PRIYANKAR KUMAR
SOFTWARE ENGINEER

About Me

I'm a software engineer with over 4 years of experience, currently exploring the intriguing world of generative AI with the Office AI team at Microsoft. I've been contributing to AI-powered productivity tools, with a primary focus on the M365 Copilot project.

In my journey at Microsoft, I've had a hand in various projects that have made their way into production, won multiple awards for my contributions, filed a few patents, actively participated in the prototyping of new incubations, and seen my contributions showcased at notable conferences such as MS Build and GitHub Universe.

I'm also proud of having initiated the GitHub Copilot Voice research project, known as "Hey GitHub/Hello Cody: A Voice Assistant for VS Code". This was a remarkable part of Microsoft's Global Hackathon. Post-victory, our team collaborated with GitHub Next, enhancing GitHub Copilot with voice interactions and pushing the boundaries of AI-assisted coding. This project also led to patent filings, another exciting accomplishment.

Before my present role, I honed my skills as a full-stack software engineer in Microsoft's C+E group, developing enterprise applications for the sales domain using a wide array of web and data technologies. I had the opportunity to contribute to the ideation and development of multiple products that continue to be a critical part of Microsoft's sales workflows.

While in college, I loved tinkering with Conversational AI and have crafted voice apps (Alexa Skills) both on my own and for clients and startups. Some of these apps have won awards in contests and hackathons hosted by Amazon. Feel free to check out these side projects on my website and view my contributions on GitHub.

Outside my main job, I immerse myself in side projects and dive into hackathons. I've also always had a knack for teaching and sharing knowledge. I've been part of various volunteering initiatives, both within and outside Microsoft, with the aim of spreading the joy of programming.

My tech toolkit includes TypeScript, ReactJS, JavaScript, Next JS, Python, Azure, Open AI APIs, Prompt Engineering and more.

Experience Timeline

SWE-2
Office AI, Office Product Group, Microsoft IDC
Mar 2022 - Current
  • Working on new initiatives in the Productivity Innovations & Incubation team in the Office AI division.
  • Rapid prototyping and new product development with various emerging technologies.
  • Partnering with GitHub Next to take my hackathon innovation Hello Cody to market via the GitHub Copilot Voice project.

TypeScript
NodeJS
ReactJS
Open AI
Foundational Models
Prompt Engineering
Python
VS Code Extensions
Applied Machine Learning
Conversational AI
Voice Applications
Chatbots
SWE-1
Commerce+Ecosystems, Cloud+AI, Microsoft IDC
July 2019 - Current
  • Worked as a full-stack developer with a front-end concentration in the Azure Commerce+Ecosystems group in Azure Cloud+AI.
  • Designed and helped develop some of the most critical tools and apps used by Microsoft sellers everyday.

PySpark
Databricks
React.js
Typescript
SWE (part-time)
VoiceQube
Oct 2018 - June 2019
  • Part-time role where I developed consumer-grade Alexa Skills and Google Assistant actions for clients.
  • Also developed end-to-end solutions for clients around managing app content, integrating Alexa with Raspberry Pi, etc.

Node.js
DynamoDB
AWS Lambda
Summer Intern
Voycefirst
Summer 2018
  • Ideated, developed, and deployed several consumer-facing Amazon Alexa Skills using Node.js, DynamoDB, and AWS Lambda.
  • One of the skills developed, Trivia Nation, won the Skill of the Month award for the best game skill in a monthly contest organized by Amazon at the time.

Node.js
DynamoDB
AWS Lambda
Summer Intern
IIIT Hyderabad
Summer 2017
  • Interned at the Lab for Spatial Informatics where I worked on building a GUI application to convert 2D CAD drawing models into GIS ready data models.

GUI development
CAD
GIS

Education

  • Manipal Institute of Technology, India

    Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Computer Science & Engineering, 2015 - 2019

    Minored in Big Data

  • Georgia Institute of Technology

    Professional Certificate in Human-Computer Interaction, Issued Feb 2022

    HCI Course
    View certificate

Skills


Level of Experience:

High

Mid

Low

TypeScript
JavaScript
React.js
Open AI APIs
Prompt Engineering
GPT-4
GPT-3
Node.js
Next.js
VS Code Extensions Development
Azure
Msft Edge Extensions Development
AWS
Alexa Skills
Python
HTML
CSS
ASP.NET
C#
Google Assistant Actions
C
C++
Java
Bootstrap
React Native
Big Data

Personal Projects Showcase (Select)

