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Yash Kandalam

Backend systems with a point of view.

// Approach

A clean portfolio shell was never the end goal.

I am most at home in the parts of software that feel a little messy at first: distributed systems, state that wants to drift, and product bets that only become real once they meet production constraints. I like systems with strong defaults, interfaces that explain themselves, and writing that leaves a clear trail of judgment behind the code.

Biases

  • Strong architecture before ornamental complexity.
  • Public notes over private lore.
  • Shipping with restraint instead of adding noise.

Why this site exists

A place where backend work, AI experiments, and in-progress craft can sit next to each other without pretending they are finished.

// Featured

Projects

What belongs here

The project layer is meant to stay honest about what is shipped, what is still forming, and what deserves a deeper build journal before it gets a glossy label.

// Signals

The craft that keeps moving

Why keep this visible

The best signal on a personal site is not only what shipped. It is also what keeps compounding outside the formal bullet points.

Craft

Guitar

unlock-list
  • ✓ Open chords
  • ✓ Barre chords
  • · Fingerstyle

Pieces and techniques unlocked so far.

Engineering

AI experiments

progress-bar
6/10 60%

Applied LLM tooling, eval harnesses, and agent workflows.

Engineering

Backend systems

level
Lv 14 / 20

Distributed services, storage engines, and service reliability.

Languages

Spanish

rank
B1 rank

Conversational daily practice.

Movement

Snowboarding

streak
3 streak

Seasons on snow.

// Recent

Writing

Writing stance

I want the writing here to be clear enough for recruiters to skim and dense enough for engineers to trust.

// Contact

Open channel

Let's build something sharp and honest.

Recruiting, collaboration, or just a good engineering conversation. The site is meant to be a starting point, not the whole story.