From Humble Beginnings to Success 🚀: One Developer's Journey to Dev Retro 2022

As I sit down to write this post, I can't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. It's been a challenging year, filled with ups and downs, but through it all, I've learned so much and achieved so much.

HOW IT ALL STARTED.

We all have our humble starting point in the tech industry. My journey into the world of technological advancement all happened due to my curiosity to learn how things worked under the hood in late 2019/2020.

I went from writing codes in a notebook without having in mind what the actual result was 😢 . during this time, I would use my instinct to predict what the result of my program would be, due to the lack of devices then.

However, the lack of resources never made me relent, instead, it serve as a drive to continue my journey 😎.

I never stopped or give up, but instead, look for a different alternative, this is when I had the opportunity to write real codes on a mobile phone for 6+ months ( 2020 )... I would use my mom's phone to write out programs without the need for any online tutorials.. my productivity increased by 30% because it was temporary and wasn't coding regularly...

I would spend sleepless nights writing codes on a mobile phone, learning and researching relevant information within the software engineering space. I did this for over 1+yrs. the rest is just history.

Challenges Faced 🧗‍♂️

One of the biggest challenges I faced this year was the unavailability of resources for my tech journey. I had to get creative and find alternative ways to learn and grow as a developer, despite not having access to the same resources as others. This included things like writing code on a notebook without a device to test it on or using my mom's phone to write code and research information.

I've also faced other challenges, such as the transition to remote work and keeping up with the rapid pace of change in the tech industry. However, these challenges have taught me valuable lessons.

1. Adaptability 🌪️: I learned the importance of being able to adapt to new situations, such as the transition to remote work.

2. Staying up-to-date 📈: I learned the value of staying up-to-date with new technologies and frameworks in the rapidly changing tech industry.

3. Perseverance 💪🏽: I learned the importance of not giving up when faced with obstacles, such as the unavailability of resources.

4. Creativity 🎨: I learned the value of being creative and finding alternative ways to learn and grow as a developer.

5. Hard work and consistency 🏋️‍♀️: I learned the power of staying consistent and hardworking, and how it can help you overcome challenges and achieve your goals.

Achievements & Accomplishments 🏆🚀

During these past 4yrs of becoming an autodidact in the software engineering space, looking back at my humble beginning, only put a smile 😊 and happiness on my face.

I went from being a broke self-taught engineer, to:

1. To have vast knowledge within the field of software engineering, including expertise in cloud and full-stack engineering using technologies such as JavaScript, ReactJS, NodeJS, TypeScript, MongoDB, Docker, MySQL, Linux, PostgreSQL, Prisma ORM, Laravel, PHP, Golang, Python, Git, and more. 🧠📚

   

2. Giving lectures to undergrad final year students in computer science and was involved in building 30+ final year students' projects, while still being a high school grad. 🎓📝

3. Building useful tools that would make our lives as a developer much easier and faster-using 1s and 0s. As a chef who cooks, but not in a kitchen and solve problems for a living using 1s and 0s, I've been able to build multiple tools and applications which make the way we live our lives as developers and non-developers easier than before. These tools/applications were made in 2022. 🛠️

   

   

   

4. Participated in 15+ Hackathons and Won 10+ international hackathons. I had the privilege of winning multiple international hackathons. Also won the Timathon Codejam Competition twice in the same year. 🏆🌍

   Also won an international fintech hackathon powered by Rapyd on Sep 2022 with my team and had the opportunity to showcase our solution live in Portugal to investors. But for some reason, our visa was denied and didn't get the opportunity to do that. 🤝

   

   

   

   

5. Giving a live product pitch at a tech conference with 500+ participants: 🗣️👨‍👩‍👦‍👦

   

   

6. Becoming a finalist among 25,000+ attendees within a fast-paced and challenging internship called HNGI9.: 🏆

   From the first day of the HNGi9 internship, I knew it was going to be a challenge. 😰 But I was determined to put in the effort and see it through to the end.

   And now, as a finalist, I can confidently say that the hard work paid off. From learning new technologies and collaborating with a talented team, to constantly pushing myself to improve and grow, the past few months have been an incredible journey. This was a program I saw 25,000+ or 25K+ applicants apply to, 700+ were able to make it up to finalist 🏃‍♂️ and I was among this 700.. this can only show the power of hard work, consistency and determination.

   

7. Getting my first remote full-stack software engineering job. 🎉💻

   and so much more achievements...

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION 📅🏋️‍♂️.

As 2022 comes to a close, I reflect on how this year has made me a better person than my previous self. I have failed, I have succeeded, I have inspired others, and I have brought smiles to others.

Going into the new year, my resolution is to continue on this path of personal growth and improvement. I resolve to keep working hard and staying consistent, even when faced with challenges. I also resolve to inspire and bring joy to others, just as I have done this year.

I am grateful for all that I have learned and achieved in 2022, and I am excited to see what the new year brings.

I know that with hard work and determination, I can continue to be the best version of myself and make a positive impact on those around me and lastly, become the best among the rest.

CONCLUSION 💡

I haven't reached the stage I would love to be, but I believe that with time, consistency, hard work and trust in God, I would get there.

No one should underestimate the power of consistency and hard work.

I wouldn't be where I am today without these two attributes mentioned above, and I thank God for giving me this privilege and opportunity.

No success without a process. When you eventually get to your destination, you will be grateful for the journey that brought you there. For now, do yourself some good and pick yourself up. There is more to come and If you have not started…... START NOW.

I AM GLAD I HAVE STARTED, I APPRECIATE THE FAILURES SO FAR AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE SUCCESS AHEAD.

If you've taken the time to read all this, thanks for the effort made.

And remember, do not expect everything to happen as you would expect it to, life is made up of Ups and Downs, and it is the courage to continue that counts...