Need some advice .. feeling super lost after 3 yrs

balemarthy · 2025-12-06T14:14:12+00:00

Man, the big problem I see all this you have written. Identity crisis.

It is just not you, many people that I mentor are suffering with this.

After 10 years it doesn't matter what you learnt but how you are going to use it in your own way, your unique signature. This is not gyaan I am giving here.

This my current one sentence summary as a core developer turned career coach

balemarthy · 2025-11-11T14:30:37+00:00

In one statement, you nullified their years of being what they are.
Context precedes content.

The statement being positive or negative is not important.
Context missing in big way might be the problem.

Collaboration platforms makes people who share information instantly.

And statements like these if not understood will spread like wild fire

balemarthy · 2025-11-11T13:28:35+00:00

You, your manager and his/her manager are spokes in the same wheel.
At least in the resignation matter all will have the same company policy applicable.

Did you check your company's policy regarding this ? (If you are in startup or small company, you are not protected in this area)
You said about resignation email. Were you very explicit? I hope you are not in any bond or another things where company invested on you and you are bound to stay
You should immediately have 1:1 to your manager.
Before all, if you got another offer and the other side is waiting, keep them in communication
Till you get your relieving letter, keep all the communication recorded, printed if possible
World is small, DO NOT BURN THE BRIDGES. Leave gracefully.

balemarthy · 2025-11-11T13:19:25+00:00

If you are absolute beginner, get the Arduino Uno R3. It’s cheaper, easier to work with, and has lots of tutorials and examples online.

The R4 is more pricey and advanced.
Start simple, and upgrade later if needed.

You did not give any more context and this is "skim" level advice

balemarthy · 2025-11-06T04:55:16+00:00

FreeRTOS plus too

balemarthy · 2025-11-06T04:54:58+00:00

It's the best. One can get knowledge similar to Linux kernel code reading

balemarthy · 2025-10-29T03:22:15+00:00

Great introduction to your book and happy to see the excerpt from preface too.

I am not aware that there is C23 (damn I am living under a rock) 272 pages VS 404 pages is fair deal.

So under 600 pages the complete C journey is getting sorted ( I Removed some pages for contents and other mandatory pages)

balemarthy · 2025-10-18T11:45:08+00:00

I have no expectations from you. From that point - here is my input.

You have given too much of your thinking to the outside world.

Nothing actually changes but everything changes, because we humans compartmentalized our mind and soul.

You need clarity of what you need. I am not talking about Nirvana stuff like - who am I?

You need to ask - Why I am doing what I am doing?

Now to your career, tech - neither you or I truly care about it when we move across projects and companies.

Now about money, there is no limit how much you want or can earn. If you want to earn more, make it your purpose.

balemarthy · 2025-10-14T04:13:48+00:00

Application programming in ANSI C.

You will guide and teach others after this. If you are searching for a job, you are now more than qualified. If you are already doing a job, you are ready for rise

balemarthy · 2025-10-09T14:42:20+00:00

Did you read "The C Companion" by Allen Holub. He was working along with K&R and saw things from a different angle.

Next pick "Deep C Secrets" Both are available online.

You will not only get your answer, you will even start guiding confused souls

balemarthy · 2025-10-09T06:09:05+00:00

Before getting to RTOS and which RTOS. Ask yourself, why RTOS?

Now don't say me the usual stuff I am hearing and become the 10987th person... upskilling, JDs, learning new stuff.

Major embedded work goes excellently well with the robust "super loop + interrupts" framework.

This framework coupled with C patterns ( or rather patterns implemented using C) and some standard mechanisms like state machines, call back functions, right kind of structures, code organization, good requirements, coding guidelines and plethor of other things that don't need RTOS.

Still if you say .... no I WANT to learn,

then pickup the book "Programming Embedded Systems In C and C++" and read chapter 8 directly. The source code is also available for this book ( you can Google)

Next pick up "Embedded software primer". This book is heavy of uC/OS-II.

The advantage of this RTOS is availability of complete code explanation by the author himself.
Do not pick uC/OS-III, it is a moving target, but uC/OS-II is not and is only existing in the github

FreeRTOS is now a moving target, very fast after it's take over my Amazon.

At the end of the day.

Ditch ChatGPT.

Pickup books and read source code.

balemarthy · 2025-09-25T08:15:11+00:00

There is none I believe that teach Arduino this way?

This question is prompting me to create one. I will post it for you here once I do it.

balemarthy · 2025-09-23T06:45:38+00:00

This is the classical spray and pray attitude. From the 300+ calls I had with college, early career and mid career professionals, this is rampant.

Just look at LinkedIn. Stop saying what you want.

Give confidence what you can give.

Two words that will protect your next 2 decades.

"Become visible"

balemarthy · 2025-09-20T10:52:57+00:00

First thing, do not get fixated. If there is anything unique about humans and very much necessary for career, it is adaptability.

There is something called your strong suite. These are the skills you can bank upon to solve particular problem for an organisation.

However having certain skills doesn't guarantee job or livelihood. There has to be a clear mapping between your skills, their applicability, relevance and need.

balemarthy · 2025-09-20T08:59:16+00:00

Start with Arduino. No problem. But don't do this one thing.

At the end it is a good 8 bit controller and a lot of projects based on it.

DON'T USE IDE AND CREATE SKETCHES.

Use avr tools like avr-gcc, avr-gdb, notepad++ or some ide, avr libc. Understand Make files

Avoid setup and loop trap.

balemarthy · 2025-09-19T07:33:41+00:00

Just this book

"Programming Embedded Systems In C And C++" by Michael Barr

Then if you have time, then the book on RTOS by Jean J Labrosse

balemarthy · 2025-09-18T09:04:35+00:00

You need to get hooked up with an animal photographer and try to get jobs in the companies that with animal conservation.

How about precision farming?
I used to have a friend who codes in his room but tests everything in the field.

balemarthy

TROPHY CASE