Raghu Mohan

Of all the challenges that we run on HackerEarth, the monthly challenges have been one of the most popular ones. Since 2013, we've run one marquee challenge on the last weekend of every month. This year round, it is time for the second edition of Awesome April. This short 2 hour long contest will be held on the 25th of April and it already has over 1200 developers participating from all over the world. There will be 5 algorithmic problems of varying difficulty level. This contest is open for all.

The problem setter for this challenge is Sunny Agarwal. The problems were tested by Prateek Gupta and the editorialist is Lokesh Khandelwal.Awesome April has awesome prizes too. -

• 1st Prize - $50 gift card
• First Runner Up - $30 gift card
• Second Runner Up - $20 gift card
• Top 5 winners will receive HackerEarth T-shirt

If you've got coding skills, you should participate in HackerEarth's Awesome April. Register now - http://hck.re/0o66X8

ThoughtWorks is one of the coolest IT solutions companies out there today. Apart from being an able software builders, ThoughtWorks is one of the few companies that takes company culture very seriously. They constantly engage with the developer community to know them better and in turn, make ThoughtWorks a great place for them.

They ensure constant engagement with the developer community to know them better and in turn, make its workplace the most sort after.

Concurrent to this philosophy, ThoughtWorks is conducting a programming challenge for developers from Singapore and ASEAN countries.

ThoughtWorks Code-a-thon is 6-hour programming contest, which will feature challenging programming problems. The top 15 programmers from the online event would be invited to ThoughtWorks' Singapore office, where they will engage in a final programming faceoff, to adjudge final winners.



Here's where it gets really good. ThoughtWorks has not held back on the prizes. Some really cool prizes are up for grabs. Winner gets an Xbox One, Oculus Rift, Quadcopters, and many other really great prizes.

Register without any further ado here - https://www.hackerearth.com/thoughtworks-singapore-codeathon-2015/

For more challenges, go to - https://www.hackerearth.com/challenges/

On a lazy Bangalore afternoon, I was scrolling down my Facebook news feed, when I saw this post by Kasey Robinson.





I had never heard of such a thing. Forget finding love in the club, finding love at a Hackathon is unheard of! I had to know more about this story, so I reached out to Kasey, who was more than happy to share. A few days later, I got on a Google hangout with Kasey Robinson and Mark Wang and got to know their story. I found it very inspiring.

Not only are they adoring lovers, they are also co-founders of a startup.



Like Music and Lyrics - Design and Code

It was interesting that the two of them don’t come from computer science backgrounds. Mark is a Math PhD dropout and Kasey is an arts major. Mark didn’t like his PhD course and he dropped out, deciding to go to tech and started going to a lot of hackathons.

Kasey lived in Oakland, California, and was apprehensive about moving to San Francisco as most people there were in tech. She had, however, learned some code in her childhood and could design. Equipped with these skills, Kasey went across the famous bridge, into the epicenter of tech and startups.

Work on ideas after the Hackathon! Possibilities are endless

Kasey first met Mark at a Hackathon. She said, “I saw him first pitch the idea and I knew he was going to win it, which he did. And I thought he was really cute. After the Hackathon, we worked on the project for about three months.”

This is one of those rare instances where a team that met at a hackathon chooses to work on the hack after the event. Kasey said, “I used to think it was a common thing, but apparently it isn’t. We were one of the exceptions in that regard.”

Mark shared that the two of them worked as co-founders for three months, before starting to get attracted to each other. He said, “As co-founders of a startup, you’re spending a lot of time together. In the early days, it was almost 8-9 hours a day, and I really started to get to know her. It was really interesting, because Kasey and I met at a time when we both wanted a career and a life change.”

Kasey and Mark have been dating for almost 9 months now.



Separating work and personal lives

When a couple runs a startup, the dynamics of being a couple sometimes affects the dynamics of being co-founders. And it is hard to distinguish. Mark is very frank about the difficulty. He says, “It is hard to keep the two separate as the emotional part of the relationship keeps coming into play. The key is to be very understanding.”

