BisBabble Interview - Aravind
Welcome to the BisBabble series! In this issue, we chat with Aravind, a recent contributor to the Bismuth project.
He shares insights into his background, interests, and development work.
📝 The Interview
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
A: I make sure I taste all the varieties of food being served. 🍽️
Q: Is programming your day job or a hobby?
A: It’s my day job—I work as a JavaScript Developer.
Q: Code you’re most proud of?
A: My personal website (I guess).
There’s a module that dynamically generates social media preview images (Open Graph) when the site builds—I really like that part.
Q: What programming languages have you worked with?
- C – Learned it, but never liked it.
- Python – Enjoyed using Django to build things.
- Java – My first paid job was in Java, but I wasn’t a fan—maybe because of how I learned it in college.
Q: You give talks about cutting-edge tech (like Gatsby). Do you see that as part of your job?
A: I love sharing what I learn and helping others on their developer journey. That’s why I write a blog, too—it’s a pleasure!
Also, I feel noticed in the community when I talk about what I’ve learned.
I believe everyone should share, because it’s beautiful to see different perspectives—sometimes they open new doors.
Q: What’s your experience in the crypto field?
A: I’d say I’m a beginner who understands what a blockchain is.
Q: How did you get introduced to blockchain?
A:
- In college, I heard about a guy making money trading crypto.
- I asked him what a blockchain was—he couldn’t explain it properly.
- That led me to do some research, but I was still confused.
- A year ago, I met someone who runs a blockchain-based company.
- Talking to him gave me clarity and motivated me to learn more.
Q: What led you to Bismuth specifically?
A: All because of Shadowcrypto.
Q: Has the perception of crypto changed for you since that college trader?
A: Absolutely—a lot has changed.
For me, crypto is already influencing the world, but it will take time for people around me to fully adopt it.
I’ve even read that my state government is using blockchain (not exactly crypto) for certain projects, which is interesting!
Q: What do you like about Bismuth?
A: The community—you all are so nice! 🤗
Also, Bismuth is written in Python, the only language I understand apart from JavaScript.
Q: Most loved programming language & why?
A: JavaScript (of course).
It started as just a browser scripting language, but after the V8 engine, it became much more powerful.
Now, you can write it anywhere:
- Webpages
- Servers
- Mobile (Ionic, React Native)
- IoT devices
Learn once, use everywhere! 🚀
Q: Many modern developers rely on libraries and frameworks (e.g., React, Laravel). Do you see this as a good thing?
A: I think it’s a positive evolution (though I could be wrong).
Frameworks abstract things developers don’t need to worry about, allowing them to focus on business logic.
For example, React abstracts DOM updates with its Virtual DOM, making it far better than manually updating the DOM with JavaScript or jQuery.
Q: What do you do when you’re not coding?
A:
- Trekking in the Himalayas 🏔️ (most of my vacations this year were for that).
- Hiking 🚶
- Drawing 🎨
Q: Is your off-work routine completely separate from your work, or do you get “aha” moments?
A: I don’t have a fixed routine, but I enjoy the things I do in my breaks.
Sometimes, I work on an interesting side project (involving code), and that feels like a good break, too.
So it’s a mix and match.
Q: Developers are often stereotyped as geeks, but the best programmers often have creative/artistic sides. Do you agree?
A: Absolutely! I see code as art.
I recently started reading other people’s code, and it’s beautiful.
Creativity isn’t just about UI or aesthetics—it’s also about how elegantly the code is written.
Q: Your best piece of programming advice?
A:
💡 “It’s not rocket science. Someone else wrote it, so if you spend time on it, you’ll understand. Patience!”
🙏 Thanks a lot, Aravind, for answering our questions! We can’t wait to see your next contributions to Bismuth! 🚀
About Aravind
- Software developer specializing in JavaScript.
- Contributed to Bismuth’s client-side voting helper.
- Currently working on a modern client-side web wallet for Bismuth.
📢 Connect with Aravind
- Twitter: @aravindballa
- Website & Blog: aravindballa.com/writings