Pranav Kulkarni

Computer Science • AI • ML • Data Engineering • Distributed Systems

18+ years building scalable systems and sharing knowledge in computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data engineering, and distributed computing. This hub serves as a comprehensive resource for anyone pursuing careers in technical fields.

View My Work Get In Touch

Technical Writing & Knowledge Base

Rise of LLMs in NLP Journey

Evolution of natural language processing from rule-based systems to modern large language models. Historical perspective covering N-grams, word embeddings, RNNs, attention, and transformer revolution.

NLP • History • Evolution • Transformers

Python Development Mastery

Comprehensive collection of Python tips, tricks, and patterns. Instance methods, decorators, JSON handling, Flask development, asyncio, data structures, and performance optimization techniques.

Python • Programming • Best Practices • Performance

Git Tips Collection

Advanced Git workflows and commands for improved productivity. Time travel commits, branch management, search techniques, merge strategies, and collaborative development practices.

Git • Version Control • Collaboration • DevOps

Linux Fundamentals for Developers

Essential Linux commands and concepts for software developers. File systems, processes, networking, shell scripting, system administration, and server management fundamentals.

Linux • System Administration • DevOps • Command Line

AWK Programming Mastery

Introduction to AWK for text processing and data extraction. Pattern matching, field processing, built-in variables, functions, and practical examples for log analysis and data manipulation.

AWK • Text Processing • Data Analysis • Scripting

JSON Parsing with jq

Master JSON manipulation using jq command-line processor. From basic queries to complex transformations, filtering, mapping, and real-world data processing scenarios.

JSON • jq • Data Processing • Command Line

Jinja Templates Reference

Comprehensive guide to Jinja2 templating engine. Variables, filters, control structures, template inheritance, macros, and best practices for web development and automation.

Jinja • Templates • Web Development • Python

Engineering Problem-Solving Framework

Systematic approach to problem-solving in software engineering. Structured methodology for tackling complex technical challenges, debugging strategies, and decision-making frameworks.

Problem Solving • Engineering • Methodology • Debugging

URL Design: Trailing Slashes

Technical implications of trailing slashes in URLs. SEO considerations, routing behavior, canonicalization, HTTP redirects, and web server configuration best practices.

Web Development • SEO • URLs • HTTP • Server Configuration

Domain Availability via AWS Route53

Building CLI tools for domain availability checking using AWS Route53 API. Python automation, DNS management, domain registration workflows, and AWS SDK integration.

AWS • Route53 • CLI Tools • Domain Management • Python

Development Environment Setup

Personal development environment configuration and dotfiles. Vim, tmux, zsh, productivity tools, terminal customization, and development workflow optimization.

Development Environment • Vim • Dotfiles • Productivity

Projects & Tools

Open Source Contributions

Active contributor to distributed systems, developer tools, and cloud infrastructure projects. Focus on performance optimization, reliability improvements, and developer experience enhancements across multiple languages and frameworks.

Go • Python • Kubernetes • Terraform • Open Source

Coupa - Cloud Vulnerability Analytics Platform

Led development of vulnerability detection and analytics platform for Cloud Security. Improved compliance SLA markers by 300% with real-time monitoring for HIPAA, FedRAMP, PCI compliance. Integrated NIST NVD, Rapid7 Nexpose, Axonius, MITRE data sources.

Apache Airflow • Tableau • Kubernetes • AWS RDS • Redshift

ReplayPoker.com - Gaming Platform Optimization

Led React.js migration from Backbone.js SPA in 3 months, improving performance 3x. Managed $150k+ monthly ad expenditure optimization. Kubernetes deployment with zero downtime, resulting in 35% revenue growth over 2 years.

React • Backbone.js • PostgreSQL • Kubernetes • Performance

INSILICO - Computational Neuroscience Library

Led end-to-end development of open-source High Performance Computing library for Computational Neuroscience. Built C++ API serving 35+ researchers, enabling 5x research speed improvement and 6 peer-reviewed publications within a year.

C++ • Boost • STL • Open Source • High Performance Computing

Sunsama - Daily Kanban Productivity Tool

Extended feature set for team collaboration with integrations to Trello, Google Calendar, Asana, Todoist, GitHub. Built using Meteor-based Node.js with React frontend, deployed on AWS ECS. Led React Native mobile app development from ground-up.

