This is a submission for the 2026 WeCoded Challenge: Echoes of Experience
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 365
- Your DEV Badges Are Trying to Tell Your Story. Listen to Them
- One Year Club
- Two & Three Year Club
- Four, Five, Six & Seven Year Club
- Writing Debut
- Community Wellness Streak
- Top 7
- C#
- Eight Year Club
- GitHub Copilot CLI Challenge Winner
- DEV Weekend Challenge Completion
- Still Not Convinced?!
- Time to Play the Game
Introduction
I keep all my articles tucked away in a private repository on GitHub. It's not just storage, it's more like an archive of how I think, how I grow, and sometimes, how I struggle.
Over time, it naturally shaped itself into a few categories:
- Analysis
- Career
- Technical
- Challenges
- Specials
You could argue this belongs in the "Challenges" category. And you wouldn't be wrong. But I chose "Specials" instead. Because this isn't just another challenge. It's something different... something that stays with you.
The moment @jess announced this challenge and I read the description, it actually made me smile, because right away I knew exactly what I would write. I have zero ideas for the Frontend Art challenge, my creativity sometimes isn't performing at its best.
Since that frontend challenge is out of the question, well, here I am, offering the textual representation of the intense signals firing in my brain. This article won't be technical at all (which is by design), more like an easy-going, reflective piece to read while you're chilling in your favorite chair, in your room, garden, or porch, sipping your coffee, tea, or whatever your favorite beverage is.
Right now, I don't have an internet connection and for the first time, I'm actually grateful. No notifications, no tabs, no distractions. Just the quiet hum of my thoughts, letting me focus on writing this.
Strap in. We're about to take a little journey through my brain, neuron by neuron. And make sure you read it all the way to the end, because I'm about to play a game with you that might just change your entire life.
365
The timing of this challenge couldn't have been better.
Why?
Because it's March 2026 (at the moment of writing this article), which means I published my first article a year ago. And this anniversary fits perfectly with the spirit of the challenge.
This past year has been spectacularly amazing. There's so much to reflect on that I don't even know where to start, and I definitely can't recall everything in one go. Of course, I won't try to fit it all into this article, that would turn it into a small book.
But being brief isn't easy either. Anyone familiar with my writing knows I'm really terrible at keeping things short. I like providing as many details as possible, whether technical or non-technical. Definitely something I need to work on.
Your DEV Badges Are Trying to Tell Your Story. Listen to Them
I don't want this to be a generic storytelling of my journey, I'll save that for when I write a proper, comprehensive lookback.
Instead, I want to show how my badges on DEV Community can actually tell my story. And honestly, it's surprising how accurate they are, I can't believe I hadn't noticed it before.
If you take a close look at them, they form a perfect timeline of what you've been doing on this amazing platform. They give you a ton of context about your values, your focus, and your performance.
These aren't just random badges, icons hanging on your profile. They're trying to tell your story. They have purpose. They are your path. Your signature.
Let me show you, using my example.
One Year Club
"Hey Mom, Your Son Is a Software Engineer"
I know I should reflect on the past year, but to see the full picture, I need to go much further back than that.
I've known DEV since 2017, when I first started coding professionally as a junior developer. Good times... man, I was so happy. I even remember stepping out of my final interview and calling my mom right away. I was like, "Hey Mom, your son is officially a software engineer! How cool is that?!"
That very moment didn't just define my career, it defined my life. I had never felt that proud of myself before.
Back then, in my country, getting a job as a junior software engineer was almost impossible, everybody wanted seniors. And when you somehow did land a junior role, eager to learn as much as possible, they expected you to handle senior developer tasks as quickly as possible, with little to no guidance.
Sure, reaching that level is the goal for every junior developer, but when it comes paired with immense pressure, things can get tricky, sometimes really tricky.
I remember being trapped in a vicious cycle, wanting to excel at work while also trying to learn as many things as possible in every direction. I ended up stressing myself out even more than the work did, and there were times I even questioned if I was good enough. Impostor syndrome is one hell of a thing.
And That's When I Discovered DEV Community
A few months after I started working, I came across a really interesting article on DEV Community. I was at home, writing code, when it just popped up and it completely blew my mind. I wish I had saved it.
