He Cracked Microsoft at 19! Youngest Software Engineer and Google Developer Expert | imdigitalashish

Summary

This interview follows Ashish Kumar Verma’s journey from learning to code as a school student to working at Microsoft. The host introduces him as a Microsoft software engineer who joined at 19 and a Google Developer Expert (GDE). Ashish says he earned the GDE recognition at 18. He also describes meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi three times, including appearing on a student-focused panel.

Technology and Career Highlights

• Early programming and freelance work: Ashish says he began coding to make games and other projects. He learned technologies including Python, Django, and Flask, and later worked with WordPress, PHP, and Laravel. His first freelance project came through a YouTube tutorial he made about a Telegram bot.
• Early professional experience: Before Microsoft, he describes internships and jobs involving frontend development, full-stack work, infrastructure, and AI engineering. He says he applied to Microsoft through the regular hiring process, which included online assessment, system design, data structures and algorithms (DSA), and HR rounds.
• Startup and AI work: He founded Navya AI, which he says was acquired in 2023. He presents the venture as an early step in his work with AI products.
• Security experience: Ashish recounts identifying weaknesses in exam-related computer systems. He says he did not use them to change anyone’s results; instead, he documented the issues and posted about them publicly, after which TCS contacted him. The interview presents this as a lesson in understanding systems and handling vulnerabilities responsibly, though it does not provide a formal security guide.
• Using AI well: Discussing a viral video of himself coding and researching without relying on AI, Ashish argues that solving problems yourself builds understanding and helps you ask better questions. He describes AI as a “compressed engine,” not a substitute for thinking or a coworker that should do all the reasoning.
• Learning through people and projects: He credits online developer communities, mentors, and asking questions with exposing him to tools and perspectives he would not have discovered alone. He recommends building meaningful projects and sharing genuine work rather than posting solely for attention.

Advice and Practical Guidance

Ashish recommends prioritizing tasks instead of multitasking, understanding your own energy and schedule, and keeping academics or another viable fallback in place while pursuing ambitious goals. He cautions students against treating his decision to leave IIT as a general blueprint: he says he made that choice only after gaining substantial work experience and receiving a Microsoft offer.

He also encourages students and parents to discuss career choices, and advises people to stay focused, avoid unnecessary complexity, and not take setbacks too seriously.

Reviews and Tutorials

No product reviews or step-by-step technical tutorials are presented. The discussion focuses on career advice and reflections on programming, AI, and security.

Main Speakers

• Kartik Agarwal: Host
• Ashish Kumar Verma: Guest