Dortmund sold Füllkrug. ashi me o herh.
2024 started with big plans. It was my final year in university, and I wanted to make it count. The plan? Get the Azure AZ900 certification, land a part-time job, and buy myself a PS5 as a reward. It felt like a solid plan—study hard, work smart, and treat myself at the end.
I thought I’d earn some extra cash by helping fellow CS students with their projects while prepping for a career as a Cloud Engineer. Seemed simple enough.
Things didn’t exactly go as planned. Balancing school and studying for the AZ900 was way harder than I expected. The consulting work I thought would roll in? It never happened.
Then I landed a job, and for a moment, I thought I had things under control. But that didn’t last long—circumstances forced an early departure, and it left me feeling stuck and frustrated. I even started to hate TypeScript for no good reason.
I tried picking up different languages—Java, C#, Python—thinking one of them might lead me to something new. But nothing clicked. I was running in circles and losing hope.
I also applied to Bunq. I failed the abstract test. CHALE THE QUESTIONS DO NOT MAKE SENSE AT ALL
Then one day, everything changed.
I came across a video by Arman, a former TikTok engineer now working at Microsoft. His story hit home. The way he lived, the way he worked—it just made sense to me. For the first time, I saw a path I wanted to follow.
TikTok was a stretch, but I could still start somewhere. That’s when I decided to dive into Golang. It felt like the perfect fit—simple, powerful, and easy to learn. I quickly became hooked.
Through Golang, I discovered amazing engineers and companies, including Monzo. Something about Monzo just clicked. Suddenly, I had a new goal: to work there someday.
My roommate Aaron is a mobile engineer, and we both had big projects we wanted to work on. We locked in—intense focus sessions where we’d spend hours working silently, side by side.
During one of those weekends, I challenged myself to build something from scratch. That’s how MRKT came to life—a full marketplace app I built in just 48 hours. It was exhausting but so rewarding.
Meanwhile, Aaron was also grinding, working on his own project. The energy in the room was electric. Even though we were working on different things, it felt like a team effort, pushing each other to stay focused and keep going.
Not everything went smoothly. For my National Service placement, I only applied to one company. I was sure I’d get it, but the interview didn’t go great. Then I waited… and waited… and heard nothing. Months went by, and I realized I’d made a big mistake: always have a backup plan.
Just when things felt like they were falling apart, something amazing happened.
Back in 2022, I worked on a project with a team from SlightlyTechie and DevCongress. Through that, I met Bubu, an incredible developer who became a mentor and friend.
Out of the blue, Bubu messaged me this year:
“Hello boss, how far? Job come oo. I need someone to build a CRUD API for me.”
I didn’t even think twice—I jumped on it.
Working with Bubu turned out to be one of the best parts of my year. I learned so much from him about coding, problem-solving, and working with clients. And the best part? I got paid.
I also had the privilege of working on the Free The Citizens website with a team of highly talented developers. It was a project focused on driving social change and empowering citizens. Being part of something so impactful was both inspiring and humbling.
Oh, and I also got the National Service placement I’d been waiting for.
My friends also secured placements at some great companies for their National Service.
For 2025, I’m keeping it simple. No big resolutions or over-the-top plans—I just want to be better than I was last year.
I’m focused on learning and re-learning, sharpening my skills in TypeScript and Go, diving deeper into SQL and data structures and algorithms (DSA), and contributing to community projects. It’s all about leveling up as a software engineer and staying consistent.
I’m also working on EasySell with Statman, Joseph, and Sadique—a platform designed to help small businesses run an online store at dirt cheap prices. Building something impactful like this is exciting, and it’s pushing me to grow even more.
This year, it’s all about steady, meaningful growth—one step at a time.
We (Diabene, Evans, Joshua and I) are also building JED, a voting platform.
2024 wasn’t an easy year, but it was one I’ll never forget. It had its struggles—failed plans, tough lessons—but it also had huge wins. I discovered Golang, worked with amazing people like Bubu, and learned what I’m really capable of.
Most importantly, I’m ending the year with clarity about my future—and although it took me about two days, I defeated Lord Shimura (sorry, i may have spoilt the game for some of you). What more could I ask for?