I first learnt how to code when I was 8 years old π¦, with a Windows 3.1 computer πΎ that my Dad had brought home from work and saved from the scrap heap.
I always wanted to be an inventor when I was younger and with programming, I found I could invent whatever I wanted with just my imagination and the computer.
This was back in 1995 before the internet was mainstream so I had to learn everything from an old book.
I started by learning BASIC but then moved on to creating desktop applications with Visual Basic 6. I learnt web development when I was 11 and started creating websites and uploading them using FTP to a free web server.
I continued creating websites throughout my teenage years before going off to University and studying Physics π¨βπ¬. At university, I got experience with C and Fortran through my computational physics modules but by this point, I had already self-taught myself programming.
The summer after graduating I got my first job as a software developer and over the last 12 years I have worked my way up from Graduate Developer, Senior Developer to Engineering Manager and learnt how to build products that scale.
In 2022, after 12 years as a professional software developer, I wasnβt feeling fulfilled. I wanted to spend my time having more of an impact on society by teaching what I know and helping others become great developers. So I quit my job and the cushy 6 figure salary that goes with it to help people on their development journey.