For many logistics professionals, the idea of transitioning from logistics to tech can feel out of reach, especially without a coding background. But for Hatish Satiah, the journey from sorting parcels to building breakthrough products proves otherwise.
Hatish didn’t follow a traditional tech path. In fact, he began his career juggling night shifts in payroll while funding his studies by day. It wasn’t until years later, after working across warehouse floors and operations teams, that his deep appreciation for logistics complexity began to spark something bigger.
“I started on the ground,” he recalls. “That hands-on experience gave me a deep appreciation of how complex the supply chain is and sparked a desire to improve the systems used in those warehouses.”
Today, Hatish is a Product Manager at WiseTech, designing the very tools that solve the inefficiencies he once experienced firsthand.
Logistics experience at the core
A common myth Hatish is quick to dispel is that you have to be highly technical to thrive in product management.
“You don’t need to know how to code or be very technical to be a great product manager,” he says. “You just need to understand the pain points in the industry, ask the right questions, and work well with cross-functional teams.”
While Hatish has a background in IT, he believes his biggest asset is his operational background and relentless curiosity. He knows what it’s like to be the user – and that shapes everything he builds.
“At WiseTech, my role isn’t to bring technicality into the product,” he explains. “It’s to make sure we’re building the right thing, for the right reasons.”
Finding his way to WiseTech
It was actually Hatish’s wife who first introduced him to WiseTech. “She found this really nice company online and thought it would suit me,” he laughs.
What drew him in was WiseTech’s mission to unify global logistics through deeply integrated technology – something that resonated with his own experience.
“I’d seen how disconnected the logistics world is,” he says. “WiseTech’s vision made me feel like I could help solve problems I’d lived through myself.”
For Hatish, product management is the perfect fit: it’s the bridge between understanding real-world logistics challenges and working with technical teams to create solutions.
“I see myself as the connector between what’s technically possible and what’s operationally critical,” he says. “It’s about making sure engineers, designers, and product teams are all aligned on the same goal: to deliver real value.”
Real-world impact, designed from the ground up
Hatish is especially proud of his ongoing work on CargoWise’s breakthrough product, Container Transport Optimization.
“It tackles a real and impactful challenge: inefficiencies in landside container transport,” he says. “Leveraging my logistics background and working closely with a collaborative team of engineers, designers, and product managers, I'm helping shape the optimization logic and making sure the product works not just in theory, but in the messier realities of day-to-day operations.”
He believes his strength lies in spotting things others might overlook – like when he worked on an address validation tool.
“I really pushed for success criteria that reflected real-world logistics workflows,” he says. “A technical person might just validate if the address exists. But I’d seen firsthand how a small error in an address could cost hours and fuel down the chain.”
Advice for logistics professionals thinking about the switch
Hatish knows how intimidating it can feel to step into a tech environment. But his advice to logistics professionals is simple: don’t underestimate the value of what you already know.
“Don’t be scared about not being technical,” he says. “Your logistics experience is incredibly valuable. If you’ve been in the end user’s shoes, you already have empathy – and that’s powerful. You’ll get the support you need. Just stay curious, ask questions, and bring your real-world perspective.”
Hatish’s story proves that you don’t have to be a developer to build great tech products. So if you’ve ever looked at the systems around you and thought, there has to be a better way, maybe it’s time to be the one who builds it.
Discover how our product managers are shaping the future of logistics — explore our latest features at cargowise.com.