Meteor • Node.js • React • React Native • MongoDB Atlas

🎯 Technical Expertise Areas

18+ years of deep expertise across AI, data engineering, distributed systems, and scientific computing

Technical Expertise Domains

Computer Science Fundamentals

  • Data Structures & Algorithms
  • System Design & Architecture
  • Operating Systems & Networking
  • Database Theory & Implementation
  • Computational Complexity
  • Compiler Design & Programming Languages

Artificial Intelligence & ML

  • Machine Learning Algorithms
  • Deep Learning & Neural Networks
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Computer Vision
  • Reinforcement Learning
  • MLOps & Model Deployment

Data Engineering

  • Data Pipeline Architecture
  • Stream Processing (Kafka, Flink)
  • Data Warehousing & Lakes
  • ETL/ELT Processes
  • Big Data Technologies
  • Cloud Data Platforms

Data Science

  • Statistical Analysis & Modeling
  • Predictive Analytics
  • Bayesian Methods
  • Time Series Forecasting
  • Experimental Design
  • Data Visualization & BI

Scientific Computing

  • High-Performance Computing
  • Numerical Methods
  • Parallel & GPU Computing
  • Computational Physics
  • Large-scale Simulations
  • Performance Optimization

Distributed Systems

  • Consensus Algorithms (Raft, Paxos)
  • Fault Tolerance & Reliability
  • Microservices Architecture
  • Event-Driven Systems
  • Load Balancing & Scalability
  • Distributed Databases

Cloud & Infrastructure

  • AWS, GCP, Azure Services
  • Kubernetes & Container Orchestration
  • Infrastructure as Code
  • CI/CD & DevOps Practices
  • Monitoring & Observability
  • Security & Compliance

Programming Languages

  • Python (Expert): Data Science, Backend
  • Go (Expert): Systems, Microservices
  • JavaScript/TypeScript: Full-stack
  • Java: Enterprise Applications
  • Rust: Performance-critical Systems
  • C++: High-performance Computing

Professional Achievements & Recognition

Industry Recognition & Speaking

Regular speaker at technology conferences covering distributed systems, AI/ML, and data engineering. Technical advisor for startups and established companies on architecture decisions and technology strategy.

  • Technical conference presentations on distributed systems architecture
  • Published articles on scalable system design and performance optimization
  • Open source contributions to major projects in the ecosystem
  • Technical advisory roles for technology companies

Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing

Mentored 15+ engineers across distributed teams, focusing on technical growth, system design expertise, and career advancement. Built comprehensive learning resources and technical documentation.

  • Mentored engineers from junior to senior principal levels
  • Created technical training programs and documentation
  • Led technical interviews and hiring for engineering teams
  • Contributed to engineering culture and best practices

Professional Experience

Senior Solutions Architect • Velotio Technologies

2020 - Present

Architected multi-region cloud infrastructure serving millions of users across fintech and healthcare domains. Led migration of monolithic applications to microservices architecture, reducing deployment time by 80% and improving system reliability to 99.9% uptime.

  • Designed event-driven architectures processing 100M+ events daily
  • Implemented MLOps pipelines reducing model deployment time from weeks to hours
  • Led technical due diligence for $50M+ funding rounds
  • Mentored 15+ engineers across distributed teams

Lead Software Engineer • Previous Companies

2017 - 2020

Built core platforms handling 100M+ API requests daily with sub-100ms latency. Designed event-driven architecture for real-time data processing using Kafka, Redis, and distributed computing frameworks.

  • Optimized database queries improving performance by 60%
  • Implemented distributed caching reducing response times by 75%
  • Built monitoring systems with custom metrics and alerting
  • Contributed to major open source projects

Software Engineer • Early Career

2010 - 2017

Developed distributed data processing systems and high-throughput APIs. Focused on performance optimization, system reliability, and scalable architecture patterns across multiple programming languages and frameworks.

  • Built data pipelines processing TB-scale datasets
  • Implemented real-time analytics and reporting systems
  • Optimized algorithms reducing computational complexity
  • Active open source contributor and community member

Learning Resources & Career Guidance

Computer Science Fundamentals

  • Algorithms: CLRS, Algorithm Design Manual
  • System Design: Designing Data-Intensive Applications
  • Databases: Database Systems Concepts
  • Networks: Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach
  • Practice: LeetCode, System Design Interview

AI & Machine Learning

  • ML Foundations: Pattern Recognition and ML
  • Deep Learning: Deep Learning by Goodfellow
  • Practical ML: Hands-On ML with Scikit-Learn
  • NLP: Speech and Language Processing
  • Courses: Andrew Ng's ML Course, Fast.ai

Data Engineering

  • Fundamentals: Fundamentals of Data Engineering
  • Streaming: Kafka: The Definitive Guide
  • Spark: Learning Spark 2.0
  • Warehousing: The Data Warehouse Toolkit
  • Practice: Build end-to-end data pipelines

Distributed Systems

  • Theory: Distributed Systems by Tanenbaum
  • Practice: Building Microservices
  • Papers: Raft, Paxos, MapReduce, BigTable
  • Implementation: MIT 6.824 Course
  • Tools: Kubernetes, Docker, Service Mesh

Career Development

  • Technical Leadership: The Manager's Path
  • System Design: System Design Interview books
  • Coding Interviews: Cracking the Coding Interview
  • Communication: Writing technical documentation
  • Growth: Build projects, contribute to open source

Programming Excellence

  • Code Quality: Clean Code, Code Complete
  • Patterns: Design Patterns, Architecture Patterns
  • Performance: Systems Performance, Profiling
  • Testing: Test-Driven Development
  • Best Practices: Language-specific style guides