Writing

Essays and handbooks

English and Marathi essays hosted here, and PDFs you can keep. Use the sections below to switch between them.

English essays

From The Practical Technologist. Full essays live here; each one links back to LinkedIn.

The Practical Technologist · 15 Sept 2026

The Gorilla Problem: Will Humans Become the Second Species?

On 9 September 2026, a researcher resigned from Anthropic and wrote this on X: "They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives." His name is Jacob Coxon. Three years at OpenAI…

The Practical Technologist · 1 Sept 2026

30% Is Not a Discount. It's a Notice.

A friend of mine runs a large account at an Indian IT services company. Last week he was staring at a renewal spreadsheet that refused to add up. The client wanted the same scope, the same SLAs, the same team strength…

The Practical Technologist · 25 Aug 2026

Your Professional CIBIL Score Now Has a Number. And It's Free.

In April I wrote this line: "Nobody shows you this score. No app generates it." I created a PDF which people can fill and get the score Manually! Yogesh Muli suggested that why not an App instead and quickly build app…

The Practical Technologist · 5 Aug 2026

If You've Typed It Three Times, Make It a Skill

This morning I cleaned up a piece of AI-generated text by hand. Took out the em dashes. Deleted the emojis. Rewrote the "nobody talks about this" line that no real person has ever said out loud.

The Practical Technologist · 30 Jul 2026

Greenfield Build - The .MD Stack

Over the last year, Claude Code has become the tool I reach for first the moment a project starts from zero — no legacy code, no existing patterns to fight, just an empty repository. I've watched it happen enough times…

The Practical Technologist · 23 Jul 2026

Production-Ready AI Isn't About Choosing LLM. It's About AI Evals.

The Practical Technologist — weekly notes on AI, business, and life from 26 years of building things.

The Practical Technologist · 14 Jul 2026

Common Sense Gets You a Draft. Evals Get You to Production.

You wouldn't push code to production without tests.

The Practical Technologist · 23 Jun 2026

I Miss It - We’ll Never Code Like That Again....

I spent an entire day, as a fresher, figuring out how to paginate a list.

The Practical Technologist · 18 Jun 2026

After 26+ Years of Building Enterprise Systems, I Believe Application Architecture Is Being Rewritten

For the last 26 years, I have worked on enterprise platforms and applications across healthcare, life sciences, insurance and finance domains.

The Practical Technologist · 8 Jun 2026

From Copilot Autocomplete to Autonomous Agents — "Two Years That Changed How We Build"

Two years ago, I was doing what most of us were doing pressing Tab in VS Code and letting Copilot autocomplete a function. There were no rules. No structure. No one had thought through where AI fit in the development…

The Practical Technologist · 3 Jun 2026

When AI Disrupts Work: A Global Picture and What It Means for India

The Practical Technologist | Special Report · June 2026

The Practical Technologist · 31 May 2026

What Two Community Workers Taught Me About Fairness and Purpose

This Saturday, the directors of Seva Arogya Foundation spent time with our ground-level workers—the women who run our weekly health clinics and educational programs in underserved communities.

The Practical Technologist · 28 May 2026

"Microsoft Just Cancelled Claude Licenses. So AI Is Over? My Honest Take."

Microsoft reportedly cancelled several internal Anthropic Claude AI licenses citing rising costs.

The Practical Technologist · 19 May 2026

Pyramid vs. Barbell: The Indian IT Services Model Shift

For decades, the growth formula for the Indian IT services industry was simple and linear: to increase revenue, you increase headcount. This created the classic "Pyramid Model" a massive base of fresh engineering…

The Practical Technologist · 12 May 2026

The AI Reckoning in Indian Education

In FY24, India's four largest IT services companies — TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL — together hired 60,000 freshers .

The Practical Technologist · 3 May 2026

The Man Who Fixed What Others Said Couldn't Be Fixed

Last week my AC stopped cooling. Compressor leak. Three technicians had a look. Three of them said the same thing — "Saheb, replace karava lagel. Naveen ghya." Replace it. Buy a new one.

The Practical Technologist · 23 Apr 2026

LLM Tokens are Like Currency - Can Caching Strategy help ?

Tokens cost money. Today the pricing is decent and we absorb the redundancy without flinching. But as LLM usage scales — more users, more sessions, richer context — the cost curve turns real fast.

