Deepak Hanumanthaiah

$100,000 for an H-1B visa. What does this mean for Indians? Every Engineer dreams of studying in the US and secure a job in the Silicon Valley. But Trump’s new H-1B fee changes that. Students may be forced to return earlier than planned because companies will now think twice before sponsoring visas. But you don’t need to go to US to earn in dollars. With the right skills and network you can earn in dollars while living in India. And this H-1B visa fee might change the hiring process in MNC’s too. Remote jobs will now get a spotlight. So here are some of the best portals where Indian engineers can land US remote jobs (links to all portals are in comments) ✅ Flexiple: Curated freelance network for top engineers and designers. ✅ Turing (dot) com: AI-powered platform that matches Indian developers with US companies. ✅ We Work Remotely: One of the oldest and most trusted boards for global remote roles. ✅ AngelList Talent (Wellfound): Startup-first hiring platform, many remote roles listed by US founders. ✅ RemoteOK: Job board focused on tech and product roles across geographies. ✅ Contra: Great for independent creators, developers, and freelancers targeting US startups. In 2025, opportunity isn’t tied to one country. It follows skills that prove their worth anywhere.

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One thing your manager will never tell you Your promotion depends less on your performance and more on whether your team is actually growing. When I joined Amazon as an SDE-1, my team had 25 people. By the time I became Senior, it had 120+. Looking back, my “fast promotion” wasn’t magic. The org was expanding like crazy and growth creates opportunity. Here is the part people don’t like hearing: ❌ If your team hasn’t grown in years, your career won’t either. ❌ It doesn’t matter how good you are. There is nowhere to go. ❌ The only real path up becomes waiting for someone above you to leave. So if you want to grow faster: Choose teams that are growing. Not teams that are comfortable. Skills matter. Environment matters more.

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Hiring one mid-level engineer in the U.S. under H-1B rules can cost ~$307,000 in the first year. In Pakistan, a comparable remote engineer costs $20,000–$35,000 per year. That’s a 10–15× saving. For the cost of one H-1B engineer in the U.S., a company could instead outsource an entire remote team in Pakistan including 1 Product Manager 3 Software Engineers 1 QA Tester 1 UI/UX Designer and still spend less than half of the U.S. cost. This allows startups and enterprises alike to deliver full projects offshore at a fraction of the budget. If even 5–10% of U.S. H-1B demand shifts offshore, Pakistan’s IT export revenues (currently ~$3.5–4B annually) could increase by $1–2B in 3 years. The disruption to Indian IT firms opens the door for Pakistan to capture more contracts, especially in software development, fintech, and product outsourcing. Pakistan’s cost advantage makes it attractive for outsourcing, but long-term success depends on more than low prices. To become a true strategic partner, the workforce must strengthen soft skills, business understanding, and professional setups like reliable internet, modern offices, and time-zone alignment.

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I woke up today to some surprising news - Trump has just announced a $100,000 annual fee for every H-1B visa. For context, H-1B is the visa most Indian engineers (and many others worldwide) use to work in the U.S. Until now, companies were paying just a few thousand dollars per visa. This sudden jump is massive. Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon rely heavily on H-1B talent. And for Indian IT firms like Infosys, Wipro, and TCS - this could be a real shake-up. Their U.S. strategies are already being questioned, and even stock prices have started reacting. But beyond the business side, I can’t help but think of the individuals. Thousands of professionals and students aspire to the U.S. dream through this route. For them, this move creates a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. What might change? 👉Companies may reduce H-1B visa based hiring. 👉 Offshore/remote work could rise. 👉 U.S. firms might focus more on local talent. Legal battles are almost certain, since many are questioning if such a fee is even enforceable. This is still developing, but one thing’s clear: global tech hiring strategies won’t look the same after this. #H1B #Tech #Immigration #FutureOfWork

