Learning to code
Growing up, I never wanted to be “technical”. I never thought I could be.
The problem was self-perception. I didn’t see myself as “the sort of person” who grew up to be a software engineer. Sure, I placed top three at state math competitions and went to summer camps for game theory + physics. But that was nothing compared to people who could TALK TO COMPUTERS... they were another species!
Then, three years ago I realized I wasn’t going to achieve my goals unless I learned how to code. I wanted to work for a startup, but I had nothing to offer. Startups don’t need talkers. They need doers. Builders.
So I woke up one day and said: F— it.
I quit my job, signed up for a bootcamp, and nine months later convinced a little company called Topline Pro to hire me as employee #6. I knew learning to code would open doors; however, never in a million years did I expect to have as much fun coding as I do every day. The last 2.5 years have been by far the best of my career. But even more than that, they've taught me that it's possible to fundamentally change your self-identity. In fact, if you aim high enough, it's nearly unavoidable that your self-identity will have to change.
As with all good things, though, this chapter is coming to a close. In two weeks, I'm moving to SF to join a hacker house. Pretty crazy to think that the 26-year-old who thought HTML looked like hieroglyphics is now moving to the technological capital of the world to join a hacker house. I can't wait.