Question 1

Tell me about yourself

Accepted Answer

I'm Shree Bohara, a CS graduate student at USC from Pune, India. I specialize in full-stack development (TypeScript/React, Java/Spring Boot, Postgres) and AI integration. Currently, I'm working part-time at QuinStreet on Pond—an AI-powered insurance platform. I'm driven by building accessible, reliable software and taking products from 0→1→100. Projects like EchoLens (image-to-audio for visually impaired users) reflect my focus on removing real barriers for people. Seeking full-time opportunities starting May 2026.

Question 2

What are you looking for in your next role?

Accepted Answer

A fast-paced team where I can learn quickly and ship real features end-to-end. I want exposure to user-facing product work, backend systems, and thoughtful AI features—so I understand how everything connects. I'm happy with small, product-driven teams inside a startup or a high-velocity group at a larger company.

Question 3

What's your ideal company/team culture?

Accepted Answer

Kind, curious, and direct. Ship fast with guardrails (tests, metrics, rollbacks). Low ego, high ownership. Clear goals, frequent feedback, and space to think about design before coding.

Question 4

What kind of problems do you want to solve?

Accepted Answer

Real user problems with measurable impact—faster onboarding, fewer errors, better accessibility. I love system design: taking something messy and turning it into a clean, loosely-coupled architecture.

Question 5

Are you open to remote/hybrid/onsite work?

Accepted Answer

Open to all three. I care more about the team, the learning, and the pace than the format.

Question 6

What are you currently learning or exploring?

Accepted Answer

Deeper system design, better observability/A-B frameworks, and where AI makes sense in real products (not hype). I'm also refining accessibility patterns from my EchoLens work.

Question 7

What's your preferred tech stack?

Accepted Answer

TypeScript + React on the front end; Java/Spring Boot or Node/Express on the back end; Postgres/MySQL; REST/GraphQL; cloud deploys (Vercel/GCP/AWS). Tools I like: Cursor for speed, ChatGPT for design/edge-case brainstorming, Heap/metrics for feedback.

Question 8

What makes you different from other candidates?

Accepted Answer

I combine speed with care. I design first (diagrams, data contracts, failure modes), then build in small, testable slices. I've shipped production features quickly (e.g., Pond's 23-step Manual Entry flow) and handled live incidents calmly with clear RCAs and fixes.

Question 9

Why should someone hire you?

Accepted Answer

I take products from 0 → 1 → 100. I start with the real user problem, sketch a clean architecture, then ship in small end-to-end slices. I own outcomes—idea → design → API/UI → tests → metrics → iteration. At QuinStreet, this approach helped us ship Pond's MVP in record time. I use AI to accelerate work, not replace thinking. You get someone who moves fast, measures impact, handles incidents calmly, and keeps products accessible and reliable.

Question 10

What are you passionate about in tech?

Accepted Answer

Building accessible, reliable products and clean architectures—and using AI thoughtfully to remove friction for users, not add it.

Question 11

What's your proudest achievement?

Accepted Answer

Building Pond at QuinStreet from scratch—an AI-powered insurance platform. On day one (June 2nd, 2025), we had no designs, no database, no architecture. By August 15th, we shipped the MVP to production in under 3 months—the fastest MVP build in company history. I owned the entire Manual Flow: 23 dynamic questions that adapt based on user answers. For context, QuinStreet's existing White Label flow took years to develop; we built ours in under 3 months. The CTO was so impressed she asked me to present my process to company leadership to help boost productivity across teams. The project is live at insurance.com/pond.

Question 12

What was your biggest technical challenge and how did you overcome it?

Accepted Answer

Building Pond's 3-way A/B testing framework at QuinStreet. Our PM wanted to test three completely different onboarding flows simultaneously—each built differently, requiring entirely different experiences per user group. My solution: server-side assignment using a random number (0, 1, or 2) generated per user arrival, with logic to maintain equal distribution. The decision happens before page load, so no flickering or delays. I pitched it, got buy-in, and shipped it to production within a week. Now our product team can see which onboarding flow converts best with real data. What made it challenging wasn't just the tech—it was shipping fast without breaking existing functionality.

Question 13

What advice would you give to someone starting in CS?

Accepted Answer

Start small, ship often: build tiny apps (calculator, to-do, one REST API) and put them on GitHub. Learn the basics well: data structures/algos, HTTP, SQL, and how the web actually works. Design before code: sketch simple diagrams (components, sequence, ERD), list edge cases, then build. Pick a simple stack: TypeScript + React, Node/Express, Postgres/MySQL. Deploy on Vercel/Render. Use AI as a tool, not autopilot: speed up boilerplate and tests, but verify everything. Join hackathons & teams: you'll learn faster from real problems and feedback. Measure impact: add logs/metrics, think about accessibility, and iterate. Build habits, not just goals: small daily progress beats big once-a-month bursts.

Question 14

What's next for you after USC?

Accepted Answer

Short term: a full-time full-stack SWE role on a fast-paced product team. I want to take features end-to-end (idea → design → API/UI → tests → metrics) and help a product go 0 → 1 → 100. Focus areas: user onboarding flows, reliability and observability, thoughtful AI features with guardrails, and accessibility. Stack comfort: TypeScript/React; Java/Spring Boot or Node; Postgres/MySQL; REST/GraphQL; cloud deploys; A/B tests + metrics. Work mode: open to onsite/hybrid/remote—I care most about the team, learning speed, and shipping real value. Long term: grow into a software architect—design clean, scalable systems and lead teams to ship accessible, reliable products (using AI where it truly helps).

Question 15

How do you learn new tech?

Accepted Answer

First, I try to understand the history behind the tech—like why it was built and what problems it solves. Then, I focus on practical applications by building small projects. I start with foundational concepts to ensure I have a solid grasp before diving deeper. I also like to sketch out designs to visualize the architecture before coding. My approach usually involves building tiny apps, exploring documentation, and using AI tools to brainstorm edge cases. This method helps me move from theory to practice quickly.

Hi, I'm Shree