लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु
Lokāḥ Samastāḥ Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings find happiness and freedom. May my actions help bring joy and liberation to everyone.
Hey there, I'm Balakumar Muthu, an International Award-Winning Technologist, TEDx Fellow, and Entrepreneur recognized with the Top 50 Asia Innovation Award from SingTel Singapore, Top 100 Startups Award from NASSCOM, First Prize Winner of the Java Master Award & Duke's Choice Award from Sun Microsystems and BenQ Siemens Germany, and the Red Herring Asia Award for technology innovation.
With over 19+ years as a multidisciplinary software consultant and architect specializing in UI/UX design and product engineering, I've worked with businesses ranging from B2B/B2C startups and SMEs to enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, with a particular focus on Japanese companies. I have extensive experience in designing, building, and scaling exceptional web applications, SaaS platforms, e-commerce sites, community and Social Networking Services (SNS), online marketplaces, and enterprise applications to address both technology and business challenges across various domains.
I specialize in most aspects of web business, including Product creativity, design, development, strategy, and scaling growth. Throughout my entrepreneurial career, I've launched various startups, successfully scaled businesses from scratch to successful exits, and also learned invaluable lessons from ventures that didn't succeed. Each experience has deepened my commitment to building user-centric solutions that create meaningful impact and lasting connections in the technology and business ecosystem. Listing some of my notable previous startups and ventures:
LoveLogger⏵ As an entrepreneur, my journey began in 2007 when I founded LoveLogger, the world's first private pair-blogging social platform for any two people, which received a massive viral response from China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.
LoveLogger was awarded the "Asia's Top 50 Apps Award" from SingTel Singapore and the "Red Herring Asia Award" for Technology Innovation. I designed and developed the complete idea, UI/UX Design, architectural framework, and web cloud hosting for the LoveLogger website, successfully scaling the platform from zero to over 80,000 users before its acquisition.
LoveLogger was featured in many prestigious internet magazines, including Yahoo! Japan, MSN Japan, Infoseek, Japan.Internet.com, Livedoor.com, Sina.com, and various other popular Asian publishers. Learn More »
Coworkable ⏵ In 2013, I founded Coworkable, an early pioneer in the coworking space industry. Coworkable is a global network and community for discovering and renting affordable, accessible Coworking spaces, Shared office spaces, desks, Business centers, and meeting rooms in the Asia-Pacific region.
Coworkable gained significant recognition in the startup ecosystem, being selected as one of the Top Startups at the NASSCOM Product Conclave. I designed and developed the entire UI/UX, architectural framework, and web cloud hosting for the Coworkable website, successfully scaling the platform from zero to listings from 387 cities across 42 countries in the Asia-Pacific region before its successful exit. Coworkable.com also served team members from various leading global organizations including Google, Zoho, Citibank, BBC News, JLL, Serv Corp, and Coca-Cola.
Coworkable also forged strategic partnerships and collaborated with prominent organizations, including World Startup Fest, Coworking Europe Conference, Global Coworking Unconference Conference (China), Startup Weekend, BarCamp Bengaluru, YourStory TechSparks, Coworking India Conference, World Office Expo Conference, BITS Pilani's Conquest Entrepreneurial Center, Devspace Conference by VIT & Computer Society of India, STARup Summit, Tomorrow's India Conference, and Construkt Startup Festival, among others (view full list). Learn More »
Note ⏵ My current ongoing ventures are not listed here for business reasons.
UI/UX Product Engineering ⏵ Expertise in crafting human-centered, intuitive experiences through Design Thinking, User Research, Cognitive Science, User Experience (UX) Design, User Interface (UI) Design, Interaction Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Information Architecture, Product Design, Frontend Design, Dashboard & Portal Design, Typography, Color Theory, Branding, and Accessibility
Full-Stack Product Development ⏵ Building and scaling exceptional experiences across Web applications, SaaS platforms, E-commerce, online marketplaces, social networks, payment gateway integration, content management systems (CMS) and enterprise applications.
