Schools shut down due to the pandemic. Initially, I was excited about skipping exams, but as online classes began on Google Meet, I found them dull. Teachers struggled with technology, and I soon lost interest, attending fewer and fewer classes. Instead, I spent time helping my father in the fields.

A priest gave us an old laptop for accounting work at our shop. While using it, I stumbled upon YouTube videos about coding. Curious about how websites and games were made, I started learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I built my first basic website, but my laptop couldn't handle more advanced development.

By the time CBSE board exams were approaching, I realized I had barely attended any classes. Without notes or prior knowledge, I relied entirely on YouTube to study all subjects from scratch. I dedicated a month to focused learning and managed to score well in my term exams.

After realizing that I could learn almost anything online, I decided to skip traditional schooling and opt for distance education. This allowed me to dedicate more time to coding. Many people criticized my decision, but my parents believed in me and supported my choice.

I enrolled in Brototype, an intense coding bootcamp with no traditional teachers—just reviewers who assessed us weekly. Each week, we had to complete real-world projects, such as building an e-commerce site, a video conferencing app, and more. The program was demanding, requiring over 12 hours of coding per day.

During the bootcamp, I built multiple small projects, including an e-commerce website and a video conferencing app. The video conferencing app, built using Mediasoup, had many flaws and wasn't well-optimized, but it was a great learning experience. I had to study WebRTC, real-time communication, and open-source projects to make it functional. This process significantly improved my problem-solving skills.

A founder reached out to me on LinkedIn and offered me a contract role at Ecloto, a service-based company that was trying to create their own EdTech product. I worked remotely on a video conferencing platform and a React Native app. This was my first real-world software development experience, despite having no coworkers and a fully remote setup. After 4-5 months, when the EdTech project was shut down, I transitioned to working on ShopSTR, a Shopify app, within the same company. I took over the project after the initial architecture was established by the founder and significantly expanded the codebase.

After making substantial contributions to ShopSTR at Ecloto, I got the opportunity to work directly with Minionmade, a Shopify Plus partner. Minionmade recognized my contributions and offered me a better opportunity. At ShopSTR, I worked completely solo, with every decision and its consequences directly affecting me. I learned from my mistakes and improved my code quality over time. When features were launched, I handled any bugs that arose in support. I managed to implement significant architectural changes and integrations. I also expanded my role by helping customers with Shopify-related issues beyond the app, such as theme customizations. Working on ShopSTR taught me the importance of TypeScript, proper project structure, and scalable application design.

After working in the industry completely self-taught, I recognized the value of structured learning. While I've successfully taught myself programming, I want to deepen my understanding of computer systems, data structures, and low-level programming. Additionally, I aim to develop my public speaking and communication skills through university interactions, which are essential for career growth. I'm currently exploring universities that will build on my practical experience while preparing me for opportunities at larger technology companies.