Amazon

As an engineering manager in Amazon AppStore, I work on defining and executing the strategy and roadmap of my business. I lead a team of 10+ amazing engineers who work backwards from customer problems. We build scalable solutions using cutting-edge tools from AWS services, Machine learning, and Generative AI. Our products have reduced the time taken in application testing by 5 times using machine learning-based solutions. 
As a manager, I have coached 100+ engineers in their career development and built a strong team of problem-solving, self-driven individuals.

Software Development Manager

Leading the engineering team, that powers the backend of the Product Details page of Amazon shopping site worldwide, top 10 visited page on internet.

Goldman Sachs

Leadership | Hiring & Mentoring | Big Data | Data pipeline

Designed and managed a team for strategic rebuilt of conflict management system to support the new advanced nature of business with futuristic tech stack using Elasticsearch, microservices & Angular etc. It uses event sourcing in UI to create a reactive front end using RxJS.

Architected & managed a team to optimize the rule based tagging to highlight potential risks related to deals using event driven architecture. This improved the existing rule based system and reduced the noise by 80%.

Managed a team to create a self-service reporting dashboard using Elasticsearch & Angular.  This product saved 208 business days/year for business.

Executed a learning and training program for Legal, Compliance and Audit business unit by Chairing learning and training committee. This committee delivered 500+ person hours of training and mentorship

Vice President

Web & Mobile | Event Sourcing | Mentoring | Training 

Managed a team of interns to create a product for automating various manual approval processes by leveraging JBPM & microservices using RESTful architecture. This system currently hosts 100+ business processes and over 1M unique instances of those processes.

Influenced the business to get funding for a project by implementing a system showcasing how emails can be connected with the application to track the conversation which led to a decision for a deal.

Applied Event sourcing with RabbitMQ and ElasticSearch in implementing a data pipeline for conflict management system so that users can execute searches & reports in near real time.

Led & designed a workflow to document the decision taken during conflict approval process. Further improved the workflow by extending it to junior users, without compromising the risk associated with approval. This led to 70% faster issue approvals.

Associate Programmer

Analyst programmer

Accenture

Web | Enterprise Application Development | Agile | TDD 

Reduced the coding time by 20% by creating a reusable UI component using Google Web Toolkit, leading to a 70% reduction in coding time in similar requirements. 

Redesigned the architecture of a GWT based page, which lead to 70% less defects.

Automated the copy/paste of Review comments from word file to an excel file using POI library, leading to a 100% reduction in developer’s time.

Performed the role of Subject Matter Expert for GWT and Selenium testing tool in Accenture.

Created a team to organize technical sessions and discussions for the project, leading to a decline of 30% questions/doubts from the new joiners and other team members.

Senior Programmer

Favworks

Application Developer | Customer Relationship Management Tool | Billing Tools 

Reduced the time taken in organizing the company’s billing/client/project information by 80% by developing a Billing Software, which was later launched as one of the company’s product.

Developed a CRM and Social Network from scratch using PHP, MySql and JQuery.

Software Engineer

I help in skyrocketing 🚀 your career & finances | Engineering Manager @ Amazon | Ex GS | IIMK | Career coach | Personal finance coach

4 years before I got demoted from leading a team of 15 engineers to 1 engineer.

I doubted myself, if I am good at leading teams or not.

My managers, colleagues (𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺) told me to stop leading the team.

Then one day without any agenda, I called my ex-manager, who then had moved to Amazon.

We spoke for an hour. He reminded me of my work and abilities when he used to be my manager.

He told me what matters in career and how I was in a wrong place at a wrong time

We then met again, but this time with agenda of exactly what I needed to do, to crack Amazon interview.

I applied, and cracked the interview in the very first attempt.

And after joining Amazon, I already got promoted once.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳.

Which taught me 3 very important lessons.

# 1
You are given one life.
Don't spoil it because of being in wrong place.

# 2
Be closer to those who motivate & mentor you.
Avoid everyone else.

# 3
Learning is the only thing that doesn't change.
Rest all is temporary.

In last 5 months I spoke to 50+ of you from LinkedIn. 

In those meetings, I realised there are many in the same place where I was 4 years ago.

It is the state of "self doubt", "constant confusion", "frustration". 

This state not only stops your career growth but also kills your personal life. 

Thats why I made it my mission to help software professionals in achieving their true career potential and  live fulfilling life.

I do it in 2 ways.

[1] By coaching on how to crack Big tech FAANG+ interviews (behavioural)  
[2] By coaching on how to get promoted (career growth).


I do it by sharing result and action oriented "systems" and "frameworks".  

These are proven frameworks that I have developed for myself & learned from others. 


Follow me (and press bell icon) for getting these systems and frameworks.

If you want advise or coaching for your unique situation, DM me "COACH"

I spent 100+ hours breaking down Databases... Here’s what I found.

I was obsessed.

I dove deep into 4 different databases — both SQL and NoSQL— to understand:

- How they’re created
- How they work internally
- What they’re actually made of

The deeper I went, the more complex it seemed.
But then I saw the pattern.