Pictioner
Pictioner is an engaging game where users are challenged to guess what GPT sketches on the canvas within three attempts. Success leads to subsequent rounds, whereas a wrong guess results in elimination. Prepare for unending fun! Pictioner was spotlighted on Product Hunt in May 2023.
Hello Cody: A Voice Assistant for VS Code
Emerging as the winner in the developer productivity challenge of Microsoft's internal 'Global Hackathon', this project has evolved to become part of GitHub Copilot X. My contributions included project initiation, proposal to Microsoft and GitHub executives for approval, and cooperation with the GitHub Next team to bring the project to fruition. The project was launched in the GitHub Universe conference and has also resulted in multiple patent filings.
Wordle Helper
A handy Edge Extension designed to accompany Wordle. Input the letters you already know and use the provided suggestions to brainstorm on the possible word of the day.
Course: Alexa 101, Designing Voice Apps for Alexa
A comprehensive, interactive course on how to create voice apps for Alexa, featuring practical examples and hands-on projects. Developed in collaboration with Educative.
Sensor Streamer
An Android app enabling users to stream phone sensor data, images, and audio in real-time to a server hosted on their Raspberry Pi or computer. The project has served thousands of users and has a high rating and positive reviews on Google Play.
Phone Pi Sensor Streamer
An Android app that lets users stream phone sensor data in real-time to a specified server running on their Raspberry Pi or computer.
Resolution Tracker
An Amazon Alexa Skill designed to monitor your New Year resolutions and conveniently update your progress via Twitter. Resolution Tracker was honored as the 'Skill of the Month' in December 2017 by Amazon.
Trivia Quest
An Amazon Alexa game designed to test your knowledge. Strive to reach the top of the global leaderboard! Trivia Quest has been enjoyed by thousands of Alexa users worldwide and has a 3.2/5 rating on Amazon.
Multi-step Wizard Fluent
A fully adaptable React component designed for creating personalized multi-step forms.
Voice Clues
A cross-platform voice game accessible on Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, developed using Jovo. The project was awarded first place in the Alexa Skills Wizard challenge (for university students) by Amazon.
Tech Up!
A cross-platform tech news app developed using React Native. The app features a card based UI and is powered by the News API. It allows users to browse through the latest tech news and save articles for later reading.
SMS Genie
An educational SMS bot developed to assist learning in remote areas with limited internet connectivity.

Awards and Recognition

  • 1st place, Microsoft Global Hackathon 2021, Hack for Developer Productivity

    Won first place in the 'Hack for Developer productivity' challenge in Microsoft's internal hackathon - one of the biggest in the world with 90,000+ participants. My contributions included product ideation and building the core capabilities of the product. The project also won another award in a Sponsored Hack titled "Observability Assistance." Post-winning, the project was selected for incubation by the GitHub Next team. Working with them, the project was brought to life as 'Hey GitHub' and launched at GitHub Universe 2022. The project also led to multiple patent filings.

  • Popular choice award, Fix Hack Learn Hackathon 2022, Microsoft

    Won a popular choice award in another Microsoft internal hackathon.

  • Monthly Recognition Awards, Microsoft

    Won monthly recognition awards multiple times for my contributions.

  • "Devanger of the year 2020", Facebook Developer Circles, Hyderabad

    Awarded for my contributions to the developer circles community in Hyderabad. I was a speaker at various events at different colleges.

  • Nominated: Alexa Star developer of the year 2018, Amazon AI Conclave

    Nominated as one of the top two nominees by Amazon among thousands of developers in India.

  • First place, Amazon Alexa Skill Wizards Challenge 2018

    Awarded First place amongst participants from all colleges in India.

  • Second Place, Techgig Code Gladiators 2018

    Awarded second place in the Amazon Alexa theme

  • Booking.com International Travel Hackathon Finalist 2019

    Top 5 Finalist among applicants from 60+ countries

  • Best Alexa Skill of the month

    Awarded by Amazon in the months December 2017, June 2018

Volunteering

  • Educator, Educative Inc.

    Curriculum Design and Course Development

  • Microsoft 4Afrika (2020-2021)

    Peer mentoring college student. Providing technical and other guidance as part of Microsoft Aspire program.

  • Newtonschool Mentor (2020-2021)

    Helping a cohort of 10 college students take their first steps in the tech industry.

  • Teach Code For Good (2018)

    Taught Python to kids in a government school.

  • Amazon Alexa Student Influencer

    Mentored students in my college in the voice space as part of an official Amazon program for students.