Kasey mirrors mark’s thought. She says, “When you’re working on a startup, you’ve got to be as lean and efficient as possible. And there will be times where you’re going to have to put a tough point across and that might play into the power dynamics of the relationship too. I think at the end of the day, you’ve just got to be mature.”

Both Kasey and Mark believe that being co-founders has truly made things a lot faster for them. Kasey says, “We’ve been dating for about the last 9 months and through all this time, we’re spending almost 20 hours a day with each other. We’re really gotten to know each other and in a sense, this startup journey has been a good test for our relationship.”

Mark adds, “There are a few successful startup couples out there - like Kevin and Julia Hartz, the co-founders of Eventbrite, whom we got to interact with in a previous startup venture. You quickly get to know each other's likes and dislikes and when you’re spending so much time with each other, you’ve really got to like the other person to make it work.”

“Just include a lot of humor and sarcasm and it should be just fine,” quipped Kasey.

Building something useful over something impressive

It almost seems like the duo’s startup journey has matured along with their relationship. Throughout the interview, I got a vibe that the two of them were a couple who were at peace with being each other, around each other, and that could have come without hard work.

Similarly, Mark shared how their startup journey has also matured. He says, “From wanting to build something to impress, our current focus is to build something that is useful.” The two are building an app via which you can show your appreciation to your friends. Mark says, “I can thank my girlfriend via the app and it really gives me a gratifying feeling and post launch I hope my other friends feel the same too.”

There’s no saying what a startup idea could become, but Kasey and Mark’s story is definitely one for the ages.

p.s. Update...they got married! And they have moved on from Savant Inc.

You never know; you could find your soulmate at a hackathon. Check this out.

There are no men and women, there are only people. Similarly, in the IT industry, there should be no women or men, only programmers. Yes, there's a massive discrepancy in the gender ratio and men do have a lot on their plate to fix this but women have their part in this. Women must believe that they're equal to their male counterparts in every possible way.

Deepa Soundararajan has been doing her part for many years. She's a senior development manager at Intuit, along with being a loving wife and mother. Through the course of this interview, you'll see that Deepa's gender has no bearing on her life and professional choices. There are many women who've faced adversities in the IT industry, but not Deepa. She made her life what she wanted it to be.

This is Deepa's story.

Aeroplanes and code

Like many in the IT industry, Deepa didn't start off as a computer science engineer. She says, "I am an instrumentation engineer. I did not have computer science in my core curriculum. Like the myriads of other engineering graduates, I had done a few courses and internships in coding over various summers in college but nothing very serious."

Her moment of reckoning came with her stint with aeroplane simulators. She said, "My first job at Ramco Systems, Chennai was the turning point. We were developing a flight-simulator system. The elegance of algorithms and the logical reasoning involved in the work made me fall in love with coding."

She thrives in situations that demand the use of her analytical self. She says, "The ability to crack a problem, the feeling of accomplishment makes me love coding. The new learning, which each piece of code brings in, keeps me charged. At Intuit, we foster a culture of innovation and the ability to showcase creativity, which are great motivating factors for engineers!"

She also possesses a very rare quality for an engineer—customer focus. When asked what is her most satisfying moment as an engineer, she said, "My most satisfying achievement as a programmer is when I see how my work makes a difference in a customer’s life. Each time that I have brought 'delight' to a customer has been a very fulfilling experience."

Stand up and ask for what's rightfully yours

When compared to other streams of engineering, Deepa believes that computer science is easier for women to be a part of.

She says, "IT industry is actually easier on women when compared to many other engineering streams like mechanical/civil engineering. My personal experiences as a woman in the tech industry is that there is no distinction made between men and women. Just like any other industry, we need to be able to ‘stand up and ask for’ what is rightfully ours. It is possible but not practiced often."

