transistors and flop and gates just spoke to me. I could get really excited talking about how logic works and writing code. In fact, I'm no more in coding role, but even today if I pick up a new language and write that first Hello World program, it still gives me such an exhilarating feeling. It still excites me. So, it's like logic is so simple, right? You tell it to do something and it exactly does what it asks you to do. So, where else can you find that? So, I love it.

Mary Killelea: Awesome. So, tell us about your background.

Priyanka Thakore: So, my educational background is in electrical engineering and I came from India to do my masters at University of Cincinnati in Ohio engineering. After that, I joined a storage startup, which was Lincoln Media Devices. There, I spent about five to six years and I learned so much. It was such a steep learning curve for me, being right out of college to working on so many different products. So, during that time, I was involved in taping out four products and went on to be tech lead. Then, finally, when I left, I was leading silicon products there. So, it was an amazing, amazing and a very, very sharp learning curve for me.

After that, I joined the founding team at Tidal Systems. During that time, I slowly transitioned into the silicon architect role and I learned a lot about products, a lot about trade-offs. When you are executing, leading silicon, the task is there. You just need to march towards it. But when you are on the other side, defining a product, defining the architecture, you don't have all the data and you just need to sometimes just take a guess and make trade-offs along the way. So, that was an interesting transition for me. It was two and a half years into Tidal Systems where we were acquired by Micron Technology. At Micron, I continued as a silicon architect role. Micron, for me, was such a different but a great experience. It taught me so much about communication, people, networking. I really didn't have exposure to all those things before I went there. So, that was a great experience. Then, three and a half years ago, I co-founded TenaFe and we are in SSD storage business. At TenaFe, I am the chief architect. I lead the product and silicon architecture and do IP development. My team does IP development. So, that has been my career journey so far.

Mary Killelea: What lessons can you share about being a design engineer?

Priyanka Thakore: Silicon design is, I would say, a very intense, a very rewarding role. The reason it's rewarding, at least for me, is because you can touch and feel your product after the silicon tapes out. You can actually hold it in your hand, see it working in the lab. So, that's great. The reason it's intense is because there is very, very tiny room for error. Unlike a software product where you can fix the bug and recompile, here recompiling actually means retaping out or respin, which these days takes millions of dollars. Silicon, because it runs millions of operations in one second, if there's any flaw or any weakness in the design, it will show up. So, I think it's intense in that sense, but really if you have an analytical mind, you can think through the process and put your design in, do the right validation around it, then I think you can be a really good fit for a silicon design. It is very rewarding to create ASIC chips for sure.

Mary Killelea: So, you talk about having an analytical mind. What other qualities would you say? Because like you mentioned, it's an intense environment and you have to be really focused.

Priyanka Thakore: I think analytical would really mean kind of taking the problem, you know, thinking through the simplest solution and then kind of going through and retracing your steps for corner cases. So, it's definitely a skill that can be learned, but you shouldn't skip the process, skip the steps. I think, yeah, so just kind of keeping it calm ans going through the flow is good enough to, yeah, for you to be good at it and then you learn, right? Like you have one bug and you fix any CO and it takes a very long time and you learn that, okay, I'm not making that mistake again. So, yeah.

Mary Killelea: What was the pivotal moment where you took the leap that you could become a co-founder and start your own company? That had to have been scary.

Priyanka Thakore: Actually, when you say it that way, it does sound very intimidating, but to be honest with you, there was not really one moment. It took a lot of micro steps, you know, to get there. If I look back, really, the real, my real leap of faith happened when I decided to join the founding team at Tidal Systems. While I worked at a startup before that, that was the first time I was really venturing into a high risk unknown. The founding team really didn't have an actual experience running a company. We had experience running a product, but it's completely different, right? You know, we didn't have like an exit plan. We had no customer lined up. So, it was really the faith that we had, right? Just the faith in ourselves, faith in the fact that we can make real good products, but that's it.