No matter how fancy or complex a database looks...
They all boil down to just 3 simple layers.
Yes, just 3 layers.

If you understand these 3 layers, you can:
- Understand any database
- Build a deep intuition about its architecture
- Answer any interview question confidently

Here are the 3 layers:

1. 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
   
This layer defines how users connect with the database.

It includes:
- SQL (Structured Query Language)
- HTTP APIs (For NoSQL databases)
- Specific Protocols (Database-specific query languages)

Examples:
- RDBMS: SQL for user access.
- Cassandra: CQL (Cassandra Query Language).
- NoSQL (DynamoDB, MongoDB): HTTP APIs for user access.

2. 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
   
This layer routes read and write requests to the correct server or node.

This layer is optional for databases on a single node (e.g., most traditional RDBMS).

But for distributed databases (NoSQL), this layer is critical.

Examples:

- DynamoDB: Uses a request router that connects to partition metadata to route reads/writes to specific partitions.

- MongoDB: Uses mongos that connects to config servers for routing.

- Cassandra: Uses snitch to find the node where the data resides.

Pro Tip:

Almost all of them use the same routing algorithm—Consistent Hashing.

It efficiently distributes data across nodes for high availability and scalability.

3. 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
   
This layer defines how data is stored on disk.

There are 2 common data structures used in this layer:

B/B+ Tree:
- Used in 80% of databases (both SQL and NoSQL).
- Provides consistent O(log n) read and write access.
- Perfect for range queries.
Examples: All SQL DBs, DynamoDB, MongoDB.

LSM Tree:
- Optimized for high write throughput.
- Uses concepts like SSTable, compaction, tombstone to manage data efficiently.
Examples: Cassandra, ScyllaDB.


That’s it.
All databases—SQL and NoSQL—are just a combination of these 3 layers.

What surprised me the most?

Despite all the marketing hype, SQL and NoSQL databases are fundamentally the same.

They just assemble these 3 layers differently.

Next time you see a new, fancy database...
Don’t get swayed by the buzzwords or social media hype.

Instead:
- Apply this 3-layer architecture.
- Break down the database into these 3 layers.
- Understand it in 2 minutes flat.

This mindset shift will make you immune to hype and unmatched in system design interviews.

If you need targeted help with cracking System Design HLD rounds in 4.5 hours, DM me COACH.

Chandra Shekhar Joshi

Crack mid-senior FAANG+ SDE, EM behavioural, system design interview in 1 hour | DM me “COACH” | Engineering Manager @ Amazon | Engineering Career Coach | FAANG+ Interview Coach

I have interviewed 100s of engineers in my career, and here is what most hiring managers get this wrong.

- They nitpick syntax errors.
- They obsess over technical perfection.
- They reject candidates over trivial mistakes.

But after taking 100s of interviews, I realized:
- The best hires aren’t always the best coders.
- The worst hires aren’t always the weakest engineers.

Here’s what actually matters:

[1] No single candidate is a perfect fit.

Every engineer has gaps.
The question isn’t “Do they know everything?”
It’s “Can they learn what they don’t know?”

[2] Learnability > Knowledge.

Today’s hot framework is tomorrow’s legacy tech.
I don’t need someone who memorized everything.
I need someone who can adapt to anything.

[3] Mistakes will happen on unknown paths.

Every engineer will make mistakes.
The great ones recover fast, own their failures, and improve.

[4] Technologies will come and go.

No one is going to write JavaScript or Rust forever.
But communication, ownership, and problem-solving?
Those skills never expire.

[5] Attitude can’t be taught.

You can teach Kubernetes.
You can’t teach humility, accountability, or teamwork.

How I apply this when hiring:

1. Don’t Over-Index on Technical Skills.

Tech skills can be taught.

Instead of chasing “perfect” engineers, hire those who:
- Are above average compared to your team.
- Show learnability and problem-solving ability.
- Can adapt when given hints, rather than freezing up.

2. Never Compromise on Soft Skills.

Even the most brilliant coder can kill your team culture.

A wrong cultural fit?
- Kills collaboration.
- Breeds toxicity.
- Turns engineering into chaos.

I’m okay hiring someone 90% tech fit.
But I will never hire someone who is 0.1% culture misfit.

Why?
Because you’ll spend 99% of your time working with them on non-coding tasks.

- Meetings.
- Brainstorming sessions.
- Debugging critical issues at 2 AM.
- Navigating deadlines and dependencies.

Your best engineers aren’t the ones who know it all.
They’re the ones who bring the team together.

If you are hiring engineers? Ask yourself:
- Are they great learners, or just great at interviews?
- Will they elevate the team, or just their own ego?
- Can I spend 40+ hours a week working with them?

Because at the end of the day…

Tech stacks change. People don’t.

Your Turn
What’s your non-negotiable when hiring?

I have interviewed 100s of engineers in my career, and here is what most hiring managers get this wrong.

Most engineers think their job is to solve problems.

