Engineering Manager by Day, Solo Innovator by Night: Why This Is the Best Time to Build
From Management Tech Brief By HackerNoon by HackerNoon
November 19, 2025 · 15 min
About this episode
Ravitez Dondeti discusses his journey as an engineering manager and innovator, emphasizing the current opportunities for builders in technology.
This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/engineering-manager-by-day-solo-innovator-by-night-why-this-is-the-best-time-to-build . Engineering Manager & Top ML Writer shares his journey from destroying radios to pioneering SmartScreen 9 years before Google's Android 15 feature. Check more stories related to management at: https://hackernoon.com/c/management . You can also check exclusive content about #engineering-leadership , #machine-learning , #open-source , #ai-innovation , #audio-technology , #tech-careers , #hackernoon top story , #software-development , and more. This story was written by: @rdondeti . Learn more about this writer by checking @rdondeti's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com . Ravitez Dondeti, Engineering Manager and Top Writer on HackerNoon in Machine Learning, Programming, and Security, shares his unconventional journey into tech from dismantling his grandma's radio as a kid to nearly failing his first software training, then becoming a recognized innovator. His 2015 SmartScreen app pioneered intelligent screen timeout nine years before Google implemented similar functionality in Android 15…
People in this episode
Guest: Ravitez Dondeti
Topics covered
- engineering management
- machine learning
- AI innovation
- software development
- tech careers
Keywords
- engineering manager
- machine learning
- AI
- SmartScreen
- innovation
- open-source
- tech careers
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: HackerNoon, OpenSIPS
Products: SmartScreen, Android 15
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