Server & Cloud Infrastructure ⏵ Cloud Computing, Open-Source Technologies, Linux Server Administration, Ubuntu Server, Linode Cloud Server, Web Hosting & Server Setup, LAMP Stack, Apache, Docker, Server Administration, Server Hardening, Firewall Configuration, Web Security, DNS Management, Email Server Setup, Backup & Recovery, Server Migration, and Server Monitoring.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Emerging Technologies ⏵ Building intelligent automation, AI-driven products, Generative AI (Gen AI), Large Language Models (LLMs), AI Agents, Prompt Engineering, Computer Vision (CV), Open Source AI Models, Robotics, and non-fungible tokens(NFTs).
Growth Hacking & Digital Marketing ⏵ Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Copywriting, Creative Campaign Development, Landing Page Optimization, Marketing Automation, Google Analytics, Keyword Research, Market Share Analysis, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising, Google Ads, and Brand Positioning.
Industry Domains ⏵ Experience spans across multiple industry domains, including Education Technology (EdTech), Social Networking Services (SNS), Retail Technology (RetailTech), Real Estate Technology (PropTech), Job Portals & Recruitment Platforms, Logistics & Supply Chain Technology, Content Management Systems (CMS), and Cloud Architecture.
Google India ⏵ Selected me as one of the Top 5 Finalists for Google India - Interview after 8 rounds of challenging and rigorous technical interviews out of 16,000+ total applicants. Created Google Kids, search engine prototype for Kids — which I demonstrated during the Google India interview.
NASSCOM ⏵ Top 100 Startups Award – Selected my Startup as one of the "Top 100 Startups" to get showcased at NASSCOM Product Conclave (NCP), Asia's largest platform for Product and Startup Companies to connect with Software Product leaders.
SingTel - Asia's Top 50 Apps Award ⏵ My Previous Startup LoveLogger, the world's first Collaborative Blogging & Private Network for Pairs, was awarded the “Asia's Top 50 Apps 2011 Award” (winner lists) from SingTel, Singapore and the Winner of "Red Herring Asia Award" for Technology Innovation. It was also featured in many popular magazines & portals from Japan, Korea, and China.
Java Master Award ⏵ First Prize Winner of "Java Master Award " contest, conducted by Sun Microsystems and BenQ Siemens Germany. Received Sun Microsystems Duke's Choice Awards - 10 Year Celebration of Java Technology and Sun Microsystems appreciation for my contribution to the early versions of Java Platform.
TEDx Fellow ⏵ Recognized for innovative thinking and selected to share ideas worth spreading that inspire change on the TEDx stage.
Certified Yoga Instructor ⏵ An Officially Certified Yoga Instructor and Practitioner Specializing in Hatha Yoga. As an alumnus of Ramakrishna Mission, I approach yoga as a profound lifelong journey of learning and self-discovery. My yoga practice is rooted in the holistic teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, and the Swami Sivananda tradition.
Korea Honorary Reporter ⏵ Selected as the Official Honorary Reporter for the Korean Culture and Information Service of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote South Korea to Indian audiences by showcasing its travel, culture, and food through my articles.
Top Tech Blogger, India ⏵ I started tech blogging in 2002 during my early days and listed as the 'Top 30 Tech blogger' by 'Blog Street India' and rated as the 'Top 50 Tech Blogger' by 'Blogs Top List'. My Tech blog is also listed as Favorite Blog lists at their Official Sun Microsystems Web Blog. My Tech blog posts have also been featured at Google Blogoscoped.com, Netscape.com, Java.net, Webpronews, Planet Mozilla, Linux Toy and few other popular blogs.
W3C HTML5 Working Group & Internet Society (ISOC) India ⏵ Served as an early contributing member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) HTML5 Working Group, which was responsible for developing the HTML5 specification and advancing it to formal W3C Recommendation status. Also a member of the Internet Society (ISOC) India Chapter, supporting internet development and advocacy .
