Meet the Ripplers: Kartik Sura

Meet Kartik

Meet Kartik Sura — Rippling’s Director of Engineering, Employment Products by day, home-chef by night, and go-getter, always. Whether it’s making the perfect pizza or leading high-impact engineering projects, Kartik leans on three things as his recipe for growth: spotting the right opportunities, constant iteration, and leaning on a trusted circle for honest feedback. Read below to see what he’s cooking up at Rippling.

Chance of a lifetime

I’ve been lucky to work all over the world, like Pune, Silicon Valley, and now Bangalore. What’s led me from place to place is chasing growth. Personal growth, career growth, and impact. I’ve found value in all my experiences like Uber, Twitter (X), and Square, but joining Rippling — especially in India — felt like accelerating all three at once. 

We grow in our careers by building things. When a company is growing fast, there’s a high sense of optimism. A lot of things get built, and you get more opportunities in a shorter amount of time. 

Plus, the Rippling story in India is unique. Bangalore has been a core part of Rippling from day one, rather than a supporting office built ten years later. Some of Rippling’s biggest revenue drivers were built right here. That means we get a ton of ownership and decision-making power that you won’t find in many international companies in this city.

Building a give-and-get culture

Today, a large percentage of Rippling’s revenue comes from our team, and our sights are set on bringing more to the table. We’re already one of the fastest-growing companies, so how do you make the rocketship go faster?

For us, it’s operating like a well-oiled sports team — setting clear goals each quarter, identifying nice-to-haves and must-haves, and celebrating every win. My role is to keep us on track. That includes managing a team of managers to lead people as best as we can.

Since joining, I’ve seen a major investment in engineering leadership, growing our bench of staff engineers significantly, along with a rich ecosystem of product managers, designers, and general and administrative staff.

We have senior leaders to guide us. We have junior colleagues to mentor. That maturity translates into better predictability, stronger development, and a healthier work-life balance — all critical for sustainable success.

My proudest moment was the last employee engagement survey. It was taken very seriously and my team had one of the best scores on the floor. That meant a lot to us.

Only at Rippling

One thing that sets Rippling leadership apart is their commitment to direct access. Here, I can Slack the CEO or CTO directly — something unheard of at many companies. That openness fuels faster decision-making, real-time feedback, and leadership development at every level.

Every quarter here brings new challenges — whether it’s launching in a new country or solving brand-new customer needs. You have to wear many hats. You have to stay agile. So, I encourage everyone at Rippling or anyone joining to embrace creativity both at work and outside of it. It’s important to balance work in a way you can stay committed.

Rippling isn’t for everyone, but if you’re serious about engineering and growing fast, there’s no better place to be.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of May 5, 2025.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.