Software Engineering — What’s next?

Excerpt from a recent documentary on Arnold Schwarzenegger:

Arnold: You know, destiny is a funny thing. It’s all about what you make of it. You’ve got to have a vision, and if you chase it, amazing things can happen. That’s been the story of my life. I conquered the world of bodybuilding, reached the top. Then, I aimed for another peak: becoming a movie star, a leading man.

This reminds me of Edmund Hillary, the first person to conquer Mount Everest. When asked what he was thinking at the summit, he said, “I saw another peak in the distance, and I started planning my route.”

After nearly a year at Amazon and five years in the software industry, I’ve been through a bit of a journey myself. I lost motivation after some intense projects. It felt like I’d been doing the same thing forever, and while it excited me, I wasn’t sure where it was taking me. Just like most of you, I had this immense pressure of figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. I had this pressure since my early 20s and talking to few people I did realise that even people in their 60s don’t have their life figured out.

But not trying new things isn’t the answer either. So I set out to define a proper path where I could give myself some time to figure out things I wanted to do. When people would ask me what I want to be the next 5 years? I had no idea; I wanted to do everything.

1. First, I recognized my love for software engineering. I knew I wouldn’t regret sticking with it. But there were so many questions. If I stayed in software, which field should I choose? Which technology? Which company? What role? Eventually, I figured out that I was more interested in the product itself than the technology behind it. Technology is just a tool to build the products you want. There are countless exciting domains out there. How did I find the one that excited me the most? Should I be an individual contributor, an architect, or a product manager? The secret was connecting with people and seeking their advice, jotting down all the possibilities. So, if you’re starting out, finding mentors early on is a game-changer.
2. Next, I wanted to break free from this whole act, chasing what’s hot and making more money. As Naval Ravikant puts it, “Follow your genuine intellectual curiosity; it’s a better foundation for a career than chasing trends for quick cash.” I was stressed and anxious all the time. On a deeper level, I was terrified that I was wasting my life climbing the wrong mountain. So I started pursuing my interests in my spare time. Tried podcasting. Found writing/blogging. I decided to explore as many options as possible and fail fast.
3. Either way, I made a choice to get better at managing my finances. How can I develop practical habits for saving and investing wisely? I realized that reading up on the subject and having candid conversations with folks who know their stuff were the best steps. As an immigrant, I also had to grapple with the decision of whether to continue living in the US or return to India in the next five or ten years. Here, I found that simply reaching out and seeking advice from others was the way to go. Setting up discussions with people turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.

Here’s a beautiful video by CaseyNeistat — Life explained in 27 seconds!