She believes that a woman's tendency to step back and focus on family is one of the main reasons why there are so few women in the tech industry. She says, "Statistics may be similar to other industries, but I see that the ratio of men vs. women has increased over time at the entry level, however, when it comes to mid-career there is a significant drop in numbers and I mainly attribute it to women wanting to take a step back in their professional space to handle a growing family."

When faced with the same situation in her life, Deepa had the good fortune of an understanding family. She said, "According to me, whenever there is an adversity, one feels the pressure to take on a more traditional role. But having the support of family and friends is key in resolving these issues and reason things out."

"I come from a very traditional family background. Contrary to popular belief, I have been blessed with a very supportive family that let me pursue my dreams of studying in an engineering college far from home. I had their full support to take up a career of my choice and be independent. Even after my wedding and children, I have a very supportive husband and family that has given me the space to take a break and pursue my career once again."

"Sail out to the sea and do new things"

When asked what she sees herself doing in 10 years, Deepa said, "10 years from now I see myself in a senior leadership position, mentoring and guiding a fresh set of engineers and aspiring young professionals."

As parting advice for budding programmers, she quoted Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, "'A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are for. Sail out to the sea and do new things'. Keep learning new technologies and sail the seas you never sailed before. That is how you grow and enjoy life!"

Wanting to feel valued and wanting to be the center of attention are subtly different. While both are attention-craving behavior, the latter doesn't care much for where it comes from or what it means. The former, however, is a need to be recognized for good work. It is a need to be known as a symbol of positivity and excellence.

Anuradha Sinha, a Program Manager, is driven by feeling valued. For all the doom and gloom that surrounds women in tech, Anuradha remains optimistic and always sees the positive side of things. And not to mention, she's a really good coder!

This is Anuradha's story.

"Being valued will make you go the extra mile"

Anuradha's started coding in her junior year. She says, "I think it started when I was learning Object Oriented Programming in C++. That was the first time C++ was introduced in any school. My teacher was always appreciative of my logical reasoning. It kind of set the stage for me to study computer applications."

At work, she's a people person. She says, "I like my current job because of the people I work with. I get to work with a smart and somewhat crazy bunch of people. I think the biggest motivator for me has always been the feeling of being valued. Any employee who is valued tries to go the extra mile in the interest of the organization."

Her most satisfying moment in her professional life was being recognized as an expert .

"I think the most satisfying achievement was at a time when I was in the fourth year of my career. I was declared the expert for a couple of specialized tools which I had learnt on my own. Soon I was mentoring people who were using these tools. I felt important and of considerable value to the organization."

"The 19% women in tech who have done quite well for themselves"

While Anuradha is cognizant about the lack of women in tech, she doesn't give it too much thought. She says, "I have not given the gender equation in professional life much thought. Having said that, yes, I have noticed at times that I am the only woman in a discussion with 20-odd men."

While she hasn't been at the receiving end of inequality, she has seen it happening. The so called banter against women in tech, according to her, is one of the main reasons for the lack of women in tech.

She says, "The IT industry, unfortunately, brings along some unconscious stereotypes. Read any joke around an engineer/IT professional’s life and you will get the drift. These stereotypes have made some people, in particular women, apprehensive about the quality of life as an IT professional."

She further adds, "As a woman professional, I have found people coming up to me and saying, “We have never found a woman manager good. You are different.”

While that is meant to be a compliment, I am not amused. Sometimes, women in middle and senior management find themselves constantly judged for being ‘too strict’ or ‘too gentle’. A woman’s strictness or an instance of rude behavior at work is often attributed to how things are in her personal life: being single, childless, divorced, or widowed. This is very unfortunate. While I have not been at the receiving end of such remarks, I have seen others making such remarks."

2 changes that can get more women to tech Anuradha has a different perspective about the 19% of women in tech. She says, "You know, the picture is not so glum. Yes, the number of women in technology are only 19%. However, at this point in time, let us look at the percentage of literate women. And the percentage of educated working women who started their careers in the last three decades. You will know that these 19% have done really well for themselves."She has 2 ideas to get more women to tech:

1. "First, we have to wage a war against societal stereotypes to get more women working in the tech industry. I know of women engineers starting tuition classes at home because they consider working in the IT industry unsafe and uncomfortable. The perception of working long hours and an unstable work-life balance are reasons many a talented woman change their career course.
2. Second, we have to get girls excited about technology at the school level. I am really a big fan of Microsoft’s work called ‘Women in Technology’ where they intend to train and mentor 1 million girl students (in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) for a year. That’s the base-level change we need."

