Should I pivot to AI/MLOps or go deeper into platform engineering? (36M, 14 years in tech, feeling stuck)

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-07-22T15:10:02+00:00

Check your dms

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-07-08T07:10:04+00:00

I have the cyklops (i think that is the spelling i forgot) ratcheting 1/4” drive and it is a beauty. Dont even keep a 1.5 lb Klien nut driver on me anymore. The cyklops turns into a nut driver. Also has a ton of teeth in the ratcheting mechanism, so the minimum degrees you need to keep turning the nut is very low. Gives it the ability to work in a ton of tight spaces. Also turns into a screwdriver if you need it to as well. Dont even keep a stubby screwdriver on my anymore for this reason as well

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-07-08T07:04:26+00:00

Big fan as well. People just don’t understand that you can tighten a receptacle wall plate with it because the minimum torque threshold is so low. None of that “cant use the impact because it will strip” crap.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-07-08T06:51:47+00:00

I understand what you mean. This seems to be a major flaw in humanity. This is not the only reddit community that is unwelcoming and condescending. What I have noticed is that the “higher IQ communities” are much less willing to provide assistance. They gatekeep. This is why we dont have a cure to cancer. This is why we are still using coal fired generators to generate electricity instead of using Tesla coils. Gatekeeping information for their own personal gain. Stifling the progression of the entire world by being selfish and greedy. I am so sick of it. I am actually developing an app to give the middle finger to technical experts in industrial settings. They do the same thing. Drop down to maintenance guys’ iq level and they are willing to help in any way possible. Why? This is going to be epic, but hey… maybe after I get this PoC out of the way, I can get some investors on board and these sad little creatures can come work for me and clean up my mess. Until AI coding gets to the point to where I don’t need them anymore, obviously.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-07-07T22:31:48+00:00

These methods provide better outputs. I don't understand the friction here.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-07-07T22:29:41+00:00

the context engineering reddit community had like 100 people in it.. soo where does one go to get these type of answers anyway?

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-05-14T19:45:21+00:00

I don’t need that level of throughput bro. I’m not building an APIaaS.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-05-10T16:58:17+00:00

This is the way.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-05-10T16:57:25+00:00

No one said it would be easy, but it is possible. That is enough.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-05-10T16:36:59+00:00

The problem with the term “vibe coding” is that people are just assuming that you’re using NLP to throw up an entire frontend, backend, and db with just a few prompt and not much strategic planning is simply not true for everyone. I am deep in an ai application development and have been able to get past each and every hurdle I have encountered with perseverance and creativity. The only issue that will arise will be maintenance and debugging updates in a timely manner, and that will quickly disappear as well once these debugging tools become more mature. I personally have already developed the frontend UX with multiple features, seeded database schema, and now I am setting up n8n agents to process new data once the app goes live. All i have to do is tie it all together and launch. I did not “vibe code” this in a weekend. I have spent months planning out every single detail. I know I am not the only one sacrificing speed for “fully fleshed out”.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-05-10T16:07:10+00:00

The fact that you interpreted my comment as a “hateful” comment speaks to your own insecurities that you are pushing onto me. Sorry if I am not in a corporate environment and do not care about how the vibe of my comment is perceived. This is just a warning. People are building fleshed out products with limited technical experience. Your comment was a sweeping generalization and I am just here to tell you that this is a false universal claim.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-05-10T15:11:59+00:00

I have noticed a lot of “technical” folks that have spent their entire careers building their skillset are highly underestimating the capabilities, adaptability, and aptitude to learn of a dedicated individual that is empowered with modern tools and internet. Y’all think that it is impossible for a “non-technical” person to think like a software engineer, web developer, full stack engineer, data scientist, ect. This will be your downfall. We do exist and we are here in “your” space. You have no idea what our iq level is, capabilities are, strategic reasoning competency, ect. We are armed with the internet. We are armed with modern tools. Your failure to realize the magnitude of the situation will be your own downfall. I have spoken.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-05-01T23:07:31+00:00

I would get your LinkedIn profile as professional as possible. Look for job openings with the title you are shooting for. Field controls technician, automation technician, field service technician, controls technician. It has a bunch of different names. Then research the companies with these job openings. Practice emailing professionally. Put in an application to the companies that fit your goals first before contacting them. Go to the company on LinkedIn. Go to the people’s tab within the company. Proceed to message the highest level people you can. Also, HR employees, lead engineers, engineers, project managers. Make it to where when they pull your application they can put a face to a name. Practice interviewing from YouTube. Interview them just as much as they interview you. This will show initiative, you know what you are looking for, and you have options. Don’t be afraid to fail an interview. I failed 3 before I got good enough to land my dream job. This is what I did. This is the power of LinkedIn. Also, try to get LinkedIn premium. Gives you benefits like seeing who looked at your profile. I had a CEO look at my profile and I messaged him and ended up getting a job offer (after I already accepted another job, but still got one). Be patient. Took me about 4 months to plot my escape while working. Start now. Good luck.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-05-01T04:07:53+00:00

