Khairul Alam

Khairul Alam

Software Engineer (Android)
11+ Years Building Scalable Mobile Applications
Tokyo, Japan  ·  Currently at Rakuten
I'm passionate about building thoughtful digital experiences where great design, solid engineering, and real-world impact come together. I believe the best products are not only functional and reliable, but also intuitive, purposeful, and carefully crafted.
With 11+ years across Japan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, I specialise in scalable Android applications, SDKs, and platform capabilities — spanning Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, Clean Architecture, and large-scale mobile ecosystems. I enjoy turning complex challenges into simple, maintainable solutions, and I'm continuously exploring how AI-assisted development can enhance engineering workflows.
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Work Experience

PeriodDurationCompanyLocation
Feb 2020 – Present
Rakuten, Inc.
Senior Software Engineer (Android)
Tokyo, Japan
Feb 2018 – Jan 2020
2 yrs
Mercari, Inc.
Software Engineer (Android)
Tokyo, Japan
Aug 2015 – Jan 2018
2 yrs 6 mos
Sun Asterisk Vietnam Co., Ltd.
Software Engineer (Android)
Hanoi, Vietnam
Nov 2014 – Jul 2015
9 mos
Lantas Technologies, Inc.
Software Engineer (Android)
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Technical Skills

Skills
  • Kotlin Java MVVM MVP Redux ⬡Clean Architecture ⬡Clean Code ⬡SOLID Modularization Design Language System MiniApps React JavaScript
  • Android SDK Jetpack Compose ViewModel LiveData Room Navigation KTX Widget Coroutines Flow RxJava Dagger Hilt Kodein ⬡Retrofit ⬡OkHttp ⬡Moshi gRPC Glide Coil ⬡Braze Salesforce In-App Purchase Firebase Crashlytics Firebase Analytics Firebase Remote Config Firebase Performance Firebase App Distribution Firebase A/B Testing
  • JUnit Robolectric Mockito Kluent Appium Codecov LeakCanary Timber Stetho Postman ⬡Charles Proxy
  • CircleCI GitHub Actions DeployGate AppCenter Google Play Console
  • Jira Figma Zapier Git GitHub Slack
  • ✦Claude Code ✦Codex ✦AI-Assisted Development ✦AI Debugging & Log Analysis ✦Token-Efficient LLM Workflows

Open Source

Mobile Design System

A small, opinionated, View-based design system for Android in Kotlin, with no Jetpack Compose dependency. Three tiers of tokens, one theme for many brands, light and dark from the same tokens, and accessibility as a default. Built to be read, copied and adapted. Contributions are welcome: fork the repo and open a pull request.

AndroidKotlinDesign systemDesign tokensAccessibility
GitHub ↗ Docs ↗ How to contribute ↗
Android Architecture Examples

One weather app, built six times: MVC, MVP, MVVM, MVI, Redux and VIPER, on shared Clean Architecture layers, one design language and one Firebase library. Same features, same look and same tests, so you can compare the architectures line by line. Includes unit and instrumentation tests, with proof that the data survives rotation and font size changes. Contributions are welcome: fork the repo and open a pull request.

AndroidKotlinArchitectureClean ArchitectureTesting
GitHub ↗
Java SE Paint

A desktop Paint clone in plain Java SE (Swing and AWT) with no external dependencies. Seven switchable looks: macOS Light and Dark, Windows 11, Windows XP, Nimbus, Classic Metal and a Nostalgic layout recreated from a university project. Pencil, brush, shapes, curve, polygon, gradient, selections with copy and paste, undo and zoom. Includes a guide to building a JAR, a macOS app and a Windows installer. Contributions are welcome: fork the repo and open a pull request.