But the ones who skyrocket their careers know this:

Your job isn’t just to solve problems. It’s to make decisions that solve problems.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth:
- Your code can be perfect.
- Your algorithms can be optimized.
- Your systems can be scalable.

But if you can’t make tough decisions...
You’ll always be stuck in execution mode—never strategy mode.

And in tech? 
Execution is replaceable.
Decision-making is irreplaceable.

I got selected in an interview... Without saying a word about the topic.

It was 2010.
Scars of the 2008 financial crisis were still fresh.

Engineers who graduated before me were still job hunting alongside fresh grads like me.

Too many candidates. Too few jobs.

I traveled 25 km on a BMTC bus to an off-campus drive in Bengaluru.

The queue was over 1 KM long.
I stood with 3000 other engineering degree holders, all fighting for the same opportunity.

The company had 30 job openings.
- The first round was DSA.
- The second round was Math + Reasoning.

I cleared both rounds.
But so did 300 other candidates.

They had to narrow it down to 30.
So they introduced a Group Discussion (GD) round.
- 30 candidates per group.
- One topic per group.
- Two judges to evaluate.

I had never been in a group discussion before.
I was nervous.

The moment the GD started, it was chaos.
- A fish market.
- Voices were coming from every direction.
- People were shouting over each other.

The judges looked confused.

I tried to say something, but my voice was lost in the noise.

I felt bad for those judges.
They were just doing their job.
How could they evaluate anything in this chaos?

Then, a thought crossed my mind:
“If I were a judge, how would I feel about this?”

Suddenly, my nervousness vanished.
- I stood up.
- Everyone went silent.
- They stared at me, confused.

I looked around and said these exact words -
“Can we stop making this a fish market please? It is as good as not having this round. Let's all be a little more professional.”

And then...
I immediately sat down.
(Courage has an expiry time too.)

After that, I barely spoke.
My mind was racing:
- Did I just mess up my chances?
- Who was I to take authority?
- Will they think I’m arrogant?

Two hours later, I was standing with 300 other candidates, waiting for the results.

The HR manager walked in and started announcing names.
First...
Second...
 ...
Nineteenth—Chandra Shekhar Joshi.

I made it.
I got selected.
I was in shock.

My mind went blank.
I felt a cocktail of emotions—excitement, relief, disbelief.


That day, I didn’t say a single word about the topic.
- I didn’t debate.
- I didn’t make a point.
- But I exercised the authority.

I showed that I cared about the process, not just the outcome.

Back then, I didn’t realize what had happened.
But looking back, I see the truth:
- Authority isn’t given. It’s taken.
- Leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about action.
- You don’t need permission to do the right thing.

I stood up not to get the job, but to bring order.

I showed that I cared about the current (the discussion) just as much as the future (the job).

In that chaotic group discussion, I learned more about leadership than in any leadership book.

I realized:
- You don’t wait for authority. You take it.
- You don’t ask for leadership. You show it.
- You don’t control the situation. You guide it.

Are you waiting for permission... or are you stepping up?

I got selected in an interview... Without saying a word about the topic.

This DB consistency myth is costing engineers their System Design interviews.

Ask most engineers about consistency, and they’ll give you the same answer—whether they’re talking about SQL or NoSQL databases.

This is a big mistake.

Consistency does NOT mean the same:
- In SQL, consistency comes from ACID properties.
- In NoSQL DB, consistency is about read guarantees.

Same word. Completely different meanings.

𝗦𝗤𝗟 𝗗𝗕:

Consistency = valid state transitions.

A system is consistent if every transaction moves from one valid state to another valid state.

Think of a bank transfer:
If you debit $100 from Account A, it’s only valid if Account B gets credited with $100.

Valid state: Either both operations happen or nothing happens.
Invalid state: Money disappears or gets duplicated.

That’s ACID consistency.

𝗡𝗼𝗦𝗤𝗟 𝗗𝗕.

Consistency = read consistency guarantees.

It’s about how quickly you can read the latest data across a distributed system.

Here’s why:

- In a NoSQL DB, your data is replicated across multiple nodes over a network.
- When you write new data, it doesn’t update everywhere instantly.
- If you immediately read that data, you might hit a node that hasn’t updated yet.

Now the question is: Do you get the latest data or a stale version?

That’s what consistency means in NoSQL.

Strong Consistency
- Always read the latest data.
- How? Always fetch data from the leader node.
- Downside? Higher latency, lower availability during network failures.

Eventual Consistency
- Reads can return stale data temporarily.
- How? Read from any available replica.
- Downside? Your data might not be the most recent version immediately.
- Upside? High availability and faster response times.

If you understand CAP theorem, you know:

Network partitions will happen. 
They are NOT optional in distributed systems.

When they do, you have two choices:
1. Prioritize Consistency → Return an error if the latest data isn’t available.
2. Prioritize Availability → Serve stale data but never show an error.

That’s the real trade-off you need to explain in system design interviews.

If an interviewer asks:
“How would you ensure consistency in a NoSQL system?”

And you start talking about ACID transactions...
You’re already out of the game.

