Q1: Can you tell us about your journey from India to becoming a software developer in Seattle?
A: My journey began at the National Institute of Technology in India, where I studied Computer Science. After graduating in 2015, I started as a Product Engineer at Intellect Design Arena, developing banking applications. This gave me a strong foundation in financial technology.
I then moved to SAP Labs India, where I worked on ERP applications for business communications and led the Turkey e-Invoice Tax solution, which generated significant revenue. Later at Apptio in Bangalore, I designed and maintained microservices that improved system throughput by about 39%.
My move to the US came when I pursued my Master’s degree at Arizona State University. During my studies, I worked as a Full-stack Developer at ASU’s Digital Innovation Group, creating virtual exhibition spaces. After completing my degree with a 4.0 GPA, I secured a position with a major tech company in Seattle, where I’ve been working on inventory management systems and cloud infrastructure.
Q2: What types of projects have you worked on that you found most challenging and rewarding?
A: One of the most challenging projects was developing a consignment business scenario for grocery technology that onboarded external vendors with their inventory. The complexity came from building end-to-end features including infrastructure changes and setting up dependent services. The project was extremely rewarding as it saved approximately $10 million per year in grocery shrink.
Another challenging project was the cloud migration for grocery stores in Japan and Singapore. Leading this major migration to a newer inventory tech stack required careful planning and coordination across international teams. Seeing the improved productivity and efficiency after the migration was very satisfying.
I also found great satisfaction in my cost optimization work, where I reduced cloud costs by about 20% (around $30,000 yearly) for inventory tech services. This involved analyzing resource usage patterns and implementing more efficient solutions.
Q3: How do you approach cloud optimization and infrastructure development?
A: My approach to cloud optimization starts with a thorough analysis of current usage patterns and identifying underutilized resources. I believe in data-driven decision making, so I collect metrics about resource utilization before making any changes.
For infrastructure development, I focus on building scalable, maintainable solutions. For instance, when I designed the inventory identification tool web application, I set up the infrastructure with AWS resources for an EC2-based service accessible across the public internet. This required careful consideration of security, performance, and cost.
I’ve found that small improvements can lead to significant savings. For example, working on EMF metrics instead of cloud watch metrics and writing scripts for cleanup of unutilized resources in AWS saved about $37,000 per year. I also developed the externalization of an Inventory Scanning Service which reduced latency by 80%, greatly improving associate productivity.
Q4: You’ve worked on several personal projects outside your professional work. Can you share what motivated these projects?
A: My personal projects are driven by a desire to explore new technologies and address real-world problems. XChange Skills, a Python Django app, came from the idea that people could teach skills they possess and learn skills from others without financial transactions. I wanted to create a platform focused on genuine human connection and knowledge sharing rather than monetary exchange.
The Covid Fundraiser project was motivated by a desire to help during the pandemic. I built an auction app where users could place items like paintings or handmade gifts, with proceeds going to charity. This project allowed me to use technology for social good while practicing with Spring Boot, Thymeleaf, and Axios.
GradMeet was inspired by the challenges students face when researching colleges and courses. Having gone through the graduate school application process myself, I recognized the need for comprehensive information on colleges, scholarships, and admission notifications in one place.
These projects allow me to explore different technologies while creating solutions that could potentially help communities.
Q5: How do you stay current with rapidly evolving technologies in software development?
A: Staying current is essential in our field. I regularly engage with online learning platforms to explore new technologies and frameworks. Being a Peer Expert Reviewer at the Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Technology helps me stay informed about cutting-edge research.
I also believe in learning through practical application. Many of my personal projects serve as laboratories for experimenting with new technologies. For instance, I used Ruby on Rails and Vue.js for my PK Salon project, which helped me understand these frameworks better.
Additionally, I participate in technical communities and follow industry publications to keep up with trends and best practices. The tech ecosystem in Seattle provides great opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing with other professionals.
Q6: What skills do you think are most valuable for software developers in today’s environment?
A: Technical versatility is crucial. Having proficiency across various technologies—like my experience with Python, Django, Java, SpringBoot, and cloud platforms like AWS and GCP—allows you to approach problems from different angles.
