Gulshan Kumar
Gulshan Kumar

Open to Staff / Architect roles and short consulting engagements

I make Android apps faster to build, ship and change.

I'm an Android architect with 9+ years across fintech, e-commerce and healthcare. I set up architecture that teams can actually follow: Compose and MVI, multi-module builds, reliable releases, and now on-device AI.

# results from production apps I led, by source

Clean build timemulti-module split, 6+ feature modules · Gradle build scan−40%
New project setuporg-wide app template, reused across teams · team estimate−2 wks
UI bug rateCompose + MVI, one source of screen state · issue tracker−30%
Cold startbaseline profiles, lazy init, R8 · Play Console vitals−25%
Crash-free sessionsevery release I owned · Crashlytics99.5%+

5 of 5 targets met · each row sourced above

Numbers from production apps at Code and Theory and Y Media Labs.

Where I've shipped

Large consumer apps with very different constraints. Each domain taught me something the others didn't.

Fintech and banking
PCI-DSS compliant encryption and security hardening for First Republic Bank and finance apps at Easoftech.
Retail and grocery
Albertsons and Safeway on Android, part of the YML work that won Indigo Design Awards.
Healthcare
HOAG Compass in React Native, built for patients who need things to just work.
Streaming TV
Roku apps in BrightScript, alongside the mobile apps for the same products.

Selected work

Three problems I owned from the first decision to the release that proved it. Each one started as a slow, fragile part of a large consumer app.

−30%

Moving a live app to Compose and MVI

Problem
Screen state lived in fragments, view models and callbacks at once, so the same UI bugs kept coming back.
Decision
One immutable state per screen, reduced from intents. Migrated screen by screen with interop, no freeze on features.
Result
UI bug rate down about 30%, and new screens followed one pattern across the team.

High-traffic consumer app · Code and Theory

−40%

Breaking up a slow monolith build

Problem
One big app module meant every change rebuilt everything and squads blocked each other.
Decision
Feature and core modules with strict API boundaries, shared Gradle convention plugins, and an app template the whole org reused.
Result
Clean builds 40% faster, 6+ modules shipping in parallel, and about two weeks of setup saved on every new project.

Code and Theory · org-wide template

−25%

Cutting cold start on a large consumer app

Problem
Every SDK and dependency was set up on the main thread before the first frame, so launch got slower with each release.
Decision
Deferred and lazy initialization for anything not needed on the first screen, baseline profiles for the launch path, and tighter R8 shrinking.
Result
Cold start 25% faster, with a startup benchmark in CI so it stayed that way.

Consumer app · Y Media Labs

What colleagues say

From people I've shipped with, in their own words.

Gulshan is an exceptionally enthusiastic and technically skilled engineer, consistently demonstrating a deep understanding of the latest technologies and best practices. One of his standout qualities is his unwavering commitment to delivering results on schedule.
Deepak K KTechnical Lead, Zeta Global · worked with me on an e-commerce app
He never compromised on code quality under pressure and ensured the reviews are smooth and effective. He is a great mentor and always lent helping hands whenever requested. We also spoke at a Google DevFest together, and he was a great partner to have on stage.
AnanthaKrishna (Ak) BhaskarWorked with me on the same team · co-speaker at DevFest Bengaluru 2022

Full recommendations on my LinkedIn profile.

How I can help your team

Fixed scope, fixed price, one senior person doing the work. I take on a small number of engagements at a time and work remotely with teams anywhere.

  • Android codebase audit

    A clear look at architecture, build health, crash and ANR hotspots, and how ready you are for Compose.

    You get a prioritized report: what to fix now, what can wait, and what it will cost to leave alone.
    $1,500one-time · 1 to 2 weeks
  • Build speed and modularization

    Split the monolith, set up convention plugins and caching, and measure the build before and after.

    For teams where a clean build is a coffee break and every PR touches the app module.
    from $3,500fixed scope · 3 to 5 weeks
  • Compose and MVI migration

    A migration plan your team can follow, plus a pilot feature built end to end as the reference.

    Includes state and navigation patterns, testing setup and review guidelines.
    from $3,000fixed scope · 3 to 4 weeks
  • AI features on Android

    Production features with the Gemini API or on-device models through ML Kit and TFLite.