Instead, say this:
“Are we talking about ACID consistency or read consistency in a distributed setup?”

Boom. Instant credibility.

Most engineers fail system design interviews because they:
- Memorize DB definitions instead of understanding real-world trade-offs.
- Confuse SQL consistency with NoSQL consistency.
- Can’t explain how CAP theorem influences system architecture.

The best candidates?
- They don’t just know definitions—they know decisions.
- They don’t just explain systems—they architect solutions.
- They think like system designers, not just developers.

If you want to stop memorizing and start thinking like a system designer, I can help.

DM me "COACH" for system design interview preparation.

More than 90% Sr/Staff engineer face this problem when they start talking to recruiter or hiring manager for job.

"I think my work doesn't sound like a Sr/Staff engineer."

And, when I ask them, how do they know it.

They tell - "I spoke to FAANG+ recruiter and they suggested me to go for SDE2 or early SDE3 roles."

And then when I start discussing their project with them,

I understand where recruiters and HMs are coming from. 

Because these engineers:
- don't talk about what customer problem they solved
- they will directly start with "we use microservices"
- then they will talk about XYZ framework name
- then they will draw few arrows here and there
- won't talk about availability, SPOF, trade-offs

Exactly how an early SDE2 talks about their work. 

When I ask more, 80% of them are doing exactly the same thing at work as well.

Meaning they didn't evolve from SDE2 to SDE3, or SDE3 to Staff roles.

Yes, they got promoted, but never really understood what they need to do now to be successful. 

An SDE3/Staff need to do 2 very imp thing:

1- Defining the tech strategy for your team (for SDE3), or for your org (for Staff).
2- Become a force multiplier by helping Jr engineers in growing in their career.

Both of these are missing from their stories.

Some of them have done it, but don't know how to articulate well.

Some don't even know this, because they are still playing SDE2 game.  

This is what I tell them:

1- Those, who have not done the work of Sr/Staff at work, but are aspiring for these roles.

Stop becoming SDE2. 

You are not only doing injustice to your role, but you are micromanaging Jr team members, by forcing them to do things "exactly your way"

You are doing opposite of "becoming a force multiplier"

2- Those, who have done the work of Sr/Staff at work, but unable to articulate it.

We spend 40 mins in dissecting their recent project and making them understand what was its impact.

We apply angles ranging from revenue, to time saving, to improving CSAT and 6+ more such angles. 

Next 40 mins go into dissecting their recent project from tech perspective.

We apply angles ranging from scalability, to trade-offs, to availability and 5+ more such angles.

By the end of discussion, they have their Sr/Staff project story ready for storytelling to recruiter or hiring manager. 


Here is my 4 point suggestion list to you if you are also aspiring for Sr/Staff roles.

1) Stop being SDE2.
2) Learn what is tech strategy
3) Improve your soft skills to influence
4) Become a force multiplier by helping Juniors. 

If you need help for any of the above categories (not done Sr/Staff work, unable to articulate well), DM me COACH.

The biggest mistake engineers make after accepting a new job offer.

(5 engineers have asked me this in last 2 months, after getting a new job offer)

You wanted FAANG+.
You landed a great offer—but not at FAANG+.
Your joining date is approaching, and you’re thinking:

“Should I keep preparing for FAANG+ while starting this new job?”

On paper, it sounds like the perfect plan.

- You’re already in prep mode.
- You’ve cleared one good company, next is FAANG+.
- You think you can balance both: Delivering at your new job and preparing for your dream role.

But here’s the harsh reality—this rarely works.

When you join a new company, your first impression matters.

- In your first 2 months, you need to onboard, learn the codebase, and adapt to the culture.

- In your first 3-6 months, you need to deliver results, even if it’s small wins.

- If you don’t, people start forming perceptions—and those stick.

And here’s the problem:

If you split your focus between job onboarding and FAANG+ prep, you will fail at both.

[1] Your new company expects you to ramp up quickly.
[2] FAANG+ require deep, dedicated preparation.

Trying to juggle both?

- You won’t perform well in your new role.
- You won’t be fully prepared for FAANG+.
- You’ll create a reputation of underperformance in your new company.

And guess what? 

If that happens, you won’t be in any strong position a year from now—neither in FAANG+ nor in your current company.

The right approach: Play the long game

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲
- Spend 6-12 months establishing yourself as a high performer.
- Build credibility, network, and momentum.
- Earn strong projects that boost your resume for FAANG+ later.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗔𝗔𝗡𝗚+ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲
- Once you’ve built a strong foundation, restart your FAANG+ prep.
- Now, you won’t be seen as a weak performer in your current company.
- You’ll be able to fully dedicate yourself to interview prep—without job instability.

Delay isn’t defeat. It’s strategy.
- Successful careers aren’t built on rushed decisions.
- They’re built on intentional moves at the right time.

If you take 1 year to focus, grow, and prepare strategically, you’ll be in a far stronger position than if you try to do everything at once.

FAANG+ isn’t going anywhere.