And to top it off, when I really left my job and joined, I was six months pregnant with my first kid. So, looking back, I don't know how I made that decision, but I'm glad I made it. So, I distinctly remember, though, that I went in with a very clear thought process. You know, people, we keep talking that, hey, we are in a rat race. We keep doing the same thing. It's the same situation. But if you step back and think about it, you don't do something different, you're not going to get a different result, right? So, that was really the driving force behind kind of making that jump. And, you know, at the end of the day, it was more, you go ahead with the worst in mind that, okay maybe we'll have to close shop in two years, but be optimistic in kind of the value you add to the team and the trust of the team as well. So, I think that's what enabled me to really take that leap of faith when I did.

Mary Killelea: I love that. So many good nuggets in there. And that makes me think back to when you, you know, left college and started with a startup. I mean, because you had, I'm sure, other options where you could have gone more the conservative route with the big company. What drew you to a startup versus that back then?

Priyanka Thakore: Honestly, I didn't really think a whole lot, except that the startup that I had the offer was in California where I wanted to come. But other than that, I wasn't, I guess maybe I wasn't afraid of joining a startup. If you think about it, right, I packed up my bags in India and came halfway across the world. After that, nothing feels scary.

Mary Killelea: I love your perspective. That is, that is fabulous.

Priyanka Thakore: I would say there are like two kinds of risks people feel, right? One is the financial aspect and other is kind of the fitting in aspect. I would say, if there is an opportunity, you feel interested, but something is holding you back. The first step you can take is really think of the worst case. If you feel that the worst case is something that you and your family can accommodate, then give yourself a timeline that, okay, I'm going to try this for like two years. And if it doesn't work out, okay, believe in yourself that you can step out and get another job and just take that first step, right? You go talk to people, you go interview and you will feel a little bit more comfortable with every step you take forward. And if you go through the process and you feel, no, it's not for me or this is not the right time for me and my family, then that's okay. You know, you can always come back to it later, but definitely explore, definitely explore. If there's something bugging you in your mind, then yeah, just take that first step and explore.

Mary Killelea: That's great. So as fast as technology is changing, how much is learning on the job a part of what you do every day?

Priyanka Thakore: Yeah, that's the reality, right? Fundamentals that I learned in college definitely helps, but at the end of the day, what you need to do in the job is really not what they teach you in school. So yeah, definitely learning on the job is, there's no other way. Yeah, that's where you need to be.

Mary Killelea: Well, which is so great because I think sometimes women, when we look at roles, we may not think we're completely qualified. So we talk ourselves out of going for those roles, but I think it's having the aptitude, having the fundamentals, and then being in those roles and ready to adapt and learn.

Priyanka Thakore: Exactly. Yeah, completely agree with you. Just be ready to roll up your sleeves, burn the midnight oil, and that's what it takes.

Mary Killelea: How have you advocated for yourself over the years in your various roles?

Priyanka Thakore: Okay, if I'm completely honest with you, I haven't done a really good job of advocating for myself. I suppose, like many other women, I tend to believe that if we do our work really well, we will be rewarded without asking. Like someone will take care of us, right? However, I don't think the world works that way. So, the times that I did feel myself feeling stagnated, I have found, I debated about it a lot, but eventually I have gone up to like my leaders and shared what I was feeling. Truth be told, it takes me a long time to kind of get to that point, from the time I feel that, okay this is not working out for me to the time I really go to someone and talk about it. It takes some time, but definitely without having that conversation, nothing has changed for me. So for sure, bringing it up, yeah, is the way to way to go about it.

Mary Killelea: So what would you say is like one of the most frequent questions you get asked from younger women in tech?

Priyanka Thakore: I would be really happy to share like any insights that I have that can be helpful. So, you know, you know, go to my LinkedIn profile, send me a comment or a message, or I even have an email, I'll share with you at the end of the program, send me an email and I'll be happy to connect. So, I would, I would definitely, I feel at this point, I would love to give back, right? Some wisdom that no one told me, but I think it's like so obvious you should just share, write it out and share.

