Meet Prabhat Jha, Head of Engineering for Vector Search at DataStax:
Prabhat Jha is the Head of Engineering at DataStax, known for his remarkable journey from a Nepalese village without electricity to leading tech teams globally. His tenure at Red Hat honed his expertise in managing remote teams across continents, emphasizing transparent team cultures. At DataStax, he applies this experience to excel in global hiring, remote work, and inclusive leadership, showcasing resilience and determination in the tech industry.
Listen Up: Prabhat Jha, Head of Engineering for Vector Search at DataStax — Full Podcast Episode on Spotify
Watch Now: Vit’s In-Depth Talk with Prabhat Jha
Quick Read: Prabhat Jha, Head of Engineering for Vector Search at DataStax, Interview Highlights
The Journey of Prabhat Jha
Prabhat Jha, head of the engineering team at DataStax, has an interesting journey. Born and raised in Nepal, Prabhat faced major infrastructural challenges, including the lack of electricity and computer facilities. His determination and support from friends and family helped him move to the US for his studies. He embarked on his professional journey with Red Hat, where he honed his skills in software development and leading global teams. Prabhat, with a typical immigrant journey, went on to found his own startups. His experiences have taught him the importance of transparency and clear communication while working with diverse teams.
Leading Engineering Teams
Prabhat emphasized the importance of clearly defining requirements when working with globally distributed teams. He also stressed on the fact that the quality of work was not compromised when working with remote teams. His experience with his first startup, which dealt with building a mobile application performance monitoring solution, made him realize the importance of finding the right people for the job, regardless of their geographical location.
Eejot – Bridging Computer Literacy Divide
Prabhat also runs a non-profit organization called Eejot, which helps students from Nepal acquire computer skills. Eejot started as a computer lab teaching high school and elementary students how to use computers. The organization helped bridge the computer literacy divide and unintentionally led to better job opportunities for the students. This platform has created a cycle of learning and teaching, which continues to benefit the students in Nepal.
Advice for Non-US Talent
Prabhat strongly advises talent from outside the U.S to shed their inferiority complex. Access to resources is no longer a geographical barrier due to the internet. He also stressed the importance of being involved with the community, getting noticed, and standing out in the crowd. Writing blogs, contributing to open source projects, and being active on social media platforms are some of the ways to achieve this.
Cultural Differences in Global Teams
Prabhat did not find cultural differences to be an obstacle while working with global teams. He believes that as the world becomes more global, cultural differences are narrowing down. The focus should be on the sense of ownership and urgency to deliver quality work.
The Power of Vector Databases and Vector Search
Vector databases and vector search have become more relevant with the advent of AI. Prabhat explained how vector search and vector databases enable high-quality search based on the user’s intent and context. DataStax uses vector databases for an array of applications including job matching, review analysis, and even answering questions about Taylor Swift via their app TSwift.AI.
DataStax and Its Future Plans
DataStax aims to enhance security and privacy in the AI space. They are working on design patterns that allow users to have full control of their data while leveraging language model capabilities. Their focus is to ensure that users have maximum control over their data and minimize the data that leaves their perimeter.
