About me
Hey! I'm Rahul Aher
Senior Software Engineer with 7+ years in full-stack product development — ZEMA Global, Morningstar, BTS.
I started my journey in electronics engineering, made a deliberate pivot into software through CDAC PG-DAC, and in 7 years worked my way from Trainee to Senior Software Engineer across product companies in Mumbai. Along the way I've led workflow migrations, architected microservices, built component libraries, received 7+ awards, and pursued an MS in CS at Scaler — all in parallel with demanding full-time roles.
I believe deeply in giving back. I actively mentor CDAC students through mock interviews and project guidance, and share learning publicly through a free System Design platform and an AI-powered interview prep tool — because the same community support that changed my career trajectory should be available to everyone.
If I have a superpower, it's translating ambiguous requirements into production-grade systems — fast, clean, and maintainable. I leverage AI tools as daily force-multipliers without ever losing sight of code quality.
Technical Skills
7+ years of production experience across the full stack — from database layer to pixel-perfect UI, from bare-metal API design to distributed system architecture.
Backend & APIs
Frontend
Cloud & DevOps
Databases
Architecture & Design
AI & Productivity Tools
What I Bring to Your Team
Beyond technical expertise, I bring proven leadership, problem-solving abilities, and a passion for building exceptional software that drives business value.
Performance Optimization
Reduced manual processes by 90% through automation. Specialized in optimizing application performance, autoscaling, and delivery efficiency with New Relic observability.
Team Leadership
Led a 4-developer team on the Microsoft Angular project at BTS. Mentored junior developers, conducted code reviews, and drove cross-functional collaboration across product orgs.
Security & Quality
Enforced robust security – SQL Injection, XSS prevention, Spring Security hardening. Focus on clean, testable, peer-reviewable code with high PRs merged per sprint.
Innovation & Problem Solving
Built tools and systems no one asked for but everyone needed — the Incident Tracker, component library, AI interview prep. Proactive is the default, not the exception.
Client Satisfaction
Received SPOT, Above & Beyond, and multiple client appreciation letters. Clients at CISCO, KPMG, and Microsoft noticed — and said so in writing.
Continuous Learning
Completed MS in CS at Scaler alongside full-time work. Actively mentors CDAC students, publishes free System Design content, and uses AI as a development force-multiplier.
Guiding Principles
My approach to software engineering is built on three core pillars that ensure long-term value, technical excellence, and rapid delivery.
First Principles Thinking
I don't just solve symptoms; I identify the root cause. From my electronics background, I've learned to break down complex systems into their fundamental truths and build up from there, avoiding "copy-paste architecture."
AI-Augmented Development
I view AI as a force-multiplier for high-quality engineering. By leveraging modern tools like Cursor, Claude, and GitHub Copilot, I accelerate the "boring" parts of development while focusing my energy on system architecture and product logic.
Pragmatic Scalability
I build for tomorrow without over-engineering for next year. My focus is on creating extensible, maintainable codebases that can scale when needed, but deliver immediate business value today.
Career & Education Journey
From electronics engineering to full-stack architect — a decade of deliberate growth, impactful delivery, and continuous learning.
Senior Software Engineer — React Migration
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Senior Software Engineer
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Master of Science (MS)
Online — parallel with full-time work at Morningstar
Senior Software Engineer ↑
Navi Mumbai, India
Software Engineer
Navi Mumbai, India
Software Engineer ↑
Mumbai, India
Trainee Software Engineer
Mumbai, India
PG Diploma in Advanced Computing (PG-DAC)
Mumbai, India
Research Analyst
Navi Mumbai, India
Bachelor of Engineering (BE)
Mumbai, India
Projects
“Offline-first is not just a feature, it’s a mindset. It’s about building resilient systems that empower users, no matter their connection status.” — Akshat Paul
Chat Application with NodeJS, Angular, and Ionic
This Full-Stack Real-Time Chat Application demonstrates how to build a fully functional web and mobile chat app using modern technologies like NodeJS, Angular, Ionic, and MongoDB. The app allows users to engage in live conversations with real-time messaging, upload images, and interact with others via a seamless, interactive interface across both web and mobile platforms.
Dating Application with .NET Core and Angular
In this project, I built a dating application using ASP.NET Core for the backend and Angular for the frontend, creating a full-stack solution that enables users to interact and connect in real-time. The app offers various essential features for a dating platform, such as user authentication, profile management, private messaging, and real-time notifications.
RDS (Design system): NPM Package for Vue Projects
Consistency and standards are important for building a unified design language and help the user know what to expect from our product and how to use it. However, this does not mean sacrificing the user experience. In this sense, the context and needs of our users are priorities when developing our solutions.
