Manager / Wealth Services

You can now upload your own Display Picture on Grapevine 👤

Excited cuz this feature is finally here. I cannot wait to see how folks choose to represent themselves through pictures. Directions: Update your app to latest version. Go to your profile from the top left. Then edit profile. Upload DP Feel free to have fun/ get creative. I'm hopeful this will make people more distinct and stand out (as we all do, in real life). Do note: any trolling/abuse via DPs will result in moderation which no body likes. Have fun folks :)

Laid off today_

I received a call today asking me to resign after being on the bench for 80 days. It felt like there was no faith in me; they wanted me to share my screen and do it immediately. There was a distinct lack of empathy; they didn’t want to hear anything from me, just demanded my resignation. This experience has made me realize how challenging it can be to work in IT. I used to think I was quite skilled (please don’t misunderstand me, I wasn’t from IIT or in FAANG, but I felt a sense of satisfaction), and I knew more than my peers when I guided them. Today, I felt as if those pixels were mocking me; they have replaced me. People are constantly sharing advice—build your product, join a FAANG, or pursue a government job. I’ve reached a point of mental exhaustion where finding motivation to do anything feels incredibly difficult. Everything sounds exciting, but the reality is that nothing in today’s world seems to cater to those who are mediocre. Yet, mediocrity is not something I can control, at least not after a certain point. Every interviewer expects me to behave like a language model, asking, “Do you know frontend, backend? DevOps? ETL? Kafka?” I find myself puzzled by life. I have been on medication for about three years now, all due to this job—I compromised my sleep and developed hypertension at 22, which my dad doesn’t even have at 60+. Can mediocrity be cured? So far, it seems it cannot. I won’t boast, but I’ve tried everything possible to excel—from those Google/Amazon overachiever DSA sheets to Claude code. However, there seems to be a threshold for the human brain. At some point, I realize that those who claim to be achievers by following certain sheets or tutorials are often just sharing rote knowledge. I have never been able to develop a skill where I’m programming and suddenly think, “Wait, I can use a dynamic programming approach here.” I understand that some may not agree with this perspective, but I’m not targeting anyone. Even if it’s rote, I haven’t been able to do it, so I don’t feel I have the right to criticize. But back to the question: what should someone like me, who feels sandwiched in society between the rich and poor, overachievers and underachievers, successful and unsuccessful, do? I genuinely need some advice.

The 2 types of Data Science/Machine Learning guys you see at work...

In the world of machine learning, there are two distinct mindsets: classical statistical learning and modern neural networks. I’ve noticed that classical approaches feel like solving a complex puzzle—tuning loss functions, adjusting kernels, and balancing bias and variance. It's methodical and precise, requiring deep theoretical knowledge to optimize models for generalization. On the other hand, neural networks often take a more brute-force approach. When performance drops, the first instinct is usually to "add more layers." Deep learning’s power lies in its ability to handle massive datasets and solve complex problems, but it often trades interpretability for accuracy. What’s fascinating is how both approaches are converging. Deep learning is borrowing from statistical theory, while neural networks are becoming more explainable. In the end, the choice depends on the problem—whether you're fine-tuning a precise tool or building a powerful, scalable model. Both have their place, and often the best solutions combine the strengths of each.