From Chennai’s Coding Prodigy to Silicon Valley Titan: The riveting journey of Prasanna Sankar
In the fast-paced world of technology, where innovation reigns supreme and ambition knows no bounds, few stories shine as brightly as that of Prasanna Sankar. A name synonymous with brilliance, resilience, and entrepreneurial grit, Sankar’s journey from a small-town coder in Chennai to the co-founder of Rippling—a $10 billion workforce management empire—reads like a modern-day epic. With roots in India, a mind sharpened by global tech giants, and a vision that’s reshaping how businesses operate, Prasanna Sankar’s life is a testament to what happens when talent meets tenacity.
Born and raised in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Prasanna Sankaranarayanan—his full name—grew up in a city teeming with culture, chaos, and opportunity. From an early age, he displayed an uncanny knack for problem-solving, a trait that would later define his career. The bustling streets of Chennai, with their blend of tradition and modernity, were the backdrop to his formative years. It was here, amid the hum of a rapidly growing India, that a young Prasanna first discovered his love for technology. Little did he know, this passion would catapult him onto the global stage.
Sankar’s academic journey took him to the prestigious National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Tiruchirappalli, a breeding ground for some of India’s brightest minds. There, he pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, immersing himself in the world of algorithms, code, and innovation. But Prasanna wasn’t just another student—he was a prodigy. During his college years, he dominated the competitive programming circuit, earning the coveted title of India’s #1 coder on TopCoder, a platform revered by tech enthusiasts worldwide. His prowess didn’t stop there; he went on to become a two-time finalist in Google’s prestigious Code Jam and the ACM ICPC world finals, cementing his reputation as a coding genius. It was also at NIT Trichy that fate dealt him another card—meeting Dhivya Sashidhar, who would later become his wife and, eventually, a central figure in a highly publicized personal saga.
After graduating in 2008, Prasanna’s ambitions stretched far beyond India’s borders. His first taste of the global tech scene came in 2006 with an internship at Google, where he glimpsed the inner workings of one of the world’s most innovative companies. The experience was transformative, igniting a hunger to build something of his own. Following his stint at Google, he joined Microsoft Canada, working on the Bing team—a role that sharpened his technical skills and exposed him to the complexities of large-scale software development. Yet, Prasanna wasn’t content to climb the corporate ladder. The entrepreneurial itch was too strong to ignore.
In 2009, at the tender age of 23, Prasanna took his first leap into the startup world with LikeALittle, a campus-based social networking platform he co-founded. The venture was audacious, aiming to connect students in a way that predated the social media boom. At its peak, LikeALittle boasted 20 million page views and even attracted acquisition offers from giants like Google and Facebook—offers Prasanna and his team famously turned down. But the startup landscape is unforgiving, and despite its early promise, LikeALittle eventually faltered. For many, this might have been the end. For Prasanna, it was just the beginning—a lesson in resilience that would shape his future triumphs.
Undeterred, Prasanna’s next chapter unfolded in Silicon Valley, the beating heart of global tech innovation. In 2015, he joined Zenefits, a fast-growing HR tech company, as Director of Engineering. There, he worked alongside Parker Conrad, a visionary entrepreneur whose path would soon intertwine with Prasanna’s in a monumental way. Zenefits was a rocket ship, soaring to a $4 billion valuation in record time. But rapid growth came with cracks—internal missteps led to Conrad’s ousting, and Prasanna, too, parted ways with the company. Yet, from the ashes of Zenefits emerged a new vision, one that would redefine Prasanna’s legacy.
In 2016, Prasanna teamed up with Parker Conrad to co-found Rippling, a workforce management platform designed to streamline HR, IT, and finance operations for businesses. The idea was simple yet revolutionary: unify employee data across disparate systems into one seamless solution. Prasanna, as Chief Technology Officer, poured his technical brilliance into building Rippling’s infrastructure, scaling it from a three-person team to a powerhouse of over 35 engineers in its early days. His philosophy was clear—hire exceptional talent, empower them, and focus on business innovation over technical gimmicks. The result? Rippling became a unicorn in record time, reaching a staggering $10 billion valuation by 2025, with revenues exceeding $100 million. It wasn’t just a company; it was a movement, inspiring founders worldwide to rethink administrative drudgery.
But Prasanna’s story isn’t confined to Rippling’s meteoric rise. In 2020, he stepped away from the company he’d built, leaving behind a legacy of innovation to chase a new frontier. Settling in Singapore, he founded 0xPPL in 2023—a decentralized social network for crypto enthusiasts, dubbed the “Google for web3.” This venture reflected his forward-thinking ethos, blending his love for technology with the transformative potential of blockchain. By indexing all blockchains and making them accessible to users, 0xPPL positioned Prasanna at the cutting edge of the decentralized revolution.
Yet, Prasanna’s journey hasn’t been without turbulence. In 2025, his personal life thrust him into the spotlight as he navigated a bitter divorce and custody battle with his estranged wife, Dhivya Sashidhar. In a series of viral social media posts, Prasanna accused her of infidelity and filing false charges against him, while Dhivya countered with allegations of her own, painting a complex and emotionally charged narrative. Amid this storm, Prasanna’s net worth—estimated at $1 billion by Forbes—stood as a testament to his professional success, even as he fought to protect his family and reputation.
Today, Prasanna Sankar remains a towering figure in tech—a man who turned code into empires, setbacks into stepping stones, and dreams into reality. From Chennai’s dusty streets to Silicon Valley’s gleaming towers, his story is one of unrelenting ambition, proving that true innovation knows no limits. As he continues to shape the future with 0xPPL and beyond, one thing is certain: Prasanna Sankar’s legacy is far from written.