Tech Lemonade…
Or, When Life Gives You Lemons
Hello World
I’ve been in the tech industry for close to five years now. I made a significant career change in my early thirties, transitioning from a non-technical, small business owner to a full-blown full-stack Senior Solutions Engineer. Back in the summer of ’19, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do in tech; I just knew that coding was cool and the demand for developers was high. And so, my journey began.
I started a coding bootcamp in September 2019, which I highly recommend for anyone looking to break into tech. After completing the bootcamp, I joined a Gen AI startup called Squirro in January 2021. This was a pivotal moment in my career as I gained hands-on experience and grew rapidly in my role. I now work at a $4bn+ valued company called insightsoftware, specialising in data analytics and data integrations. This journey has been challenging but incredibly rewarding.
The driving force behind this change was my intense desire, almost desperation, to improve my situation at the time. That’s why this substack is called “When Life Gives You Lemons…” Whether you’re struggling, facing difficulties, or simply want to better yourself, this is a place where we leverage the tech industry to do just that.
That’s been my story, but if you want to hear more about that, we’ll have to get to know each other better.
Why I Started This Substack
Whilst I believe in the broader outreach of building an audience online, I’m based in London and aim to make the most of this populous hub by inviting you to join me for in-person meetups. These meetups are an opportunity to connect personally, share ideas, and support each other’s growth in the tech industry. This is where I will be posting about them. If you’re interested, shoot me a message, and I’ll share the location details for our first meetup on Sat 27 Jul 2024, at 12pm (noon).
If you can’t make it in-person, don’t worry, we can connect remotely – it’s also a shared time where we hold each other accountable and know support is there if and when we need it.
I really believe in the power of personal connection, and if one person can be helped along their journey, even if it’s in a messy, analogue but beautiful way, then I’d love to connect and meet. So, bring your laptop, let’s work together, share ideas, and pull each other up.
What You’ll Find Here
In addition to details about each weekly meetup, you’ll regularly find my daily learnings from work, insights on how to break into the industry, personal stories about my journey, stoic practices, daily routines, gratitude and much more. I’ll also share relevant interviews with the interesting people I meet along the way in the industry and details about future meetups like this one. Most importantly, I aim to help newcomers to the tech field. Specific roles like web developers and digital designers are expected to see job growth of 16% from 2022 to 2032, significantly outpacing the average for all occupations.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a newbie, continuous learning is essential. Many tech companies are supporting continuous learning by offering training programs and workshops, recognising that staying ahead of the curve is essential for career advancement. Technology is always evolving, and we need to keep up with these changes to seize new opportunities. With advancements in AI and machine learning, companies are increasingly investing in these areas, leading to a higher demand for skilled professionals. The pace of innovation in technologies like generative AI saw a sevenfold increase in investments. The tech industry offers countless opportunities. For instance, the U.S. technology workforce is projected to grow by 3% in 2024, adding more than 300,000 net new jobs. It’s never too late to start.
This Week’s Learning Journey
This week, I’m diving into C++ through an amazing free course studyplan.dev/cpp recommended here. C++ is a powerful programming language widely used in system/software development and game programming. In my role, C++ knowledge is valuable for optimising performance and developing robust data integration solutions. You can follow my progress on my GitHub repository. This is particularly relevant to my role as a Senior Solutions Engineer at insightsoftware.
By learning C++, I can better assist our prospects and customers when they follow our 5-day guide to developing their own Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Simba drivers. For those unfamiliar, ODBC Simba drivers are a type of database driver that allows different software applications to communicate with various database systems. They are essential for data integration and ensuring smooth data flow between applications.
I’m eight lessons into the first course, “Intro to C++ Programming,” and I’m excited to share my progress and insights with you.
Follow My Journey
Join our community, share your thoughts, and let’s grow together in this ever-evolving tech world. Have you recently started learning a new programming language? What challenges are you facing? Share your story and let’s support each other! Shoot me a message for meetup details and let’s make things happen!
Remember, our first meetup is on Sat 27 Jul 2024, at 12pm (noon) - message me directly for details, and I look forward to seeing you there!
Cheers,
Amin
Connect with me on LinkedIn: Amin Hasan
In the meantime, here’s what I’ve been reading this week…
The Next Billion Developers Perspective
The State of AI with Marc & Ben
Starting an Analytics Org from Scratch: Lessons from a Decade at DoorDash
Amazon Software Engineer Levels, Roles, Expectations, and Salary
The C++ Learning Suggestion Macro