Today, we are very excited to share an interview with Samarth Shetty, one of our Software Engineers, who has extensive experience in the industry. Samarth has worked with several leading companies in the financial services field, nationwide telecommunications providers, as well as a national stock exchange. He has been an essential member of our team, continuously enhancing client software products with a commitment to excellence. We hope that his insights and experiences will inspire and motivate our readers, as well as provide a glimpse into the exciting and ever-evolving world of software development.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started in your career?
I graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering with majors in electronics and telecommunication. After graduating, I started working with one of the major telecom players in India as a graduate engineer trainee. As part of the rotational training program, I had the opportunity to work with various teams and understand the company's workings from the ground up.
During my time there, two managers offered me to join their team. I had to make a tough decision between joining the network operations or Web and Android app development teams. I was drawn towards the web development team's exciting work and potential for future growth, leading me to choose that path, and that’s how I begin my career in software development.
Q: What challenges did you encounter along the way, and how did you overcome them?
Despite lacking a background in computer science, I was determined to succeed, even in the face of challenges when starting out in the field. While my degree in electronics and telecommunications gave me a solid foundation in communication protocols, I found myself struggling with the software development side. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to be part of a supportive team that provided me with the necessary training and guidance. Their support played a major role in getting me where I am today.
Q: Can you tell us about your favorite projects or experiences at Perpetual?
At Perpetual, I have had the privilege to work on numerous impactful projects, making it challenging to select a single standout. I have two favorite projects, the first one would be with US Bank where I developed a wealth management portal with two other mighty talented folks from our development team. It was also my first project with Perpetual which is another reason why it is special to me. The second favorite project of mine would be the editorial and software distribution web application that I developed for Thomson Reuters.
Q: What does the collaboration process look like with other team members including designers, product managers, etc.?
We start with defining the scope and goals of the project. We work together closely to establish a clear understanding of what the project entails and what goals we are intended to achieve.We then collaborate on research and generate ideas for the project, factoring in user needs.Based on the research and ideation phase, the product managers create a plan of action that outlines the project's key milestones, timelines, and deliverables.Once all the requirements are outlined, designers and developers work closely together to create prototypes and refine the final product.Once the final product is complete, the team conducts thorough testing to ensure that it meets the project's goals and user needs. Finally, the product can be launched to the intended audience. Throughout the collaboration process, effective communication and teamwork are essential. Regular stand-up meetings and status updates are arranged to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the project is progressing as planned.
Q: What part of a typical project do you find the most exciting?
I enjoy the research and POC stages where I have the flexibility to experiment with the latest innovations and come up with creative solutions.
Q: Beyond writing code, what are your typical responsibilities as a software engineer?
In addition to writing code, my responsibilities include reviewing peer code. Also, I design the software system’s architecture. This involves planning and designing the overall structure of the software system, including its components, modules, and interfaces.
Beyond coding and designing, I prioritize the vital task of documentation. Not only does it ensure that our software system is effectively understood and utilized by other developers and users, but it also serves as a record-keeping of the latest technologies and best practices.
Q: From a developer’s perspective, what do you think about the future of development with no-code tools becoming more popular?
No-code platforms like n8n, Zoho, Webflow, and many others have been gaining some serious traction lately. I see them as helpful tools for developers to develop less complex projects quickly and to help teams beat deadlines. However, I believe that most no-code platforms are still in their incipient stages and developers are still needed to develop more complex implementations and drive further innovation.
Q: How do you see AI affecting development and changing the software industry?
Just like no-code solutions, AI could also be a great asset for developers and play a role similar to an autopilot function in an aircraft. AI has the potential to simplify the lives of developers by handling tedious and repetitive tasks, allowing us to concentrate on more significant and high-level work. As a result, the timeline for project delivery would be dramatically reduced by significantly speeding up the development and debugging process.
Q: With all these changes happening, where do you see the future of the software industry moving?
Given the ever-increasing popularity of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, I believe the software development industry is racing towards integrating these technologies into existing software products and building innovative applications and services by leveraging the power of AI.
Q: What is a tool or program that you cannot live without and why?
I couldn’t live without my IDE and debugger. These are the most essential tool to format code, identify errors, and investigate bugs in the code. Maintaining the codebase and debugging errors would be a nightmare without these tools.
Q: What advice or tips do you have for other software engineers?
My advice to all software engineers and aspiring engineers would be to never stop learning and keep up with the market trends.
Q: What tech stack would recommend someone just starting out in their career to learn?
I would recommend aspiring developers to master data structures and algorithms skills in any language of their choosing. This would help them get the ball rolling in the initial stages, so they can choose an appropriate stack based on the project requirements.
Q: What's one lesson you wish you had known when you started your career?
I consider myself to have been extremely lucky to have had great mentors at the start of my career who supported me throughout, however, I see many associates shy away from asking questions. I strongly believe that there are no wrong questions, it’s very important to get all your questions cleared and out of the way. I’d also recommend finding a mentor who wants to help you.
Thanks to Samarth for sharing his valuable insights about your background, career, current work, and the software engineering industry with us. We eagerly anticipate the innovative and impactful products and projects that he will help create in the future. Once again, thank you, Samarth, for sharing your invaluable experiences and insights with us.