Mary Killelea: So what core skill sets are relevant across roles that you look for from potential employees?

Priyanka Thakore: I think at this point in time, I believe the ability to grasp the problem statement is a big one for me. Like if you can get to a crux of a problem and lay out a very complex statement or a problem in a very simple terms, you're able to break that down, then, then you're on the right track to find the solution, right? Like the first big step is really understanding it and breaking it down into something simple. So I think that ability is something that I look for, look for in potential employees.

Mary Killelea: If you were starting out in tech today, is there anything that you would do differently?

Priyanka Thakore: I think I would definitely not trade off working for a startup. I think I've learned so much that I don't believe I can learn in like a big company environment, but at the same time, I think I'll probably do a mix of like big company and small company, because again, the exposure that, that big corporation gives you the tools and I hear a lot of women in your podcast and I realize that, oh, there's so much, there's so much out there, right? That you can take use of or make use of. So yes, I think that's one thing that I would do a little different is, yeah, is mix it up.

Mary Killelea: When you reflect back on your career, what are you most proud of?

Priyanka Thakore: I think talking to you, I realized that I think I'm really proud of the risks that I've taken looking around and looking back, I realized that's not a very common thing to do. And I believe it did get me where I am today. And it's given me so much new perspective. I feel like I learned something new, if not every day, every week, really, I think I'm a changed person because of that journey. And I am excited for, I believe there's a long journey ahead and yeah, I'm kind of looking forward to it.

Mary Killelea: That's fabulous. So you're raising two girls to be confident and self-assured and for them to debunk stereotypes. What stereotypes have you run into over the years and what type of advice are you giving your girls?

Priyanka Thakore: Okay. So, I love my little girls. I have two and their curiosity is so infectious. I just have so much fun answering their questions and kind of finding the answers together. Honestly, I don't know half of the questions they ask, but some of the stereotypes I do see is things are things like girls are not great at math. And I see, I don't know how they pick it up, but I see them sharing that to me at a very early age. The other stereotype I see is like, women are responsible to take care of the kids, right? People don't say it so explicitly, but it's like out there. It's very, and then, you know, women are not good leaders. And then like the, my favorite one, like girls, like pink, like pink is girls color. But I believe the best way for me to have them see something different is really to model the behavior, right? I want them to believe it.

So, for example, the more my girls see their dad, you know, do stuff at home, do home chores, take care of them, It will become a norm for them. Like when I joined title system, after I had my first baby, we used to work every Saturday and my husband took care of my first bond like six months. And almost still, she was a year every Saturday all by himself, right? And she was much more during those years, she was much more closer to my husband than me. And that was okay. You know, that was, it's great. She got to bond with him. For the other things like math, you know, I keep reinforcing to her that math is fun. Math is all around us. It's not just the problems you have in the book. And I get really, try to get really excited doing projects with them, math, science, whatever school project, I really have fun doing it with them. And, you know, for the last one, girls like pink, for the first few years, I tried really hard to tell them, hey, there are great colors out there, like green and yellow. My older one got on board, but I think my younger one really was like pink. So, I'm going to let that one slide. She can have that one.

Mary Killelea: Those are awesome. I love it. And your girls are having a great role model in you. Thank you. What advice do you have on negotiating?

Priyanka Thakore: Just go for it. Like you deserve it. Like, you know, women tend to undersell themselves, right? Like, honestly, if you feel that you deserve X in reality, you probably deserve more than X, so don't be afraid to ask, like, there's nothing wrong in asking, right? And what is the worst that can happen? Like they can say no, and give you a reason on why, which is great, right? You get a you get a path of how to get where you where you need to be. So don't be afraid. And if you need someone, if you're not feeling not very comfortable, go practice it with someone like a friend or get some reference, you know, go for it. You know, women don't talk about salaries with each other. We don't talk about that. And I don't know why, I don't have an answer for why, but we don't. So we need to take that extra effort to go ahead and go ahead and do that.

