The Pattern I Saw in Software, Finance and Life
I’m Phani Kandula. For most of my career, I've been a professional pattern-extractor—I just didn't have a name for it yet.
It all started with my first career.
The Software Engineer
For twenty years, I lived and breathed systematic thinking without knowing what to call it. As a software engineer at companies like PayPal, NetSuite, and Bill.com, it was just... how you get things done. To build systems that don't break, you learn to:
- Run parallel tracks to explore options safely.
- Extract reusable patterns instead of reinventing the wheel.
- Project future implications before you commit.
- Trace problems backward to their true root cause.
I thought these were just programming skills. I was wrong.
The Financial Planner
My transition to financial planning was the moment the pattern became visible. I'd sit with brilliant, successful people—doctors, executives, entrepreneurs—and watch them get paralyzed by straightforward life decisions. It wasn't a lack of intelligence. It was a lack of a framework. They were collapsing to the first option, repeating the same mistakes, and treating symptoms instead of causes.
The Recognition
That’s when I realized: the systematic thinking moves I had internalized as an engineer weren't software skills; they were life skills. They were the missing operating system that so many people had never been taught. I wrote Your Four Moves to make these essential mental tools conscious, learnable, and accessible to everyone.
My Mission
My goal is to give you the tools to upgrade your own mental OS. You don't need to think harder. You just need a better system to think with. This book provides that system.
Credentials & Background
- Financial Planning: Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Enrolled Agent (EA).
- Software Engineering: 20+ years building platforms at PayPal, NetSuite, Bill.com, and others.
- Education: Computer Science from the International Institute of Information Technology.
Let's Connect
You can find my professional work at SafeSimpleSound.com or connect with me on LinkedIn. If you're ready to start your upgrade, the best place to begin is with the book.