The website of Shalabh Aggarwal
Artificial Intelligence
June 16, 2025 / June 17, 2025 by Shalabh | Leave a Comment
In the past few months, I’ve been spending a lot of time exploring the practical side of AI, building agents, playing with prompt engineering, and integrating LLMs into real-world systems. One of the recurring thoughts I had during this journey was:“There’s so much AI-generated content out there… but can we reliably spot it?” This curiosity […]
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Engineering
April 29, 2025 / June 17, 2025 by Shalabh | Leave a Comment
In software development, the age-old debate between building in-house versus buying from a vendor often surfaces. I have frequently found myself leaning towards the in-house development approach, unapologetically so. Throughout my career, I have consistently advocated for building custom solutions over off-the-shelf products on numerous occasions. However, the rationale runs deeper than mere preference. I […]
Engineering Leadership Series
April 25, 2025 / June 17, 2025 by Shalabh | Leave a Comment
To get more context, read the parent article. For engineering teams in growth-stage startups, striking the right balance between developing products quickly and ensuring they are of high quality can be complex. This balance is crucial as it influences the startup’s ability to meet market demands promptly while maintaining a reputation for quality. Understanding the […]
To get more context, read the parent article. In growth-stage startups, where projects move fast and the pressure is always on, it’s common to feel like replacing team members who aren’t performing well might be the quickest fix. This temptation often arises because: However, helping existing team members improve can be more beneficial than finding […]
To get more context, read the parent article. Promoting a sense of ownership and accountability within an engineering team is crucial, especially in a growth-stage startup where team roles and responsibilities are continuously evolving. Often, leaders such as tech leads or engineering managers may be stepping into leadership roles for the first time, without prior […]
To get more context, read the parent article. In a growth-stage startup, it’s crucial to develop processes that align well with your engineering team’s dynamics, especially because resources are lean and there’s constant pressure to move quickly. Adjusting and fine-tuning your team’s approach to projects can significantly enhance their productivity and satisfaction. Understanding Different Approaches […]
April 17, 2025 / June 17, 2025 by Shalabh | Leave a Comment
To get more context, read the parent article. Building a strong team starts with recognizing the unique talents and abilities each engineer brings to the table. This is especially crucial for growth-stage startups where every team member’s contribution can have a significant impact on the project’s success. Understanding Different Talents and Abilities Every engineer has […]
In this article, I am writing about a topic which is very close to my heart and I have been implementing the same (at least trying to) in all the teams that I have built and scaled over many years in my career. Today the ability to quickly adapt and excel is crucial for any […]
December 17, 2024 / June 17, 2025 by Shalabh | Leave a Comment
There are multiple definitions of a “10x Engineer” and people have different interpretations of the same. Based on these interpretations and understanding, some feel having a 10x engineer in the team is a blessing while others might consider them a nuisance. My definition of a 10x engineer is rather simple.For me, these are just really […]
Recently, I had a very interesting conversation with the founder of a rapidly scaling growth phase startup. I was amazed to hear from him that “While building the product with exceptional speed over last couple of years, the culture was lost somewhere. The engineers are delivering work but now things are not as interesting at […]
