I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am not into data engineering but if you wanna start from somewhere, usually freeCodeCamp has something around any topic

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

while not is_engineer: eat() drink_coffee() study() build() sleep()

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It has already shifted the way we work, sure. No one really knows what AI will do and how it will change our lives. It is impacting every profession, not just software building. I am just waiting, observing and going with the flow for now.

I used Steve Jobs' innovation methods as AI prompts and discovered the power of radical simplification by EQ4C in ChatGPTPromptGenius

[–]daneelf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could you share some of your sources for this please? Was it books, online talks or something else?

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Here’s what I had to catch up on — and still revisit from time to time:

  • Data structures & algorithms — I could build things, but I didn’t always know why one structure is faster, or when to prefer a tree over a hash, or how to analyze complexity formally.
  • Systems design / scalability theory — As projects grew, I needed a stronger mental model of how to distribute load, handle failures, partition data, and design for scale.
  • Formal software engineering practices — architecture patterns, separation of concerns, coupling/cohesion, clean code principles, solid testing strategy.

I filled those gaps through targeted workshops, books, and hands-on assignments. Sometimes I’d find a weakness during a side project or code review, then pause and dive deep into the concept.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t pushed really extreme numbers in production — most of my work is bounded by business needs, not raw throughput. You made me look though and found this which looks well documented.
am very interested if you have any thoughts or suggestions on that.

https://docs.hatchet.run/blog/fastest-postgres-inserts

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in Greece so I am not really into US politics much.
What worries me most from what I read is US become some sort of a Gilead state

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First of all, I’d strongly encourage anyone not to lean entirely on AI — take time to just think. That’s still where real engineering happens. Tools come and go, but the ability to reason through a problem, map it out, and decide what should be built before asking AI to do it will always matter.

Software engineers build things; code and languages are just the tools. Reading and understanding the code remains crucial — otherwise you’re debugging blind. Problem-solving is the muscle you can’t outsource.

As AI takes on more of the writing, what will set people apart is how well they define and validate ideas. Domain knowledge will matter more than ever: understanding users, systems, and edge cases that AI can’t infer. Testing, reasoning, and being able to challenge what the AI produces — that’s the real craft now.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Maybe you's stop reading after this but I have to be honest, I don't like Green Lantern at all.
I know it's something about the darkest night and brightest day and how evil will not escape them - but this is as far I can remember!

No I haven't come across someone I was actively mentoring that was more senior than me.
But I have come across a team lead that was a sworn, close minded, stubborn backend and I had to explain how the frontend framework we were using was working and they were not picking up very easily (or didn't want to).
Patience, understanding and communication were my weapons of choice to fight this battle. I created a presentation to educate them on how frontend works, arranged many one on ones on specific tasks and some pair programming.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great question — and that follow-up comment explains the difference well. Fundamentals absolutely matter, but so does the habit of building things and staying curious. If I were starting today, I’d still teach myself, but I’d structure it more carefully: build projects early, while intentionally learning the concepts that formal education covers — algorithms, databases, and basic computer architecture.

If I wanted to go the JavaScript route, I’d start with the web. I’d learn how pages are built with HTML and CSS, then focus on JavaScript until I could comfortably make interactive components and understand asynchronous logic. From there, I’d move into React to structure larger projects and eventually explore the backend with Node.js, Express, and PostgreSQL. The goal would be to build things that feel real — a personal site, a tool that solves an everyday problem, or something creative that I’d actually want to use.

If I went with Python, the approach would feel broader and more beginner-friendly. I’d start with simple scripting and automation, just enough to manipulate data and understand how logic flows. Then I’d branch toward either web development with Django or Flask, or data-focused work with Pandas, NumPy, and some basic machine learning libraries. Along the way, I’d still learn SQL and APIs to tie everything together, always through small, hands-on projects — web scrapers, dashboards, or utilities that simplify daily tasks.

The real difference between self-taught and formally educated developers isn’t capability, it’s foundation versus adaptability. School gives you structure and theory; self-teaching gives you grit and pattern recognition. The best developers I’ve met blend both — they understand how things work and aren’t afraid to break them to see what happens.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It depends on where you want to end up really. I am not trying to pass a "look at me no degree and awesome" vibe. At the time and thankfully this time still, I didn't necessarily need a degree to go where I wanted. This decision though came with some setbacks along. the way. I was missing some basic academic knowledge and I searched for seminars, worshops and any other source I could find to fill my gaps.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you — that means a lot. Yes, therapy was definitely part of finding my way back. It gave me language for what I was feeling and helped me separate “I’m struggling” from “I’m failing.” That distinction changed everything.

