Vikash Singh

Knowing your salary floor is step 1. Knowing how to negotiate it is step 2. Here's what actually works 🧵 Rule 1: Never give a number first. Let them anchor. You counter. Rule 2: Always negotiate the offer. First offer is never the final offer. Every company expects pushback. Rule 3: Use competing offers. Nothing moves a number faster than another number on the table. Rule 4: Negotiate beyond salary. Base is just one part. -> Joining bonus -> Stock options -> Remote flexibility -> Learning budget -> Early appraisal Rule 5: Know your BATNA. Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. If you have no other option, your leverage is zero. Always be interviewing. The line that works: "I'm very excited about this role. Based on my research and experience, I was expecting something closer to X. Is there flexibility there?" Polite. Direct. Effective. The mindset shift: Negotiation isn't confrontation. It's just a conversation about value. Know yours. Ask for it. 🎯

Most devs know HashMap. Few know when NOT to use it. Here's the complete Map guide nobody teaches 🧵 HashMap -> Fast. O(1) lookups. -> No order guarantee. -> Use when order doesn't matter. LinkedHashMap -> Same speed as HashMap. -> Preserves insertion order. -> Use when sequence matters. TreeMap -> Sorted by key automatically. -> O(log n) - slower than HashMap. -> Use when you need sorted keys. The decision tree: Need fast lookups, order doesn't matter? -> HashMap Need fast lookups + insertion order? -> LinkedHashMap Need keys sorted? -> TreeMap Need thread safety? -> ConcurrentHashMap The mistake most devs make: Using HashMap everywhere by default. Then debugging weird ordering bugs for hours. Pick the right Map. Not just the first one you remember. 🎯

Most devs know Load Balancers exist. Few know how to pick the right algorithm. Here's the complete guide 🧵 Round Robin -> Requests distributed equally, one by one. -> Simple. Fast. No intelligence. -> Use when all servers are identical. Least Connections -> Routes to the server with fewest active requests. -> Smarter than Round Robin. -> Use when requests vary in processing time. IP Hash -> Same client always hits the same server. -> Sticky sessions by design. -> Use when session state lives on the server. Weighted Routing -> Powerful servers get more traffic. -> You assign weights manually. -> Use when servers have different capacities. Consistent Hashing -> Distributes based on a hash ring. -> Minimal redistribution when servers go down. -> Use in distributed caches and microservices. The question nobody asks first: Are your backends stateless or stateful? Stateless -> any algorithm works. Stateful -> you need sticky routing. That one question changes everything. The decision tree: Equal servers, simple traffic -> Round Robin Variable request cost -> Least Connections Session-based app -> IP Hash Different server capacity -> Weighted Distributed systems -> Consistent Hashing Pick the algorithm that matches the problem. Not the one you remember first. 🎯

Minimum Salaries You Should Be Targeting in Software Development (India) - End of 2026 If you're in tech, here are the baseline numbers you should be aiming for based on experience: • 2 years -> ₹10 LPA • 5 years -> ₹22 LPA • 7 years -> ₹30 LPA • 10 years -> ₹42 LPA • 12 years -> ₹50 LPA • 15 years -> ₹70 LPA These aren't aspirational figures - these are the floor. If your current package is below your bracket, it's not just a number problem. It's a signal to upskill, switch, negotiate, or all three. Your experience has value. Make sure your salary reflects it.