Copyright indiatimes
At an age when most teenagers are focused on exams or preparing for college admissions, Ashish Jha, a young tech enthusiast from Bengaluru, was already exploring the expanding world of Amazon Alexa development. Driven by curiosity and a desire to innovate, he began experimenting with Alexa skills, which are essentially voice-driven applications that enhance Alexa’s functionality.Within just five days, Jha’s creation of a quiz-based Alexa skill titled “Quiz of Thrones” attracted over 200 users, a significant achievement for a self-taught teenager. This success proved his technical skill and creativity, but it also brought an unexpected realisation: Indian developers were not receiving the same level of recognition or incentives that developers in other countries, such as the US, UK, and Germany, enjoyed.This disparity deeply frustrated him. While others were rewarded with bonuses, promotional support, or financial perks, developers in India received none. The sense of unfairness stayed with him and instead of accepting it quietly, he decided to act.How Ashish Jha’s bold email to Jeff Bezos transformed his career and impacted Alexa developers in IndiaIn a moment of boldness mixed with youthful emotion, Jha drafted an email directly to Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos. He later described it as a “childish” act, but it was one that changed the course of his life.His email wasn’t simply a complaint; it was a heartfelt message of gratitude and ambition. Jha thanked Bezos for building a platform like Alexa that empowered developers worldwide. He then explained his experience of building a successful skill but noted his disappointment that Indian developers were being excluded from global rewards and recognition programmes.In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Jha later reflected:“Childish, I know, and the language—ughhh. But this email led the Head Dev Marketing Manager for Alexa to contact me personally, appreciate my work, give me contacts within Amazon, and within a month, they started offering perks in the Indian market to developers.”This single email, written with sincerity and courage, became the spark that ignited a series of life-changing events.How one email inspired Amazon to expand developer perks in IndiaTo his astonishment, Jha’s message reached the right people inside Amazon. The Head of Developer Marketing for Alexa personally reached out to him, praising his initiative and recognising the value of his feedback. Not only did they acknowledge his effort, but they also connected him with internal teams and provided direct contacts within the company.Within one month, Amazon began extending developer perks to India — a change that benefitted not only Jha but thousands of other developers in the region. What had started as a moment of frustration turned into a powerful example of how one person’s voice can drive meaningful change inside a global corporation.This experience also highlighted a key aspect of Jha’s character: his willingness to speak up for fairness and equality in opportunities, even when the odds seemed against him.From teenage developer to key contributor in Amazon’s Alexa communityAfter his initial success, Jha’s relationship with Amazon’s Alexa Developer Community deepened significantly. Over the next five years, he collaborated closely with Amazon’s developer teams, participated in outreach programmes, and helped grow the Indian Alexa ecosystem. His journey from an unknown teenage developer to a recognised member of the global Alexa developer network was a testament to his persistence and dedication. In his post, Jha summed up this chapter of his life with humility and pride:“The next five years, with me, @alexadevs, and the rest, is history you can Google.”Through continuous learning and active contribution, Jha transformed his “childish” email into a career-defining opportunity that positioned him as one of the emerging voices in India’s tech developer community.Also Read | Meet world’s first AI minister Diella giving birth to 83 ‘AI children’ to reshape Albania’s future
