When Android apps were often seen as clunky and inflexible, Manishankar Janakaraj was already deep in the code, experimenting with emergent technologies like Kotlin and early versions of Jetpack Compose to reimagine what mobile experiences could be. Now a Senior Android Engineer at Turo, his architectural insights and innovative features have powered applications used by millions, consistently enhancing user engagement and reshaping mobile development practices within major tech organizations. Wherever Janakaraj applies his expertise, he brings two defining qualities: cutting-edge innovation and measurable product growth.
Early Life and Academic Foundation
Manishankar’s journey began in Chennai, India, where his fascination with computing led him to a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering at the College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University. This rigorous education laid a robust groundwork in software fundamentals. He later earned a Professional Master’s in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, with a focus on mobile computing, computer vision, and user-centric interface design.
During his graduate studies at the Visual Computing Lab under Prof. Gady Agam, Manishankar’s aptitude for bridging theory with tangible application shone. As the sole Android developer on a key research project, his work was instrumental to the findings published in the prestigious SPIE 2015 conference paper, “Door and window image-based measurement using a mobile device.” This early success in combining mobile development with advanced computer vision foreshadowed a career defined by interdisciplinary innovation and impactful real-world solutions.
Professional Journey: A Legacy of Innovation and Impact
Janakaraj’s professional ascent began at CBS Interactive in 2015, where his forward-thinking approach quickly became evident. Long before Jetpack Compose became the official Android UI toolkit, Janakaraj was already experimenting with its alpha versions in production systems like the TV Guide application. He was instrumental in rebuilding TV Guide from a legacy Java codebase to modern Kotlin, pioneering not only early Compose adoption but also integrating Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) to share business logic with iOS. This ambitious overhaul boosted the app’s Play Store rating from 2.5 to 4.5+ and sustained a crash-free rate above 99.9% for its 1M+ users, setting a new bar for quality and user satisfaction. His work on the CNET Android app, which included developing reusable libraries for video and authentication leveraged across multiple company applications, earned industry recognition as a 2018 Webby Award Honoree and a 2019 Webby Award Nominee.
Even earlier at CBS Interactive, his vision for scalable mobile ecosystems was clear. He implemented a reusable and themeable framework with Server-Driven UI (SDUI), an innovation that laid the foundation for rapid multi-app deployment and product experimentation at speed, facilitating the launch of GameSpot Now just one month after CNET Tech Today.
Transitioning to WW International (WeightWatchers), Janakaraj continued to drive significant product advancements. He played a pivotal role in the rapid, 4-month development of Android features for the strategic GLP-1 medication support program. This initiative became WW’s fastest-growing revenue stream, generating $18.8M in Q1 2024. He made key contributions to the development of the new Nutrition tab, and played a significant role in engineering the Weight tab with a reusable line chart—both built using Jetpack Compose. Furthermore, his complete redesign of the core Progress tab using Jetpack Compose led to a staggering >90% increase in user engagement and a 2% growth in core tracking behaviors. He also spearheaded the creation of WW’s first homescreen widgets using Jetpack Glance and ensured these high-visibility features met full ADA accessibility requirements and complex internationalization needs for over 10 languages.
Currently, as a Senior Android Engineer at Turo Inc., Janakaraj is at the helm of modernizing their Android app, which boasts over 10 million downloads. He is spearheading the refactoring of legacy code to Kotlin Coroutines with an MVI architecture, enhancing critical Turo-Uber integration features. A flagship contribution is the “Long Duration Trips Opt-In Experience,” a sophisticated multi-step modal flow featuring complex presentation logic and personalized earnings projections designed to boost adoption of profitable trips. His optimization of Turo’s Codegen workflow also reduced GitHub Actions runtime by an impressive 75%, significantly improving developer productivity.
Leadership Through Technical Excellence
Janakaraj’s leadership is not defined by traditional management hierarchies but by his profound technical influence, architectural vision, and commitment to mentorship. He champions an innovation-first mindset, consistently identifying and leveraging transformative technologies—from SDUI and KMP to the earliest practical applications of Jetpack Compose and Glance—to keep teams ahead of the curve. His approach of building robust, reusable frameworks and component libraries has consistently accelerated development cycles and enhanced maintainability across organizations, directly translating engineering excellence into business agility and product quality.
Future Vision
As mobile ecosystems become more cross-platform, intelligent, and user-centric, Janakaraj’s career reflects what it takes to thrive: a commitment to clean architecture, innovation-first thinking, and the courage to pioneer what’s next. In the evolving world of Android, he’s not just adapting—he’s shaping the future. His ongoing commitment to integrating emerging paradigms like Compose Multiplatform and AI-enhanced user experiences ensures his work will continue to influence the products he touches and the broader mobile engineering landscape.