Make sure when you apply, you’re fully ready—not half-prepared, half-performing.

Need clarity with career questions and challenges for your specific situation (like above)? DM me COACH.

One of the biggest system design interview mistakes SDE and EM make in interview — They use Kafka everywhere without questioning if it’s even needed.

I’ve lost count of the number of system design interviews where engineers immediately reach for Kafka the moment they see a high-write-throughput system.

"We have high TPS? Let’s throw Kafka at it!"

But here’s the problem: Kafka is NOT the answer to everything. And in some cases, it makes the system worse.

Here is how the interview goes:

Interviewer: "Why are you using Kafka to save social media posts?"

Candidate: "Because it can handle high write throughput."

Interviewer: "But you have a load balancer and scalable API servers. Why not just increase them?"

Candidate: "What if a request fails?"

Interviewer: "Then why not return an error message to the user instead of putting their post in Kafka and saving it asynchronously?"

Candidate: "Oh… right."

This happens ALL THE TIME.

People jump to asynchronous solutions without thinking about user experience.

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 ≠ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰

- Just because a system has high writes doesn’t mean you need Kafka.
- Just because you can queue writes doesn’t mean you should.
- There’s no point in scaling if you don’t know what you’re scaling for.

The right way to think about System Design interviews

Before deciding HOW to scale, first ask:

[1] What experience does the user expect?
Would you be okay waiting 5 minutes to see your post appear after clicking "Post"? Of course not! Users expect an immediate response.

[2] What guarantees does the system need?
A social media post must be saved instantly or fail fast so the user knows.
It doesn’t need an eventual consistency model where you “get back to them later.”

[3] What’s the simplest way to handle scale?
Before reaching for Kafka, first scale API servers behind a load balancer. That’s what they’re there for.

The Lesson? Apply the Product Manager’s hat

The best engineers don’t just throw tech at problems. They think like product managers.

- Understand the user experience first.
- Choose the right architecture based on actual needs.
- Scale the right way—don’t default to async just because it “handles more load.”

Next time you’re in a system design interview: 
- Don’t just optimize for throughput. 
- Optimize for the right experience.

Scale with intent, Not by default
- Not all high-TPS problems need Kafka.
- Scaling API servers is often simpler & better for UX.
- Think beyond engineering—consider the product & business needs.

There’s no point in scaling if you don’t know what you’re scaling for.

DM me COACH if you want to crack FAANG+ system design interviews with confidence in ~4.5 hours.

I helped an Engineering Manager with 10 years of experience crack an Amazon EM role in just 2 months.

He was referred to me by his friend who had also taken my coaching and successfully cleared a FAANG+ company.

He came with an impressive background:
- Sr. EM in one of India’s fastest-growing company.
- Led the large teams in the data engineering domain.
- Deep technical expertise, with leadership experience.

But, he needed help with 4 things:
- Recalling his experiences on the spot
- Quantifying the impact of this career stories
- Understanding exactly what question is asking about
- How of answer strategy, long-term thinking questions

So, we got to work:

[1] I shared real-life examples and frameworks to help him understand what interviewers were assessing with each question.

[2] We practiced answers to questions like:
- Applying decision-making framework.
- Communicating effectively and building trust.
- Defining vision and strategy in a leadership role.
- Sacrificing short-term gain for long-term benefits.

During our sessions:

- His career stories became clearer and more structured.

- He learned how to weave his experiences into powerful narratives.

- His confidence grew as he realized how his strategic decisions aligned with Amazon’s expectations.

He went for the interviews fully prepared — and he cracked them! 

But then came a twist:
- The role he interviewed for got closed.
- There was some back and forth, leading to uncertainty.

But his strong interview performance got him a new role in a month's time.

His preparation and performance were so good that they didn’t want to lose him.

The proudest moment for me?

Seeing him messing me "Hi Chandra" on office Slack.

It was a surreal and deeply fulfilling moment:
- not just another interview success
- but a true career transformation.

Being part of someone career journey and helping them in achieving their true potential. 

If you are:
- a software engineer
- an engineering manager
- aspiring for middle-senior roles
- in top product based companies
- need help in optimising resume to get calls
- need help in preparing for behavioural rounds
- or polishing your stories, learning how to use them
- or getting confidence in system design HLD rounds
DM me COACH

Software engineers who prepare for behavioral interviews have an unfair advantage.

There are engineers out there grinding LeetCode for months, solving 500+ problems.

Meanwhile, there are engineers who also master behavioral interviews— and they’re the ones landing FAANG+ offers faster.

Not saying DSA and system design aren’t important. 

But it’s just as crucial to:
- Answer “Tell me about a time when…” with confidence
- Negotiate better offers by positioning as high-value
- Show leadership, even without a leadership title
- Demonstrate impact beyond just writing code
- Build rapport with interviewers and stand out

Any senior engineer who’s been through FAANG+ interviews will tell you the same.

Because cracking the coding round isn’t enough. 

Proving you’re a strong team player matters just as much.

Kudos to the engineers who prepare beyond just algorithms!

