My journey as a website developer began in 2015 when no code solution like Webflow was a thing. It was an exciting time filled with endless possibilities, and like many others, I dreamed of opening my own web development agency and making a living from it. Webflow continues to be a revolutionary tool, even today, and serves as an excellent learning platform for web development as it visually demonstrates the box model.
Over time, however, I realized the limitations of such a solution. Integrating third-party APIs and connecting domain names purchased elsewhere to Webflow was quite expensive, especially for a student like me dealing with conversion rates to USD. Frustrated, I started learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript but eventually stopped.
In truth, my first foray into programming began in 2012. I sat alone in my room watching Python programming tutorials on the thenewboston channel, inspired by “startup videos” and dreaming of becoming the next Brian Wong of Kiip. However, my programming journey was short-lived due to a major national exam and my growing interest in Pro Evolution Soccer (PES).
Life went on, and I pursued tertiary education where I met my future wife. Those years were exhausting and challenging. I chose a degree in advertising design because it was more affordable than a computer science degree. Although I excelled in design, I discovered that I was more passionate about high-level design thinking and research, rather than the expected career path of designing posters. Furthermore, the pay in this field, particularly in the South East Asia region, was disappointingly low.
Determined to find a better future, I sought to break into the tech industry, known for its high pay and good work-life balance. In March 2020, after three months of job searching, I landed a position at an agency specializing in social media marketing and web development. My title was “web designer,” but I spent the entire year focused on web development, coding, and similar tasks for clients like Durex and Biolife. I was the sole web developer in the company, learning on the job without any senior guidance, and somehow managed to successfully deliver projects.
Looking back, I believe that CS50 by David J. Malan from Harvard is a game-changer for anyone wanting to jump into programming. The rest, as they say, is history.