Mary Killelea: I totally agree. So what about networking? I know you said that it wasn't one of your strongest suits, especially when you were working at the startup. What advice do you have for women? Because it's so important for us to network, I mean, in the company that we're in and externally. And I think sometimes people only focus on one or the other. What advice do you have on networking?

Priyanka Thakore: So I think this is I'll probably turn the question to you. Like for me, I find it easy to connect with people who either have the same background as me, other women and people I've worked with. But outside of that, I feel very uncomfortable reaching out. And so, I would love for you to share with me what has worked for you and all the other guests, right? You have like this boatload of information. So yeah, please share.

Mary Killelea: For me, I thrive on learning. And so if someone is doing something that either I know or don't know, and like in an area, like if it was outside of marketing, and I wanted to learn about it, and it was something that I found really interesting, I would find a way to figure out how to start a conversation, maybe do some research on that person, break the ice, send a compliment. I think people are so open to sharing. But so many of us think that we're being intrusive. But once you do reach out, and that's what I'm so shocked and amazed and happy that all the women that I reach out to to come on to this show are willing and I rarely ever get, you know, no, I can't do it. They're like, Oh, thanks for asking. Yeah, I'd love to, you know what I mean? So it, I think we got to knock down the nos in our own head and just think that they're probably just as happy to get to know us. And the fact is, we do have something. So know that you're bringing something to the table too. And I guess I don't look at it as networking as much as I look at it from a learning perspective. Just broadening my aperture on different people, different roles, and so, yeah, I guess I take the networking word out of it. And I just think about it as kind of just growing my sphere of people that I know. And it seems less intimidating.

Priyanka Thakore: I agree. Yeah, that's pressure.

Mary Killelea: Definitely. But thank you for asking me. What does to be bolder mean to you?

Priyanka Thakore: For me, to be bolder means taking implicit or explicit feedback and not hearing it as a personal failure, but as a tool to be better and to be more impactful. I think that is a challenge that I'm at a point where I can take and I really see the advantage, like very clearly now. But that is something that takes courage.

Mary Killelea: Yeah, that's amazing. So we've reached the end of our conversation, but I want to know, being a woman in tech, is there anything that you'd like to share with our audience that we didn't talk about today?

Priyanka Thakore: I think to me, over the years, I've realized it's the mindset shift or a mindset that women may need to focus on really to try something new or to try something different, because we, at least I can speak for me, not for all women in general, but I don't like to be wrong. Like when I make a decision, I want it to be right. And it takes a lot of mental bandwidth because you don't always have all the data to make the right call. Sometimes you just have to make it, come back to it, and then fix it. But I think women tend to not want to, they take it as a personal failure, so they want it to be perfect. And I think those kind of aspects hold them back to some degree. So I think that kind of a mindset shift, and I really believe conversations around that would be something that women should pick up more and talk more about. Like technical side, things keep changing, and you can always pick it up. I don't see that as a bigger mindset change, you know, but this thought process and kind of things that are very implicit in the workplace, not explicitly called out, but they're very important for you to progress is something I feel is missing. And, yeah, we need to talk more explicitly about those traits.

Mary Killelea: Okay, so it has been great talking with you today. Thank you so much for being here. How can someone get in touch with you?

Priyanka Thakore: So I have my LinkedIn profile I'll give to you. People can leave comments or send me a message. And I also have an email if, you know, other women want to reach out to me, it's connect with Priyanka Thakur at gmail.com.

Mary Killelea: That's fantastic. Well, thank you so much.

Priyanka Thakore: Thank you so much, Mary. This was a pleasure. It was it was a very, very fun conversation.

Mary Killelea: Thanks for listening to the episode today. It was really fun chatting with my guest. If you liked our show, please like it and share it with your friends. If you want to learn what we're up to, please go check out our website at to be bolder.com. That's the number two little B bolder.com.