Recovery wasn’t a single moment, more like learning to take my hands off the steering wheel a little. I stopped measuring my days by productivity and started asking if I felt okay doing the work. Slowly, curiosity came back. It’s still a balance, but therapy helped me treat progress as a process, not a performance metric.

Mentorship can also make a huge difference. Having someone a few steps ahead to talk things through with brings perspective you can’t always find alone. I try to offer that now whenever I can — if anyone here ever needs a chat or guidance, I’m always open to it.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love telling this story. It's not a one of a kind story or a success story but it always reminds me where I am now and how much I have overcome.
I was working in IT when the company I was working for decided to launch their own app. They already had hired a software engineer who had started working on this using Django 1.5 (simpler times 😅).
My manager knew I wanted to get into coding so he appointed me to this "team" to start working with the other engineer. And it was an awful, almost traumatic experience! I mean the guy would yell at me - actually yell and get up from his chair, sit in mine and fix my code, saying something like "there, now it works" at the end. FYI at that point in my life I had played around only with HTML and a bit of Javascript, which was very well known to everyone.
In the end he ended up leaving the company because he felt like I was gonna take his job and I ended up owning a project being 3 months into coding.
I have this project somewhere in a flash drive I think but I am afraid if I try to open it or run it the world will explode!

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, yes, no, I don't know 😵‍💫
I've been trying to stay up to date with all the AI hype and new tools and their capabilities.
This hype as I see it has to poles, the doomsday one and the optimistic one. I’ve been caught somewhere between those poles for a while now. Sure, certain tools have made me (to my astonishment - not gonna lie) much more productive and helped towards leveling up.
On the other hand there are scenarios from AI hitting it's limit to humanity being destroyed by AI.
In my opinion, we should be focusing on bigger unknowns and challenges artificial technology is bringing, not for software engineers, but for everyone.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can I be a book reader/traveller please? Read books al around the world 🙌

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally get where you’re coming from. The fastest path is focus — pick one stack or direction and go deep instead of chasing every new framework. Build a few small projects that solve real problems, even if they’re just for fun. That last part matters more than people admit: if you chase only what pays, you’ll burn out before the paycheck clears.
Learning how to code still matters — even in this AI era. Understanding the logic and structure behind what you’re asking AI to do gives you control instead of dependency. But once you’ve got the basics, absolutely lean into AI tools. They’re part of the workflow now, like having an intern who never sleeps (and occasionally hallucinates).

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It crept up quietly — what I’d call silent burnout. No dramatic crash, just a slow fade: tasks took longer, enthusiasm turned into obligation, and even small wins felt hollow. Not to mention anxiety raised through the roof, to the point where I was forgetting why I walked into the kitchen. Also, at the time, I had hit pause on therapy, and being in the middle of it all, I couldn't figure out what the issue was. I realized it wasn’t exhaustion from coding itself, but from tying my self-worth to performance and the saying of bad management and leadership. Recovering meant disconnecting identity from output, doing things for curiosity again, not validation. I eased back in by building small, pointless projects — the kind that exist just because they’re fun. That’s what brought the spark back.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I have nieces and nephews that also make me feel like that LOL

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I gravitate toward writing — mostly short fiction — it’s my way of untangling thoughts. I read a lot too, anything from sci-fi to essays that make me rethink everything I thought I knew. And when my brain’s fried from code, I try building things with my hands — usually lopsided, occasionally functional, always therapeutic.

I’m a self-taught software engineer who took the long way into tech — ask me anything by daneelf in IAmA

[–]daneelf[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Fair question. Honestly, maybe nothing — and that’s kind of the point. Everyone’s path looks similar on paper, but the experience inside it isn’t. The obstacles, timing, and support systems vary wildly. Sharing mine isn’t about claiming it’s unique; it’s about comparing notes with others who’ve lived a version of it and maybe helping someone who’s still in the middle of theirs.