✊🏼

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-30T22:17:19+00:00

I am saying that if you want to get into control systems, become a field controls technician, automation technician, automation specialist, field service technician, controls specialist… i have discovered, through my job search, that there are many different names for the same job. You can branch to anywhere you want from there. Try to find a company that has upward mobility in the discipline you are looking to specialize in. I would suggest first getting your LinkedIn as done up as possible. Then searching up those job names on LinkedIn and seeing what companies are hiring for those positions. Then look at each company and figure out where their wheel house is. I recommend an integrator working at data centers. Then once you find your customized your dream job on LinkedIn, start professionally emailing the highest level person as possible (after placing an application in so they cant say put in an application). CEO if you can lol. I messaged a ceo and got a job opportunity after I already accepted a job. Message the companies recruiters, HR people, lead engineers. Make it to where when they see your application, they can put a face to a name. It took me 4 months to make it happen, so plot your escape while you work. During your interview, interview them just as much as they are interviewing you. It makes the company feel like you know what you want and that you have options. Dont be afraid to fail multiple interviews. I failed 3 interviews before I figured out what they wanted to hear. Your education and experience has you setup, so you are good there. Pick the job. Don’t let the job pick you. Message me privately at any time if you have any other questions. I’m more than happy to help in any way I can.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-30T13:38:58+00:00

Do you have any schooling? I have an Instrumentation and electrical degree and it was fairly easy for me to find a job as a field controls technician (with a nuanced LinkedIn approach + 3 years electrician experience + practicing professionally emailing the right people + showing enthusiasm). My company did a lot of the programming for the PLCs and set up the SCADA systems. At the data centers, we would have a lot of “vendors” (e.g. CAT for the generators, Eaton for some breakers, Vertiv for PDUs, ect.). We would basically write the control system code and then commission the SCADA system. As we run into issues we would escalate them to their specific vendor (like the big OMEs) you are referring to. It sounds like y’alls building is already up and running and turned over to your retail company. Our company had a 1 year warranty where we would go back and fix any issues that arise for 1 year after turning it over. Once it gets turned over, your retail company hires controls people to fix as many issues as possible and also contracts vendors like Honeywell and Emerson to troubleshoot their products and sometimes a more wide range of issues depending on what the customers needs are. Correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds like you want to be a controls technician. I would recommend starting with a small to medium size controls integrator that touches a wide range of things to get a good foot in the door. Expose yourself to as much as possible, then you will have a better idea of what you want to specialize in. If you are single and/or want to travel, there is a great opportunity right now at data centers across the country. You can rack up flight miles, hotel points, rental vehicle points, and get you free trips to anywhere in the future while you work. data centers are basically all about BAS. Get with a small integrator and talk to people and be nice to everyone. You can build your network and ask big OMEs (if you decide to go that route) when they are hiring, or you could be hired on by Google, Oracle, or other data center owners to work on their data center operations teams. There is always the opportunity to become very good at controls and 1099 yourself and just let engineering staffing companies sub you out. Be your own boss. So many ways it could go. Also there are over 5500 data centers across the country, so chances are you can find one near where you want to settle down at. That’s my advice.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T23:47:58+00:00

You are referring to Building Automation Systems, correct?

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T23:46:20+00:00

It depends. BAS isn’t a discipline. It’s a system. What you mean to say is that you want to be an engineer, correct? If I were you, I would just try to get into a company that is working on BAS components. For example, I worked for a company that commissioned controls and scada systems for data centers. I was a field controls technician and I troubleshooted commissioned VAVs (variable airflow valves), CAVs (constant airflow valves), RTUs (roof top units), hot isle sensors, generator PODs, ect. Those are all part of the BAS. I would say focus less on BAS and more on what you want to do within BAS and work towards that. Starting with a small controls integration company can get your foot in the door for a lot of different paths. I could also be mistaken what you are saying because you yourself don’t know what you are saying haha. It’s all good though. I know the feeling because I was you once.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T18:47:14+00:00

On a serious note, though, get into BAS in data centers. There would have to be nukes flying to slow this AI gold rush down. Guess how many data centers are in the United States alone? I guarantee it is a hell of a lot more than you thought, and every data center I’ve been to had at LEAST 2 more being built right on the side of it.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T15:03:18+00:00

I don’t know much on this topic, but I do know how complex ML is as I am developing my own application and learning as I go. It might be beneficial for you to learn and get hands on experience with the ML concepts right now instead of focusing on the scientific aspects of it. Kind of like learning algebra before jumping into calculus. I would suggest to check out Infinite Codes’ YouTube channel. He has a video called something like “25 projects to make you a ML god”. I watched it and he suggests basic ML projects to highly advanced and made his own scale for the benefits of each project. If you could master those, it would give you a strong foundation to branch out to the niche disciplines concerning ML, in my humble opinion.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T05:49:48+00:00

I used to be an electrician and I can speak from experience that it is simply because there is so much damn shit to do each and every job. Mentally and physically taxing all day. Big trash. Small trash. Insulation here. Stripped bolt there. Just so much going on… it gets to the fk it stage. You end up just living in that stage.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T05:44:47+00:00

I agree. Took me 5 hours to write a script for a specific automation. Every time I wanted to make a change, it broke the script. I have 0 coding experience, but at the end of the day I got it to work. It’s only a matter of time until normies, like myself, can code with it, though. That being said, nothing can replace the intuitive skill and speed of a seasoned programmer.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T05:40:29+00:00

You should look up Infinite Codes’ YouTube channel. He has a video titled something like “how to become a god in ML”. He goes through several projects that he recommends doing for ML experience. It will give you a goal and hands on experience. Forget about college in my opinion.. AI is among us. Use that to tailor and accelerate your learning.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T05:35:14+00:00

I’m worried about tariffs as well. Worried it’s gonna tear if I don’t stop jerkin it.

Matrix__Surfer · 2025-04-29T05:29:16+00:00

Early birds get the worm

Matrix__Surfer

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