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H1B changes are out of our control. Job search isn’t. It’s been 2 years in the U.S., and take it from me — this post can help you avoid the mistakes I made. I wish someone had warned me earlier. When I first landed here, I believed my college name would be enough. Recruiters would call, and interviews would flow. But reality hit different, and here is what my 2 years looked like: 1. It was my friends at Columbia who first taught me how to actually do cold outreach. Until then, I had no idea that sending those messages, building those connections, would become a lifeline. 2. Without that push from them, I would have been completely lost. Learning: Make good friends, they are your family here! 3. But even with their support, I slipped. With classes, assignments, exams, and a part-time job, I felt busy — but I wasn’t focused on the right things. By the time I realized my mistake, I had already missed out on a summer internship. 4. That was on me, not the job market. Learning: There is no substitute for applying for jobs; it's a numbers game, and I barely applied to 400 internships. 5. So when full-time recruiting came around, I was determined not to repeat that. I applied to over 1,000 jobs, reached out relentlessly (LinkedIn, Email), used every job portal that you can think of, and got call-backs from Meta, Apple, Bain & Company, Amazon, and many startups. Learning: Keep your head down and just apply, email, and send LinkedIn connects. Now, with the new H1B changes, I know many of you are feeling the same uncertainty that I am feeling. And I want you to know: you’re not alone. A lot is not in our control, so let's not waste time thinking about what will happen and capitalize on what we have right now. This time of hiring won't come back again! I didn't always find people to network with when I needed them most, and I don't want anyone else to feel that way. My inbox is always open, so connect with me and feel free to send a message! You've already shown courage by choosing this path. Don't doubt yourself — your story is still unfolding, and there is a happy ending for all of us. #Careers #Technology #H1B #JobSearch #Hiring

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Here’s exactly how I would crack a $150K+ SWE job at Microsoft in 6 months. (A real strategy my client used to land interviews at Microsoft, Meta, and Stripe) Too many engineers prepare hard to crack MAANG. But they lack a solid strategy. Here’s the exact roadmap I'll follow if I wanted to land a SWE job at Microsoft. Step 1: Resume + Role Clarity → Reverse-engineer the JD Study at least 10+ Microsoft SWE job listings. Highlight recurring keywords, must-haves, and preferred tools. → Rewrite your resume like a product pitch Show measurable impact: Good: “Improved load time by 43%” Bad: “Worked on performance optimization.” → Make it keyword-optimized for ATS without sounding robotic. Step 2: Master DSA the Microsoft Way → Focus on patterns, not problems Microsoft LOVES: Sliding window Trees (esp. DFS/BFS) Graphs Dynamic programming → Suggested Platforms: Leetcode (Microsoft tag), Neetcode(dot)io roadmap, Grokking series on Educative → 2 problems/day + 1 mock interview/week = compounding prep Step 3: System Design (yes, even for junior roles) → Start with High-Level Design (HLD): Learn how to design APIs, caching, rate limiting, and DB scaling. → Build a project where you actually implement what you learn. Step 4: Microsoft-Specific Behavioral Prep → Microsoft uses structured behavioral interviews Focus on “3As” framework: Action → Approach → Aftermath → Use real projects to show: Collaboration Adaptability Customer focus Engineering rigor → Prep 8–10 STAR stories mapped to their values Step 5: Mock + Real-World Practice → Do 4–5 peer or mentor-led mock interviews (especially for behavioral + design) → Record yourself. Watch for filler words, unstructured answers, lack of metrics. → Apply for 5 roles/week—Microsoft + similar-sized companies (to get into interview flow) Step 6: Apply Strategically + Use Referrals → Connect with 3–5 engineers/recruiters/week on LinkedIn. Don’t ask for a referral right away - engage first. → Reach out using tailored messages like: “Hi [Name], I’ve been preparing for an SWE role at Microsoft. Your journey from [X] to [Microsoft] really stood out. If you're open, I’d love to learn more about your experience.” → Submit applications using referrals whenever possible + 1-click apply where relevant The client who followed this playbook now works at Microsoft Azure and had 3 competing offers before accepting. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things in the right order. Give yourself 6 months and follow this roadmap to make it a reality. Share this with someone who dreams of working at Microsoft. P.S. Follow me if you are a tech job seeker in the U.S. I share practical advice that gets you hired. — Additional resources: https://lnkd.in/eKxQmYtP. https://lnkd.in/gwRWpXR9. https://lnkd.in/g94_Cziv

