An Indian techie who worked for four years as a full-time software engineer after completing his undergraduate degree has moved on from the field to try something new. In an interview, 28-year-old Phani Sai Ram Munipalli shared that he worked for companies like IBM in Bengaluru and Walmart Global Tech in Chennai before leaving software engineering and taking up AI product management as his new career path.
“In July 2022, I left software engineering and chose to shift my career path to compete for an AI/tech product management role at Walmart in the US, even though I had little experience in that field,” Munipalli told Business Insider.
Why did he decide to shit?
The techie explained that he didn’t make the shift to make more money. His move was motivated by his belief that AI is a technology that can change lives.
“Right as ChatGPT was introduced to the world, I knew a massive shift was coming, and my technical background was my unique entry point into the AI talent wars,” he said.
How did he make the shift?
According to his LinkedIn profile, Munipalli completed his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. He then worked as an intern before joining IBM Bengaluru in 2018, where he worked for the next two years. He then joined Walmart Global Tech as a software engineer, where he worked until 2022.
After that, he completed a master’s program in computer software engineering at San Jose State University in August 2022. Soon after, he joined the university as a part-time AI research assistant. His next two employments were internships, and finally, in 2024, he joined Walmart in California, where he is still working.
The techie told the outlet about his shift to AI, “I love coding and still do it for my side projects, but I wanted to go beyond just writing code. I wanted to understand what products can be built leveraging AI, who the users are, and how it’s helping them,” adding, “This recognition led to a self-assessment and a personal road map to create my own AI-centric playbook around three core strategies.”
He continued that his strategies included “rewiring” his brain for AI product thinking, “ditching popular frameworks in interviews,” and “building a platform to give first and network second.”