Looking Ahead: How Rocket.Build Is Turning Bold Ideas into Innovation

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At Rocket Software, that curiosity comes to life through Rocket.Build, our annual global innovation competition that gives Rocketeers the freedom to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of what's possible. Each year, the competition brings together employees from around the world to showcase their talents and collaborate on innovative solutions to some of the industry’s most pressing challenges.

In the first installment of our 2026 Rocket.Build spotlight series, we're heading to Pune, India, to meet Ayush Dubey and Sushmita Singh, two Rocketeers preparing to take part in this year's competition. We caught up with them to hear what inspired their participation and what they're most looking forward to at Rocket.Build 2026.

What inspired you to participate in Rocket.Build 2026, and what does this opportunity mean to you personally?

For Ayush, returning to Rocket.Build for a third year with the same team is another opportunity to turn the ideas that emerge during everyday work into something tangible.

"Throughout the year, as we work on various products and features, there's always a lingering thought in the back of my mind: How can we make this even better?" he shares. Rocket.Build gives him the freedom to explore those possibilities and receive valuable feedback that can help strengthen the team's ideas.

Sushmita shares that enthusiasm for tackling familiar challenges from a fresh perspective. Working with IBM i systems, she's seen how much time and expertise can go into making operational decisions. Rocket.Build offered an opportunity to explore how emerging technologies could simplify that process.

"I wanted to turn curiosity into something tangible," she explains. "Rocket.Build gave me the space and freedom to look at this familiar problem differently, explore creative possibilities, and use the latest technologies to turn those ideas into a working solution."

Can you tell us about the project your team is working on and the problem you're hoping to solve?

Ayush and Sushmita's team is developing MONK-EYE, a predictive intelligence solution designed to help organizations anticipate the impact of operations on IBM i systems.

The idea grew from a common issue in IBM i environments, where traditional monitoring tools provide visibility into system performance, but determining the best course of action often requires extensive analysis and specialized expertise. "On IBM i, the data is rarely the problem; the decision is," Sushmita explains.

MONK-EYE uses live and historical system data to simulate future conditions and predict operational outcomes. The solution is designed to estimate resource impact and identify safer execution windows, with clear explanations behind its recommendations. By integrating with Rocket EVA, the team also envisions making these capabilities accessible across multiple IBM i systems via natural conversation.

Ayush describes the team's ambition through a memorable analogy: "Many current market solutions only offer a 'rear-view mirror' view, meaning they just monitor what has already happened. Our solution is designed to be the 'headlight.'"

By helping teams anticipate future conditions, MONK-EYE could open new possibilities for proactive IBM i operations and reduce reliance on time-intensive manual analysis.

What's been the most rewarding part of working with your teammates so far?

For the MONK-EYE team, collaboration has been central to bringing the project to life. After participating in Rocket.Build together for three years, Ayush and Sushmita have seen how each team member’s expertise and ownership have helped the concept evolve.

“The most rewarding part has been watching everyone take true ownership of the idea, treating it completely as their own,” Ayush says. The experience has also helped him grow as a team leader, learning how to distribute responsibilities in ways that challenge teammates and support their professional development.

Sushmita has been equally inspired by the team’s willingness to build on one another’s ideas. What began as a single-system prediction concept has evolved into a broader vision for a multi-system, explainable engine integrated with Rocket EVA.

“The most rewarding part has been seeing every team member take ownership of the project and contribute their own expertise and ideas. The experience has taught us how to share responsibilities, challenge each other’s thinking, and grow together as a team.”

What excites you most about the opportunity to experiment with new ideas at Rocket.Build?

For Ayush, one of Rocket.Build's greatest advantages is the freedom to explore possibilities beyond the parameters of everyday product development.

"Rocket.Build completely changes that. I can expand my horizons and freely build what I believe is the true future of the product," he explains. He's especially looking forward to presenting MONK-EYE to Rocket's leadership team and gathering feedback that could help shape its future development.

Sushmita sees the competition as an opportunity to approach her work from a different angle. In her regular role, she focuses on validating whether products behave as expected. Rocket.Build gives her the chance to imagine what those products could become.

"Starting from a problem instead of a predefined solution," she says, is what makes the experience so exciting.

Looking ahead, what impact do you hope your team's project could have?

Both Ayush and Sushmita see MONK-EYE as an opportunity to help customers make more confident decisions about their IBM i environments.

Ayush believes the team's prediction engine has the potential to differentiate Rocket's offerings by helping organizations understand how their production systems may behave hours or even days into the future.

Sushmita hopes the project will demonstrate how predictive intelligence could help customers reduce guesswork and make specialized operational knowledge more accessible. "For customers, it means less guesswork and less dependence on scarce specialist knowledge," she explains.

The team's ultimate ambition is to bring greater foresight to IBM i operations, helping organizations anticipate potential challenges and act with confidence.

As Sushmita puts it, "Monitoring shows the road behind us. MONK-EYE lights up the road ahead."

Building What's Next, Together

Ayush and Sushmita's story captures what makes Rocket.Build such a valuable part of Rocket Software's innovation culture. Their project began with an obstacle they encountered in their everyday work and grew through experimentation and a shared commitment to finding a better solution.

As they prepare for Rocket.Build 2026, their experience shows how giving Rocketeers the freedom to explore bold ideas can create opportunities for professional growth and meaningful product innovation.

Stay tuned as we continue our Rocket.Build 2026 spotlight series, meeting more Rocketeers from around the world and exploring the ideas they're bringing to this year's competition.