The Practical Technologist · 18 Apr 2026

Some stages make you feel the weight of history before you even open your mouth.

Ferguson College's Amhi Theatre, Pune. 150 years of legacy. A stage where Nobel Laureates have stood and delivered. The same walls that have witnessed some of the greatest minds of our time.

The Practical Technologist · 14 Apr 2026

What's Your Professional CIBIL Score? And Why It Might Be Dropping Without You Knowing

Last month, a mentee of mine — 12 years in IT services, solid delivery track record, comfortable in his "Tech Lead" title — called me with news that hit hard. His company had slashed his salary by 30% and let go of…

The Practical Technologist · 2 Apr 2026

Layoff Risk Assessment and Readiness - Handbook

The recent news of Oracle laying off 30,000 people globally—with a massive impact of nearly 12,000 jobs in India (Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune)—has shattered the illusion of "Permanent IT Stability." For decades, the…

The Practical Technologist · 24 Mar 2026

The Software Pricing Reset Is Here. Are You Ready or Roadkill?

Why software services companies must prepare for a pricing reset

The Practical Technologist · 17 Mar 2026

Innovation Thrives Beyond Metros: My Experience Judging the MSBTE State Level Project Competition 2025-26

Today, I had the privilege of being one of the judges at the MSBTE State Level Project Competition (2025-26) for the Pune Region, held at Sharad Institute of Technology Polytechnic, Yadrav (Ichalkaranji), Kolhapur. What…

The Practical Technologist · 15 Mar 2026

From Prompt to Production — The Gap Nobody Talks About

After 26+ years in software development , I have seen several big shifts.

The Practical Technologist · 12 Mar 2026

AI SKILLS LEARNING PLAN - For Experienced IT Managers

After spending more than two and a half decades in the IT industry , mostly on the delivery side of organizations , one habit has stayed with me throughout my career continuously learning new technologies without being…

The Practical Technologist · 3 Mar 2026

The Role of Context in Generative AI - Why Prompt Engineering Is Not Enough Anymore

A few months ago, I was working with my team on an internal AI documentation assistant.

The Practical Technologist · 24 Feb 2026

The Frog Experiment and Why Many AI Initiatives Fail Before They Begin

There is a classic story about a self-proclaimed scientist who trained a frog to jump on command.

The Practical Technologist · 19 Feb 2026

AI Has Changed Legacy Modernization Forever. There Are No More Excuses.

Recently at AI Day 2026, Nandan Nilekani made a blunt statement:

The Practical Technologist · 10 Feb 2026

A team of AI agents built a C compiler. In 2 weeks. For $20,000. Let that sink in.

Recently, Anthropic ran an experiment that should make everyone in tech pause.

The Practical Technologist · 5 Feb 2026

2026: The Year Software Engineers Stop Writing Code (Mostly)

I just went through the 2026 Agentic Coding Trends Report , and one thing is clear:

The Practical Technologist · 28 Jan 2026

Stop Force-Fitting AI into Architecture

A few days ago, I was in a discussion with a fellow solution architect.

The Practical Technologist · 20 Jan 2026

Your Biggest Startup Risk Isn’t Funding. It’s Losing High-Ownership Performers

In a startup, every hire matters. But 2-3 people matter disproportionately more.

The Practical Technologist · 13 Jan 2026

India on the Global AI Map: Strong Momentum, Clear Gaps, a Different Game

A friend recently shared an interesting story.

The Practical Technologist · 6 Jan 2026

Why AI Adoption Feels Slower Than Expected - Adoption Deadlock

Around two years ago, I distinctly remember a familiar pattern across the industry.

The Practical Technologist · 24 Dec 2025

Adopting AI Agents Without FOMO: A Practical CTO Checklist

Every alternate post on LinkedIn is talking about Agents and Agentic Architectures .

The Practical Technologist · 20 Dec 2025

One-Rupee Tea and a Priceless Lesson

When I was studying engineering in Nanded, I lived in a rented room. Downstairs, there were two small roadside tea stalls.

The Practical Technologist · 11 Dec 2025

Before You Quit IT After 20–25 Years: A Hard-Hitting Checklist You Must Think Through

After working in IT for more than two decades, I’ve observed a common trend: many professionals suddenly feel the urge to step out of the corporate environment.

