Chandini Kurada - Rookie of the Month February 2026

1) First things first – who are you?
Tell us your story beyond the LinkedIn bio! What’s your background, current role, and what gets you genuinely excited in the world of tech?

I am a seasoned software developer with five years of experience in the modern software development ecosystem. Currently serving as a Solutions Engineer at OpenSource DB, I specialize in delivering enterprise-grade solutions while actively contributing to the tech community as a volunteer with Vizag PUG. As a passionate cloud-native evangelist, I focus on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to drive digital transformation.

Throughout my career, I have built and integrated enterprise-grade applications using Pega’s low-code BPM platform, delivering comprehensive end-to-end digital solutions for diverse clients. Notably, I contributed to modernizing NSW Government services by implementing Pega-based, citizen-first digital workflows that streamlined regulatory and planning operations, making government services more accessible and efficient for the public.

2) Why Data, Databases & PostgreSQL?
What hooked you? Was there a specific feature, project, or “wow” moment that made you choose PostgreSQL (or made PostgreSQL choose you)?

I was first drawn to data and databases because they sit at the heart of every real system. No matter how good the UI or how fast the backend is, everything eventually comes down to how well data is stored, queried, protected, and scaled. That responsibility felt powerful—and meaningful.”I chose PostgreSQL because it treats data with respect—and as someone working closely with data, that’s exactly what I needed.”

3) What’s keeping you up at night (in a good way)?
What project or problem are you currently obsessed with? Share what you’re building, learning, or solving right now.

I’m currently obsessed with Aiven blogs and How OSDB provides a solution by using Aiven as a tool on top of multiple services  we can achieve like kafka ,opensearch ,mysql ,postgresql  etc… are provided with few clicks and it saves most of our managing time and developers  or engineers easily focus more on developement  and manage less and deliver easily.

4) What’s been your biggest learning or challenge on this journey?
Tell us about a lesson learned, a mistake that taught you something, or that pivotal “aha!” moment. Bonus points if you can make the readers laugh about it!

Data Discovery Documents after a every call with my prospects and Minutes of meeting(Mom) documents as a solution Engineer when I documented everytime I learned a lesson from the mistakes of Action items or Next phases.

5) If you could go back in time…
What’s one thing you’d tell yourself when you first started with Databases? What advice would have saved you hours of head-scratching?

In the learning of streaming replication configuration parameters missed in master replica and tried a lot with results, after searching the parameters  I learned if I first checked the parameters I would save my time.

6) Your lightbulb moment
What’s one PostgreSQL concept or feature you finally understood and felt genuinely proud of? Was it understanding JSONB? Finally grasping indexes? Making sense of EXPLAIN ANALYZE? Tell us when it clicked!

JSONB

7) Who or what helped you grow?
A mentor, a community, a course, a blog, a YouTube channel, give a shoutout to whoever or whatever has influenced your learning the most. (Feel free to share links or names!)

Having a mentor like Hari Kiran, Founder and CEO of OSDB and a recognized expert in PostgreSQL, has played a significant role in my career growth as a Solution Engineer—particularly in the areas of databases and data platforms. His guidance and deep technical expertise have greatly shaped my understanding and approach. In addition, communities such as PG Vizag and PG Hyderabad have been instrumental in my professional development, providing continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and strong peer support.

8) Describe your Data journey in one word.
Yep, just one! Make it count.

Relentless