Back then, I wasn't trying to get involved in any kind of community. I'd just occasionally stumble upon articles on the platform, and whenever a title caught my eye, I'd read it.
One day in 2018, I decided to join DEV Community. I was already reading most of the articles there and wanted to give something back, even if it was just my presence, or a few comments here and there.
Back then, I didn't think I was worthy of writing articles. I believed it was only for the most experienced, veteran, superstar developers, how wrong I was. I wish I had started writing from the moment I registered.
So you, yeah, you, reading this, if you're hesitating about whether to start writing, just start. Do it NOW! You'll thank me in a few months. Mark my words.
Two & Three Year Club
Fast forward to 2020
Even though there are so many stories from that fast-forward period, I want to move quickly to the more recent years. I'll save the tales of all the things I faced back then for another time, there will be other opportunities to share them.
I stayed pretty passive for a few years. Then, sometime in 2020, I started leaving comments on other people's articles, and that alone already made me feel like part of the community. It felt really good.
I'm not trying to make excuses, but in my defense, that period was extremely tough. I had been selected to continue my PhD research at SDSU (San Diego State University). Everything was set — and then...
Boom: The Pandemic Hits. And It Hits Real Bad
Everything shut down instantly. Flights were canceled, programs postponed, the whole world shifted to remote, including universities. So my plans of continuing my PhD just went out the window.
That was something I had wanted since I was a teenager. And just like that, for reasons completely out of my control, that perfect opportunity was gone overnight.
I'm not the type of person who gives up easily, so when they offered continuing it remotely from my country, I said, "hell yeah, I'm in! Count me in!"
But there was a small catch: I was working full-time during the day, and then getting into my research in the evening, when it was still morning for my co-researchers in California.
So my schedule basically looked like this:
So I basically only had a few hours to work on my research - late at night, when my brain was completely exhausted and there was barely any energy left for creativity. Sometimes I'd stay up until 3 AM or even later, barely getting any sleep.
The next day, I'd be so drained that I'd fall asleep right after the meeting, I just couldn't keep my head up anymore. That kind of inconsistency destroys your productivity, and I was feeling miserable.
But no matter how I felt, I just don't give up. I'm not trying to sound cool, it's just who I am. I don't trust my own brain or body when they tell me I'm tired or exhausted or I can't do it anymore. I convince myself they're just being lazy, that I can push even further.
Even if I dropped unconscious in the street after a few sleepless nights, I'd still try to work on my PhD. That's just how I'm wired.
Is it a good trait?
That's debatable. Probably not.
I Had to Carve Time Out of Thin Air
I was trying everything to find extra time. I didn't even have a car back then, and I was losing way too much time commuting. So I decided to spend most of my savings to get one (which I still have, by the way, I'm way too loyal).
But that wasn't all. I also changed jobs and joined a company that would let me work from home. That alone saved me around 2–3 hours a day, and at that time, it felt like the best decision ever.
I started there as a senior software engineer, which is even tougher than starting out as a junior, because the expectations are there from day one. Literally. You're expected to do senior-level work, and you're expected to do it well.
If You're Expecting a Happy Ending, You Won't Find It Here
That stretch lasted for about two years. Eventually, I was finally able to move to the right time zone and continue working on my PhD properly.
But
The timing, and the circumstances couldn't have been worse.
The university was still partially closed. COVID was still very much a thing. We didn't meet often as a research team.
Because of my schedule over those two years, my co-researchers were already far ahead. Some of them were even thinking about moving on to other programs. The group was slowly coming to an end.
And on top of everything, it was decided that I had only a few months to finish my research. Not more.
If you've ever worked on a PhD, you know that finishing your first research in such a short time is nearly impossible. Yes, I had those two years before that...
But did I really?
This whole pandemic situation really messed up my PhD plans. I still managed to get some work done, but I wasn't happy with my progress.
That entire experience completely broke me. I just can't handle losing or not succeeding, I have to win. Doesn't matter if it's my PhD or playing with my cat. Sorry, Ruby.
I'm honestly jealous of people who can lose and just say, "yeah, whatever." I wish I could do that. And I do understand that failure is necessary for growth, sometimes even more than success.