However, beyond technical skills, I believe problem-solving abilities and business acumen are increasingly important. Understanding how technology decisions impact business outcomes has been vital in my work on cost optimization and efficiency improvements.
Communication skills are also essential, especially in cross-functional environments. When I led the cloud migration project for grocery stores in Japan and Singapore, clear communication across teams with different backgrounds was key to success.
Finally, a continuous learning mindset is non-negotiable. Our field evolves rapidly, and the ability to adapt and pick up new technologies quickly is what separates good developers from great ones.
Q7: How do you approach collaboration with cross-functional teams?
A: Effective collaboration begins with understanding each team’s objectives and constraints. When working across functions, I focus first on establishing clear, shared goals and ensuring everyone understands how their work contributes to the larger picture.
Regular communication is critical. During the development of the inventory identification tool, I established consistent check-ins with stakeholders from different departments to ensure the solution addressed their specific needs while maintaining technical feasibility.
I also believe in making technical concepts accessible to non-technical team members. Using visual representations and practical examples helps bridge communication gaps when explaining complex systems or changes.
Documentation plays a crucial role too. When I managed the build/CI pipeline that automatically deployed code to customer spaces, comprehensive documentation ensured that team members could understand the process regardless of their technical background.
Q8: What advice would you give to someone starting their career in software development?
A: First, invest in your foundations. Strong knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and core programming principles will serve you throughout your career. This foundation has helped me adapt to different languages and frameworks as needed.
Second, don’t specialize too early. Explore different areas of software development—backend, frontend, cloud infrastructure—to discover what you enjoy most. My experience across full-stack and backend roles helped me build a comprehensive understanding of system architecture.
Third, focus on delivering business value, not just technical elegance. Understanding how your code impacts users and business outcomes will make you more valuable to any organization.
Fourth, build projects that solve real problems. My personal projects like XChange Skills and Covid Fundraiser taught me valuable lessons that formal education couldn’t provide.
Finally, cultivate soft skills alongside technical ones. Communication, collaboration, and project management abilities will become increasingly important as you progress in your career.
Q9: What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?
A: One important lesson is that simplicity often trumps complexity. Early in my career, I was drawn to complex, elegant solutions, but I’ve learned that maintainable, straightforward code usually provides more long-term value. When I increased the throughput of AQL Microservice by 39%, it wasn’t through complex optimization but by identifying and addressing key bottlenecks.
Another lesson is the importance of understanding business context. Technical decisions don’t exist in a vacuum—they serve business objectives. My work in reducing cloud costs by 20% required understanding both technical infrastructure and business priorities.
I’ve also learned the value of proactive problem-solving. Waiting for issues to become critical before addressing them creates unnecessary stress and technical debt. Regular system reviews and optimization have helped prevent major problems.
Finally, I’ve learned that career growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. My transition from India to the United States required adapting to new work cultures and environments, but these experiences have been invaluable for my professional development.
Q10: What are your long-term career goals?
A: My long-term goal is to continue growing as a technical leader who can bridge the gap between complex technology and business value. I aspire to lead larger technical initiatives that drive significant business transformation through innovative solutions.
I’m particularly interested in further developing my expertise in cloud architecture and optimization. The work I’ve done reducing cloud costs and improving system efficiency has shown me the tremendous impact these optimizations can have at scale.
I also aim to contribute more to the technical community through mentorship and knowledge sharing. Being a Peer Expert Reviewer has been rewarding, and I’d like to expand my contributions to help develop the next generation of software developers.
Ultimately, I want to be at the forefront of using technology to solve meaningful business and social challenges, whether that’s through my professional work or personal projects like XChange Skills and Covid Fundraiser.
About Pradeep Kumar
Pradeep Kumar is a software developer with expertise in cloud infrastructure, full-stack development, and system optimization. With experience spanning from banking applications to inventory management systems, he has consistently delivered solutions that improve efficiency and reduce costs. He holds a Master’s degree in Information Technology from Arizona State University and continues to explore new technologies through personal projects and community involvement.
