The Art and Science of Engineering

By Nandan Prabhu
In the summer of 2020, we delivered the first ever supercomputer in a public cloud. It is one of the top five most powerful known systems in the world, capable of running extremely large artificial intelligence models. Rewind exactly one year and we were at the starting line, figuring out how to solve this unsolved problem – to innovate, to engineer, and deliver. My team and I executed successfully on this wonderful opportunity, and I will share my perspective on life as an engineer.

I joined Microsoft straight out of college back in 2004. I am passionate about engineering, computer science and improving the lives of everyone on this planet. In my career as a leader and software engineer, I have had such opportunities throughout, with contributions across file systems, compiler design, databases, distributed caching, and cloud platforms. Currently, I lead key initiatives in cloud platforms, ranging from native infrastructure at planetary scale to greenfield innovation of specialised systems – supercomputer, bare-metal infrastructure, and hypervisor multiplexing.

WHY BE AN ENGINEER
It is undeniable that we are going through a fundamental shift in the use of technology in our lives. The reach of technology is widening, the degree andspeed of separation is shrinking. Technology is changing our lives, with devices on our wrists to equipment in deep space, artificial intelligence to internetof-things. And along the way, we are having to think consciously about privacy, and have unprecedented focus on security. All of these I believe are wonderful areas of immense untapped potential and innovation.

HOW TO BECOME A GOOD ENGINEER
Fundamentals: Over the years, I have learnt the value of fundamentals – the basic knowledge of how systems work – computer architecture, design patterns, runtime systems, security concepts, programming languages. Every new problem I embarked on took me back to fundamentals – of computer concepts, data structures, algorithms, and design principles. A simple example – knowing a programming language and runtime like C++ or Golang thoroughly not only allows me to write good code, but it enables me to debug and fix complex issues well and quickly. Depth: I have realised depth and expertise in domains is valuable. Customer scenarios are more intricate now, so you need to be able to solve complex and ambiguous problems. A superficial understanding of many domains is less valuable than deep handles in a few. Multiple domains have great potential for building careers – some examples are cloud platforms, mobile platforms, application development, machine learning, mixed reality, wearables, privacy & security.

Tenure: Expertise and depth come with tenure; time spent doing one thing well has helped me build a strong career. Taking care of customer needs over multiple iterations makes us intelligent. And the tenure exposes us to all phases of a project, the crests, and the troughs, and this makes us wise.

WHAT TO FOCUS ON AS AN ENGINEER
Tapping into our engineering skills and building something just for the sake of it has little value. Instead, doing so to change people’s lives for the better is of high value. Helping our customers is rewarding both in material form of revenue or salary, and the intangibles of a better life for all involved and a happier planet.

So, which problem do we focus on, there are so many! I have alwayspursued my passions. We can choose to work on the problems we care deeply about. It may take time and effort to find our passion, but when we do, it’s magic. Then, it takes empathy to listen to and understand the voiced and subtle needs of others. Once a problem is identified, it is imperative that we have an inclusive environment conducive for ideation and solutioning. A team with diverse people is great for solving the needs of the diverse many. We come together for a common cause with a high bar on honesty and integrity.

New programming languages may surface, old ones may be deprecated, tools may evolve, but this approach yields amazing innovation, solid engineering, happy teams and satisfied customers. If you think about it, this is not just applicable at work. It is a way of life.

WHEN TO BE AN ENGINEER
Economic circumstances may be up or down, but these are merely short-term events. In our careers spanning decades, we will get opportunities to pursue our dreams and passions. It’s a journey worth taking. One where we hope to make a difference and have fun while doing so. Now is as good a time as ever. Best wishes to all the engineers out there. Happy engineering!

The writer is Partner Director Engineering at Microsoft India R&D

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