From Mathematics to Tech Leadership: My Journey in Software Engineering
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Hey there! 👋 Ever heard of a mathematician who ended up leading tech teams? Well, that's me! My path into software engineering has been anything but ordinary. Let me tell you how I went from solving abstract mathematical problems to architecting software solutions and leading development teams.
Back in 2007-2012, you'd find me buried in mathematics textbooks at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya. Plot twist - I wasn't dreaming about becoming a software engineer back then! But here's something cool: my thesis on "Application of Expert System to support determining the strategy of security problem in Indonesia borders area" turned out to be my first step into the tech world. Talk about a happy accident! 😄
Remember that feeling of your first day at a new job? Mine was in tech support and maintenance, staring at enterprise systems like they were written in hieroglyphics! But here's a funny thing about having a math background - I started seeing patterns everywhere.
Picture this: I had to fix this data integration process that was slower than a snail in molasses. Instead of panicking, I put on my math hat and broke it down like an equation. End result? Cut the processing time by 70%! My math professors would've been proud (or confused, not sure which 😅).
Talk about a plot twist - one day I'm coding away happily, the next I'm leading development teams across Android, iOS, and Backend. It's like being promoted from player to coach mid-game!
Here's a story that still makes me chuckle: My first team presentation as a lead was a technical masterpiece (in my head, at least). Reality check? Half my team was lost in the first five minutes. Lesson learned - being a tech lead is less about showing how smart you are and more about helping others be awesome.
Ever had one of those projects that felt like fighting a final boss in a video game? I hit one of those - tight deadlines, low team morale, stakeholders breathing down our necks. Instead of pushing everyone harder (my first instinct), I did something crazy: I took a step back.
We reorganized the team based on what people loved doing (turns out forcing your best backend dev to do frontend work isn't always smart 😅), started daily "how's it going?" chats, and boom! Two months later, we turned that project from a potential disaster into a success story.
These days, I'm living my best life as a System Analyst and Technical Leader. The cool part? I get to use BOTH my math brain and tech skills. Recently, we had this complex data analysis project, and guess who was grinning like a kid in a candy store? Yep, the math nerd in me was finally having its moment! 🤓
Your "Weird" Background Might Be Your Superpower: Being the "math guy" in tech turned out to be pretty awesome. Different perspectives make tech better!
It's OK to Say "I Have No Clue": Seriously, it's liberating. Plus, people trust you more when you're honest about what you don't know.
Most "Technical Debt" is Actually "We Should Have Talked More" Debt: Trust me on this one - clear communication beats perfect code any day.
Growth is Messy: Some of my best learning came from my biggest facepalm moments. Embrace the chaos!
Everyone's a Teacher: That junior dev who just joined? They might teach you something amazing about new tech you've never heard of.
I'm currently geeking out over combining mathematical modeling with machine learning - imagine explaining that to my old math professors! Through this blog, I'll be sharing:
Real stories from the trenches (the good, the bad, and the "what was I thinking?")
How to survive and thrive in tech (especially if you're coming from a different background)
Leadership stuff that actually works in real life
Cool tech experiments (some successful, some... let's call them "learning experiences" 😉)
The fun side of mixing math and coding
Whether you're a fellow mathematician thinking about jumping into tech, a developer looking to level up to leadership, or just someone who enjoys a good career-change story, I hope my experiences can help make your journey a bit easier (or at least more entertaining!).
Let's learn together, laugh at our mistakes, and build some awesome stuff along the way! Drop a comment below - I'd love to hear your story too! 🎉
#career #softwareengineering #leadership #techlead #programming #mathematics #careerchange #technology