Fight stereotypes, fight sexism

Anuradha's family has been very supportive of her career choices. She says, "Thankfully, no. My family would have supported me even if I had chosen another career. Their condition has always has been that I should be self-sufficient."

In the same context, she agrees that society has a major influence in working women in general. She says, "Many times, even friends who I consider close, have argued that women have it easy as they are not necessarily expected to ‘earn’. Our society still expects men to be the breadwinners while women have a choice. I am waiting for some men to become homemakers and declare to the world that change is possible."

Going forward, Anuradha hopes to work on her own social impact venture. She says, " As a child, I dreamed of being a high-flying professional at the prime of my career. Now at the prime of my career, my professional ambitions overlap with my life’s dreams. In ten years, I want to see myself running an organisation that gives vocation to the less privileged."

Her parting advice is that she urges women in tech to take a strong stance against sexism and stereotyping. She says, "Fight sexism. Fight stereotypes. Do not laugh when your men friends make fun of a woman’s IQ. As an educated women, we should not be okay with stereotypes. Let us not try to blend in. Let us be different. And bring a difference."

Mark Zuckerberg once said that coding is the closest thing to a super power today. If you think about it, it really is! With the Internet and computer technology, humans are doing the unthinkable today like talking to people who live millions of miles away from us, watching street views of far away cities without leaving the comfort of your couch and interacting with a virtual reality - all possible, because of coding and computer technology.

When you meet someone who wields the power of creating such amazing things the last thing you expect from them is humility. However, that's what we got from Divya Anand, who's a software engineer at Akamai. We caught up with her on what it takes to be a woman in tech, and we got some key insights into her life as a computer engineer and her humble personality.

"Women can be fiercely logical"

Divya is not your stereotypical girl. She says, "Everybody considers women to be emotional beings. But I discovered a fiercely logical part of me that loved solving puzzles and it turned out that I was good at it. That’s when i decided coding was definitely for me."

Her love for solving puzzles is equal to her love for coding. She says, "It (coding) gives me the same adrenaline rush that I get when I crack a tough puzzle. Isn’t it gratifying when something works the way you expect it to?"

However, she isn't easily satisfied. When asked what her greatest achievement as a programmer is to date, she said, " Yet to come I guess".

"When you love what you do, you'll figure out a way"

For those who struggle to find the balance between their professional and personal lives, Divya is a new working mother. And she is balancing both aspects of life well. She also believes that her example is a statement that the IT industry is warming up to women. She says, "I think the gender gap in software industry is improving. Women are getting smarter in managing their professional and personal lives and men are slowly becoming more empathetic. My journey has been more or less smooth sailing so far especially given the fact that I have just joined work after my maternity break! If you love what you do, I guess you’ll figure out ways to work it out."

She credits her family for supporting her a lot. She says, "I am blessed to have a supportive family but the journey is not without hiccups. The key is to focus on the bigger picture and adapt to changes. However there is no denying that its a hard balance to hit. I personally take things ‘one day at a time’."

While she doesn't take a stand on the reason behind less number of women in the IT industry, she credits some of it to a lack of motivation on the women's part.

"Can’t say. The dynamics are very different from people to culture to places.", she said.

"If you're having fun, keep at it."

When we asked Divya what she see's herself doing in the next 10 years, she simply said, "More coding!", which wasn't very surprising, given her one-day-at-a-time attitude.

Her advice for budding women programmers is simple (applicable to men as well). She says, "If you are having fun, continue at it. Hang on long enough and things are bound to get better. Meanwhile just relax and don’t be too hard on yourself."