But still... it leaves scar tissues.
Four, Five, Six & Seven Year Club
I Refuse to Catch a Break, Ever
So I became a principal engineer, which was multiple levels harder than what I'd been doing as a senior software engineer.
Granted, I no longer had to work on my PhD, since the program had ended. But transition periods are never easy, they demand your full focus - I had to level up both my technical and management skills to become a solid principal engineer. Because even if you're a technical genius, if you can't manage people, your products, your services, and your communication properly, you simply can't be a strong principal engineer. You really need to be good at... pretty much everything. You're the bridge between multiple different teams and people: technical, product, leadership, and more.
So it's not just about being good at each of those areas, but also figuring out how to manage communication between all those levels and roles.
Yeah... it's a little tricky, to say the least.
I once published an article: 20 Rules for Becoming THAT Manager (From a Principal Engineer’s Perspective). A reader left a comment that really stuck with me:
"After more than 35 years of engineering management, the only comment I need to make is: You have arrived early my friend. You expressed most of what needs to be said, and extremely more eloquently than I could ever wish to do. Brilliant! I just wish everybody, regardless of the profession would read this slowly and thoughtfully. It would make the world a better place. Thanks for taking the time. I can't say that I enjoyed reading anything on the subject more - ever."
That comment absolutely made my day, especially coming from such an experienced veteran. But the truth is, I had to be an early bird. My career accelerated incredibly fast, or rather, I forced it to, because I desperately needed to get my life on track and fast, because there's no time to waste. Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT about the average ages for different levels of software engineers, and here is what it told me:
Typical path:
Junior → Mid: early–mid 20s
Senior: late 20s–early 30s
Staff: early–mid 30s
Principal: late 30s → mid 40s (most common)
I had just turned 27 when I became a principal engineer. Now, at 30, I feel like it had to happen that quickly, because you are never truly ready for anything until you actually try it. My philosophy has always been this: don't worry if a challenge sounds hard. As long as it sounds even a tiny bit reasonable, jump in and figure things out as you go. Otherwise, you will spend your entire life just getting ready. That mindset has always worked for me. Almost every challenge I've tackled has turned out to be much easier than I expected. I'm sure it would have worked with my PhD, too, if it weren't for COVID and all the chaos it brought to the world.
Then I Finally Started to Feel Comfortable... I Absolutely Hated It
This madness continued until about 2024. Once I noticed I was starting to feel comfortable in my new position, with more free time and mental capacity after work, the thought of writing articles snuck back into my mind. I had a few ideas, but I lacked the courage to start. That lingering trauma of not achieving my PhD was still echoing in my brain (and to be honest, it still does, but it's much more manageable now).
For some reason, I need to be in constant motion to feel alive. I have to direct my thoughts toward something productive, it doesn't matter whether that means tackling a new project, drafting an article, washing my car, organizing my workspace, or getting a workout in.
I spent a lot of time sketching out drafts only to abandon them, convinced they weren't good enough. I threw away five or six different articles. Even though I already had a huge experience, I still couldn't shake the feeling that public writing just wasn't for me...
Until March 8th, 2025.
Writing Debut
It hit me while I was having my morning coffee, which is a brief period of the day when I can step back and reflect. I was overthinking the idea of blogging when I suddenly remembered my own "doer" mindset. A wave of frustration washed over me as I realized I was betraying my own rules. What kind of leader am I if I abandon my own principles?! I actually said out loud, "What the hell is wrong with you, man? Is that all you got?!"
That verbal reality check was all I needed. I gave myself a few days to commit to a topic and force it onto the page. That was how Understanding Your Audience as a Software Engineer came to life. While the article itself isn't a masterpiece, it remains special to me. It marks the precise starting point of my writing addiction.
I had no idea how the community would react to my first article, but I was genuinely surprised by how well it was received. And you know how it goes: when you realize you're actually decent at something and it's also a lot of fun, you can't stop. You just want to do it over and over again. That's exactly what happened to me. I just carried on.