    Offline behavior, latency, cost and privacy trade-offs handled from the start.
    from $3,000scoped per feature
  • Play Store compliance update

    Target API upgrade, edge-to-edge, 16 KB page size support and deprecated API cleanup.

    For apps without a full-time Android engineer that still have to meet Google Play deadlines.
    from $900one-time
  • Mentoring and mock interviews

    For Android engineers moving into senior, lead or architect roles: system design mocks, architecture reviews and career guidance.

    Honest feedback on how you explain things under pressure, not just what you know.
    ₹2,000per 60-minute session

Not sure which one fits? Book a free call or send me a short note about your app, and I'll suggest a starting point.

How an engagement runs

No long contracts and no surprises on price. You always know what I'm working on and what comes next.

  1. A 30-minute call

    You walk me through the app and what's hurting. Free, and no preparation needed. Pick a time.

  2. A written proposal

    Scope, timeline and a fixed price within two working days. Nothing starts until you agree.

  3. Work in your repo

    Pull requests your team reviews, plus a short written update every week.

  4. A clean handover

    Docs, a recorded walkthrough, and two weeks of follow-up questions included.

In progress · open source

Apex: motorsport telemetry for Kotlin

I ride track days, and I'm building Apex to analyze my own laps. It reads GPS logger files like VBOX .vbo, normalizes them into one telemetry format, and breaks a session down by lap, corner and braking zone.

  • Multi-module Clean Architecture on the Now in Android structure, MVI, Hilt
  • Parser designed to fail loudly on ambiguous timestamps instead of guessing
  • Built with Claude Code as a deliberate practice in AI-assisted engineering

Talks and recognition

Sharing what I learn is part of how I learn it.

  • DevFest Bengaluru 2022 · GDG Bangalore

    Android TV 101

    My first conference talk: an introduction to building Android apps for the TV screen, co-presented with AnanthaKrishna Bhaskar.

  • Indigo Design Awards · with YML

    Award-winning Albertsons app

    I worked on the Albertsons Android app at YML. The team's work for Albertsons won six Indigo Design Awards.

Experience

Nine years of Android, most of it leading architecture on apps with real traffic and real release pressure.

  1. 2023 – 2026

    Mobile Tech Lead

    Code and Theory · Bangalore

    Owned Android architecture and releases for a high-traffic consumer app. Built the org-wide app template and the modular build, and owned the release pipeline. Mentored four engineers.

  2. 2020 – 2023

    Senior Software Engineer, Android

    Y Media Labs · Bangalore

    Android, React Native and Roku for Albertsons, First Republic Bank and HOAG Compass. Co-designed shared SDK libraries, PCI-DSS security hardening for banking, 25% faster startup.

  3. 2018 – 2020

    Software Engineer, Android

    Easoftech Solutions · Bangalore

    Finance apps with encryption and MVVM. Set up code-quality standards that cut the tech-debt backlog by 35%.

  4. 2015 – 2017

    Android Developer

    Xicom Technologies and Daksha Web Technology · Chandigarh

    Shipped apps from scratch and brought structure to codebases that had none.

KotlinJetpack ComposeCoroutines and FlowMVI / MVVMHiltGradle multi-moduleGemini APIML KitTFLiteReact NativeGitHub ActionsBitrise

Questions people ask

If yours isn't here, just email me.

Do you work with teams outside India?

Yes, fully remote. I'm on IST, which gives a full working-day overlap with Europe and a few hours of overlap with US mornings or evenings.

Will you work inside our process and tools?

Yes. Your repo, your code review, your ticket tracker and your Slack. I adapt to how your team already works rather than bringing a new process.

Do you sign NDAs?

Yes. That's also why the case studies on this page leave out client names.

Can you take over an app with no Android engineer on the team?

Yes. I start with an audit so you know what you have, then keep it healthy, up to date with Google Play requirements, and ready for whoever you hire next.

Do you work on React Native too?

Yes. I've shipped React Native in production and can help with the native Android side of an RN app, like modules, performance and builds.

Are you open to a full-time role?

Yes. I'm looking for a Staff Engineer, Mobile Architect or Android Tech Lead role at a product company. Consulting runs alongside that search, and I'm upfront with clients about it.

Have an Android app that's getting harder to work on?

Tell me what's slowing your team down. I reply within a day, and the first call is free. Hiring for a Staff or Architect role? I'd like to hear about that too.