Praveen Boddu

The journey towards gRPC starts by understanding RPC conceptually. That's what this video by Arpit Bhayani is all about. https://lnkd.in/gaUGrGGP

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Insightful session on how AI can bring benefits throughout different stages of the SDLC, including code explanation, generation, testing, code reviews, and monitoring in the production environment

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From Astrologer's Whispers to Real Connections: Reclaiming Belonging in a Lonely Age Have you ever consulted an astrologer, their predictions swirling in your head, only to feel empty when your day takes a different turn? The emptiness might not be about the details themselves, but about seeking outside approval for your happiness. This same feeling can creep in even when you achieve success. Remember climbing the career ladder, landing that dream apartment, only to find yourself lost in a quiet emptiness? In India's bustling cities, it's a familiar, painful emotion. We're surrounded by people, yet there's a little loneliness at the edges of our lives. Thinking back to Mrs. Deshmukh, your friendly neighbour with the legendary Til Gur Barfi's, who brought the whole neighbourhood together with tea and friendly chats. Those evenings of shared stories and laughter, a web woven by simple human connection, feel like a distant memory in our super-connected yet broken world. We chase success with thumbs glued to screens, building online bridges that leave us feeling more alone than ever. The pressure to create a perfect online self-drowns out the whispers of our own desires. But here's the real deal, that shiny designation and fancy car can't fill the hole left by genuine connection. There's hope, though! We can rewrite this story. Let's ditch the small talk and chase deeper connections. Share your fears and worries, break free from feeling isolated in this sea of ambition. Remember the warmth of family gatherings, the joy of shared childhood games? Revive those small traditions. Pick up the phone for a real heart-to-heart conversation rather than What's Apping. Every act of connection, no matter how ordinary, how small, builds a more satisfying life. Imagine hearing back from an old friend, reliving an old laugh, and being surrounded by people who truly see us, where we belong. Isn't that what life is all about? Together, one conversation, one meal, and one act of kindness at a time, we can tear down the walls of loneliness. We can rewrite the narrative of modern society, where connection becomes the foundation of a life well lived. It's not too late, or is it? #HumanConnections #BelongingMatters #OvercomeLoneliness #RealConversations #MeaningfulRelationships #CommunityOverConnectivity #AuthenticLiving #SocialWellbeing #RedefiningSuccess #TraditionsRewoven #FightIsolation #VulnerableAndReal #KindnessRevolution #SmallActsBigImpact #ReconnectingHumanity #IndianSociety #UrbanLoneliness #DigitalDetox #QualityOverQuantity #ConnectionCures Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash

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Sharing a few of my recent Amazon shopping experiences here to confirm a few observations from people who may know. This is the third time in last few months when I was unable to return/replace the items I purchased. The product in question was a high ticket item and eligible for return/replacement. I was also able to place return orders for them smoothly from the Amazon shopping app. However, on the day of return pick up, I got an IVR call from Amazon saying the return pick didn't succeed because I wasn't present at pick-up/delivery address. In reality, I did not receive any phone call from any delivery agent and nobody came home to pick up return or deliver the replacement item. The call says pick-up/delivery will be attempted again twice and the same incident repeats the day after and the day after that. Now the order is forever stuck in return started/return failed state. And there's no way to mitigate this as Amazon app or website doesn't have the option for talking to a human customer service agent anymore. I think the delivery agents are well aware of this and they are exploiting it by not even attempting to deliver/pick up the items they were supposed to. Would like to know if anyone has experienced this and found a way to raise this issue and/or directly talk to a customer service agent. Appreciate your time and response. Thank you.