JavaSwingDesktopUI themes
GitHub ↗ Packaging guide ↗

Technical Writing

Articles13 posts

ArticleNEW
Software Licenses Explained: MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL and How to Choose One for Your GitHub Project
What a LICENSE file lets other people do with your code, read line by line using the MIT license as the example. Compares MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL, LGPL, BSD, MPL and public-domain dedications, and shows how to choose one and add it to a GitHub repository.
Open sourceLicensesMITApache 2.0GPL
~20 min readNov 2026
ArticleNEW
From git push to Google Play: The Full Android Release Lifecycle, Told by the Release Manager
The whole journey in eight stations: PR merge, release branch, CI build, Firebase App Distribution or DeployGate, Play internal and closed testing, staged rollout and the announcement, with who watches what, cartoon diagrams and a release-day runbook.
Release managementAndroidCI/CDGoogle PlayDeployGate
~20 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
The Android DevOps Toolbox: CI/CD, Distribution, Install Guides and the Setup Behind AI Agents (MCP)
Why Android engineers need DevOps, and how to install and choose GitHub Actions, CircleCI, Bitrise, Jenkins, fastlane, Firebase App Distribution and DeployGate, plus what MCP and AI agents need to run safely in your pipeline.
DevOpsCI/CDGitHub ActionsBitriseMCP
~22 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Shipping Android Apps Safely: A Release Validation Strategy for Testing, Rollout and Experiments
A senior engineering view of what to test, who owns each gate and when: automated and non-functional checks, dogfooding, internal and closed testing, UAT, staged rollout, and A/B experiments, plus the architecture that makes it cheap.
Release strategyAndroidDogfoodingUATA/B testing
~18 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Build Your Own Android Studio Plugin: Architecture, Templates and a Firebase Distribution Example
How JetBrains and Android Studio plugins are structured: the platform, plugin.xml, the project template, extension points and the dev loop, with a worked example that builds an app and distributes it through Firebase App Distribution.
Android StudioIntelliJ PlatformPluginsKotlinFirebase
~18 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Make Your Own Font: Design a TTF File from Sketch to Install
A friendly, illustrated guide to building a TrueType font: what is inside a font file, letter anatomy, outlines, spacing and kerning, tools, a tiny font built from Python, testing and licensing.
FontsTrueTypeTypographyFontForgefontTools
~20 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Building Effective Agents in Practice: Delivering Jira and Crashlytics Fixes as Pull Requests
Anthropic’s workflow and agent patterns put to work: a Jira ticket, a plain spec or a Firebase Crashlytics crash becomes a tested pull request. Patterns, tool design, automatic prompts and guardrails, with diagrams.
AI agentsBuilding effective agentsJiraCrashlyticsCI/CD
~15 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Terminal Mastery with Claude Code and Codex: Commands, Flags, Shortcuts and Scripts
Everything you can do from the command line with Claude Code and the Codex CLI: sessions, slash commands, shortcuts, flags, permissions and sandboxes, pipes and JSON scripting, background agents, worktrees and shell aliases.
Claude CodeCodex CLITerminalScriptingShortcuts
~30 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Configuring AI Coding Agents: Subagents, Agent Teams, JSON and Markdown Files
Define subagents as Markdown, JSON or TOML, run and monitor them in the terminal, set up a team of subagents, and use Claude Code agent teams and Codex custom agents safely. With diagrams and ready prompts.
SubagentsAgent teamsClaude CodeCodexConfiguration
~25 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Version Control, Git and Branching Strategies: Which Workflow Fits Which Team
What a VCS is, how Git works, the alternatives (Subversion, Perforce, Mercurial, Jujutsu), the right branching strategy for each situation, and the best tools for Git. With diagrams.
GitVersion controlBranchingGit FlowTools
~30 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Build and Ship a Desktop App with Java SE: A Hands-On Guide for CS Students
Build a Notes app with Java SE and Swing, learn event-driven programming and threading, test it with JUnit, and package it with jar, jlink and jpackage. Includes a reading map for the Deitel and Deitel book.
Java SESwingJavaFXjpackageStudents
~35 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Testing Android Apps: The Test Pyramid, JUnit, UI Automation and TDD
The test pyramid, JUnit 4 and 5, a map of the testing libraries, instrumentation and UI tests with Espresso and Compose, Appium, fixing flaky tests, and the pros and cons of TDD, with Kotlin examples.
TestingJUnitEspressoAppiumTDD
~35 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Write It Before You Build It: A Practical Guide to Design Docs
What a design doc is, what goes in it, a full worked example, a template you can copy, the benefits and costs, and when not to write one.
Design docsSoftware designTeamworkTemplates
~15 min readOct 2026
ArticleNEW
Mobile System Design: A Practical Guide for Android Engineers
A six-step framework for designing mobile systems: requirements, API, data, architecture, caching, offline-first sync, performance, security and release, with worked designs for a feed, a chat app and live tracking.
System designAndroidOffline-first
~30 min readOct 2026
Article
Building a private AI chat app for Android: local models, online models, and shipping to Google Play
How a chat app can run a language model on the phone, call an online model, fall back between them, and reach the Play Store: the theory, the architecture, a tiny model of your own, and the pitfalls.
AndroidOn-device AIllama.cppGoogle Play
~25 min readOct 2026