Community Wellness Streak
Writing is great, but if you really want to contribute to your community at the highest level, you have to read other people's work and engage in the comments. Over time, I've developed a few rules I always follow whenever I leave a comment:
1. Always write a high-quality comment
Be professional. This is your image as a community member and creator. Nobody likes to see an unprofessional or even slightly offensive comment on their posts. You won't make any friends by being arrogant.
2. Be a decent human being
Express appreciation for other people's work. They took the time to deliver a product to you, whether it's an article, a project, or anything else. Show them that you appreciate that effort.
3. Include as many details as possible
Be comprehensive about your ideas. A comment doesn't have to be just a few words. I've seen comments that are better than many articles. Write thought-provoking, interesting ideas and show your thinking process.
4. If you disagree, explain your point of view clearly
Never offend or ridicule an author, even if you think a blog post is total nonsense. An offensive or mocking comment says a lot more about the commenter than it does about the author.
5. Don't be a hater. It will just eat you from the inside
If someone else's post gathers way more engagement than yours, even if yours is 10 times longer and 20 times more complex, don't feel like you were treated unfairly. I usually write large, technical posts (some might even be a 20-minute read), and it's entirely natural that they won't get as many likes because not everyone is interested in that level of detail. I've seen two-paragraph posts reach incredible engagement because they are highly relatable and draw people in easily. Writing those kinds of articles is a real talent, and it's not easy at all. I myself am not great at it. Check out this very article, it's a monster, and it might not even get 10 likes. But that's okay with me because I write to share my knowledge and experience, not to chase and collect likes.
6. Never rush to press the "submit" button
Read your comment again to make sure none of the previous five rules are broken.
Sometimes, I get so absorbed in writing my own articles that I completely forget to check out what other people are publishing and leave comments. To fix this, I use any spare minutes I have to read at least one article a day. Whether you are writing or engaging with others, consistency is always the key. That's how I managed to reach the "8 Week Community Wellness Streak" badge, and I'm going for the "16 week" one next.
Top 7
Now, let's talk about the articles that were especially successful, the ones that made it onto the weekly top 7 list. I never imagined I would hit that milestone even once, let alone three times.
I'm All In on AI, But We Need to Talk About Vibe Coding
This particular article took off faster than I could have imagined. It went so viral that I actually came across it in the Google feed on my phone.
Let me tell you, sitting there looking at my own article on my homepage... that was a genuinely proud moment.
I had been thinking about that idea for ages before I finally brought it to life and published it. I literally spent a solid three months just thinking and planning. It even led to a podcast invitation, after which I wrote a reflective article where I mentioned something like this:
...this was the result of nearly three months of thinking, writing, grinding, editing, and second-guessing. I kind of knew what Axl Rose must've felt like when releasing "November Rain" after working on it for nearly a decade. (Okay, I'm joking, I'm nowhere near Axl's level in any way. It's just a bad analogy. But as a rock fan, I had to make it.)...
That article definitely felt like I had created something special, and that was the moment I got totally addicted to writing, forever. As I mentioned, it even landed me a guest spot on a podcast, which was an incredibly cool experience.
20 Rules for Becoming THAT Manager (From a Principal Engineer's Perspective)
About a month later, I wrote "20 Rules for Becoming THAT Manager (From a Principal Engineer's Perspective)".
It's funny because, unlike the vibe coding article, I wrote this one completely spontaneously. I was sitting in my car in a parking lot with time to kill, realized my laptop was in the backseat, and just started typing. That actually worked out perfectly because it allowed me to write purely from my raw experience as both an engineer and a development lead.
That article was special. I wanted to create a set of notes for myself and for others on what it takes to be a good manager. I've seen all kinds of leaders in my career: the good, the great, the bad, and the absolute worst as well. Through it all, I gathered enough data to know exactly the kind of leader I want to be.
Being a leader is vastly harder than most people think. Some take it for granted, while others overthink it entirely. The whole magic is in finding the fine balance between the two.
By the way, I'm currently working on another article focused on leadership, and it's shaping up to be a good one. Stay tuned.
Can AI Generate Binary Directly? Is It Feasible? Does It Make Sense?
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the concept of AI generating binary code directly, a topic that, for whatever reason, suddenly became the internet's favorite subject to debate.
