From Closed Loops to Open Collaboration: An Aspirer's Journey of Transformation into the Tech World

Trapped in Closed Loops: The Limitations of the Mechanical Background

In a world where innovation often seemed like an unattainable luxury, I found myself trapped in a closed loop, much like a docker container. As someone with a mechanical background, I was aware of the limitations and the reluctance to embrace new ideas in my field. It was disheartening to witness the lack of initiative to change practices and make way for fresh perspectives, even if those ideas had the potential to revolutionize existing systems.

Longing for Change: The Allure of the Tech Space

Over time, I began to feel disconnected and disinvested in my work. However, my fascination with the tech space never waned. I marveled at the countless quality-of-life apps and the wealth of free educational resources available on platforms like YouTube that helps countless students in their journey. Yet, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I lacked the fundamental knowledge to comprehend the intricacies of programming and create solutions that could make a meaningful impact on people's daily lives.

One day, driven by desperation and a burning desire to bring about positive change, I turned to ChatGPT for guidance on developing a project that can be useful to society: Self Regulating Traffic Light Timers, how awesome could it be if I was able to create a traffic light algorithm that could self regulate its timer according to each lane's traffic instead of it holding up a heavy traffic lane for a whole 60 seconds just to let two cars cross? to my dismay, it threw up weird stuff like neural networks and object recognition. Unfortunately, the technical jargon and complex concepts it threw my way left me feeling even more overwhelmed. However, this setback only fueled my determination to find a way forward.

A Spark of Inspiration: Seeking a Collaborative Workspace

I embarked on a journey of research, eager to understand how people create mind-blowing inventions. To my surprise, I discovered that collaboration and teamwork were often the keys to their success. No single individual achieved groundbreaking feats alone; it was always the result of a collective effort.

Embracing the Tech Field: The Path to Fulfillment

This realization ignited a spark within me. I yearned for a workspace that thrived on collaboration, where ideas were shared, built upon, and refined to bring about the change I so desperately wanted to see. But alas, my current circumstances offered no such opportunities. Undeterred, I made a decision—to venture into the tech field and seek fulfillment through the process itself.

Stepping Stones: Becoming a Dev

I reached out to a tech-savvy friend who had connections within developer communities and enjoyed a fulfilling work-life balance. I shared my aspirations and sought guidance. Given my background in computer science during my school years, my friend advised me to dive into JavaScript and become a full-stack developer. It was the stepping stone for aspiring developers, equipping them with job-ready skills to turn their ideas into visually captivating realities on the screen.

Digging Deeper: Exploring Open Source and Backend Technologies

I took my friend's advice, gradually delving deeper into the world of development. I started with the basics—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/TypeScript—and then progressed to frameworks like React and Next.js. As I honed my frontend skills, I learned how to integrate them with backend technologies such as Node.js, Express, and MongoDB. Along the way, I also familiarized myself with Python and Ruby, laying the groundwork for future explorations into neural networks, machine learning, and AI. The dream of creating a self-regulating traffic light algorithm remained alive within me, this is just one of many.

The Foundation for the Future: Python, Ruby, and the Fascination with AI

It's been almost a year since I embarked on this transformative journey. I've gained a solid foundation in frontend development and acquired valuable knowledge in those aforementioned backend technologies. However, my learning is still mediocre at best and doesn't stop there. I continue to expand my skills, being able to explore and understand open-source Github codebases, collaborating with fellow developers, and documenting my progress every step of the way and possibly be job-ready during this process and land one in this field.

Sharing, Learning, and Contributing: A Commitment to the Tech Community

This blog will serve as a platform to share my experiences, seek guidance, and give back to the vibrant tech community that has inspired me. Together, we can solve problems, learn from one another, and build credibility as we strive to make a positive impact. I will be happy to work together, whatever the collab requires me to learn and contribute because no knowledge is wasted knowledge.

-Raymond