The Practical Technologist · 8 Dec 2025

AI Can Write Code — But It Can’t Make You a Programmer

A few days ago, I was teaching my daughter how to cook a simple dish. She had all the modern kitchen gadgets lined up — air fryer, blender, oven, everything. Yet the food didn’t turn out the way she expected.

The Practical Technologist · 3 Dec 2025

The Bamboo That Helped Me Walk the Rope

(“I” in this story is only symbolic — with small variations, this is the story of many. Please read it as an experience, not as self-praise.)

Essay · 21 Nov 2025

From skepticism to standard: Why AI is on the same adoption wave as e-commerce and cloud

I remember the early-2000s: I read about people in the US returning items they’d ordered online because the experience simply didn’t match expectations. At the time, the narrative was clear: “Online shopping won’t work…

Essay · 12 Nov 2025

When “Perfect” Becomes the Enemy of “Done”

A few years ago, I heard a story that beautifully captures this lesson.

Essay · 6 Nov 2025

🌾 The Farmer’s Secret to Growth — and Why It Matters for All of Us

A farmer once searched for the finest grains to sow in his field. He carefully selected only the best and, as expected, reaped a wonderful harvest.

Essay · 4 Nov 2025

🌟 Framework of Change: The 5 A’s Journey

A human-centered model for growth, transformation, and performance

Essay · 26 Oct 2025

Clarity by Constraints. Ambiguity by Abundance.

I grew up in a humble, lower-middle-class household. Money was tight. Options were limited. But in hindsight — that was one of the biggest gifts life gave me.

Essay · 5 Sept 2025

Can GenAI Build Production-Ready Systems? The Answer is Yes and No

Over the last 1+ year , I’ve been actively experimenting with GenAI tools for application and system development. It’s been exciting, humbling, and sometimes frustrating — and I’d like to share what I’ve learned.

Essay · 11 Aug 2025

Mainframe Stays, Work Changes – My Take on AI’s Impact

I’ve never been a mainframe developer myself, but in my years working with healthcare giants like Aetna , I’ve built web applications that relied on mainframes as their backbone .

Essay · 29 Jul 2025

🏠 Renovating IT Services: How AI Is Reshaping the Industry

A few days ago, the news of TCS layoffs created a storm across India. For decades, TCS has been seen as a company where one could “retire.” The fact that even the biggest IT bellwether isn’t immune shows the depth of…

Essay · 11 Jul 2025

AI Summarisation Is Changing How We Browse: What the Data Really Shows

Ten years ago, I never imagined a day when most people would get their answers from an AI rather than a website. Yet, according to recent studies, nearly 64% of Google searches in the US now end without a single click…

Essay · 7 Jul 2025

The AI Tsunami: How Publishers Can Survive (and Thrive) in the Age of Zero-Click Search

Last year, I watched as some of the world’s largest publishers saw up to 50% of their web traffic disappear—almost overnight. The culprit? Not a new social platform, but the rapid rise of AI-powered search and…

Essay · 5 Jul 2025

🇮🇳 My Own Independence Day: 4th of July 🇺🇸

On 3rd July 2015 , I wrapped up my final day at L&T Infotech (LTI) , closing a significant chapter of my professional career. The very next day, 4th July , while the USA celebrated its Independence Day, I began…

Essay · 25 Jun 2025

🚀 Modernising Legacy Code with Cursor AI: My Experience Porting a PHP Backend to .NET

“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Essay · 23 Jun 2025

Navigating Ageism in Tech: A Comprehensive 5-Step Framework

Ageism in the tech industry is a growing concern. Nearly 35% of tech workers feel they're considered “too old” for their roles, with another 32% fearing job loss due to age. According to EEOC data, workers over 40 in…

Essay · 10 Jun 2025

The Illusion of Thinking: Apple's white paper on Limitations of Reasoning Models and Day-to-Day Coding in the Services Industry

Last month, Apple Research’s Shojaee et al. released “The Illusion of Thinking: Understanding the Strengths and Limitations of Reasoning Models via the Lens of Problem Complexity,” Link sparking a critical conversation…

Essay · 4 Jun 2025

The Transformation of the IT Industry: Navigating the AI-Driven Slowdown

The current slowdown in the IT industry marks a significant departure from previous economic downturns, driven not by traditional economic factors but by rapid advancements in technology, particularly in Artificial…

Essay · 26 May 2025

The Silent Shift in Indian IT: Who’s at Risk in the Age of AI?

