This will be the first article of our people section featuring individuals on the IT circle and we are proud to introduce one of the best Coldfusion Applications Developer of our time. He is Mr Anuj Gakhar and its our pleasure to share our short interview with him.

How long have you been a ColdFusion programmer?
7.5 years - my first ever project was in CF 3.0 ages ago.

What essential software or application(s) do you require for your work?
Eclipse with Subclipse, SVN, FlexBuiler, SqlServer, XmlSpy and some IM clients

Where have you worked during your time as a programmer?
I must say CF has taken me places. My first job in India was only about a year when I was called upon to work in Saudi Arabia (not one of the best places to be, but definitely a good place to work and learn). After spending 2 years there, I had few options to take up. Moving to Germany or Greece being a few (yes, all CF jobs), I decided to spend some time in Greece at this point and shortly after I came back to India (where I belong), to work with a local company helping them expand their business. A couple years after that, I moved to the UK (yes, again CF) and here I am thinking that I am settled here, but who knows what destiny holds next! So bottom line is, CF has taken me places and I have been able to experience different cultures and countries.

In your opinion, what does ColdFusion have to offer compared to other software development tools?
It’s the easiest and most feature rich technology around and yeah not to mention, very powerful as well. I think anyone with basic programming concepts can start working with CF in under a week and that’s where the power lies.

Do you also do front end website designing?
Very rarely, only when required, I used to do designing but have lost touch. I have a good eye for nice designs but I don’t really call myself a designer.

What do you usually do to relax or unwind?
Ha, Blogging! Recently started blogging and so much into it now. Visit my blog at www.anujgakhar.com , these are my views on CF and Flex and some more. Apart from sitting in front of my PC, I like to cook (only if it’s a weekend), and watch TV (if it’s playing what I want it to and I get the chance to watch what I want). And yeah, I used to be a big fan of Snooker, so I do that whenever I want to brush up my champion-like skills

Have you ever at any point in your career regretted becoming a programmer?
No, I actually like being a programmer, being a technical person, I like being in touch with technology and specially if its cutting edge. Being up-to-date with latest system is what I want to do, especially with the rapid changing face of web. Lately, I am too much into Flex and really like it.

Where do you see yourself in the next 7-10 years?
Well, obviously I see myself growing and progressing in my career like everyone does. But personally, I want to be an entrepreneur working on some cool ideas with smart people around me and if I get that opportunity, I would love to action on that plan.

Can you give us an example of your work which you are really proud of? Explain?
To be honest, I have to be proud of my work to keep myself going otherwise I end up being bored and fall out of interest. Having said that, I have done quite a few challenging tasks most of which revolve around consuming or publishing API’s , which happens to be my speciality. Nothing that I can show off right now but I am working on a project which I will release soon. I think its going to be a good one.

How would you describe yourself?
Myself – hmm, Committed, Dedicated, Hard working and Addicted to computers. Oh, and opinionated as well.

In your opinion, why do other people have the impression that programmers are nerds or if I may say ‘Geeks’? (No offence as I am sometimes classified as one :-))
It’s because of the addiction. People see “us” (programmers) always hanging around the PC and doing stuff that they don’t have a clue about and because most of the real programmers are workaholic, it just gives an impression of a nerd or geek. I don’t mind being called one though

Do you have other interests aside from Web stuff?
Yeah, I like playing Squash and swimming, really enjoy beach holidays (can’t even remember the last one I had though)

If you were given £80K to start a business, what would it be? Why?
If I was given 80K, I would start a product based company. I am not a big fan of being another service provider as I think that’s a saturated market segment. I would definitely end up working on a niche product (obviously web related), the reason being is if I can give all my attention to a product which develops over time and it attracts a good clientele, it can be far more lucrative than providing services to different clients.

To close this interview, can you address a short message to our readers?
The only message I would like to convey is and really believe in is “Never give up, what you think brings you down, actually makes you stronger”.