A Q&A With Kunal Kushwaha on Diversity, Open Source, and the Power of "Just Getting Started"

Next up in my series of Q&As with inspirational mentors and community builders in the technology industry, we’ll hear from Kunal Kushwaha. Kunal is a DevRel Manager at Civo and a renowned educator in the developer community. Leveraging his social platforms to educate thousands of people on numerous parts of the developer toolkit, Kunal is considered a teacher, resource, and mentor to developers of every age.

Earlier today, I had the chance to chat with Kunal about mentorship and community building for developers. Our roundtable brought together the honorees of the Twilio Developer Searchlight project, which celebrates mentors who are uplifting developers in 2022 through community, mentorship, or code. Handpicked by an esteemed panel of expert judges, these honorees are recognized for playing a pivotal role in shaping developer careers in a variety of ways.

Let’s cut to my Q&A conversation with Kunal…

Who Are You, Where Are You Based, and What Are You Working On Right Now?

My name is Kunal Kushwaha. I am based in London and I work as a DevRel Manager at Civo. I am also the founder of Community Classroom and Kubeworld.

Congratulations on being selected as a Twilio Developer Searchlight honoree. What does being a mentor or community builder mean to you?

As an avid open-source contributor, I believe that diversity in the workplace and participation from people hailing from different cultures is necessary, as well as instrumental for the growth of the IT sector.

I have been part of various open-source organizations, spoken at numerous conferences, and taught thousands of students covering a wide range of technologies.

Scaling communities and open source is what I am passionate about. I believe it is important to give back and help others when you have had your fair share in the industry to keep the cycle running.

You are passionate about shaping the next generation of developers - tell me more about the groups you’re involved in and how you’ve attracted people to the developer career path?

I am the founder of Community Classroom and Kubeworld. I also started the official CNCF Students group, which is the student track at KubeCon.

I am pretty visible in the developer community – I participate as a CNCF Ambassador, a TedX speaker, GitHub Star, and more. In the past, I have volunteered at open-source programs like GSoC, MLH Fellowship, Google Code-in, etc.

These platforms have helped me spread awareness about open-source and teach thousands of folks both online and in-person.

I believe in a “learn by doing” approach and open-source is one of the best ways to do that, as well as getting real world experience from the comfort of your home.

What’s Your Best Advice for Aspiring or Early-In-Career Developers?

The best way to get started is just to get started. Do not look for the perfect roadmap because it does not exist. There are millions of developers and everyone has a different story, you just need to find yours. Get involved, learn by doing, ask the right questions, and have fun.

Just for Fun: What Was Your First Computer or Your Most Memorable Piece of Tech?

My most memorable piece of tech was my Sony PlayStation 2 because it was my first gaming console that I spent hours on.

Thank you, Kunal, for taking the time to share your story with us. Stay tuned to learn more about the honorees in our series of interviews. You can also read more about the honorees in this Insider article, which unpacks how they’re each shaping a better future for developers.