Morgan Stanley was my foundation—where I learned what it means to build systems that matter. I was the first engineer hired in India for the Investment Management Compliance Technology team, which meant I wasn't just building software; I was building the entire engineering culture and capability from scratch. Starting with a blank slate was both terrifying and exhilarating. I had to establish everything: coding standards, deployment processes, testing frameworks, and team culture. But it also meant we could do things right from the beginning, without the baggage of legacy decisions. The work was complex—building regulatory and compliance systems that would monitor billions of dollars in trades across global markets. We created sophisticated workflow engines that could evaluate risk in real-time, detect suspicious trading patterns, and ensure compliance with regulations across multiple jurisdictions. Every system had to be fast, accurate, and auditable. What made this experience special was the mentorship I received from senior engineers in New York and London. I learned not just how to write code, but how to think about systems, how to design for scale, and how to communicate complex technical concepts to business stakeholders. Building the India team from one person to a full-fledged engineering organization taught me that culture is more important than process. The engineers I hired and mentored went on to become leaders themselves, and many of the practices we established became templates for other teams. What I learned: Building something from nothing teaches you that every decision matters. The choices you make early become the foundation for everything that comes after.