Software engineer-to-be, that's me
print('"I have no business being in this class."
High school calculus, two weeks in. I said that. I felt that. I felt out of my league. The material was different than anything I had encountered before. I felt it was too hard; too foreign; too late for me, clearly. I felt I wasn't good enough to learn it.
Fortunately, I did not say that to myself only.
"Dad, I'm serious. I have no business being in that class." He grinned, a knowing look. His eyes set on mine: "I want you to remember that you said that."
He encouraged me that I could do it. When I pushed back further, he reassured me that he would help me learn it. When I pushed back further, he moved the goalposts closer. "Give it a couple weeks, son. We'll see."
Fine. I gave it a few more weeks. My frustration turned to exasperation turned to resignation: I was resigned to open my mind to the prospect that I could learn calculus, even if I did not necessarily think that I would.
But my mindset began to change. Soon, F's turned into C-'s, which turned into F's enclosed by J's (forming something called a B). And so I think I can and I think I can and I think I can further still. The material grew more challenging (proofs?!?), but my confidence and my core understanding accelerated to keep pace with, and eventually exceed, the level of difficulty. I grew to love calculus. More so, I loved that I began the course with minimal knowledge and low confidence, and gained much on both fronts.
I recall my dad making a face like this one when I received my semester grade. You can almost hear him say "I told you so."
My dad has retold this story a hundred times. Usually my eyes roll as I can't help but grin. But today, August 17th, 2013, on what would have been my mom's 65th birthday, I commit to set off on another goal that, admittedly, I wonder if I can ever reach: to become a bonafide software engineer.
To make the transition from being a non-technical founder to a technical founder. To take what I have learned before and now learn what it takes.
I am fortunate to still have my dad in my corner. But this time he knows far less about the material than I already do. Success will be as much a battle of willpower as syntax errors. I may ask you for your help along the way.
Or at least a bit of reassurance that I will.')
# I am doing this because I care about people and I am creative; I want to make stuff that makes the world a better place. After two years in Silicon Valley as a startup founder and advisor, I see the power of software to change the world. Now I am committed to learn it - now, it is my business.
blakekathryn
tangentwithtanner
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jacobvanloon
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