Series6 series, 48 parts

Series · 13 partsNEW
Coding style: Clean Code, SOLID, Software Design Patterns, Clean Architecture, MVP, MVVM and Redux
One path through how good code is written and organised, from naming a variable to choosing an app architecture. It starts with Clean Code, SOLID and design patterns, then moves up to Clean Architecture and the MVP, MVVM and VIPER presentation patterns, all with Kotlin examples.
Clean CodeSOLIDSoftware design patternsClean ArchitectureMVPMVVMVIPER
~5 hours of readingOct 2026
Series · 9 partsNEW
Data structures, algorithms and programming patterns, with Kotlin Playground exercises
A hands-on starter guide for computer science students. It covers Big-O, arrays and hashing, stacks, queues and linked lists, trees, heaps, graphs, sorting, recursion and dynamic programming, and the reusable patterns for solving problems. Every part has diagrams, runnable Kotlin and tested exercises.
Data structuresAlgorithmsBig-OKotlinFor beginners
~5.75 hours with exercisesOct 2026
Series · 6 partsNEW
Building a design system for Android Views, with working code
How to design tokens, components, screen templates and documentation for an Android app without Jetpack Compose, with every claim backed by a running open-source example: github.com/liconrepo/MobileDesignSystem. Reading time only: cloning the repo and trying each part's exercises adds 15 to 30 minutes.
Design systemAndroidKotlinDesign tokensAccessibilityOpen source
~45 min of readingOct 2026
Series · 8 partsNEW
Claude Code, from first install to a project that remembers
A two-level series. Beginner: getting started safely, giving Claude lasting memory with CLAUDE.md, spending fewer tokens, and finding the official docs, models and API. Advanced: day-to-day prompting and git, MCP, subagents and plugins, automation and teams, and a learning path. Reading time only: the exercises and the first-week plan add 20 to 40 minutes of hands-on practice a day.
Claude CodeCLAUDE.mdTokensMCPGitHub ActionsClaude API
~3 hours of readingOct 2026
Series · 8 partsNEW
Codex, from first install to a project that remembers
A two-level series on OpenAI Codex, built like the Claude Code series. Beginner: getting started safely, giving Codex lasting memory with AGENTS.md, spending fewer tokens, and finding the official docs, models and API. Advanced: day-to-day prompting and git, MCP, subagents, skills and plugins, automation and teams, and a learning path. Reading time only: the exercises and the first-week plan add 20 to 40 minutes of hands-on practice a day. Checked against the official docs on 18 October 2026.
CodexAGENTS.mdTokensMCPGitHub ActionsOpenAI API
~3.5 hours of readingOct 2026
Series · 4 partsNEW
Firebase for mobile apps: the tools behind a healthy release
An overview of four Firebase tools every mobile team meets: Remote Config, Analytics, App Distribution and Crashlytics. Each part explains what the tool does, with diagrams and a tiny example, and links to Google’s official setup guide instead of repeating it.
FirebaseRemote ConfigAnalyticsApp DistributionCrashlytics
~30 min of readingOct 2026

Quicksheets2 posts

QuicksheetNEW
Git Quicksheet: Commands, Undo Recipes and Branching on One Page
The Git commands you use most, grouped by task: setup, branches, merge and rebase, remotes, undo and recovery, stash, tags and debugging, plus a quick branching strategy guide.
QuicksheetGitBranching
~8 min skimOct 2026
QuicksheetNEW
Patterns Quicksheet: Architecture, Design Patterns and DSA on One Page
127 patterns in one searchable list: Android architecture, design principles, 53 software design patterns and 49 DSA patterns, each with a short description, a popular mark and a link to learn more.
QuicksheetArchitectureDesign patternsDSA
~10 min skimOct 2026

Livefeeds1 post

Live feedNEW
LLM Models: a daily-updated list of language models
Language models from companies around the world, on an interactive world map and in a searchable list: filter by free, paid or open weights, and compare prices, context size and release dates. Refreshed every day.
LLMAI modelsPricingOpen weights
Updated dailyOct 2026

Archive23 earlier posts on Viblo

Education

University of Rajshahi logo
Bachelor of Science — Computer Science & Engineering
University of Rajshahi
Bangladesh
2010 – 2014

Leadership & Collaboration

🎯

Drive alignment and transparency through Agile ceremonies, proactive risk mitigation, and clear prioritisation across stakeholders.

📚

Lead technical workshops sharing Android best practices, new technologies, and engineering patterns across teams.

🤝

Mentor engineers through code reviews and onboarding, contributing to faster ramp-up and a stronger engineering culture.

💡

Navigate ambiguity with open discussion and a solution-first approach to technical and organisational challenges.

Loves To

✍️Writing / Coding
Turning ideas into articles and code.
🥾Hiking
Fresh air and long trails.
🎱Billiards
Angles, patience and a steady hand.
🏏Cricket
Teamwork out on the pitch.
💻Hackathons
Building fast with great people.

Get In Touch

Have a project, question, or just want to say hello? Send me a message and it will be delivered straight to my inbox at licon.cseru10@gmail.com.

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