I just realized something... I’ve never really talked about my first job!!!
Before I knew words like product operations or customer experience, I was already doing the work at Maanvi. A family business does not care what your official role is. If photos need taking, inventory needs organizing, a customer has a question, or the website looks wrong, congratulations: that is your department now.
It taught me that a product is never only the thing being sold. It is the story, the trust, the reply that arrives on time, and the hundred invisible decisions that make somebody comfortable choosing you. Years later, that scrappy willingness to do whatever moves the experience forward still feels like my default mode.
Before AI systems, XR prototypes, research papers, and full stack dev… my first real project was helping build my parents’ saree brand "Maanvi" (she is now on linkedin)
Back in 2017, I just did whatever needed to be done. I took the product photos. Experimented with early branding. And somehow ended up designing our very first logo. I remember making that first version on Vistaprint, inspired by the MGM lion, but with an “M” 😅
Soon after, my cousin Sridhar Bokka, an incredible artist, helped refine the design into a more artistic version that stayed with us for years. If you look closely, the sitting bride in that design actually resembles the Telugu letter “ని” from Maanvi.
Last year, I felt it was time to evolve the identity again. So I went back to sketching, this time digitally. I used linear sketch and did some drafts and more changes on Canva and Figma. Simplifying everything into a cleaner, monotone look that felt more timeless. The logo now even includes my handwritten Telugu font that I designed for the brand.
And tonight (well… technically 4:30am 😅) I just finished shipping the latest version of the website: https://maanvi.website/
Sometimes when you're building something creative, you don't even notice the hours passing. Looking back, it's funny,, my first real product lab wasn’t a tech startup. It was my parents’ house of sarees.
Over the next few days, I’ll share a few stories about Maanvi as we celebrate 9 years this week.
for starters: It all began during Holi in 2017, which feels fitting, because the brand has always been about color, celebration, and community. More soon 🌸
What I remember most is the shift from an idea in my head to something another person could actually touch. Shipping makes the questions sharper, the feedback more honest, and the next version much easier to imagine.