DEV Community

Play Button Pause Button
Brad Johnson for FeaturePeek

Posted on

How did you get started in software engineering?

Eric Silverman, CEO and cofounder of FeaturePeek, discusses how he got started in software engineering and answers questions about his first role as a software developer, what he learned while working at his first startup, and the benefits of working at a startup if you're a new developer.

Eric's GitHub: https://github.com/eric-silverman

Learn more about FeaturePeek: https://featurepeek.com/
Learn more about the Mintbean developer community: https://mintbean.io/

Top comments (13)

Collapse
 
gaesrare profile image
Gabriel Ramirez

I was a kid that wanted to make games and apps. My dad got me a visual basic introductory book. With that, I did two two-inputs, one operation calculator. Then I slowly learned different topics.
My first touch of an actual problem was to build a static website for a family member. Software development has been part of my life as much as any other activity I suppose.

Collapse
 
johnson_brad profile image
Brad Johnson

Thanks for sharing Gabriel! A few devs I've worked with now have kids that are starting to code themselves. 🙌 to your Dad for being so supportive.

Do you feel like you've evolved as a developer since starting out, and what's been the biggest change? Any advice for new developers just getting their start?

Collapse
 
ekonomisten profile image
Jakob Bourhil✌ • Edited

I started a web agency with some friends as a joke... no one of us had any idea of what we were doing so I had to learn. And now almost 5 years later the agency is pretty big😂 I just left the company to find new adventures 🚀

Collapse
 
johnson_brad profile image
Brad Johnson

That's wonderful Jakob! Any advice for dev collectives considering forming an agency?

Collapse
 
ekonomisten profile image
Jakob Bourhil✌

Whey, go for it!🚀
Oh hard... Now looking back at it I would say find your own path, reflect ALOT over the operation and don’t work to much.

Good luck!🙏

Collapse
 
Sloan, the sloth mascot
Comment deleted
Collapse
 
johnson_brad profile image
Brad Johnson

That's wild Adam. Thanks for sharing your story and I hope to hear the long version one day. Having run your own company for a time, any advice for first-time entrepreneurs? Traps to avoid?

Collapse
 
athulmuralidhar profile image
Athul Muralidhar

I graduated from the uni in cosmology, but i had done a minor in AI. This kinda coincided with the Cambridge analytica scandal from fb. I was so frustrated that I couldn't do anything to help - so I started making software for real (I had already started programming way before - but usually for science stuff)

Collapse
 
johnson_brad profile image
Brad Johnson

Thanks for sharing Athul! I think a lot of devs can relate to frustration with the status quo being a motivator to start coding. Any advice for new developers looking to turn that initial spark into their first software engineering job?

Collapse
 
princem16 profile image
Prince VXiii Mosa Moabi

I find myself so Relevant to your Background

Collapse
 
johnson_brad profile image
Brad Johnson

If you're interested in this series, you can find all the videos here: featurepeek.com/blog/eric-silverma...

Collapse
 
johnson_brad profile image
Brad Johnson

Let us know how you got started in software engineering in the comments! If you're looking for your first dev job, post your latest project.

Collapse
 
ddoria921 profile image
Darin Doria

Just published a post on how I got started – dev.to/ddoria921/how-i-landed-my-f...

Thanks for sharing!