Applications today have given us luxury of time and convenience at our fingertips. Seemingly simple at first, but a lot of work goes into making these applications work to our advantage. Pratibha Sharma, a young software engineer has helped define product efficiency and seamless user experience for brands like Lyft, Airbnb, Amazon, and others.
Graduating from Haldia Institute of Technology in India, gave her a solid foundation in software development. Over the years, she honed her technical skills, mastering various programming languages, software development methodologies, and cutting-edge technologies. Her ability to architect and develop robust, scalable software solutions quickly set her apart as a leader in the field. The qualities that set her apart are the same that landed her a contract with Amazon, as their Software Developer Manager. It is under her guidance, between 2020-2022 that Amazon developed a customer service chatbot in an effort to save time and reduce costs for the company, as well as provide a more efficient customer service experience for the client. The chatbot- Amazon’s Messaging Assistant was launched across several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. The chatbot quickly acquired over 2 million weekly inquiries.
As her expertise grew, so did her responsibilities. Pratibha transitioned into management roles, where she successfully led cross-functional teams of 15 people, managed complex projects, and consistently delivered high-quality results. Her leadership style is characterized by a deep understanding of the technical challenges her teams face, coupled with a strategic vision that aligns engineering efforts with broader business goals. After Amazon, Pratibha continued gaining expertise and became an Engineer Manager for Lyft, where she led a team of over twenty people. With Pratibha’s previous experience, the team at Lyft designed and implemented a user experience product that helped clients and drivers resolve any problems within the application, saving time, and in turn boosting Lyft’s application rating across Apple and Google Play stores.
In her role as an engineering manager, Pratibha has demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities. She has overseen the development of numerous software products, from initial concept to deployment, ensuring that they meet the highest standards of performance, security, and user experience. Her management approach emphasizes collaboration, continuous learning, and fostering a culture of innovation. One of Pratibha’s key strengths is her ability to mentor and develop talent within her teams. She is passionate about empowering her colleagues to reach their full potential, and many of her mentees have gone on to assume leadership positions themselves. Her commitment to building strong, cohesive teams has resulted in a track record of successful product launches and satisfied stakeholders.
Today, Pratibha is proud to say that she landed a role as Airbnb’s Software Engineering Manager. At Airbnb she now leads the Trust platform team. The trust platform is an essential part of a platform such as Airbnb, as it helps detect fraud early on, provides risk evaluation, and most importantly the software is able to launch a proactive defense system for any scam or fraud occurrence. This is a big achievement, as the development of a product like this takes careful calculation accuracy and scalability.
Beyond her professional achievements, Pratibha is an active contributor to the broader tech community. She has participated in industry conferences, such as the Grace Hopper Conference in September 2019, where she was able to share her insights on engineering management, software development best practices, and emerging technologies, such as chat bots. Her thought leadership in the field has earned her recognition as a respected voice in the industry. As a young, female engineer, she is also dedicated to giving back to the community by volunteering her time and expertise to mentor aspiring engineers, particularly women in tech. She is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the technology sector, and her efforts have inspired many young professionals to pursue careers in engineering. Pratibha’s journey is far from over, and her potential to make a significant impact on the global stage is immense. As she gains experience and expertise in her career, Pratibha Sharma stands ready to contribute her talents to the international tech community, bringing with her a decade of experience, a passion for innovation, and a commitment to excellence.
-Elena Prohorovskaya.