Courses
“Learning never exhausts the mind.” — Leonardo da Vinci
System Design Fundamentals
Master System Design concepts from basics to advanced.
Low-Level Design Interviews
Welcome to the Low-Level Design course. This course helps you build strong, interview-ready designs with clear class responsibilities and clean code practices.
DSA Roadmap - Algomaster
Master Data Structures and Algorithms with a comprehensive roadmap spanning from basics to Dynamic Programming, Graphs, Trees, and Advanced Topics.
Master Behavioral Interviews
Master Behavioral Interviews is a practical guide to help you confidently answer behavioral interview questions using structured techniques like the STAR method, real-world examples, and proven strategies to showcase your skills, experiences, and problem-solving abilities to employers.
Recent Article's
“You might not think that programmers are artists, but programming is an extremely creative profession. It’s logic-based creativity.” — Alex Litcher
Curated Engineering Blogs from Top Tech Companies
A curated collection of 300+ engineering blog articles from top tech companies. Learn how the best engineering teams solve real-world problems at scale.
List of Engineering Articles
A curated collection of 300+ engineering blog articles from top tech companies. Learn how the best engineering teams solve real-world problems at scale.
Clean Code Tips I Learned from Senior Engineers
Being good at coding and writing good code are two different skills. I learned it the hard way after one of my pull requests at Amazon received 30+ comments.
5 Books Every Software Engineer Should Read (at least once)
During my Software Engineering career, I have come across and read many coding and software engineering books, but there are a few that I keep coming back to and try to re-read them every year.
Awards & Certificates
7 recognitions across 3 companies — from enterprise clients, peers, and leadership. Each one a milestone in the journey.
Feb 2023 – Feb 2025
Master of Science — Computer & Software Engineering
Scaler School of Technology
Completed an intensive 2-year MS program in Computer & Software Engineering at Scaler simultaneously with a full-time Senior SE role at Morningstar. Covered System Design (HLD/LLD), Distributed Systems, Advanced DSA, Cloud Computing & DevOps, and Databases. Applied every learning directly to real-world product challenges. Turned knowledge into publicly accessible content through a free System Design platform and an AI-powered interview prep platform.
Jan 2025
SPOT Award — ZEMA Branding Migration
ZEMA Global / EPAM India / Morningstar
Received a rare tri-company recognition for independently building a comprehensive Vue.js component library from scratch. This library powered the complete brand migration of all client-facing applications from Morningstar to ZEMA branding, delivered with zero design regression and on schedule.
Jan 2025
Above & Beyond Award — Workflow Monitoring
ZEMA Global / EPAM India / Morningstar
Recognized for spearheading the development of the "Workflow Monitoring" feature. This powerful client-facing tool enabled real-time workflow management, data flow visualization, and issue tracing, significantly enhancing system transparency for enterprise clients.
Feb 2024
SPOT Award — Incident Tracker Initiative
Morningstar
Independently built an Incident Tracker integrated with VictorOps that transformed the on-call process for CRM and helpdesk teams. The tool enabled real-time detection and response to production issues, drastically reducing client wait times. Awarded the SPOT Award for proactive problem-solving beyond the scope of the core role.
Oct 2020
Rockstar Rookie Award
BTS
Awarded the Rockstar Rookie Award for outstanding contribution during the Microsoft project — specifically for developing the Angular simulation solution covering 9 verticals and multiple training levels, and successfully integrating it with the Momenta platform. Recognized as the standout newcomer of the year by both peers and leadership.
Oct 2020
Team Impact Award
BTS
Received the Team Impact Award alongside the Rockstar Rookie Award for measurable impact on the Microsoft project team. Recognized for consistently raising the delivery bar, demonstrating architectural thinking, and contributing to a collaborative, high-performance team environment.
2019 – 2021
Multiple Client Appreciation Letters
BTS — CISCO, KPMG & Microsoft
Received multiple formal client appreciation letters throughout the tenure at BTS — from enterprise clients including CISCO, KPMG, and Microsoft. Recognised for delivering high-quality custom Angular components, on-time delivery, and exceptional responsiveness to client needs during the Microsoft simulation project and beyond.
Feb 2019 – Aug 2019
PG Diploma in Advanced Computing (PG-DAC)
CDAC Mumbai
Completed the intensive 6-month PG-DAC program — the pivotal career leap from electronics engineering into software. Mastered Java/J2EE, Spring Boot, Angular, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS, MySQL, Oracle, .NET, and Data Structures. Graduated with Grade A+ and secured campus placement at BTS as Trainee Software Engineer. CDAC transformed both the career and the approach to learning.