About me & How I Work




I’ve spent 30 years across software delivery, architecture, and transformation leadership
— operating in environments where execution mattered more than theory.

Deep Janardhanan, Principal, Cerebal Ops

Deep Janardhanan, Principal, Cerebral Ops
  • Senior, board-facing delivery leadership
  • Comfortable taking ownership under pressure
  • Focused on outcomes, not advisory decks
  • Experience across product, engineering, vendors, and transformation
  • Remote-first, execution-driven

Delivery Leadership when Execution is Under Pressure

I work with founders, CTOs, and engineering leaders when SaaS execution starts to feel fragile — commitments slip, teams pull in different directions, and delivery risk quietly builds.

❌ My role is not advisory.
I step in as embedded delivery leadership, taking ownership of execution so outcomes are clear, momentum is restored, and leadership pressure is reduced.

How Engagements Typically Begin

Most engagements start when one of the following is true:
  • Roadmaps are slipping despite capable teams
  • Delivery depends on heroics rather than control
  • Vendors and internal teams are misaligned
  • A new CTO or leader has inherited execution chaos
  • Delivery risk is starting to feel investor or board-visible
In these situations, clarity and ownership matter more than frameworks or process theatre.

Ways I Work

  1. Fractional Head of Delivery

    • Owning delivery execution across teams and programs
    • Aligning priorities between product, engineering, and leadership
    • Bringing discipline to planning, commitments, and follow-through
    • Acting as a trusted execution partner to the CTO or COO
    This model works best when leadership needs relief and control without making a full-time hire.

  2. Program Stabilization and Execution Reset

    When a critical program or portfolio is starting to slip, I take on time-bound execution leadership to regain control.
    The focus is on:
    • Establishing clear ownership and decision authority
    • Resetting delivery cadence and expectations
    • Addressing vendor or cross-team friction
    • Restoring visible momentum within weeks, not quarters

  3. Delivery Rescue & Turnaround Leadership

    When delivery is already at risk — missed commitments, escalating pressure, or leadership exposure — I step in to stabilize and turn the situation around. These engagements are:
    • Short-term but high-intensity
    • Outcome-driven, not advisory
    • Focused on control, decisions, and execution under pressure
      • Rescue work is not about heroics. It’s about calm leadership, hard calls, and restoring trust in delivery.

What Makes This Approach Different

  • I operate as leadership, not external support
  • I’m comfortable taking ownership under pressure
  • I focus on outcomes, not diagnostics or decks
  • I work remote-first, with clarity and low drama
  • If something isn’t fixable, I say so directly

Geographies

Based in Trivandrum, Kerala, India; we serve North America(US, Canada), EU + UK, Australia + New Zealand and India.

EU & Germany

  • Active presence in Munich
  • Experience working with German and EU leadership teams
  • Discussions and working sessions available in German
  • Contracts governed per client preference (DE / EU / UK / US)

How to Get Started

Most work begins with a short conversation to understand where execution pressure is building and whether I can help.

If it’s not a fit, I’ll tell you directly.

👉 Request a Short Conversation