Wikipedian ⏵ Contributed to 100+ Wikipedia pages across Computer and Internet Technology topics including software development, web technologies, programming languages, networking protocols, and emerging tech trends, improving technical knowledge accessibility for a global audience.
I travel extensively, mostly on solo trips, and love backpacking and trekking. I'm deeply drawn to minimalism and simple living, and have zero presence on most social media platforms. I enjoy immersing myself in exploration, photography and nature, and love reading books. I'm fascinated by the depth of Vedanta, Yoga, and Zen philosophy, art, and culture, particularly Indian, Japanese, and Korean traditions. I love spending time with my dog and tinkering with personal DIY projects. I'm also a huge fan of classic Western movies and comics.
As a strong supporter of the open source and free software movement, I have had the privilege of meeting with influential pioneers in the field, including Richard Stallman (RMS), founder of GNU and the Free Software Foundation, and David Axmark, Cofounder and VP of MySQL at IIT Madras and Jimmy Wales cofounder of Wikipedia at WikiCamp Chennai for spreading the open source and free software movement.
I co-organized and active supporter of the early edition of Mozilla Firefox Party India, celebrating the Firefox 2 release, along with IdeaCamp Pune, BarCamp, BlogCamp, - Unconferences to regular attendee of major tech conferences including Sun TechDays, BEA Dev2Dev Days, Oracle Developer Forum, Google Developer Days and many other tech conferences.
Brand designer of the first edition of DevCamp India Unconference Official event brand and WikiCamp conference India event brand, participated by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. Being a big supporter of Linux - Ubuntu & Open source movement, organized the "Ubuntu Dapper Drake T-Shirts Contest" to create more awareness and interest for the early versions of Ubuntu Linux.
Made my own blogging site at Yahoo! Geocities as geocities.com/i5bala (screenshots) in early 2002.
Casual Walker : Travel & Culture Photography Journal – Casual Walker is my personal travel and culture photography journal where I document unique visual stories and create insightful guides on travel, traditions, heritage, spirituality, arts, Indian temples, museums, yoga, cuisine, performances, nature, wildlife, and more. At Casual Walker, I've authored over 650+ travel photo guides, and it's been recognized as one of the Top 50 Travel Blogs in India. My work has been featured in Hinduism Today Magazine, British Council India, The Better India, Times of India, Puthiya Thalaimurai TV, Thanthi TV, Citizen Matters, and various other media.
I'm passionate about connecting with fellow entrepreneurs, innovative minds, and creative thinkers. Whether you have a project in mind or you're looking for a UI/UX product designer, design advisor, or long-term design partner—feel free to drop me a line. I enjoy meeting new folks, discussing startup strategies and product engineering, and personally respond to every message.
With over 19+ years as a multidisciplinary software consultant and architect specializing in UI/UX design and product engineering, I've worked with businesses ranging from B2B/B2C startups and SMEs to enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, with a particular focus on Japanese companies. I have extensive experience in designing, building, and scaling exceptional web applications, SaaS platforms, e-commerce sites, community and Social Networking Services (SNS), online marketplaces, and enterprise applications to address both technology and business challenges across various domains.
My Entrepreneurial Journey
↪ some of my notable early startups and ventures
I specialize in most aspects of web business, including Product creativity, design, development, strategy, and scaling growth. Throughout my entrepreneurial career, I've launched various startups, successfully scaled businesses from scratch to successful exits, and also learned invaluable lessons from ventures that didn't succeed. Each experience has deepened my commitment to building user-centric solutions that create meaningful impact and lasting connections in the technology and business ecosystem. Listing some of my notable previous startups and ventures:
LoveLogger⏵ As an entrepreneur, my journey began in 2007 when I founded LoveLogger, the world's first private pair-blogging social platform for any two people, which received a massive viral response from China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.