I noticed that most of the takes out there weren't very precise and were missing a few key points, so I decided to jump in and give my two cents. To my surprise, that piece also made it into the weekly top 7. Hitting that milestone three times in just under a year is a result I'm incredibly proud of.
C#
I'll admit, sometimes my articles can get intensely technical. Sometimes, they only resonate with specialists in that exact niche. But I love writing them. I'm a software engineer and I always have to scratch that itch to dive deep into the code, especially with .NET and C#.
I've built things across a bunch of languages like JavaScript, Python, Java, TypeScript, even C and C++, but C# is still my baby.
Getting that badge for the most popular C# article was an incredible feeling. Now? The goal is to collect a few more language badges to sit right next to it.
Eight Year Club
And amidst all of this, I just completed my 8th year on dev.to.
Sometimes a career in software can feel a bit dull and repetitive, but when you actually stop to reflect on the road so far, you realize how much you've been through. Honestly, you kind of question how on earth you remained sane.
Especially for a guy like me who doesn't look back too often, it's almost shocking how much you can learn just by checking your rearview mirror. But one thing is for sure: I ain't going anywhere anytime soon. I'm going to be right here with this community until the day I retire, and I never plan on retiring.
GitHub Copilot CLI Challenge Winner
This right here is my biggest achievement on the platform, and easily one of the proudest moments of my entire career.
I never actually thought I'd win my first real dev competition. Sure, I did some algorithmic challenges back in the day when I was still a junior developer, but those aren't real hackathons, they're mostly for the younger crowd, not a 30-year-old millennial.
Taking first place in my debut, especially in a massive challenge with over 400 people, was surreal. But the absolute best part? I won it by building Metal Birds Watch. It was an idea I had been keeping in my head for years, and this hackathon gave me the perfect excuse to finally bring it to life. I still catch myself smiling whenever I think about seeing my name sitting there at number one.
The Making of Metal Birds Watch:
If you'd like to know the story behind this idea and project, check out the following article:
DEV Weekend Challenge Completion
I took on this challenge because I love spontaneous, short-term challenges. They allow me to test my speed and give me the intense drive to build something from start to finish in record time.
I wanted to create a project that would make people smile and feel a deep sense of pride in what they've created. The goal was to take their articles and turn them into something interactive, motivate the self-doubters to finally hit 'publish,' and even draw new people into the community. I was aiming for something totally unique... something actually fun.
That's how Sunday DEV Drive was born - a browser game.
You might be thinking: a browser game built by a backend engineer? But it turned out much better than I ever expected.
Well, I didn't win this challenge because you can't win every competition, however you can learn from each one. That said, the feedback I received was so incredibly amazing that it felt like winning a championship all on its own. Plus, the badge is absolutely gorgeous.
Still Not Convinced?!
All of the things starting from writing my first article, happened within the span of a single year. If I can do all of this, so can you and you can achieve much more if you push harder than I did.
It's not about becoming famous, earning more money, or chasing status. It's about proving to yourself that you are capable of doing it all, and actually having fun in the process.
Whenever people doubt their skills or career choices, I always tell them the same thing: "If you lack confidence, build evidence." Once you start taking action: coding, writing, recording, that output becomes all the evidence you need. Just try it and see yourself how your life changes.
But I have a feeling you might still need a little more convincing. So, let's play a little game.
Time to Play the Game
Don't worry, I'm not Triple H, so I'm not going to jump out and hit you with a sledgehammer. But depending on how you play, the result of this game might feel like it.
The Game
Imagine it is the year [current year + 10].
Take a moment to really immerse yourself in that future.
You still haven't started building your personal projects or writing technical articles. You realize how much time you've lost and how much you could have accomplished in that decade.
You are frustrated and annoyed at yourself for never taking that first step. You feel like you failed... you spent your prime years idle, and now nobody will ever know what could have been if you had just tried. You would give ANYTHING to start over, knowing exactly how much better you would do. But you can't go back in time. Sad, isn't it?
...
Now, end your immersion. You are back in the present. You have just been gifted those 10 years back. Congratulations! You are the first person in the universe to be handed a decade of extra time to start over.
So... are you really going to waste that chance again?
Start NOW! Your journey begins right NOW!
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