Meet Manoj Shinde of tCognition in Newmarket Industrial

Today we’d like to introduce you to Manoj Shinde. Hist team shares his story with us below.

Manoj is a Northeastern Graduate who originally hails from India. In the ‘90s his vision for tCognition was initially abstracted while working as a Senior Technical Consultant at Siebel Systems. During his time at Siebel, the company was acquired by Oracle and he decided to begin anew. In 2003, Manoj’s vision of building an Information Technology-centric company came to fruition.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, tCognition was established in ‘03 as a Siebel Systems technology development and outsourcing partner-provider. Fourteen years later, with over 150 business and technology specialists on staff both onshore and offshore; in the U.S., the UK, Germany, Canada, India, APAC, and the U.A.E., tCognition has evolved into a Global information technology Consulting and Professional Services support organization specializing in Advanced Technology Projects, Outsourcing Programs and Staffing Solutions.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road for Manoj and tCognition. As Manoj comes from a technical background and mindset, it was a difficult transition at first to become a business professional. He had to develop his finance and accounting skills in order to become a successful business owner, as well as improve his client-facing business skills in order to more easily interact with clients and partners.

Additionally, cultivating a client/partner base and generating enough capital and cash flow with which to pay his employees proved to be a challenge at first. He found himself working almost 24 hours a day during the first five years of incorporation hustling to persuade and convince banks of tCognition’s worth in order to secure financing.

He also had a hard time convincing prospective employees to believe in his vision and to jump on board at tCognition as it was a new organization. Many, although having longstanding relationships with Manoj, weren’t initially confident that leaving their comfortable corporate jobs to join a startup would pan out for them financially or professionally.

Finally, it took a bit of trial and error for Manoj to find and settle on a cost-effective means of sourcing labor to service his initial clientele. He strived to find a quality yet more low cost option for his technical/consulting team than was being offered anywhere else. As he originally hails from India, he came up with the idea to outsource work from a technical team back in APAC.

There was much trial and error with hiring an offshore team as well since there were language and business presence barriers with his team members at first. It took some years and lots of travel back and forth to get the mixture of technical vs. client facing personnel just right. Manoj feels that after 14 years as an incorporation (July 31st Anniversary) tCognition has gotten the “secret sauce” figured out. As always in business, however, there will be challenges, but he feels more than confident that he can push past any barrier that comes his way.

Please tell us about tCognition.
tCognition provides comprehensive Information Technology support solutions, ranging from Consulting and Professional services to Project Management focused on advanced technologies. tCognition also provides custom longer term outsourcing programs enabling cost-effective and timely Application Development, QA-Test engineering, 24×7 Help Desk or 24×7 Managed Services.

tCognition is a “Big Picture” organization, focusing on servicing the complete Information Technology solution eco-system, and providing life-cycle support. Not only do we provide functional development and technical support within some of today’s hottest tech sectors such as Telematics, Big Data, Business Intelligence, Security and Identity Governance, and WebRTC; we also provide support for the entire solution landscape, building connectors between technology silos (like contact center) and enterprise platforms (ERPs and CRMs).

We truly believe that only an entirely cohesive team of highly motivated and skilled employees can provide the level of industry-disrupting and varied value to the customers that we hold so dear; enter tCognition. Our personnel continually strive to exceed all client expectations in the delivery of complex, multifaceted, technology solutions. Our specialty areas range from simple consulting, or a single staff augmenting resource, to a comprehensive Outsourcing Program; our dynamic global talent pool encompasses individuals and/or skilled development teams, with varying skills and years of demonstrated experience, achieving unprecedented results.

Once the professional workday is over, however, the real work starts. tCognition’s President and CEO, Manoj Shinde, having the entrepreneurial drive and love of Bourbon that he does, has begun renovation of old Boston firehouse basement, turned company headquarters, for his new distillery location. Manoj is transforming two-out-of-three floors of his building on Kemble Street into Boston’s only licensed Kentucky Bourbon Distillery.

Bringing elements of home into the workplace is more common than ever, and to say that Shinde has brought his passion into the workplace is an understatement. “Believe it or not, there are things I like more than IT and Software Development,” said Manoj. “I’ve made almost 100 trips to Kentucky in my life and I think it’s time to bring a bit of Kentucky back here to Boston through my bourbon.”

tCognition’s subsidiary, Old Man’s Distillery, will begin bottling liquors in late 2017 starting with Old Man’s Gin and Old Man’s Vodka (the bourbon will come later, after aging). Old Man’s Distillery will be importing all of the limestone-rich water they use for Bourbon directly from Kentucky to Boston.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Manoj feels very lucky to have made life-long friendships and relationships while working toward his Master’s Degree at Northeastern University. Some of the connections that he made during those years have turned into professional bonds and partnerships lasting through to present day, and he’s very thankful for the luck he had forming those bonds.

Additionally, as a Minority Business Owner of a Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Manoj feels lucky to have stumbled on the property he owns in Roxbury, MA, located in a HUBZone, where tCognition is currently based. HUBZone is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) program for small companies that operate and employ in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones). Manoj and tCognition have had the opportunity to form quality partnerships with other MBEs and SBAs located in HUBZones through this stroke of serendipity.

Manoj has been personally invested in the Bourbon Distilling industry for many years, and has always had a vested interest in opening his own Distillery in Boston someday. While looking into areas of Boston allowing opening of Distilleries, he found that it was much easier to obtain liquor permits and licensing in Industrial areas. This brought him to the Newmarket Industrial/Commercial District on a hunt for real estate. His search led him to an old Boston firehouse, the third-floor of which now serves as tCognition headquarters, and basement/first-floor of which will soon become “Old Man’s Distillery (to begin bottling liquors in late 2017).

Contact Info:

• Address: 70 Kemble St, Boston, MA 02119
• Website: www.tCognition.com
• Phone: (617) 357-4636
• Email: info@tCognition.com
• Instagram: @tCognitionBoston
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tCognition/
• Twitter: @tCognition
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/57619/

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