From 64% to 8.5M Users
A journey from being a below-average student in Gwalior
to leading technology for millions in Malaysia
This is my story.
My Life Journey
Not just jobs and titles. Real moments that transformed a below-average student into someone proud of where he is today.
Roots
Where it all began
Born in Ujjain, early schooling at Deepti Convent School in Shujalpur. A beautiful coincidence - my mother's name was also Deepti Shrivastava. Festivals, especially Holi, were magical in those days.
Highlights
- ▸Born in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
- ▸Deepti Convent School (mother's name: Deepti!)
- ▸Unforgettable Holi festivals in Shujalpur
The Gwalior Years
Commerce student, not so good
Dad got transferred to Gwalior. National Convent School, Palpur house. Chose commerce stream. I was a below-average student. Nobody really cared about me in class. I wasn't known for studies. But everything was about to change.
Highlights
- ▸Dad's transfer brought us to Gwalior
- ▸11th-12th at National Convent School
- ▸Commerce stream - below average student
- ▸Nobody knew my name for academics
Summer 2000
64% changed everything
Parents wanted me to do BBA at Jiwaji University. I convinced them: Let me do BCA (computers). They said yes. I scored 64% in 12th boards - when everyone expected <50%. That number became my badge. Proof that I could do hard things.
"64% was my first proof that I could do hard things."
Highlights
- ▸Parents wanted BBA, I chose BCA
- ▸Scored 64% (expected <50%!)
- ▸First time exceeding expectations
- ▸Computers became my identity
College Life
Prince of Persia to Visual Basic
BCA at LNCT. Hostel life. Playing Prince of Persia on friend's computer all day. First Visual Basic classes. Built my first CRUD app - felt like magic! Still friends with that group (Sunil, Ajeet, Vikas, Shekhar, Jatin). We're still on WhatsApp!
Highlights
- ▸BCA at LNCT, Gwalior
- ▸Hostel life & Prince of Persia marathons
- ▸First Visual Basic CRUD app
- ▸Lifelong friends (still WhatsApp daily!)
First Real Job
VNS Microsystems & growth
Started at VNS Microsystems. Visual Basic → PHP → MySQL. Built tools for 500+ businesses across India. Learned to SOLVE PROBLEMS, not just write code. Met my wife here. Got married in 2009. Daughter arrived. This was the foundation.
"I learned to solve problems, not just write code."
Highlights
- ▸VNS Microsystems (6 years)
- ▸Visual Basic → PHP journey
- ▸500+ business applications
- ▸Got married (2009), daughter born
- ▸Foundation of problem-solving
The Big Break
Fortune 100 clients
Accenture happened. Leading teams for Fortune 100 clients worth $100B+. Changi Airport, Kerry Logistics, IRIS Corporation. 7 industries. Enterprise scale. This was when I realized: I can play at the highest level.
Highlights
- ▸Led teams at Accenture
- ▸Fortune 100 clients ($100B+ worth)
- ▸Changi Airport 360° project
- ▸7 industries, enterprise scale
- ▸Learned leadership & architecture
Moving to Malaysia
First international flight
Got my first job offer abroad. First flight ever = international & company-sponsored! Mother's first international flight was to visit me. She passed in 2017, but I fulfilled her dream. I don't miss India much, but I do miss friends and samosas. Discovered gepuk though - amazing Malaysian food!
"Mother's first international flight was to visit me. I fulfilled her dream."
Highlights
- ▸April 2012: First job offer abroad
- ▸First flight ever = International & sponsored!
- ▸Mother's first international flight (visiting ME)
- ▸She passed in 2017 - dream fulfilled 💙
- ▸Missing samosas, loving gepuk!
Scaling & Learning
From thousands to millions
Custommedia, Accenture, Kerry Logistics, IRIS Corporation, back to Accenture. Each role taught me something new. Started learning Vedic astrology seriously in 2021 - I wanted to know why different astrologers say different things looking at the same charts! Developer brain, I guess. Weekend or weekday? Doesn't matter - I love updating FMT even on weekends. Snooker cue stick always in the car. One sweet daughter, now a teen. Life is good.
Highlights
- ▸Custommedia → Accenture → Kerry → IRIS
- ▸Started Vedic astrology (2021) - developer's curiosity!
- ▸One sweet daughter (now teen)
- ▸Snooker cue always in car 🎱
- ▸Weekend = Weekday (loves coding!)
Living King Size
Below average → 8.5M users
Leading technology for Free Malaysia Today. 8.5M monthly users. 184% growth. 60% faster load times. Learning Vedic astrology on weekends. Biryani lover (will do ANYTHING for good biryani!). Whiskey enthusiast. Still singing. The 18-year-old me in Gwalior thought I'd just somehow live my life. Today? I'm living king size, man! From below-average student to tech leader serving millions. Proud of myself.
"18-year-old me thought I'd just survive. Today, I'm living KING SIZE!"
Highlights
- ▸FMT: 8.5M users, 184% growth, 60% faster
- ▸Will do ANYTHING for good biryani!
- ▸Whiskey, snooker, singing, astrology
- ▸Still friends with Gwalior gang (WhatsApp!)
- ▸From 'below average' to 'king size' 👑
What Drives Me
Not buzzwords or corporate speak. Real reasons I wake up excited to code.
Proving Everyone Wrong
From 'below average student' to solving problems experts couldn't. That feeling never gets old.
Building at Scale
8.5M users depending on my code? That's responsibility that excites me, not scares me.
Making Mother Proud
Her first international flight was to visit me. She passed in 2017, but I know she was proud.
Living King Size
18-year-old me just wanted to survive. Today? I'm living the dream. That's what drives me.
By The Numbers
The story in stats
What's Next
After 4 years leading FMT solo, ready for my next challenge
✓ Looking For
- ▸News/media technology company in Malaysia (or visa sponsor)
- ▸Senior Engineer or Technical Lead role
- ▸Team environment (tired of being solo superhero!)
- ▸Next.js/React stack
- ▸Scale to millions of users
○ Better Fit Elsewhere
- ▸Native mobile apps (iOS/Android) - my expertise is responsive web
- ▸Short-term consulting - prefer long-term product impact
- ▸Non-tech industries - passionate about digital content
Beyond Code
The full picture
When I'm not optimizing Next.js builds, I'm learning Vedic astrology. Started in 2021 because I wanted to know why different astrologers say different things looking at the same charts. Developer brain, I guess!
Will do ANYTHING for good biryani. Whiskey enthusiast. Snooker cue stick always in my car (not great at it, but I try!). Still singing when no one's listening.
- • 40 years old, based in Kuala Lumpur
- • Originally from Gwalior, India (miss samosas!)
- • Married since 2009, one teen daughter
- • Weekend = Weekday (love updating FMT!)
- • Still friends with Gwalior gang on WhatsApp 📱
- • Living king size! 👑