In 1997, the chess match between Deep Blue and Gary Kasparov captured the attention of a young Nitish Gaddam. The match demonstrated the remarkable abilities of strong AI systems and ignited Gaddam's imagination. When computers and smartphones became more commonly owned and accessible to him, he would spend hours trying to understand how they worked, examining the softwares and models that run on them, and testing their capabilities.
In 2008, Nitish remembers going to his grandparents’ village in India. There, he saw the once-small, isolated village buzzing with connection that was fueled by technology. People began to use technology to learn new skills, communicate with one another, and even do business; technological advancements were completely transforming this familiar village into a new, lively place. Nitish understood the power of technology at a young age, and from then on, he was determined to use that power to make the world a better place.
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While working toward his bachelor’s degree in computer science at Osmania University in India, Nitish was introduced to programming. He picked up programming languages like Python and JavaScript and almost immediately realized the disruptive influence that the budding internet will have on local businesses. He started a web development startup called Ad-Infinitum to assist business owners in Hyderabad, India adapt to the changes. It was a transitional time in the business world; consumers were demanding a more digital presence. That’s where Nitish came in.
He knew how to build websites and applications, create new software platforms, and led a wave of digital transformation within small businesses. During his experiences in understanding various businesses, he came to recognize the significance of technology, digitalization, and convenience within the industry. After guiding other businesses for a while, he eventually felt the urge to embark on his own entrepreneurial journey, leading him to create Speezo.
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Speezo was a hyperlocal, on-demand grocery delivery service that connected customers with shoppers who picked the produce and delivered them to the customers homes. Today, we’re all familiar with this type of service, but in 2014, Nitish and his co-founder were traversing uncharted territory. Within just two years, Speezo racked up 20,000 orders and had partnerships with some of the largest brands in India such as BigBazaar, Hypercity, Technovision, and Ratnadeep Grocery. It was accepted into India’s largest startup incubator, T-Hub, and Nitish successfully raised seed capital during the experience.
Comfortable with web technology and its applications, Nitish went to Boston University to pursue a master’s degree in computer science, driven by his desire to gain mastery in machine learning. From there, his career launched him into some of the most prominent tech-forward organizations in America. During his time at eBay, Nitish expertly managed large, intricate data sets, building automations, and conducting experiments to test product effectiveness and forecast demand. With time, the technology he worked with became more advanced, and today, he works with artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to develop algorithms, build smart applications, and revolutionize customer experiences.
Nitish has conducted over 50 A/B tests during his Paypal tenure sampling millions of users to test product features and their impact on user behavior. As you might imagine, these types of tests result in massive data sets that need to be analyzed and understood, but armed with the right tools and capabilities, Nitish turned the outcome of these experiments into data-proven insights that Paypal relied on to update existing product features and launch new ones.
Though his current resume and work at Stitch Fix paints a picture of impressive technical skills such as the mastery of multiple programming languages, cloud databases, utilizing complex artificial intelligence toolkits and data reporting tools like Tableau, Nitish’s personal story showcases something so much more meaningful. He is successfully living his dreams of using technology to make the world a better place; and is excited to contribute so much more to the world of technology. Whether it’s helping a small business navigate changing demands, incorporating artificial intelligence applications to make the lives of those around him easier, or leading some of the most influential organizations in the US to success, young Nitish would be proud.
