About
Hi, I’m Suma Manjunath—an engineering leader with 20 years of experience delivering scalable, resilient software in tightly regulated industries. I thrive on building systems rooted in automation, observability, and compliance-aligned best practices.
The Journey
I started in QA, where a quality-first mindset shaped how I approach every layer of engineering. That foundation led me into development and, eventually, leadership roles guiding teams through modernization efforts.
I’m especially interested in microservices and distributed systems, AI, and crypto—areas shaping the future of engineering and payments. Exploring service decomposition, resilience patterns, intelligent automation, and digital asset infrastructure excites me because they sit at the intersection of innovation and trust.
Along the way, I’ve also:
- Built payments infrastructure that balances speed with compliance
- Embedded observability and automation across engineering ecosystems
- Guided teams through legacy modernization while keeping production stable
- Defined strategic roadmaps that align technical execution with business goals
This blend of curiosity, delivery, and forward-looking strategy fuels my perspective on building systems that last.
Why I Write
Build Tales is where I share stories from the trenches—practical insights that don’t always make it into polished case studies. All articles are based on real-world engineering practice. Ideas are my own, written with AI assistance for speed, and reviewed by me for accuracy and reliability.
My current series, “How U.S. Payments Really Work,” is a 50+ article survival manual for anyone building platforms that move money. It breaks down the rails—ACH, cards, wires, wallets, faster payments, and crypto—showing how money truly flows through banks, networks, and regulators.
I also write about:
- Engineering leadership — scaling teams without losing culture
- Systems architecture — balancing legacy with modern design patterns
- Payments infrastructure — building platforms that earn trust through compliance and reliability
- Emerging technologies — exploring how AI and crypto are reshaping the engineering and financial landscape
Across these themes, the thread is the same: turning complexity into clarity so engineers can build with confidence.
Beyond the Keyboard
When I’m not untangling systems, you’ll usually find me:
- Enjoying a strong cup of black coffee
- Walking my dog
- Exploring the world through photography
- Experimenting in the kitchen and tending my garden
- Staying curious about AI, wellness, and mindfulness
This balance keeps my leadership grounded and my creativity alive.
👉 At Build Tales, you’ll find lessons, frameworks, and survival patterns for engineers navigating the real world of systems, leadership, payments, and the technologies shaping what comes next.
Community Feedback
This site is about sharing real-world engineering lessons. All the content you find here are my ideas, AI-assisted, and human-reviewed — but if you spot an inaccuracy, please use the contact form to shoot me an email. I rely on the community to keep things sharp.
Let’s Connect
Want to chat fintech strategy, engineering leadership, or share dog-walk stories over a virtual brew? I’d love to connect.
Send me a message
You can also find me on LinkedIn for professional networking.