The most interesting paths are rarely straight lines. Embrace the curves. Expand your network and grow together!
Architecting Connections: From Student Volunteer to Google TPM
If you had told me a decade ago, while I was an engineering student at MKSSS’s Cummins College of Engineering for Women in Pune, that I would one day be leading complex engineering programs at Google, I might have smiled and then quietly returned to my code. Back then, I was a self-described introvert, navigating a world where I had no clue what the industry looked like or what an average student could achieve. That curiosity—wanting to know what students like me were searching for—opened doors to the world of communities. What started as a small spark eventually grew into a career-defining fire.
My journey towards Google TPM wasn’t the traditional “LeetCode-to-SDE” sprint. Between 2013 and 2017, my time at Cummins was defined by a realization: I didn’t just want to build apps; I wanted to build the ecosystems where those apps could thrive.
Finding My Voice: The First Spark
I began as a student volunteer for technical communities. It was a choice that forced me out of my shell, transforming me from a scared student into someone who practiced “program management” before I even had the title. I spent my time handling logistics, managing speakers, and curating technical content for Women Techmakers (WTM) and Google Developer Groups (GDG) in Pune.
In 2015, this commitment led to a grant from the Python Software Foundation to attend PyCon Korea. It was my first taste of the global tech stage, proving that a student from Pune could contribute to a worldwide conversation.
The “Hustle”: Embracing the Startup DNA
After graduating in 2017, I wasn’t sure if I could thrive in a standard desk job, so I chose the “jungle gym” over the linear ladder. I jumped into the high-pressure world of startups to understand the “business” of code.
- Product Leadership: As a Product Lead at companies like JI Technovation, I exposed myself to every stage of the product life cycle. I learned to code and test for production-level applications, discovered the critical role of design in a product’s success, and experimented with marketing strategies to scale products to market.
- A Vocal Advocate: It was during this phase that I became a vocal advocate for Flutter. Recognizing its potential to reshape cross-platform development gave me the confidence to voice my opinions in public forums and actually be heard by the founders of Flutter.
- Entrepreneurship: I founded Hackedemist, an education-focused startup, where I served as CEO. Wearing every hat—from marketing to product—taught me the grit required to build something from zero. This phase offered me a world of exploration that a stable desk job might never have provided.
The Google Era: Impact at Scale
I started contributing to Google in 2019 and it was the natural evolution of my community work. My first five years were spent in Developer Relations (DevRel), starting as a Project Coordinator for the Explore ML Program and moving to Community Manager for Google Developer Groups, Flutter Communities, and Google Developer Students Clubs in India.
- Scaling Human Impact: I managed GDG and WTM programs across India, eventually leading initiatives like DevFest India and Cloud Community Days India, which reached over lakhs of developers. I explored what developers want, how to engage with thousands of developers online at the same time and most importantly gather them all together to listen to Google’s latest developer technologies!
- The AI Transition: As the industry shifted toward Generative AI, I focused on enabling developers through Gen AI Study Jams. These programs touched millions of students across the country, educating them on the frontier of Gen AI.
Collaborating with millions of developers over the years helped me understand the mindset of developers and the skillset of getting things done, without being authoritarian!
The Pivot: Engineering Execution
In early 2024, after a decade immersed in community building, I made my most significant strategic move: transitioning to Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Google.
This shift moved me from advocating for technology to managing the delivery of it. To prepare for this leap into high-level technical leadership, I pursued an Executive MBA from IIM Raipur (2022–2024) while working full-time. It was a deliberate effort to layer formal business strategy over my engineering and community foundations.
Today, as a TPM, I leverage my technical background and decade of people-first experience to drive complex programs for Google’s Search. From managing SearchNext-QRS reliability to spearheading SonicLeap Friction Busters, I bridge the gap between human needs and technical execution.
Looking Ahead: A Message for 2026
My path from Pune to Google proves that the most powerful tool in tech isn’t just an algorithm—it’s the ability to translate technical potential into community impact.
To every aspiring developer reading this in 2026: Don’t just master the code; master the community.
The most interesting paths are rarely straight lines. Embrace the curves. Expand your network and grow together!
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Nikita Gandhi is a Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Google, where she leads complex engineering initiatives for Google Search. With a career spanning over a decade, she specializes in infrastructure reliability and technical program governance.
Prior to her current role, Nikita spent five years in Developer Relations (DevRel) at Google, managing massive developer ecosystems and leading high-impact programs like DevFest India and Gen AI Study Jams. Her professional roots are in the startup world, where she served as the CEO of Hackedemist and a Product Lead at JI Technovation, becoming an early and vocal expert for Flutter.
Nikita holds a B.E. in Information Technology from Cummins College of Engineering for Women and an Executive MBA from IIM Raipur. She is a passionate advocate for community-led growth and bridging the gap between human needs and technical execution.