LoveLogger was awarded the "Asia's Top 50 Apps Award" from SingTel Singapore and the "Red Herring Asia Award" for Technology Innovation. I designed and developed the complete idea, UI/UX Design, architectural framework, and web cloud hosting for the LoveLogger website, successfully scaling the platform from zero to over 80,000 users before its acquisition.
LoveLogger was featured in many prestigious internet magazines, including Yahoo! Japan, MSN Japan, Infoseek, Japan.Internet.com, Livedoor.com, Sina.com, and various other popular Asian publishers. Learn More »
Coworkable ⏵ In 2013, I founded Coworkable, an early pioneer in the coworking space industry. Coworkable is a global network and community for discovering and renting affordable, accessible Coworking spaces, Shared office spaces, desks, Business centers, and meeting rooms in the Asia-Pacific region.
Coworkable gained significant recognition in the startup ecosystem, being selected as one of the Top Startups at the NASSCOM Product Conclave. I designed and developed the entire UI/UX, architectural framework, and web cloud hosting for the Coworkable website, successfully scaling the platform from zero to listings from 387 cities across 42 countries in the Asia-Pacific region before its successful exit. Coworkable.com also served team members from various leading global organizations including Google, Zoho, Citibank, BBC News, JLL, Serv Corp, and Coca-Cola.
Coworkable also forged strategic partnerships and collaborated with prominent organizations, including World Startup Fest, Coworking Europe Conference, Global Coworking Unconference Conference (China), Startup Weekend, BarCamp Bengaluru, YourStory TechSparks, Coworking India Conference, World Office Expo Conference, BITS Pilani's Conquest Entrepreneurial Center, Devspace Conference by VIT & Computer Society of India, STARup Summit, Tomorrow's India Conference, and Construkt Startup Festival, among others (view full list). Learn More »
Note ⏵ My current ongoing ventures are not listed here for business reasons.
My Core Tech Expertise
↪ end-to-end web applications are my specialization—ux/ui design, development, and scaling
UI/UX Product Engineering ⏵ Expertise in crafting human-centered, intuitive experiences through Design Thinking, User Research, Cognitive Science, User Experience (UX) Design, User Interface (UI) Design, Interaction Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Information Architecture, Product Design, Frontend Design, Dashboard & Portal Design, Typography, Color Theory, Branding, and Accessibility
Full-Stack Product Development ⏵ Building and scaling exceptional experiences across Web applications, SaaS platforms, E-commerce, online marketplaces, social networks, payment gateway integration, content management systems (CMS) and enterprise applications.
Server & Cloud Infrastructure ⏵ Cloud Computing, Open-Source Technologies, Linux Server Administration, Ubuntu Server, Linode Cloud Server, Web Hosting & Server Setup, LAMP Stack, Apache, Docker, Server Administration, Server Hardening, Firewall Configuration, Web Security, DNS Management, Email Server Setup, Backup & Recovery, Server Migration, and Server Monitoring.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Emerging Technologies ⏵ Building intelligent automation, AI-driven products, Generative AI (Gen AI), Large Language Models (LLMs), AI Agents, Prompt Engineering, Computer Vision (CV), Open Source AI Models, Robotics, and non-fungible tokens(NFTs).
Growth Hacking & Digital Marketing ⏵ Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Copywriting, Creative Campaign Development, Landing Page Optimization, Marketing Automation, Google Analytics, Keyword Research, Market Share Analysis, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising, Google Ads, and Brand Positioning.
Industry Domains ⏵ Experience spans across multiple industry domains, including Education Technology (EdTech), Social Networking Services (SNS), Retail Technology (RetailTech), Real Estate Technology (PropTech), Job Portals & Recruitment Platforms, Logistics & Supply Chain Technology, Content Management Systems (CMS), and Cloud Architecture.
Awards & Recognitions
↪ some of my selected honors and achievements
Google India ⏵ Selected me as one of the Top 5 Finalists for Google India - Interview after 8 rounds of challenging and rigorous technical interviews out of 16,000+ total applicants. Created Google Kids, search engine prototype for Kids — which I demonstrated during the Google India interview.
