Ten years ago, I graduated with a computer science degree (June 2015), ready to start my career. It feels like a lifetime ago, but also like it was just yesterday. Looking back on the last decade, I’m surprised by how much has changed, not just in technology, but in me. This is a story about that journey.

My first real taste of the industry was a short-term project right out of college. We were building a new tool for interactive online presentations. It was then I hit my first major wall: the huge gap between what you learn in school and what it takes to get something working in the real world.

But in the middle of that challenge, I had a moment of pure magic. I remember the first time we successfully demoed the real-time feature. A presenter would advance a slide, and instantly, everyone watching saw the change on their screens. The technology behind it, making data move that fast between browsers, felt like a superpower. It was the first time I truly felt the thrill of building something that connects people.

A unique chapter came next. During my mandatory military service, I was fortunate enough to be placed in a role where I could still code. It turned into a period of massive growth. My biggest project was helping to replace an old, complex system with a brand new, modern one. It was a huge responsibility, and seeing it through successfully gave me a new level of confidence. That year taught me more than any classroom could have.

After my service, I dove headfirst into the startup world. I joined a small, dynamic team doing backend development and DevOps work on AWS. It was a period of intense learning and experimentation. We embraced the trendy tech of the time, building with microservices and even using functional programming with Elixir for new projects. It was a really fun, fast-paced environment where we were always on the cutting edge. That experience then led me to my next role, working remotely for a startup in Canada. There, it was rewarding to apply all those modern skills to solve problems for more traditional government clients, all while collaborating with a great remote team.

Having honed my skills in the dynamic startup world, I was ready for the next chapter: tackling software at a truly massive scale. My career path eventually led me to one of the world’s largest tech companies, where the challenges are of a different magnitude entirely. It’s no longer just about making a feature work; it’s about making it work flawlessly and efficiently for millions of users worldwide. This is where you learn the deep engineering principles of scalability and reliability. As part of my role as a senior engineer, I now get to mentor others, helping them navigate these complex systems.

Even while working on some of the biggest software systems in the world, if I could go back and give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be this: Spend more time on your own projects. There’s a unique joy and freedom in building something from the ground up that belongs entirely to you. That feeling is what fuels my ambitions for the future. I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned about building robust, scalable software and apply it to a small side project of my own, likely in the fascinating world of AI.