Five Years in Tech: A Reflection

It's been five years since I started my career in tech. Here's what I've learned.

Fundamentals Compound

The time I spent learning data structures, algorithms, and system design has paid dividends repeatedly. Frameworks come and go, but fundamentals persist.

Your Network is Everything

Every major opportunity in my career came through my network. Invest in genuine relationships, not transactional networking.

Write More Than Code

Writing blog posts, documentation, and design documents has accelerated my growth more than any other activity. It forces clarity of thought.

Advice to My Younger Self

1. Be patient - expertise takes years to develop
2. Stay curious - the best engineers never stop learning
3. Build in public - share your work and learnings
4. Take care of yourself - sustainable pace beats burnout
5. Ask for help - nobody expects you to know everything