Want to refine your behavioral interview game and increase your chances?

DM me COACH

The day you will 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 you are "just another resource" in your company, no matter what is your role is, an SDE1 or a VP, you will make real progress in 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 

Until then, you will:
- take yourself too seriously
- get agitated by your stakeholders
- get frustrated with "wrong" happening to you

And make your family suffer due to above. 

Do they deserve it? 

Hell no... 

But, what can you do..

You spread what you have.....

Wish you a happy Holi!

Enjoy the time with your family and friends.

No interview prep post today. Wish you a happy Holi!

The one skill that separates great engineers from the rest.

Most engineers obsess over:
- Mastering a new programming language
- Learning the latest framework
- Perfecting their coding speed

But here’s the ugly truth:
Your career isn’t defined by just how well you code. 
It’s defined by how well you decide.

Engineering is just Decision-Making in disguise

Every technical challenge boils down to a decision.
- Choosing SQL vs. NoSQL → Decision.
- Picking Microservices vs. Monolith → Decision.
- Debugging a production issue → Decide whether to patch now or investigate deeper.

Engineers who make decisions well, shape systems, teams, and companies.

Engineers who hesitate? They execute someone else’s vision.

And yet, most engineers never train this skill.

The engineers who win make faster, smarter choices.

Want to stand out? 
Shift from "execution mode" to decision-making mode.

Ask yourself:
- Are you just writing code—or deciding the best way to solve problems?
- Are you waiting for perfect clarity—or moving forward with calculated risk?

The fastest way to accelerate your career?
Make decisions like an owner.

Because in the real world, it’s not the best coder who wins.

 It’s the one who makes the best decisions under pressure.

p.s. what do you think?

I don’t read a new research paper on databases every day. But I re-read one concept from the same paper every few days. Big difference.

You don’t HAVE to read 50 papers to become a system design expert.

It’s a great habit, no doubt. But it’s not the only way.

Here’s what I do instead:

1. I read one paper every quarter

- I go through it 2-3 times at a high level
- Some concepts make sense, others don’t.
- I don’t stress about what I don’t understand, I let it sit.
- I revisit the same concepts 3-4 times in the quarter. 
- Each time I read it, I gain a new insight.

My DynamoDB throughput dilution post came from this approach. https://lnkd.in/dDcV_Pdp

2. I read in two ways

- I listen to papers while driving using a screen reader.
- I block 1-hour slots in my cal to go through it again.
- I take notes in Google docs to capture key ideas.

3. I write to learn better

- I rephrase concepts in my own words to share with you
- It forces me to review it 1 more time before I post.
- It ensures I fully understand the concept before I share.


Reading more papers doesn’t equal deeper knowledge.

Building intuition, refining insights, and revisiting concepts does.

You still need to explore new topics, but gaining your own insights is 2X more effective.

If you want to truly master system design, set up this system for yourself.

It just might work for you.

Save this and pass it on.

Need help with system design? DM me COACH.

The decision that changed everything for me... Or did It?

In 2019, I was searching for internal mobility, exploring new teams, and seeking the next big step in my career.

One team caught my attention.
But I wasn’t sure.

I spoke to the engineering manager.
I chatted with team members.
I even had a conversation with the Managing Director (MD) of that org.

But something was missing.
I still wasn’t convinced.

Then, one evening, as I was heading to the parking lot after a long day at the office, I ran into the MD by sheer coincidence.

It was just outside the elevator, on the staircase.

He struck up a conversation, casual at first.

But as we talked, he began to paint a picture of the team’s vision, the challenges, and the impact they were striving to make.

I started to see the possibilities.

By the end of that conversation, I was convinced.
- I made my decision.
- I joined his organization.

Just 10 days after I said yes, I heard a rumor.

The Managing Director was leaving the org (not company).

I didn’t believe it at first.
I went straight to his office and asked him directly.

He didn’t deny it.
He looked at me and said, “Yes, I’m leaving. But I didn’t want my decision to influence yours.”

And then he left.
He took some of the best engineers with him.

I stood there, questioning everything:

- Had I been convinced by a vision that was already fading?

- Was his decision to stay silent an act of leadership—or a betrayal?

We talk a lot about leadership.
- Vision. Influence. Motivation. Integrity.
- But sometimes, leadership is messy.

Sometimes, leadership looks like conviction - until it looks like deception.

Sometimes, leadership means saying the hard things - even when it changes the outcome.

I admired his vision.
I questioned his silence.
I respected his influence.
I resented his choice.

And I’m still not sure what leadership really means.

He inspired me to join, but he knew he was leaving.
Was that leadership?

He didn’t want his decision to influence mine.
Was that integrity—or manipulation?

He kept his plan to himself.
Did he protect his team—or did he protect himself?

I learned more about leadership in that one experience than in years of management.

But I didn’t learn what leadership is.
I learned how complicated it can be.

We glorify leadership.
We celebrate visionaries.
We follow those who inspire.

But when does influence become manipulation?
When does vision become illusion?
When does conviction become selfishness?