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Had a great time at the Uber Gen AI Meetup in Bangalore! As I'm starting my Gen AI learning journey, it was amazing to see how experts are using AI to solve real problems. Following are some of the highlights from the event: - Jayaram Valliyur set the stage with their welcome and keynote on Uber's advancements in GenAI - Vivasvat Keswani introduced Uber's Michelangelo: Platform to build, deploy, and operate machine learning/ GenAI solutions at Uber’s scale - Sameera Poduri showed us how Uber is using Generative AI to make customer service better. - Varsha Mahadevan from Coinbase discussed the importance of keeping AI safe and secure in applications, focusing on prompt injection and implementing guardrails to prevent misuse. - Lokesh Agarwal from Kognitos discussed how AI could change our future - Pratyush Kumar from Sarvam AI emphasized the importance of using Indian languages in AI, making it more inclusive and also discussed building a full stack GenAI platform - Rush Tehrani from Uber focused on scaling ML infrastructure, deployment and serving of LLMs at Scale - Manyata Goyal and Geeti Oberoi introduced us to Uber’s tool, uLabel, which is Uber's labeling framework / data annotation solution that helps with organising data. - Ayush Garg, Chanakya Malireddy, Radhesh Sarma, and Georgy Mathew brought to light various advanced techniques like RAG-based chatbots, dynamic few-shot prompting, auto evaluation framework, showcasing Uber's leadership in applying AI to solve complex problems. - Smit Shah spoke on extracting actionable insights from LLMs, another testament to the practical uses of AI in business operations. - Ajeet Ganga explained how they're leveraging Gen AI to help manage Uber's workforce better - Panel discussion on "Unlocking the Value of Gen AI" moderated by Sameera Poduri featured Rohit Chatter from Walmart, @Vivasvat Keswani from Uber and Saurabh Dash from Cohere, along with Pratyush Kumar from Sarvam AI, offering diverse perspectives on the integration and impact of AI technologies across various sectors. Grateful to have been part of an event that showcased groundbreaking discussions on Gen AI. Big Shoutout to all the hosts at Uber for organising such a well-coordinated event. Looking forward to more such events! #UberGenAIMeetup #AI #Learning

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The scale we deal with, the complexity it brings in and the impact we create for millions of customers across the globe, are defining moments for our teams at Amazon India. Every day, our tech teams invent and deliver things that were never thought as possible! #HearFromBuilders at Amazon on how they solve real-world problems with technology. #NationalTechDay #ItsStillDay1 #AmazonIndia #TechAtAmazon

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Good (Looking) Code I frequently stumble upon this question - "What is good code?" Robert Martin talks about several attributes of good code. He lists descriptive names, limiting the arguments, code that does one thing, small in size, indenting right etc etc amongst several other things in his book "Clean Code". Performance, security, abstractions and testability are all important. Good code layout is equally important to facilitate ease of maintenance in the long run. This is usually overlooked or underestimated by many. Often I refer to these quotes while talking about the importance of well structured code. I found these in Robert Martin's books - "Clean Code" and "Code Complete". 1) "Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand." -- Martin Fowler, author, speaker & software developer 2) "Clean code is simple and direct. Clean code reads like well-written prose...." -- Grady Booch, author of OOAD with Application 3) "You know you are working on clean code when each routine you read turns out to be pretty much what you expected. You can call it beautiful code when the code also makes it look like the language was made for the problem." -- Ward Cunningham, inventor of Wiki To me • Good code should tell the story you wanted to tell without a need for a single line of comment. • Names used should not require interpreters, and should mean consistently the same thing everywhere. • The indentation & spacing should be such that I do not search & match the opening/closing braces. • Block should be small enough to fit in a single screen, to avoid scrolling up and down. Readability is vital to enhance the code maintenance experience. As you can see, none of what is listed above is complex concepts to understand. It just requires some discipline. "Raw string literals" introduced as part of C# version 11 in Nov 2022 is an example of this. This is introduced only to enhance readability, nothing else I can think of. Don't stop at writing good code, write good looking code 🙂.

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Presenting at #MRCVegas2024 was a true pleasure and the response to our session, "Future of Strong Auth – Passkey" was fantastic. Shout out to Anand Bahety, Mahendar Madhavan, and the team for their invaluable contribution in enabling passkey capabilities for eBay users. Also, thanks to Kathryn Irwin and Julie Fergerson, CPFPP from #MRC for the opportunity and for making this conference possible. A few things to share on the topic of Passkey and its impact on payment risk management: 1. Passkey has significant potential as an option for 3DS, a standard currently in draft at EMVCo. If anyone is interested in learning or collaborating further, feel free to reach out to Ulrich Herberg, Ph.D. from eBay who has been actively involved in these discussions. 2. It would be particularly intriguing to see how EU regulations will classify passkey—whether as a two-factor or as a single-factor authentication method. 3. I learned from some of my friends about how some EU banks are already adopting mobile apps for verification over SMS. Similar innovations in the U.S. would be awesome! I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the following topics: 1. Has the widespread adoption of 3DS in the EU indeed resulted in lower chargebacks compared to the U.S.? 2. Given Passkey's potential, do you think it has the capability to not only safeguard accounts but also mitigate first-party chargebacks?

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How will you score with “price a tray?” Are you hungry to modernize your retail store operations with AI at the edge? Learn how Google Distributed Cloud serves up the latest AI, Kubernetes, and on-premises computing in this interactive “price a tray” demo.

