Danish Ali Furniturewala

Senior Module Lead

Something About Me

I'm a seasoned software engineer with 7 years of experience in crafting scalable, high-performance systems. While I thrive in backend development, I also love owning systems from end-to-end—designing robust APIs, building microservices architectures, developing responsive UIs, and ensuring every part of the system works seamlessly together. My passion lies in solving complex technical challenges and delivering innovative solutions. I'm committed to continuous learning, staying updated with industry trends, and mentoring junior engineers. Currently, I'm focused on mastering Go and cloud-native architectures to build impactful systems. Beyond coding, I enjoy staying active, reading manga, or enjoying the latest anime and movies with friends (often accompanied by good food and some friendly banter).

Technical Skills

Go
Python
PHP
JavaScript
TypeScript
Java
Node.js
Express
Laravel
Angular
MySQL
PostgreSQL
SQL Server
MongoDB
Redis
AWS
Docker
ArgoCD
Nomad
Jenkins
Kafka
RabbitMQ
Elasticsearch
Grafana

My Journey So Far

Sept 2024 - Present

Senior Module Lead

Media.net - Programmatic Advertising

Currently developing an intelligent recommender system using Gemini, ChatGPT, and Ollama models to enhance user targeting. The system combines insights from LLMs with in-house data and machine learning algorithms to provide data-driven recommendations aimed at improving ad targeting and thereby overall campaign performance.
Developed a microservice to implement role-based access control for all public customer interfaces, optimised response times to sub 50ms latencies, to allow for rapid UI rendering. Incorporated automated unit and integration tests to validate functionality and ensure system reliability.

Go
Python
MySQL
Redis
Docker
Nomad

Jan 2024 - Aug 2024

Senior Module Lead

Media.net - Domain Monetisation

Reengineered a legacy ACME SSL certificate generation process focusing on consistency and reliability. Achieved a high throughput of 10,000 certificates per minute on a single instance. Integrated structured logging and alerting with Grafana to ensure comprehensive audit trails for every request. Automated deployment using Docker and implemented unit and integration tests to ensure continuous delivery and code quality.
Developed the backend for an in-house monitoring and alerting system to send notifications for metric drops across various dimensions and aggregates. Ensured reliable and timely delivery by implementing fan-out messaging and retry mechanisms, with configurable alert channels including email, SMS, and more.
Mentored and onboarded a junior developer, providing guidance, feedback, and a personalized development plan to foster growth and skill development.

Go
Node.js
Express
TypeScript
MySQL
Redis
RabbitMQ
Grafana
Docker
ArgoCD

Jan 2022 - Aug 2023

Module Lead

Media.net - Domain Monetisation

Developed a comprehensive campaign management system to optimize the entire campaign lifecycle. By integrating with third-party providers and implementing advanced features like real-time analytics and rapid kill switches, empowered business teams to maximize campaign performance and drive a significant 30-40% monthly revenue increase.
Designed and implemented an auction process and reporting tools based on a microservices architecture, utilizing the GoDaddy Auctions API. Optimized work efficiency and boosted revenue by 30% through streamlined processes and data-driven insights.
Mentored and onboarded 3 junior engineers, investing in their professional growth through personalized guidance and hands-on training. Significantly enhanced their engineering skills and practices, empowering them to become valuable contributors to the team.

Node.js
Express
PHP
JavaScript
RabbitMQ
MySQL
Redis
Docker

Jan 2021 - Dec 2021

Senior Web Application Developer

Media.net - Domain Monetisation

Developed REST APIs to facilitate A/B testing of advertisements across parked domains. By enabling the analysis of key metrics, these APIs empowered data-driven decision-making and improved the overall effectiveness of ad campaigns.
Took a step back from being the sole person on team handling SSO and SAML integration by developing a comprehensive guide, meticulously documented each step for PHP and Node.js applications. By sharing this knowledge, I empowered multiple teams to independently implement these integrations, reducing reliance on specialized expertise and accelerating the adoption of secure authentication practices.