So… what is leadership?

Why most engineers fail Behavioral Interviews (And it’s not about storytelling)

Most candidates fall into the same trap:

- They describe responsibilities instead of demonstrating impact.

- They list achievements instead of communicating influence.

- They share experiences instead of showing strategic growth.

But here’s the counterintuitive truth:
- The interviewer doesn’t care about what you did.
- They care about how you did it and why it mattered.

They’re asking:
- Did you influence without authority?
- Did you make tough decisions under pressure?
- Did you navigate conflicts without burning bridges?
- Did you strategically align your work with business goals?


They’re not hiring your experience.
They’re hiring your decision-making and leadership.

Preparing for mid-senior SDE, EM role?
DM me COACH to be prepared for your next Behavioral interview in the most structured manner in 4.5 hours.

How I helped an Engineering Manager in converting his Behavioral Interview answer from a failing one to unforgettable.

It was Jan'25.

His recruiter had already shared a question to expect:

"Tell me about a time you worked in a cross-functional team to deliver a common goal."

He felt ready.
He had a great project.
He had worked with multiple teams.

But when he answered the question, this is what he said:

"I worked on a cross-functional project with product, UX, and QA. We collaborated, handled dependencies, and successfully delivered it."

Sound familiar?

This isn’t an answer.
This is a Wikipedia definition of cross-functional collaboration.

The interviewer wasn’t learning anything important.
- No strategic decisions.
- No influence.
- No impact.
- Just a bland description of a standard project.

A weak answer focuses on:
- Listing who was in the cross-functional team.
- Talking about the process in generic terms.
- Saying, "We worked together and delivered the project."

A strong answer focuses on:
- The business problem the project was solving.
- The challenges and trade-offs that required strategic thinking.
- How you handled pushback and influenced decisions.
- The real impact this project had.

Here’s what we did to fix his answer:

Step 1: Frame it from a business perspective.

“We were working on a project to reduce customer support SLA, which required both backend engineering and a significant UX overhaul.”

Step 2: Show your role & strategic decisions.

“The proposed UX changes were difficult to implement due to limitations in our backend architecture. If we followed the original plan, we would have missed deadlines.”

Step 3: Highlight the challenges and how you influenced the outcome.

“I analyzed the bottlenecks, gathered data, and presented alternative solutions to the UX and product teams. Initially, I faced resistance, but by showing trade-offs and potential risks, I was able to get buy-in for a better approach.”

Step 4: Deliver the impact.

“Because of this, we delivered the project on time while still achieving the original business goal—reducing customer support SLA by 40%.”

See the difference?
- This wasn’t just a project.
- This was a leadership moment.

Most EMs fail behavioral interviews because they:
- Describe what they did instead of demonstrating why it mattered.
- List their responsibilities instead of showing strategic influence.
- Talk about execution instead of business impact.

The best candidates?
- They make their stories come alive.
- They showcase how they drive outcomes.
- They demonstrate real leadership—not just participation.

If your behavioral answers sound like “I worked with X, Y, and Z and we delivered a project”—you’re leaving thousands of dollars on the table.

Want to learn how to turn your projects into compelling and unforgettable leadership stories that impress FAANG+ hiring managers?

DM me COACH.

"Tell me about a time you innovated" – This behavioural interview question traps up engineers & managers.

Most engineers think they have a great answer for this.
Until the interviewer asks:

“Why do you think what you did was innovative?”

And suddenly:
- blank stares. 
- Fumbled words. 
- Vague justifications.

Here’s why:

Most companies talk about innovation all the time—
- "We need to innovate!"
- "Think outside the box!"
- "Innovation drives success!"

But when engineers actually do something impactful, no one explicitly labels it as “innovation.”

- You solved a problem with a simple solution.
- You streamlined a process that saved weeks of work.
- You designed a workaround that unblocked the team instantly.

But was it innovative?

Most engineers hesitate—because they think "innovation" means launching rockets to Mars.

Innovation isn’t about big, flashy breakthroughs.
It’s about impact.

If your solution:
- Made your users' lives easier
- Unlocked significant improvements in efficiency, performance, or experience
- Solved a problem in a way nobody had thought of before (even if it seems obvious in hindsight)

It was innovative.

Here is how to answer this question (The right way)

1️⃣ Start with the problem. What was the bottleneck, pain point, or inefficiency?

2️⃣ Describe your solution. What made it different from the usual approach?

3️⃣ Quantify the impact. Did it reduce latency? Cut costs? Improve user engagement?

4️⃣ Defend your innovation. Why was this not just a regular solution, but an innovative one?

Example:
"We had a critical issue where customer sign-ups were dropping by 15% due to slow verification. Instead of overhauling the backend (which would take months), I suggested a lightweight pre-verification process that flagged issues before users hit the bottleneck. This cut verification failures by 60% and improved conversions instantly. It was a simple but innovative fix that tackled the root cause without major rework."

See the difference? 

You’re not just telling a story—you’re proving why your approach was innovative.