This is continuation of my previous post and it's about “Learning from Gen Z”. Working alongside Gen Z colleagues has been a transformative experience in my role as a Senior Engineering Manager at Hinge Health India. With a team of 18 software engineers spanning different generations, including Gen Z members and seasoned professionals, I've gained valuable insights that have reshaped my approach to work and leadership.
 Gen Z brings a unique perspective shaped by their digital upbringing and innate familiarity with the latest technologies. For instance, during a recent project sprint, a Gen Z team member proposed using a GraphQL-based API for a new feature rollout. Their suggestion not only streamlined our backend operations but also improved data fetching efficiency, thanks in part to tools like GitHub Copilot, which helped automate routine coding tasks and accelerate development cycles.
 Beyond technical innovations, I've learned from their approach to collaboration and agility. Gen Z colleagues are often quick to adapt to change and embrace new methodologies like Agile and DevOps. Their enthusiasm for continuous improvement has inspired our team to adopt more iterative development cycles and integrate automated testing frameworks, enhancing our product quality and speed to market.
 Moreover, Gen Z's affinity for digital communication tools has revolutionized how we coordinate and communicate within the team. Platform like Slack have become indispensable for real-time updates, facilitating seamless collaboration across distributed teams and ensuring everyone stays aligned on project milestones.
 At Hinge Health, we encourage a culture of mutual learning and mentorship. Gen Z team members actively seek opportunities to share their knowledge of emerging technologies, while seasoned professionals offer guidance on complex problem-solving and industry best practices. This exchange not only bridges generational gaps but also fosters a dynamic learning environment where everyone contributes to our collective growth and success.
 As I continue to learn from my Gen Z colleagues, I’m curious to hear about your experiences. What’s one thing you’ve learned from the younger generation that has influenced your approach to work? How do you promote knowledge sharing and collaboration across different generations in your team?

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Insightful explanation of how do go channels work behind the scenes. Its all about yielding the ptocessor for other goroutines. https://lnkd.in/gbyQ4yH9

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AI Appreciation Day is here and I am thrilled to share the excitement it brings us as we reflect on the transformative impact AI has on our daily lives and work. AI for us, is not just a buzzword—it's the heartbeat of innovation, driving us to new heights and redefining possibilities. At Smytten Pulse, we leverage AI to understand our consumers better, personalize experiences, and deliver insights that fuel informed decisions. What excites me most about AI is its ability to learn and evolve. It’s like having a team member that never stops growing! With every interaction and data point, our AI systems become smarter, more intuitive, and more aligned with our goals. This dynamic capability empowers us to stay ahead of trends and continuously improve our offerings. 🚀 One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is witnessing the synergy between our talented engineers and AI. The collaboration fosters creativity, problem-solving, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Together, we are not just building technology; we are shaping the future. On this AI Appreciation Day, I want to extend my gratitude to our team at Smytten Pulse and the incredible AI community. Let’s continue to push boundaries, embrace challenges, and unlock the full potential of AI. Here’s to a future where AI and human ingenuity go hand in hand! 🙌 https://pulse.smytten.com/ Smytten Pulse #AIAppreciationDay #AIInnovation #EngineeringExcellence #SmyttenPulse #FutureForward

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I have known Avni for almost ten years and I am super glad (and not surprised) that her customer-focused approach remains unchanged. We were fortunate to have Avni Savant speak to our teams at G2 India. The session was inspirational, and we learned a lot from her. Avni has a wealth of experience, and we are grateful for the valuable insights she shared with us. During the session brilliantly moderated by Aravind Raj, we discussed several topics and gained a few key takeaways: ⚡ Creating an environment that supports a "fail fast" mindset fosters innovation, and consistent leadership support is essential. Interestingly, this is something that Roger Valade aligns with strongly, and we are just in the middle of an innovation sprint. :) 🧠 We explored areas where AI can be implemented to solve product use cases. Avni stressed that we don't need to reinvent the wheel; instead, we should learn from companies that have successfully adopted AI. The most doable areas for AI implementation are to improve developer productivity and summarize insights and discoveries. 📊 We discussed how squad-specific goals (OKRs) can be integrated with the company's larger goals. For example, we can analyze if improving our product's onboarding experience impacts the adoption rate, and understand if the release was successful. Avni emphasized the importance of using data to make feature iterations and prioritization decisions. 💬 We discussed the significance of product development teams being close to the customers and leveraging customer interviews, and feedback from pre-sales, sales, and support teams. 💗 Lastly, Avni highlighted the importance of self-drivenness and having a clear point of view in one's career. She noted that this proactive approach is valued and appreciated. We are truly grateful to Avni for her time and lessons!