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I am a Software Engineer at Meta with almost 2 decades of experience. Here’re the 5 learnings if you want to grow faster as a SWE: 1. Know the next level before promotion After you are performing well at your current role expectations, start approaching the next level. - Learn from seniors, understand their perspective - Look for areas you can help & can get noticed In short, prove that you deserve the promotion before you ask for it. 2. Become your own user - go on reddit or twitter threads - read through the users feedbacks and conversations - be empathetic & maybe have a conversation with few users This shift helped me move beyond just shipping features to actually improving the experience. 3. Data is your saviour Start diving into logs, events, and exceptions more deeply. - Where are users spending the most time?  - What’s making them drop off? - What are the most common exceptions?  - Which workflows are unintuitive? You can make better engineering decisions if you spend some time consuming the data 4. Every problem is not yours to solve Ask yourself: - Is this issue truly high-impact, or am I just trying to get it off my plate? - Is this a problem I should solve, or is it better to guide someone else to take it on? - Delegating was tough at first. But it’s crucial to identify your problems and delegate rest. The best engineers I’ve worked with aren’t the ones who take on the most work—they’re the ones who ensure the right work gets done by the right people. 5. Be a force multiplier - document more to save others time - build tools and scripts that automate tedious tasks - Guide others to help achieve their goals   Your team will move faster, and you will become more valuable—not just as an engineer but as a force multiplier. => Final Thought: The biggest shifts in my career didn’t come from just writing better code—they came from these small shifts. If you’re looking to grow as an engineer, try incorporating some of these steps into your own journey. Raman Walia

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You are in a system design interview at Amazon for an SDE-3 role and the interviewer has given you the question to Design Netflix. He then asks a follow up to you: How does Netflix knows when to show: Are you still watching? Is it just time-based? If it were time-based, you would see it every time. So what is actually going on under the hood? Both look like a simple pop-up. Underneath, it is a mix of product thinking, client logic, and backend events. Btw, if you’re preparing for system design/coding interviews, check out our mock interview tool. You can use it for free here: https://lnkd.in/gpCn7t2T [1] Start from the product goals The feature is not only about nagging people. - Save bandwidth and CDN cost if the viewer has slept or walked away - Avoid autoplaying potentially sensitive content in an empty room - Protect kids if parents start a show and leave the TV on - Do all this without annoying active binge watchers So the design must answer one question: "When is the user probably not here any more" [2] Naive design - pure timer Simplest idea: - If playback has been running for 2 hours, show Are you still watching - If user clicks "Yes", reset the timer Why this is weak: - Someone can binge 5 episodes in a row and gets interrupted in the middle of an intense scene - Someone can start a show, walk away after 5 minutes, and the platform will keep streaming for the next 2 hours - It ignores how many episodes were auto played, device type, time of day, user habits  [3] Realistic design - session and engagement signals Think in terms of a "watch session" and "engagement events". Signals the client can track: - Play, pause, seek, volume change - Episode finished and next episode auto started - Remote or keyboard input, UI navigation - Screen on or off events from the device - For mobiles: app background or locked state A common heuristic could be: - Count how many episodes have auto played without any user interaction - Track how long it has been since the last button press or navigation - Only trigger the prompt when both are high enough Example rule: - If 3 episodes in a row have auto played - And there has been no interaction for 45 minutes - Then, before starting episode 4, show Are you still watching This feels much smarter: - Active viewers who pause, skip intro, change volume keep resetting the "engagement clock" - Sleeping viewers do not touch anything, so the next episode is blocked by the prompt  [4] Client heavy vs server heavy design You can talk about two design choices. Client first: - All logic runs inside the app on TV, mobile, or web - Client keeps an in memory session model and decides when to show the popup - It still sends telemetry events to backend for analytics and future tuning Pros: - Works even with flaky network - Highly responsive, no extra server round trip Cons: - Logic must be implemented and updated across many platforms - Harder to quickly roll out rule changes Continued ↓