NASSCOM ⏵ Top 100 Startups Award – Selected my Startup as one of the "Top 100 Startups" to get showcased at NASSCOM Product Conclave (NCP), Asia's largest platform for Product and Startup Companies to connect with Software Product leaders.
SingTel - Asia's Top 50 Apps Award ⏵ My Previous Startup LoveLogger, the world's first Collaborative Blogging & Private Network for Pairs, was awarded the “Asia's Top 50 Apps 2011 Award” (winner lists) from SingTel, Singapore and the Winner of "Red Herring Asia Award" for Technology Innovation. It was also featured in many popular magazines & portals from Japan, Korea, and China.
Java Master Award ⏵ First Prize Winner of "Java Master Award " contest, conducted by Sun Microsystems and BenQ Siemens Germany. Received Sun Microsystems Duke's Choice Awards - 10 Year Celebration of Java Technology and Sun Microsystems appreciation for my contribution to the early versions of Java Platform.
TEDx Fellow ⏵ Recognized for innovative thinking and selected to share ideas worth spreading that inspire change on the TEDx stage.
Certified Yoga Instructor ⏵ An Officially Certified Yoga Instructor and Practitioner Specializing in Hatha Yoga. As an alumnus of Ramakrishna Mission, I approach yoga as a profound lifelong journey of learning and self-discovery. My yoga practice is rooted in the holistic teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, and the Swami Sivananda tradition.
Korea Honorary Reporter ⏵ Selected as the Official Honorary Reporter for the Korean Culture and Information Service of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote South Korea to Indian audiences by showcasing its travel, culture, and food through my articles.
Top Tech Blogger, India ⏵ I started tech blogging in 2002 during my early days and listed as the 'Top 30 Tech blogger' by 'Blog Street India' and rated as the 'Top 50 Tech Blogger' by 'Blogs Top List'. My Tech blog is also listed as Favorite Blog lists at their Official Sun Microsystems Web Blog. My Tech blog posts have also been featured at Google Blogoscoped.com, Netscape.com, Java.net, Webpronews, Planet Mozilla, Linux Toy and few other popular blogs.
W3C HTML5 Working Group & Internet Society (ISOC) India ⏵ Served as an early contributing member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) HTML5 Working Group, which was responsible for developing the HTML5 specification and advancing it to formal W3C Recommendation status. Also a member of the Internet Society (ISOC) India Chapter, supporting internet development and advocacy .
Wikipedian ⏵ Contributed to 100+ Wikipedia pages across Computer and Internet Technology topics including software development, web technologies, programming languages, networking protocols, and emerging tech trends, improving technical knowledge accessibility for a global audience.
Personal Interests
↪ my favorite hobbies, activities, and passions
I travel extensively, mostly on solo trips, and love backpacking and trekking. I'm deeply drawn to minimalism and simple living, and have zero presence on most social media platforms. I enjoy immersing myself in exploration, photography and nature, and love reading books. I'm fascinated by the depth of Vedanta, Yoga, and Zen philosophy, art, and culture, particularly Indian, Japanese, and Korean traditions. I love spending time with my dog and tinkering with personal DIY projects. I'm also a huge fan of classic Western movies and comics.
Early Community Engagement & Open Source Advocacy
↪ my favorite hobbies, activities, and passions
As a strong supporter of the open source and free software movement, I have had the privilege of meeting with influential pioneers in the field, including Richard Stallman (RMS), founder of GNU and the Free Software Foundation, and David Axmark, Cofounder and VP of MySQL at IIT Madras and Jimmy Wales cofounder of Wikipedia at WikiCamp Chennai for spreading the open source and free software movement.
I co-organized and active supporter of the early edition of Mozilla Firefox Party India, celebrating the Firefox 2 release, along with IdeaCamp Pune, BarCamp, BlogCamp, - Unconferences to regular attendee of major tech conferences including Sun TechDays, BEA Dev2Dev Days, Oracle Developer Forum, Google Developer Days and many other tech conferences.
