From his early career in product development to shaping digital products in the United State,South Africa, Maldives and Sri Lanka, Shannon’s journey epitomises adaptability and innovation as a product leader and an academic.       

You are a renowned product leader and an innovator in Sri Lanka with diverse experience in tech ranging from Telco, Aviation Domains in Sri Lanka and outside. How did you converge to this point in your life?        

Starting as a Software developer in 2012, I swiftly pivoted to product development , driven by the digital revolution. This experience enriched my skill set in Product development and broadened my horizons in the digital realm.  

In 2014, I received an exciting opportunity to work with MTN South Africa. My time at MTN was primarily dedicated to an exhilarating Telco project, alongside several other forward-thinking digital initiatives envisioned by the organization. This product was launched as “MNP”. And,has grown today to be one of the largest telco platforms in South Africa.  

Later, I joined Singapore Airlines in order to build the first of its kind server patch management for 5000+ servers. This was built using micro services and stateless architecture and was able to scale up when required. The 3 year planned project was completed within 1 year with my guidance as a software architect.       

Can you describe your long-term vision for Snap Tech AI and what drives you as a leading product developer?          

When I started SNAP Tech AI back in 2022 I had a vision to build a product to which will be taken into the global market.  

My primary goal is to utilize Artificial intelligence , Machine Learning technologies in order to solve recurring problems which humans will take years to solve. Due to outsourcing problems into computers, I strongly believe that the solutions we find can evolve much faster. At SnapTechAI we focused on building  products that can help candidates shape their career using the latest technology.  

Secondly, we have focused on changing how interviews can grade candidates without human intervention and select exceptional talent for a job. This is a fully automated product that will utilize machine learning to learn candidates performance in an interview and grade them.  

What made you design the 1st ever AI based Resume building platform in Sri Lanka?  

I used to participate as a panelist for CV reviewing  sessions for new individuals  from universities and those who wanted to enter the Software Engineering Market .While participating for a few sessions I comprehended to build a platform that students can create their ATS friendly resumes with their cover letter.  

Envisioning it, I developed the first ever AI based CV reviewing product “Make My CV” as a cloud native product in the island which has started to become popular to easily create their resumes and cover letters with a set of prompts or by uploading their existing resume and cover letters. The cost for a resume per student will start at less than 1 United States dollar.   

Furthermore, I have intended to extend the platform to India, Maldives and Bangladesh.  

Let's talk about your game changing “Resume Mansion” plattform for the United States.  

I had a vision to create a product which would be taken to the global market and by analyzing, I got a brilliant idea on building an AI based resume creation platform for the United States Market, especially targeting professional experience candidates, who required to build their state of the art ATS friendly Resumes and cover letters.   

Building the actual product from an idea was challenging. However, taking this challenge to heart I started designing the platform and invigorate the MVP making it cloud native. The platform utilizes Machine Learning to learn candidates profiles and based on this the AI models were built using ChatGPT. Ideally, candidates will obtain the correct recommended design through this platform.  

Resume Mansion is now ranked on google and I have employed many team members starting from developers  to SEO team members, project managers to work on the platform.We have listed packages which start from 169 USD and provide services such as linkedin profile optimization with the 369 USD package.  

  “Rajans Lions Club”. The platform for collecting donations for nonprofit causes.        

The Lions club is a non profit organization in Sri Lanka which works on multiple nobel causes such as education and nutrition related projects which I desired to become a part of by founding an online platform  https://rajanslionsclub.org/ for the organization.   

The donation process is now streamlined and multiple projects can be displayed online, where donors can easily select a project and donate to the cause. I have planned to enhance this platform into the global market by enabling donations to be received by popular payment gateways.  

What is your inspiration to swap the way man look at technology  

I am a believer in techno-animism, which proposes the imbuement of human and spiritual characteristics into tech. The best way to do this is by being closer to the human experience with technology to understand first-hand, about challenges that people go through when using tech to mobilize and manage.   

This can be achieved with analytics and through immersing yourself in the experience itself. For instance, I consistently opt for digital transactions , a choice that frequently sparks innovation in my daily life, because I see first-hand where problems are and where tech could help to solve them. One such innovation I did in my capacity was to build the first of its kind Digital app gallery during my tenure at Virtusa. Employees can simply build automations and simply plug into the app gallery. The application was a smart way of doing their tasks daily. It reduced the effort by 50% and increased the efficiency. Most of the time automations done within an organization are not tracked and due to this effort employees simply vanish. Customers who use these apps can simply scan a QR code for each app from their mobile device and trigger the automation or use the application. However, due to my exceptional performance, I won the “Innovator of the year” award.  

Yet, basing decisions solely on personal insights isn’t comprehensive and, these insights must be validated with data in the form of research where applicable.  In my professional capacity, through analysis of user data.  

When designing experiences and taking them to market, I leverage two core strengths:  

First, by using my creativity, I aim to devise new tech propositions and use cases that can transform how we interact with technology. Drawing from personal experiences, I intend to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the tech realm.   

Second, beyond just introducing innovative products, effective and efficient marketing is crucial. With my expertise in digital performance marketing, I focus on optimizing product acquisition, retention and platform performance. This is especially critical in the start-up world, where resources are often limited. By understanding user journeys and pinpointing where potential users get stuck in the funnel, I help products and platforms grow exponentially.  

What specific innovations or strategies do you believe are crucial for the growth and success of product companies?    

In the tech arena, seamlessly integrating human experiences with financial transactions is paramount. The best  products meld naturally with user habits, leveraging precise customer data to identify valuable touchpoints.  

Analyzing data and understanding real-world user experiences. This customer-first mindset is pivotal in shaping both product innovations and marketing strategies.  

Ensuring a top-tier customer experience is imperative. The distinction between industry leaders and others often lies in their swift and effective customer issue resolution. Embracing a start-up mentality – characterized by agility, responsiveness, and a genuine appreciation for customer feedback – is essential.  

Operational nimbleness is crucial. Instead of being bogged down by red tape and lengthy processes, tech ventures should champion prompt and efficient resolutions. Otherwise, we end up “Complicating” services as opposed to “Simplification”, losing the differentiator of digital technology with traditional technological institutions.