An Indian-origin techie shared how joining an artificial intelligence startup and relocating to San Francisco transformed his career. Jai Raj Choudhary, currently an AI engineer at StackAI, wrote in Business Insider that working in a startup environment helped him gain direct and practical experience that traditional jobs rarely provide.
Choudhary, who earned his Master’s in AI between 2023 and 2025, began his professional journey in a data-focused role, according to Business Insider. He explained that as large language models gained real-world use around 2023-24, AI evolved from mainly academic research to product-based engineering.
The 24-year-old said he joined StackAI in July after repeatedly contacting the company’s co-founder on LinkedIn. He had been an active user of the platform during his student years, regularly posting feedback on what worked and what could be improved. When the company expanded, he cleared six interview rounds before securing the role.
Choudhary said he now works on building the core architecture behind AI agents.
“One of the reasons I got offers from StackAI and other companies was because I understood data quality, the edge cases for the clients, and the matrix and the failure modes of the AI model or any LLM systems that we were using at the time,” he said.
Interestingly, he said that his degree was not a focus during the interviews. Instead, recruiters were more interested in his ability to work with backend systems, handle data patterns and code in Python. He was evaluated through project discussions and a take-home assignment. Questions about his academic background came only after he joined, he said.
According to Choudhary, his degree was not a major factor in the interviews. Instead, recruiters focused on his backend skills, understanding of data patterns and Python coding. He was assessed through project discussions and a take-home task, with academic questions raised only after he joined.
Although he values his time in graduate school, he acknowledged that his day-to-day job does not rely heavily on what he studied.
Choudhary also said that relocating to San Francisco was a turning point in his career. He said the city’s work culture is intense, demanding long hours and constant problem-solving. Simple coffee outings often turn into conversations with founders and AI experts.
“Moving to San Francisco made a huge difference in my career. This city is a different beast. When you come here, it’s a whole different culture because we don’t work 9-to-5, cushy jobs. We work 9-to-9, six days a week,” Choudhary told the outlet.
He added that constant learning drives his progress. Alongside long shifts, he invests time in understanding the latest industry updates. “Even if I spend 12 hours in the office, seven to eight of those hours I’m studying, and then three to four hours, I’m actually writing the code,” he said.