Next time you hear “Tell me about a time you innovated”, 
- Don’t freeze.
- Break it down. 
- Prove the impact. 
- Own your innovation.

Struggling with behavioral interviews?
I coach engineers & managers to craft high-impact answers that land FAANG+ offers.
DM me COACH and let's make your stories unforgettable.

I helped a tech lead (SDE3) in successfully transitioning to EM role. 

He told me:
- he is getting overwhelmed due to the work
- he is not sure if team trusts him as EM 
- he keeps missing timelines

Which is:
- making him re-think, if EM transition was right decision
- causing him burnouts, as there is so much to deliver

And because of this he is thinking of leaving the role.

Woooh..., that got escalated pretty fast from transitioning to leaving. 

He was in 3rd month of his new EM role.

You see, the problem is not with him.

Problem is 2 fold:

[1] the support

He used to be an Individual Contributor a night before, and a night after he is an EM.

During this transition he didn't get any support neither from his manager nor from company trainings

Yes company has trainings, but they are generic BS like: 
- how to communicate well, 
- how to handle disagreement,
- how to manage a project with XYZ tools

They are as good as reading a motivation book.

Problem is not with the tools, it is much deeper, it is with the mindset.  

[2] the mindset

He is still living the life of "a doer". 

He wants to fix all the bugs on his own.

He wants to write and review every design doc.

These skills are his forte, but he forgot he needs to master other skills now.

Which are:
- execution 
- delegation 
- prioritization
- removing roadblocks

He needs to shift from "a doer" mindset to "an enabler" mindset. 

He needs to enable his team in doing these, so that he can do the work which is the most value of his time.


Knowing these, he realised leaving team or company is not the solution. 

Solution is the change in mindset using real and practical scenarios. 

We created a coaching plan that will shift his mindset:
- but without any generic advice 
- with real role plays
- and frameworks (that actually work)

He has learned 2 frameworks, and completed 9 role plays so far.

This is what he messaged me 2 days ago - "I could now see the perspective I was lacking. I have started to get hold of my new role. Looking forward for more..."


Transitioning to EM does 2 things (if done without support):
- scare the hell out of person so that they never try it again.
- create managers with whom you wouldn't want to work ever.

Both are equally bad.  

So, seek support from your manager. 

If you are in the same boat as this tech lead or thinking of transitioning in 2025, and need help with your transition using the frameworks that work, and real role play based approach, then DM me COACH.

"I match all the job description criteria. My ATS score is high. But I'm still not getting interview calls!"

I hear this ALL the time from engineers.

And every time, I have to break the hard truth: 
You're optimizing for the wrong game.

Most job descriptions? They’re recycled.

Hiring managers don’t write them from scratch.
They grab a template, tweak a few things, and hit Post.

So, when you meticulously tailor your resume to match the JD—you’re just optimizing for a copy-paste job description that barely represents the actual role.

And your ATS score?

That’s based on a random scanner you found online—not the actual software used by the company.

So, what’s happening?

→ You’re focusing on keywords instead of showcasing value.
→ You’re relying on algorithms instead of leveraging human networks.
→ You’re chasing ATS tricks instead of mastering positioning.

Think about it: If everyone knows the internal ATS algo, then it stops being a competitive advantage.

So, what works?

Here is the 5-Step referral strategy that actually gets you noticed.

FIRST, stop relying on algorithms. Start talking to humans.

[1] The Best Referral 

Someone You’ve Worked With Before.

Did you collaborate successfully with an engineer or manager who now works at your target company? 

They are your # 1 priority. 

They’ve seen your work, they trust you, and their referral carries weight.

[2] Second Best: 

Build relationships with employees at your target company.

Random LinkedIn messages like "Can you refer me?" won’t work. Instead:
- Find one role you want.
- Engage with employees there—comment on their posts, share insights.
- When you ask, tell them why you’re a strong fit. Make it easy for them to say yes.

[3] Third: 

Directly reach out to recruiters via email.

Recruiters don’t have time to read essays. Keep it short:
- Mention the exact role (+ job ID).
- Explain in 3-5 bullet points why you’re a strong fit.
- Attach your optimized resume.

[4] Fourth: 

Apply on the company website (But don't expect much).

If you have no referral, go ahead and apply. But understand that in a sea of 200-300 applicants, they’re skimming the first 30-40 resumes.

[5] Worst Option: 

The "Easy Apply" button.
It feels productive, but it’s where resumes go to die.

NEXT, finding a person who can refer you is second part, first one is to create an optimised resume (even that person should feel comfortable referring you).

First, Nail the opening 2-3 line summary.
Your resume needs to tell a story in seconds. 
Summarize your impact clearly and concisely at the top.

Second, show, don’t tell.
Instead of vague buzzwords like “Expert in system design”, write:
“Designed a high-traffic system handling 20M requests/day, reducing latency by 40%.”

Final Truth: 
The job market is tough. 
Layoffs increase competition. 
You can’t control the outcome—but you CAN control your strategy.

Need help with creating an optimised resume? DM me COACH.

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