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Natasha Mittal, a trailblazing technologist, on propelling the industry forward

The rising expert boasts of a journey from the classrooms of the University of Delhi to the boardrooms of DoorDash and Amazon AWS, offering a unique perspective on the future of the software industry.

Photo courtesy Natasha Mittal
Photo courtesy Natasha Mittal

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In the heart of Silicon Valley, amidst the hum of innovation and the buzz of breakthroughs, stands Natasha Mittal. The rising expert boasts of a journey from the classrooms of the University of Delhi to the boardrooms of DoorDash and Amazon AWS, offering a unique perspective on the future of the software industry. As the digital realm evolves, Mittal’s blend of academic rigor and professional prowess provides a roadmap for propelling the industry forward.

Foundations in Academia: The Bedrock of Innovation

“I’ve always believed that a robust academic foundation is the key to true innovation,” Mittal muses. Her journey began at the University of Delhi, where she immersed herself in the intricacies of computer science. Securing the top rank among 21 colleges, this early achievement wasn’t just a personal accolade but a testament to her dedication and prowess. For this outstanding accomplishment, she was awarded a gold medal. This honor further solidified her belief in the power of academia to shape professional trajectories.

Following her success in the Bachelor’s program, Mittal continued to shine during her Master’s at Delhi University. She once again achieved the top rank and received a gold medal for her exceptional academic performance, gaining national media recognition. Her research, particularly into steganalysis, showcased her ability to merge academic theory with practical application. The acceptance of her SDS algorithm by IEEE was a significant recognition in the academic world and an affirmation of academic research’s pivotal role in driving industry advancements.

“After completing my studies at the University of Delhi, I pursued my Master’s at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), specializing in Database and Storage Systems. During this time, I delved deep into database indexing techniques, leading to the conception of the Cooperative Log Structured Merge Trees (CooLSM). This innovative system was designed to address the unique challenges of edge-cloud indexing, bridging the gap between academic research and real-world application. Reflecting on this period, I realized that the theories and principles I’d learned at UCSC, especially through the CooLSM research, could be the catalysts for tangible change in the software industry,” she says.

Bridging the Academic-Professional Divide

As the software industry gears up to hit a monumental $507.2 billion by 2023, Natasha Mittal’s pioneering work at various tech giants stands out.

After her Masters, Mittal took her talents to the startup realm, joining WizeCommerce, a company known for its multiple comparison shopping e-commerce websites. Here, she tackled significant challenges head-on. One of her notable projects involved migrating data from the Cassandra database, known for its high read and update latency, to Aerospike. By designing real-time scrubbers and re-modeling the existing database schema to fit Aerospike’s constraints, she enhanced the website’s response time by a commendable 20%. Furthermore, her role in the Cache services team was transformative. She developed platform-independent microservices, facilitating the transition from the company’s legacy backend, which relied on data centers, to AWS. This strategic move slashed the company’s operating costs by over half, showcasing her ability to merge technical prowess with business acumen.

Her journey then led her to Amazon AWS, where she was instrumental in the Generic Pollers team. Crafting a unique platform, she bridged customers’ streaming clusters, like Kafka and RabbitMQ, with AWS Lambda. Apart from retrieving messages from customers’ streaming clusters, this platform also showcased its adaptability by adjusting resources based on real-time customer traffic. Mittal’s introduction of a heartbeat service and the subsequent creation of an auto-scaling algorithm for Kafka consumers simplified processes for heavyweight clients like McDonald’s and OkCupid.

At DoorDash, her transformative role continued. “Software transcends mere algorithms. It’s a conduit to elevate human experiences and to anticipate and mold market trajectories,” Mittal articulates. Spearheading the Search Experience at DoorDash New Verticals, she championed the design and implementation of core search features. Her initiatives, from search filters to autocomplete and synonym support, enhanced user experience and significantly boosted the company’s GMV. Her vision to create an end-to-end infrastructure for data ingestion and search on the DoorDash app and her leadership in search relevance metrics underscores the harmony of user insights and technical expertise in crafting industry-defining innovations.

Charting the Path Ahead: Merging Theory with Practice

As the world navigates the complexities of 2023, Mittal envisions a future where academic principles seamlessly meld with cutting-edge innovation. “The next wave of software breakthroughs will be birthed from the harmony of scholarly research and on-ground practicality,” she predicts.

Her belief is rooted in her journey. From her academic endeavors, like the CooLSM research paper that addressed key challenges in edge-cloud computing, to her professional achievements at giants like Amazon and DoorDash, Mittal has consistently demonstrated the power of merging theory with practice.

In her words, “Every challenge in the software realm is an opportunity to delve into academic research, extract insights, and craft solutions that resonate with users and address real-world needs.” This philosophy doesn’t just highlight her approach but also offers a roadmap for budding technologists.

Natasha Mittal’s journey is a worldly tale of the transformative power of academic rigor and industry expertise. As the software industry stands on the cusp of unprecedented growth and evolution, visionaries like Mittal light the way, ensuring that the industry’s future is bright and deeply rooted in scholarship and innovation.

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Written By

Jon Stojan is a professional writer based in Wisconsin. He guides editorial teams consisting of writers across the US to help them become more skilled and diverse writers. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and children.

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