Some career milestones feel special not just because of the award, but because of the journey behind it. I’m happy to share that I was recently recognized as the Star Performer of the Month – October 2025 at Future Focus Infotech.

And this one is particularly meaningful — because it’s my first Star Performer award at the Manager level at FFI. Moving from Lead to Manager changes the game a little. You’re no longer responsible only for what you deliver — but also for how well your team succeeds. (Translation: you now worry about delivery timelines and whether everyone remembered to update JIRA. 😄)

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🚀 A Journey Built on Consistency (and Coffee)

If there’s one principle that has guided me so far, it’s showing up consistently and delivering with ownership. Over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to receive multiple recognitions:

🏆 Key Milestones

• ⭐ Star Performer — Oct, Nov & Dec 2024 (three consecutive months) – Already shared here with everyone
  
  

• 🏅 Outstanding Team Award — Jan, Feb & Mar 2024
  
  

• 🎯 Spot Awards — Oct 2023, Mar 2024 & Jul 2024

• ⭐ Star Performer — Oct 2025 (Manager Level)

Each of these came with its own mix of challenges, tight deadlines, unknowns, teamwork — and yes, a fair amount of coffee. ☕

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👥 From Lead to Manager — Redefining Success

As a Lead, success was often defined by things like:

✔ Clean code

✔ Scalable architecture

✔ Solving complex problems

As a Manager, the definition expanded to include:

💡 Enabling others to succeed

💡 Building trust and clarity

💡 Supporting growth and learning

💡 Creating a collaborative team culture

I’ve come to believe that leadership is less about control and more about support. And occasionally, it’s also about asking,

“Did we push that to production… intentionally?” 😄

This award, to me, reflects the collective effort of an incredible team that works, learns, and wins together.

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🙏 A Note of Gratitude

Achievements like these are never individual.

I am grateful for:

❤️ Mentors who guided me

🤝 Teammates who collaborated and challenged me

📣 Leaders who trusted me with responsibility

🏡 And my family, who support everything I do — including late-night problem solving

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🔥 What Keeps Me Going

A few simple beliefs:

👉 Start what you finish — and finish it well

👉 Quality matters

👉 Ownership creates impact

👉 Learning never stops

Awards are amazing milestones — but the real reward is the growth, experiences, and relationships built along the way.

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🌟 Looking Ahead

This recognition encourages me to continue:

✔ Delivering value

✔ Building strong, empowered teams

✔ Staying curious

✔ Leading with empathy

✔ And adding the occasional sense of humor when deadlines allow 😄

There’s still a long journey ahead — and I’m excited for what’s next.

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💬 Final Thought

If I had to summarize this phase of my career in one line, it would be:

“Consistency compounds — show up, learn, support others, and the results will follow.”

Thank you for being a part of my journey.

— Arun Kumar Uppalapati