PHP
Node.js
REST APIs
JavaScript
SQL Server
SAML
SSO
Docker

Jul 2019 - Dec 2020

Web Application Developer 2

Media.net - Domain Monetisation

Designed and built an autonomous statistics audit system using PHP, Laravel, SQL Server, and Redis to aggregate domain parking performance and other reporting data from over 50 sources. The system dynamically handles data downloads as well as retries based on configurable parameters like date, delay, account, and aggregation, enabling customers to access audited data within 4 hours of its release by the provider.
Accelerated developer onboarding by championing the adoption of Docker and crafting a comprehensive quickstart guide. Reduced setup time and boosted development efficiency, enabling engineers to focus on delivering high-quality code.
Steered code quality initiatives by taking ownership of code reviews. Provided insightful feedback, identifying and addressing potential issues, and significantly reducing bug occurrences.
Mentored and onboarded a junior engineer, fostering their growth through personalized guidance and hands-on training. Cultivated a strong foundation in engineering best practices, empowering them to become a valuable team member.

PHP
Laravel
REST APIs
Redis
Grafana
SQL Server
Docker

Jul 2018 - Jun 2019

Web Application Developer

Media.net - Domain Monetisation

Developed a robust notification system capable of delivering targeted messages to over 10 million users. Implemented advanced scheduling and targeting capabilities to optimize campaign delivery and maximize impact. Streamlined the process of sending bulk notifications, ensuring timely and reliable delivery to a large user base.
Collaborated with designers and business teams to create a user-friendly interface that allows for easy management and launch of campaigns and notifications.

PHP
Laravel
REST APIs
Kafka
Redis
MySQL
Angular

Jul 2017 - Jun 2018

Associate Web Developer

Media.net - Domain Monetisation

Leveraged Python and difflib to streamline the migration of a legacy system to GitLab. Generated comprehensive reports highlighting differences between SVN, Staging, and Production versions to facilitate smooth conflict resolution. Collaborated with cross-functional teams and business stakeholders to identify and deprecate outdated features. Automated the deployment of the unified system using Jenkins, ensuring efficient and reliable delivery.

Python
PHP
JavaScript
SVN
GitLab
Jenkins

Jun 2016 - Jul 2016

Intern - Backend Engineer

GoHero.ai

Developed engaging chatbots for Facebook Messenger utilizing APIs from Zomato and Skyscanner to enhance user experience. By incorporating natural language flows and interactive features, these chatbots achieved a 15% increase in user engagement.
Prototyped chatbots using Microsoft's Bot Framework to explore different chatbot platforms. A/B testing and reporting provided valuable insights that informed stakeholder decisions regarding platform migration feasibility.

Node.js
Node-RED
MongoDB
Microsoft Bot Framework
Microsoft LUIS
API.ai
AWS
Facebook Messenger

Dec 2015 - Jan 2016

Intern - Full Stack Engineer

RetailLending.com

Developed and integrated backend modules for careers, FAQs, and testimonials within a content management system. Built RESTful APIs to power a responsive management UI.
Brought wireframes to reality by implementing the Careers and FAQs pages for the company website.

PHP
MongoDB
JavaScript
jQuery
CSS

Publications

Dec 2015 - Jan 2016

Intelligent Travel Bot using Wide and Deep Learning

International Journal of Computer Sciences and Engineering

Designed and implemented a travel bot that leverages user interaction data and deep learning to provide tailored recommendations for hotels and destinations.
This project was undertaken as a final year project, leveraging the experience and connections gained during my internship at GoHero.ai.

Node-RED
Python
Scrapy
TensorFlow
AWS
MongoDB
Facebook Messenger
API.ai

Personal Projects

Aug 2024 - Ongoing

Torrenty

Developing a lightweight BitTorrent client with support for single, multi-file, and magnet link downloads.
Tackled challenges like ensuring efficient peer-to-peer data exchange and managing metadata parsing for magnet links.

Go
BitTorrent Specifications

Jun 2023 - Nov 2023

Chirp

Developed a mini Twitter clone as a reference project for new hires, showcasing an ideal solution for junior developers post-training.
Built a SPA with a RESTful API, enabling seamless interactions and secure authentication.
Implemented key features like timeline, retweets, replies, comments, user profiles, follow/unfollowm suggested follows, and media support.

Node.js
Express
MySQL
Prisma
Angular
Docker

Oct 2022 - Feb 2023

Cards Against Humanity

Built a real-time implementation of the Cards Against Humanity game.
Overcame challenges such as synchronizing real-time gameplay across clients, implementing protected lobbies, and managing game state for multiple players.
Features include customizable gameplay and support for multiple card packs.