Meet Kanika Shah: TRM Product Engineer

Prior to joining TRM, Kanika led teams and projects aimed at helping developers monitor system vitals at AppDynamics; a full-stack application performance management company that was acquired by Cisco. Before that, Kanika received her master’s degree in computer science from the University of Southern California and worked as a software engineer at Yahoo, where she built new features and user interfaces that optimized experiences for customers. Over the course of her career, Kanika has put her passion for learning to use by following her curiosity and architecting solutions that help make people’s lives easier.

Kanika, tell us about your role at TRM?

I’m a Backend Engineer here at TRM. At a high level, my role involves combining TRM’s rich attribution data with blockchain data to deliver intelligence that TRM users consume via our web product and APIs.

You’ve gone from HPE and Yahoo to AppDynamics pre-acquisition. . . What has your journey been like and what led you to TRM?

Yahoo was a “dream come true” job for me, working for an iconic brand on an iconic product. But the deeper I got into the product, I became more intrigued by the technology and tooling that makes developing products possible. That insight led me to AppDynamics, where I oversaw teams and projects that gave developers tools to deliver and maintain powerful applications.

After several years at the company, I started thinking about what new challenges would help me grow. I was at a point in my career where I was looking for an experience to build something from the ground up. I wanted the challenge of developing a scalable system for a large user base, as well as the chance to experience the craftsmanship that goes into its construction.

At the same time, I wanted a deeper understanding of blockchain technologies, aside from the buzz-words and hype. I felt that Blockchain Intelligence sounded like a great way to “kill two birds with one stone”. And after I started talking to folks at TRM, I quickly realized this was an opportunity for me to get the experience I was looking for.

What is your favorite part about working at TRM?

The camaraderie is truly inspiring. I enjoy working with my team and the way we challenge each other to stretch beyond our realized potential. And that’s not just limited to my team; it’s a part of the company’s culture. We collaborate and help each other make better decisions faster, weighing the pros and cons of every option and relating them to the bigger picture. Not only does this help save us from costly tunnel vision, it keeps us aligned and open to considering something not tried before.

What excites you most when thinking about the future of TRM or the industry as a whole?

Since the inception of blockchain technology, the concept of decentralization has been making its way from finance to other domains like supply chain and healthcare. The technology enabling this next wave of disruption intrigues me. In particular, I’ve been following the application of smart contracts. It’s been fascinating to witness the rapid development of use cases and learn each project’s approach to scaling privacy and trust in this decentralized world.

With that in view, I see a bright future ahead for TRM. We aren’t necessarily limited to building a safer financial system for billions of people. There will be many exciting pastures to conquer in the blockchain space and I’m excited to be a part of that journey.

Thanks for sharing; we're thrilled to have you on board!

Interested in a role at TRM? See our current openings here.

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