Moving Mountains with Diligence, Providence and Inimitable Skills
A computer science wizard, Abhilash Bhaktarahalli Subramanya is a force to reckon with. Having profound wisdom beyond his years, he excels in his professional career as a data engineer and wishes to make an impact on the world with his influential work. He continuously strives to achieve his goals, and his commitment to his craft is evident in all his endeavours.
Abhilash studied at KV CRPF, where he developed a scientific curiosity and core values of empathy, humility, and resilience. He believes that his family inculcated moral values and principles in him early on in life. He subsequently earned his bachelor’s degree at BMSCE, where he delved into various domains of computer science, which expanded his horizons. He says, “Founding a coding club allowed me to cultivate leadership and mentoring abilities, teaching me the importance of community and collective learning.”
He then started his professional journey and handled significant data engineering responsibilities early on, which taught him resilience, adaptability, and the value of initiative. He felt that continuous learning and knowledge sharing were central to his growth, driving his passion for impactful contributions to data engineering. He took on all the data engineering responsibilities of the company right from the start; he reminisces, “This early exposure allowed me to take initiatives focused on cost-saving projects, enhancing operational efficiency in data pipelines, and improving system robustness. This positively impacted several cross-functional teams within the company and earned me several awards within my first year.” He then moved to a role where he built data infrastructure around one of the world’s largest independent people graph data. This experience taught him to gauge the complexity of large-scale data environments and equipped him with the necessary skills to manage them effectively.
During his master’s at USC, he started afresh as a student again, and it broadened his horizon to diverse perspectives from across the globe with a renewed mind. This made him strategic and allowed him to recalibrate and realign to his short-term and long-term goals.
Abhilash is a now Site Reliability Engineer at TikTok, and focuses on managing big data infrastructure and ensuring the reliability of dependent platforms. Recently, he has been building a prototype for an AI-based Ad platform as part of Buildspace Season 5, developing a product to generate ad posters based on text prompts. This project envisions creating realistic high RPM ads using AI in the future.
He describes his passion for computer science and says, “What drives me is the leverage of impact that this domain has. The ability to create innovative solutions and solve complex problems that can benefit society is incredibly motivating. Whether it’s developing new technologies or optimising existing systems, the potential to make a significant difference fuels my passion and keeps me constantly engaged and inspired.”
A firm believer in the power of hard work, Abhilash feels there is no reason not to put 100% effort into everything a person does. However, he acknowledges the role of luck, which keeps him humble and empathetic while helping him stay steered towards his next goals. He remarks, “While luck can create opportunities, hard work ensures we are prepared to seize them. My journey has taught me perseverance, continuous learning, and adaptability, which are key to overcoming challenges and achieving success.”
He seeks inspiration from technology pioneers who have revolutionized data ecosystems and computer science. His goal is to advance data engineering by developing innovative solutions that make data more accessible and useful. He says, “I aspire to lead impactful projects and mentor the next generation of data engineers. I aim to be a scholar and technician, persistently optimising data systems to reduce the effort needed to build data-aware applications and easily solve data-intensive issues.”
Abhilash has been part of Judging panel for several global awards and hackathons. He has also been a recipient of many awards and accolades including the Excellent New Employee Award at TikTok, the Harley Keital Award at Endurance International Group for data operational efficiency, Geek of Thrones at Endurance International Group for cost-saving project and the Best Value Addition project at InnoJam EIG.
He shares his pearls of wisdom and says, “Stay genuine and do what makes sense; everything else will follow. Embrace your unique path, and don’t be afraid to take risks and explore new ideas. Continuous learning and adapting to change are crucial in today’s fast-paced world. Success comes from perseverance and staying true to your values and passions. Your authenticity and dedication will ultimately lead to meaningful achievements and fulfilment.”
