Welcome to Team M2P Star Highlight
This month, we are unraveling the hidden facets of our ever-elusive genius Kurukshetran or Kuru (as he is fondly called by his colleagues). Known for his quiet and observing nature, Kuru is a dedicated developer who also dabbles in part-time game development.
When discovering Kuru’s facets, we also realized that he is a hopeless romantic. He had serenaded his love interest with the songs of the Maestro Ilayaraja. With a vision to build his own Startup, Kuru shares his aspirations, inspirations, and ambitions in life right from untangling a complex code to his journey in M2P so far.
What is your job, and how would you describe a typical/busy day at M2P?
Officially a developer but a game nerd, I handle code development and product integrations. One of my primary responsibilities is to write and iterate the code that completes the puzzle. I also handle a team of four and monitor the code progress. Our core systems are my specialty, and I can answer any queries that arise on the same with my eyes closed. My typical day at M2P starts with our team meeting, answering any emails or queries that have risen from the client or bank, and monitoring our product integrations.
Along with other team leads, I often get into discussions about code, and brainstorm solutions. I have a candid chat regarding any random conversations that pop up on our radar. On a busy day, the routine remains the same, but you will find me and the team huddled in the conference room discussing the ways to sort out the issue.
Did you always want to be a developer, and how did fintech become a part of it?
Mostly, yes. I wanted to be in this field primarily because of my Uncle. He is a technical architect and is almost a walking Wikipedia in his domain. His enthusiasm and passion inspired me to choose this field. Coming to the fintech part of the question, I actually kind of stumbled into it. Game development was my focus, but due to a couple of setbacks in college (laughs it off), I worked as a temp in many companies. Through a common friend of my father’s, I got placed in M2P as a full-time employee and to date has been…
What was your first challenge in M2P?
I faced my first challenge in M2P during the sixth month of my employment. I had to simultaneously get certified and build a solution for the MasterCard Switch. I didn’t have much insight about MasterCard protocol or the TCP/IP working during those initial days. Also, MasterCard was placed in Singapore; I had to come into the office early, say by 5 or 6 am, which was quite a big challenge for me as I was never an early bird. But, I am proud today to say that I conquered the challenge in a month as opposed to the stipulated time of 2 months. During that process, I got a better insight into the fintech domain and how my role as a developer plays an important part.
What is your personal satisfaction with this job?
Continuing from my last answer, my personal satisfaction in this role is that I enjoy complete autonomy. Our company founders have given the concept of ownership to each and every individual in the company. I don’t need to feel apprehensive while putting forth my solution or thoughts. They are welcomed. My personal feeling is that I am working in my own company. That’s the freedom my lead has given me in terms of the technical perspective.
What will you like to do outside of M2P?
Before coming to M2P, I used to go to my Uncle’s office and try to understand development’s nuances. They were primarily into game development. I observed them and understood their working methodology, right from their thinking process to the tools they use to launch a game. Based on those observations, I will try to imitate the game build. For example, I modeled a game after Super Mario, and it is now in its 2D form. I mostly mimic the gaming mechanics. Game development is my passion, and I am also a part-time gamer. You will often find me experimenting in both.
What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
I am a hopeless romantic and a die-hard fan of the Maestro Ilayaraja. I relentlessly pursued a girl during the four years of college. Then, one day I worked up the courage to propose to her. I came to the college early, by 7 am, and with my friends’ help, I decorated the classroom with flowers and streamers. I burned a list of Ilayaraja’s most romantic songs on a DVD and played them as she entered the classroom. Sadly, she never said yes or no but left me clueless till the final year.
Is there any difference in the way you work pre and post-pandemic?
No, not much, actually. I have always been a self-motivated person and like to finish my work on-time. The only difference I see is the absence of the office’s physical presence and working with my colleagues. But I have improved myself a lot during this lockdown. I have enhanced my language and communication skills.
What would you love to build/develop if you have unlimited resources and time at your disposal?
I have already done, I think. I have used Machine Learning techniques to build a signature Video KYC solution. This COVID-19 had brought forth a unique solution for account openings: video KYC, and I was intrigued by it. I wanted to build a better version of it and have used AI-ML techniques to build a crude version, and it is still in the works.
Anything else you want to share?
When I came to M2P, I was basically an individual contributor, and all I thought was that my job is just coding. But, today, I have learned managerial and leadership skills that have molded me into a better person.
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