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🚨 60 day grace period for H1B workers who lost their job is no more Most software engineers moving to the US for a job do so with a H1B visa – you can get a L1 (but then your stay is tied to the company) or an O1 (but that's fairly restrictive). In the past, in case you lose your job, you could stay 60 days in the country to find another job. After that, you have to leave the country but can still come back if you get a new job and get your H1B transferred (e.g. you don't need to go through a lottery again) The issue now seems to be that the 60 days grace period is gone[1], so essentially you have to immediately leave the country once you're laid off. Being an immigrant always come with some uncertainty on your situation but this wasn't too much a problem in the past because: - Tech companies were not doing laid off - The job market was in favor of engineers – it was easy to just find another job - While 60 days is kind of short, it was still enough in many cases (or at least to sort part of your personal situation) This is a pretty big blow for the industry – while some (especially younger folks?) will still move to the US, less and less will be willing to do (especially if you have no short path to a green card) The situation is also even worst for people in the current situation that may be overstaying because their 60 days grace period was suddenly gone and may not be able to transfer their H1B visa after 🙁

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From SDE to ML Engineer at Intuit Recently, my friend transitioned to a Data Scientist role and shared how tough it was to feel confident in the beginning. —> He often feared "not being good enough," especially in a fast-changing field like data science. What inspired me was how he pushed through those doubts. —> He started celebrating small wins, understanding a complex concept, completing a project, or solving a tough problem. —> He also reached out for help, leaning on mentors and peers who reassured him that no one knows everything. Hearing his journey reminded me that self-doubt isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a sign of growth. His years of hardwork and consistent efforts finally paid off. He is expecting another offer from Atlassian. if you too want to transition to Data Science, make sure you have the right mentor & support to avoid missing out on oppourtunities. Learn from industry experts and from courses designed for experienced individuals. One platform I’d suggest checking out is Bosscoder Academy. Check their complete program here: https://bit.ly/4jwL8VQ They have helped 800+ working professionals get placed in top companies. The right approach can change everything. #sql #Datascience #interviewpreparation #brandpartnership

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If you interview for an SDE-1 role at Amazon, they will ask you to solve 1 Medium + 1 Hard LC in just 45 minutes. If you interview at Google, Microsoft, they will also ask you to solve 1 Medium + 1 Hard LC in just 45 minutes. At any company you interview today, excluding startups: No matter how many problems you've solved. No matter how good you are, you might be the most talented in that pool of candidates. All that matters to the interviewer in that moment of the first coding round is: → How fast you identify the pattern → How well you optimize → How clearly you explain under pressure That's why strong DSA is the best equalizer. You don’t need system design for SDE-1 roles. You can get in with just awesome DSA skills. But that's where most candidates fail, and honestly, it’s a simple fix. DSA patterns help you: → stop getting stuck and losing hope midway → solve faster because you don’t reinvent the wheel → spot solutions even for unseen problems → build confidence on yourself and in your skills. And that’s exactly why I want to recommend this DSA pattern product, it completely changes the way you prepare. Link: : https://lnkd.in/g94khGEh This DSA product will help you: - help you track and learn the clues and triggers of different patterns - provide AI-based doubt solving + space to add your own notes - solve 250+ good problems with 5 problems each on 50 patterns - train you on every scenario, so you can solve unseen problems. Stop guessing and start preparing for the way these companies hire.

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