About Sonu Kapoor – Angular GDE, Microsoft MVP & Author
I often say my career didn’t start with a job title — it started with a spark. That spark lit up when I was twelve years old at a friend’s birthday party in Germany, where I saw a Commodore 64 for the first time. The green glow of its screen was enough to hook me. I begged my father for a computer, and after much persistence, he eventually surprised me with an Amiga 500.
That Amiga came with two thick books on BASIC programming. I read them cover to cover until the pages wore thin, teaching myself to build small games and animations. By my teenage years, I wasn’t just playing with computers — I was learning to think in algorithms and systems. Those early nights spent typing code set the stage for everything that followed.
From Curiosity to Career
In the year 2000, a German newspaper article changed my trajectory. It announced a plan to bring thousands of Indian tech professionals to Germany. I saw an opportunity, so I moved back to India for a year, immersing myself in web programming. With no safety net but plenty of ambition, I built my first portfolio, and when I returned to Germany, I landed my first programming job almost immediately.
That leap of faith ignited a career that would take me across industries, continents, and technologies.
Building Global Experience
- DotNetSlackers.com — Founded one of the early online developer communities, serving 33 million+ views worldwide.
- Microsoft MVP (2005–2010) — Recognized six consecutive years for leadership in the global developer ecosystem.
- Citigroup — Architected the frontend for a $4B global trading platform, bringing real-time data streaming to traders.
- American Apparel — Directed engineering for the company’s pioneering RFID retail rollout, transforming supply chain and inventory accuracy.
- Sony Music Publishing — Led Angular migrations and AI-driven digital transformation initiatives.
- Move to Canada — Canada became my long-term home and the base for my consulting practice, SOLID Software Solutions.
Continuing the Journey
In 2024, I was once again honored with the Microsoft MVP Award, after a 13-year gap, alongside being recognized as a Google Developer Expert (Angular). Few developers hold both distinctions at the same time.
Today, I split my time between consulting with enterprises, writing books and articles, contributing to Angular and open source, and mentoring the next generation. What started with curiosity in front of a green screen has grown into a global career spanning AI, Angular, and developer education.
Timeline
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Age 12 — First Encounter
Saw a Commodore 64 at a birthday party in Germany. Spark of curiosity ignited.
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Teen Years — Amiga 500
Taught myself BASIC programming, building animations and simple games.
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2000 — India Leap
Moved to India for a year, immersed in web programming, and built my first portfolio.
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2001 — First Job in Germany
Returned and landed my first tech job, marking the start of my professional career.
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2005–2010 — MVP Recognition
Awarded Microsoft MVP six years in a row for community leadership.
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2007 — DotNetSlackers
Founded a developer community that served over 33M views worldwide.
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2010s — Enterprise Work
Architected Citi’s $4B trading platform, modernized systems at Cisco, led RFID rollout at American Apparel, and digital transformation at Sony Music Publishing.
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2024–2026 — Dual Recognition
Re-awarded Microsoft MVP and named Google Developer Expert in Angular.
Looking Ahead
I’ve been fortunate to turn a childhood obsession into a career that spans continents, industries, and communities. And even now, decades later, I still feel that same spark I did as a 12-year-old kid staring at a glowing green screen — excited to see what I can build next.