The Indian IT services industry is quietly undergoing one of the biggest shifts in its history. With AI and automation maturing at an exponential pace, we are approaching a tipping point—one where the traditional…

Essay · 22 May 2025

Navigating the AI Revolution: Preparing India’s Youth for Tomorrow’s World

India is on the threshold of a profound employment transformation driven by disruptive trends in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology. With the world’s largest youth population, the implications of such…

Essay · 2 May 2025

Hiring and Retaining Employees in Small IT Companies: A Personalised Playbook

When it comes to hiring and retaining talent, small IT companies often operate in a very different reality than large enterprises. While the latter can leverage their scale, brand, and benefits to attract and retain…

Essay · 24 Jan 2025

A Proud Parenting Moment: Overcoming Challenges with Homeschooling and NIOS

Today, as I reflect on my daughter Yashada’s incredible journey of completing her secondary education through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with an impressive score of 88.6%, I feel an overwhelming…

Essay · 24 Dec 2024

Why I Chose an Old-Fashioned Razor?

For years, I’ve shaved my head as part of my personal style, a routine that requires me to clean up two to three times a week. Like most people, I used to rely on modern plastic razors. They’re convenient and readily…

Essay · 2 Dec 2024

A Sunday in Kolhapur: Lessons in Opportunity and Resilience

This weekend, I took a family trip to Kolhapur and had a memorable experience that left me inspired. While the plan was to start the day with a visit to the iconic Mahalaxmi Temple, an unexpected challenge greeted…

Essay · 8 Nov 2024

Embracing AI in Software Development: Transforming the Future of Services Companies

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has become a global buzzword, capturing the attention of industry experts and everyday users alike. From its integration into popular apps like WhatsApp and Facebook to its…

Essay · 9 Aug 2024

The Art of Building an MVP: Prioritising What Truly Matters

In my journey of working with startups, I’ve seen countless brilliant ideas take shape, evolve, and ultimately transform into successful products and platforms. However, a critical lesson that often gets overlooked in…

Essay · 8 Jun 2024

Navigating the Current IT Job Market: Advice for Fresh Graduates

Over the last six months, the IT industry has seen a significant decline in traction. Despite numerous discussions and plans, conversions are not happening, and new projects are facing delays. This trend is observed…

Essay · 15 May 2024

IT as a Career: Navigating Your Path in the Digital Age

As exam season unfolds in India, thousands of 12th-grade students are preparing for JEE, CET, and institute-specific exams. This pivotal moment requires students to make significant decisions about their future career…

Essay · 13 Apr 2024

Configuring Azure Function App to Access Key Vault Using RBAC with Disabled Public Access

We had to deploy a Azure based solution for one of our Life sciences customer.

Essay · 29 Feb 2024

Mastering the Art of Debugging: A Keystone in Software Development

In the intricate world of software development, the ability to effectively debug and resolve issues is not just a skill but an art form. Debugging is often seen as a daunting challenge, yet it's a critical component…

Essay · 14 Feb 2024

The Art of Application Design: A Journey Through the Eyes of an Application Architect

In the realm of software development, the quest for the "best" architecture is akin to seeking a mirage. It's not about finding a one-size-fits-all solution but about crafting a bespoke structure that harmoniously…

Essay · 16 Nov 2023

REST API Design Considerations

Navigating the intricacies of domain entities, including significant hierarchy, aggregation, and composition, is a daily challenge for designers. Key questions emerge: Should we opt for parent-level APIs to manage…

Essay · 29 Sept 2023

Striking the Right Balance: AI-Generated Code and the Developer's Craft

In the quest for efficiency, we often turn to cutting-edge tools and technologies. However, a recent encounter made me reflect on the parallels between choosing the right picture for a matrimonial profile and relying…

Essay · 1 Aug 2023

Finding the Perfect Business Partner: Key Considerations for a Successful Journey

Starting a business is an exhilarating venture, but finding the right business partner can make all the difference in its success.

Essay · 23 Jun 2023

The Power of Thinking Simple

As an IT professional leading a small company that specialized in providing IT solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, I have come to realise the importance of thinking simple. In today's complex technological…

Essay · 23 Feb 2022

Ola S1 Pro Review

Many of you already know that I have purchased Ola S1 Pro and I was in the first few to get the delivery in Pune.