Tell us about your role at InMobi
I joined InMobi as a Principal Engineer in the Centre of Excellence team, which is a group of senior architects looking after the common engineering problems across the various engineering verticals here. We also work towards defining the organization's technology strategy, solving any standards we need to define, working on shared problems, and improving collaborations across units. It is for the most part a breadth-focused role with ample opportunities.
What led you to join InMobi?
I graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in 2006 and since then I’ve been working in the software development space, starting with development and then moving on to design and architecture. I have worked with both start-ups and larger organizations. Even though InMobi is rapidly growing, I find the culture here a perfect blend of the two. What excited me about joining InMobi was the opportunity to contribute to its growth and it has been a great journey so far.
What does a day at work usually look like for you?
There is no particular structure to my workday and no two days are the same. I can say that my work is broadly classified into three areas. One would be to understand the current state of our processes and solve problems from a higher lens that is not just focused on a particular team. The second would be working on engineering designs and solutions to strategize and focus on the way forward. The last would be the execution, which involves going deeper into a technical problem while collaborating with the various teams and helping them out.
Any exciting projects that you have worked on at InMobi?
One would definitely be the Centre of Excellence itself, building it from day one and setting the foundation of the team, with nothing but a one-page charter on how we envision it to be. Starting from there and reaching a more mature stage now has been a long and fulfilling journey.
Another would be the first project that I picked up at InMobi – "always be deploying” – which is also one of the operating principles for the InMobi Technology team. From when InMobi was founded to the size that we have reached now, our engineering team has accumulated enough critical mass. The time spent on maintaining and deploying has become significantly higher. “Always be deploying” is supposed to solve for removing all the repetitive work that goes on in terms of building and deploying software. While we have made significant progress on building the platform and driving its adoption, there is a lot more yet to be done and an interesting journey lies ahead.
What is the most rewarding part about your work?
It’s definitely the people and the work! As an engineer, you always want interesting problems to work on and there is no dearth of them at InMobi. I am surrounded by immensely capable individuals, who are great at what they do and at the same time are open-minded and progressive. When I joined InMobi, everyone I reached out to, went above and beyond to help me navigate my way in the organization. When you join most organizations, you have to first work towards building trust whereas at InMobi you are trusted from day one.
Any advice or tips for aspiring tech professionals
One thing that all budding professionals should look out for is the opportunity to learn and contribute. There is always something new to learn and grow your skillset, so keep an open mind that is fuelled by curiosity.
Tell us a bit about your life outside of work
Most of my time outside work I spend with family. I am happily married with a five-year-old daughter, who keeps us occupied. I was never much into fitness but since the pandemic, I have been trying to focus on that aspect of life and being more physically active. I train as a member of a nationwide community called Runner's High which is one of the largest running communities in the country. I now enjoy going for runs and regularly cover 10 km and I am targeting to complete a half marathon by the end of the year.
To work with tech professionals like Gaurav, explore opportunities on our careers website.
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