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Ever wonder why some companies can ship software at lightning speeds while others seem stuck in the mud? 🚀⏳ . . . . . . . . . Daksh Gupta of Greptile collected real-world insights from engineers at many of the world's largest tech companies, unpacking the intricacies that either propel or impede the speed of shipping code. The big reveal? Older and larger companies tend to move more slowly because the costs of missteps become greater. In some cases, those costs are fairly non-negotiable (e.g. ensuring software for customers in production remains secure) while in other cases, the costs are more optional and cultural (e.g. wanting a lot of accurate estimates, forcing a manager's vs. maker's schedule, etc). #SoftwareEngineering #Tech #DevelopmentVelocity #Innovation #Productivity

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As a Technical Program Manager, TPMs should always be driven by customer obsession. In every project, TPMs should prioritize understanding users' needs and pain points, ensuring that solutions not only meet but exceed their expectations. By fostering collaboration across teams and maintaining open communication with stakeholders, we TPMs deliver impactful products that truly resonate with our customers. It's incredibly rewarding to see how our work makes a real difference in their lives. Here are 3 most common questions asked in TPM interviews around Customer Obsession. Q1. Can you describe a time when you had to balance competing priorities between internal stakeholders and customer needs to deliver a successful outcome? Q2. How do you ensure that customer feedback is incorporated into product roadmaps and decision-making processes? Q3. Share an example of a time when you proactively identified a potential customer issue and took steps to prevent it from escalating To find answers to these questions, please vist https://lnkd.in/gHFyhxQJ #customerobsession #technicalprogrammanagement #productdevelopment #collaboration #leadership

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🌟 Reflecting on a Memorable Experience 🌟 A while back, I had the unique opportunity to provide crucial advice to the CTO at a mid-sized software development company. They were seeking feedback on fostering collaboration between sub-businesses and sharing best practices across the organization. The differing leadership styles among their direct reports had been a barrier, and I knew addressing this issue would require careful navigation. Initially, I suggested a casual lunch meeting at a favorite Italian restaurant. However, the executive declined due to a garlic allergy and preferred to meet in their office. I was aware of the rumors about the executive's difficult demeanor and previous conflicts, including a significant issue with an employee displaying a crucifix in their cubicle. These factors added to my apprehension. During our meeting, I took a collaborative approach to present the issue. Instead of pointing fingers or placing blame, I highlighted the importance of aligning leadership styles to drive effective collaboration. I shared examples of successful cross-organizational initiatives from other companies, emphasizing how consistent leadership could foster a more cohesive and innovative environment. By focusing on shared goals and the potential benefits of unified leadership, I aimed to build consensus and encourage a collective effort towards improvement. The CTO listened intently and engaged in the discussion, asking insightful questions and offering their perspective. Our conversation gradually shifted from identifying the problem to brainstorming actionable solutions. This approach not only eased the tension but also paved the way for a productive dialogue on how to implement best practices across the organization. During our conversation, I noticed a blood donation poster prominently displayed in the CTO's office. Suddenly, everything clicked - the CTO was a Dracula. Understanding the gravity of the situation, I acted decisively, snapping a leg off of the wooden chair I had been seated on, and using a stapler to hammer it into the executive's heart, sending the demon back to the hell from which it came. The CTO let out a terrifying screech, and within moments, their body disintegrated into a pile of ashes. The room fell silent, and I knew I had done what was necessary to protect the company and its employees. This experience underscored the importance of cohesive leadership styles. Aligning leadership approaches is essential to fostering a collaborative and innovative environment, allowing teams to work together effectively towards shared goals. By ensuring consistency in leadership, we can drive positive outcomes even in the most unforeseen circumstances 💪🌟. #Leadership #Collaboration #Teamwork #Adaptability #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment

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In today's competitive landscape, leveraging data warehouses and Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) is essential for personalized customer engagement. By building cross-functional teams with expertise in engineering, data, and marketing, organizations can effectively manage and utilize data. Our latest blog delves into practical applications and use cases, helping you prioritize and align business objectives with data capabilities. Continuous testing, optimization, and advanced AI technologies will further enhance your marketing efforts, leading to improved customer retention and business growth. #DataDriven #CustomerEngagement #MarketingStrategy #AI

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