Brand designer of the first edition of DevCamp India Unconference Official event brand and WikiCamp conference India event brand, participated by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. Being a big supporter of Linux - Ubuntu & Open source movement, organized the "Ubuntu Dapper Drake T-Shirts Contest" to create more awareness and interest for the early versions of Ubuntu Linux.
Made my own blogging site at Yahoo! Geocities as geocities.com/i5bala (screenshots) in early 2002.
Casual Walker : Travel & Culture Photography Journal – Casual Walker is my personal travel and culture photography journal where I document unique visual stories and create insightful guides on travel, traditions, heritage, spirituality, arts, Indian temples, museums, yoga, cuisine, performances, nature, wildlife, and more. At Casual Walker, I've authored over 650+ travel photo guides, and it's been recognized as one of the Top 50 Travel Blogs in India. My work has been featured in Hinduism Today Magazine, British Council India, The Better India, Times of India, Puthiya Thalaimurai TV, Thanthi TV, Citizen Matters, and various other media.
CONTACT ME
↪ send me a message drop me a line and let's talk
I'm passionate about connecting with fellow entrepreneurs, innovative minds, and creative thinkers. Whether you have a project in mind or you're looking for a UI/UX product designer, design advisor, or long-term design partner—feel free to drop me a line. I enjoy meeting new folks, discussing startup strategies and product engineering, and personally respond to every message.
Early Community Engagement & Open Source Advocacy
As a strong supporter of the open source and free software movement, I have had the privilege of meeting with influential pioneers in the field, including Richard Stallman (RMS), founder of GNU and the Free Software Foundation, and David Axmark, Cofounder and VP of MySQL at IIT Madras and Jimmy Wales cofounder of Wikipedia at WikiCamp Chennai for spreading the open source and free software movement.
I co-organized and active supporter of the early edition of Mozilla Firefox Party India, celebrating the Firefox 2 release, along with IdeaCamp Pune, BarCamp, BlogCamp, - Unconferences to regular attendee of major tech conferences including Sun TechDays, BEA Dev2Dev Days, Oracle Developer Forum, Google Developer Days and many other tech conferences.
Brand designer of the first edition of DevCamp India Unconference Official event brand and WikiCamp conference India event brand, participated by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales.
Being a big supporter of Linux - Ubuntu & Open source movement, organized the "Ubuntu Dapper Drake T-Shirts Contest" to create more awareness and interest for the early versions of Ubuntu Linux.
Made my own blogging site at Yahoo! Geocities as geocities.com/i5bala (screenshots) in early 2002.
Brand designer of the first edition of DevCamp India Unconference Official event brand and WikiCamp conference India event brand, participated by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales.
Being a big supporter of Linux - Ubuntu & Open source movement, organized the "Ubuntu Dapper Drake T-Shirts Contest" to create more awareness and interest for the early versions of Ubuntu Linux.
Made my own blogging site at Yahoo! Geocities as geocities.com/i5bala (screenshots) in early 2002.
My Works featured at press / media
My works have been featured & covered by ZDNet Asia, Economic Times, British Council India, Times of India (TOI), Citizen Matters, Yahoo! Japan, MSN Japan, Infoseek, Japan.Internet.com, Livedoor.com, Google Blogoscoped, Netscape.com, Java.net, Webpronews, Planet Mozilla, Linux Toy, DeveloperIQ, Sina.com and many other popular Asian publishers. Java.net published my Java Duke Holiday Pictures from 1000's of submission.
My Current Reading List: Books
❝ If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.❞
My Travel & Culture Photography
Contact & Reach me
Want to work together, grabbing a coffee, or say hello? Good! personally, I have zero presence on Facebook or Twitter. You can ping and text me:
Self - made man
the statue I greatly admire & the principle I strongly believe
“... left to his own devices, man will use his god-given talents to be creative, productive, & prosperous...”