The Rollback Café

Animesh Pathak

This podcast brings together developers, DevOps engineers, database administrators, and community builders to share stories that matter. Each episode blends technical deep dives with candid storytelling, covering Database DevOps, Developer Relations, and the real-life tangents that shape our industry. Expect insightful lessons, a bit of humor, and plenty of warm, welcoming vibes, because sometimes the best ideas spark over coffee and conversation.

Episodes

  1. Sep 4

    From Appwrite and Microsoft to a Master's in CS - Haimantika Mitra on DevRel

    Women in tech are still too often told they have to choose between engineering, community, and leadership - Haimantika proves you can build all three into one powerful career. She also opens up about the “silly” side projects that quietly became career accelerators - including a GitHub Roast app that went viral, a Gen Z translator, and an AI plank coach built to solve her own workout problem. Those experiments weren’t just for fun. They became the fastest way to learn new tools, understand how products really work, and create proof that she could go far beyond tutorials. You'll discover why DevRel is not a step away from engineering, but often the place where engineering, product sense, content, and community all collide. Haimantika breaks down the three C’s of DevRel - core, content, and community - and explains why the future of the role is even more technical in the age of AI, not less. We also get into the reality of AI-era building: why shipping is easier than ever, but understanding systems, architecture, benchmarking, and production tradeoffs matters more than ever. She shares what companies and communities can do better for women in tech, from making events feel safer and more welcoming to actively bringing more women speakers, engineers, and builders into the room. Haimantika is a developer advocate at DigitalOcean, formerly in DevRel at Appwrite and a software engineer at Microsoft. She is also the author of an ebook on DevRel for startups and brings a rare mix of technical depth, community perspective, and honest career reflection. Perfect for developers, aspiring DevRel professionals, women in tech, and anyone who wants a sharper view of where engineering is headed next.

About

This podcast brings together developers, DevOps engineers, database administrators, and community builders to share stories that matter. Each episode blends technical deep dives with candid storytelling, covering Database DevOps, Developer Relations, and the real-life tangents that shape our industry. Expect insightful lessons, a bit of humor, and plenty of warm, welcoming vibes, because sometimes the best ideas spark over coffee and conversation.