Tell us about yourself and how long you’ve been with Optimal Dynamics.
My name is Amrith Arunachalam and I’m an OR/AI Engineer here at Optimal Dynamics. I joined OD last June after completing my master’s in OR from Columbia University. Prior to Columbia I got my bachelor’s in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from Stony Brook University.
Can you summarize your job in one sentence?
As a core engine developer I have the responsibility of ensuring the quality and stability of our engine, as well as assisting in the development of new features for our customers.
What inspired you the most to join Optimal Dynamics?
As a student I wanted to join a company whose mission was to try and change the world. Optimal Dynamics is applying AI to solve real world problems using some of the most sophisticated mathematical models I’ve seen. So the combination of being able to work on a product that can change a whole industry and has cool math makes for a real “have your cake and eat it” moment for me.
What do you like best about our company culture?
Working at Optimal Dynamics has been amazing because of the wide array of people I work with. The common theme that underpins everyone I meet at OD is an unrelenting curiosity. People here really care about understanding the problem/issue and trying to find the solution. I find that I can approach people from other teams with questions and everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand and get invested in finding a solution.
What is unique about what we do at Optimal Dynamics?
It’s cheesy to say the technology, but everyday I come into work I’m amazed by the work that’s gone into developing the core engine. The engine provides our customers with a powerful simulator that not only accurately simulates our customer’s networks over any timespan, but we learn from the history of what loads/drivers have done in the past and learn the value associated with a resource in a location. The power of knowing the value of a driver in Omaha vs. Wichita has powerful implications for the engine’s recommendations and makes it pretty sophisticated. Ultimately, a dispatcher learns the value of a driver in a location through years of experience dispatching trucks across the country. We hope to program that knowledge into our core engine so that our customers can have an infinite number of dispatchers with vast experience.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy the technical challenge of trying to combine software best practices with a highly mathematical problem that’s used to ultimately solve a people problem.
What have been your biggest accomplishments on our team, and what was the impact on the product/company?
I’ve had the opportunity to work on a service that we call “maestro” internally. Like a maestro conducts an orchestra, this service conducts our core engine and allows us to horizontally scale. This is best seen in our recently released Bid by Optimal Dynamics™, through the use of maestro we were able to easily onboard some of our biggest clients and decrease run time across the board. In addition to these gains, we are able to reduce our compute instance size which allows Optimal Dynamics to reduce its carbon footprint and provide recommendations for clients sustainably.
How have you grown professionally while on our team?
I have had the opportunity to take on large tasks with minimal supervision. The leadership provides us with a high-level overview of a problem and empowers ICs to work together and solve it. From managing timelines to communicating progress, core engine developers are responsible for maintaining the brain behind all of our products. It’s a big responsibility that everyone on the team takes seriously.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to play tennis and I enjoy making unsuccessful attempts at street photography.
Can you share a hidden talent no one knows about you?
I have been trained in Indian classical singing since I was 4 till I held a recital when I was 18.
What’s the best advice you can give to someone who wants to work at Optimal Dynamics?
Be passionate about what you do and let that passion shine through!
