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Huỳnh Nhân Quốc
Huỳnh Nhân Quốc

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Coding and Life – Turning 30 and the Tech Dreams of a Golang Indie Hacker

#startup #go #indiehacker #journey

Ten Years of a Curious Kid

Now at 30, I look back at the younger me — that wide-eyed boy who played games, fished in rivers, and spent hours in smoky internet.

Ten years of growing up, wearing the white uniform of a student, then the olive green of the army. And through all that, I kept asking myself:

Who am I? And what will I do with my life?
Then one day, around 2015, I stumbled into programming through Blogger. The internet opened up an entirely new world for someone hungry for dreams and creation.

From HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to Golang, I taught myself everything — no formal school, no fancy titles — just passion, curiosity, and perseverance.

A Decade of Ups and Downs

I’ve been a soldier, a university student (twice), a startup founder, and at times, a struggling developer wondering what comes next.

But those experiences taught me one timeless truth:

Coding isn’t just about writing code — it’s about solving problems, creating value, and breathing life into each line you write.
I started from zero, sketching rough system diagrams on A0 sheets while working in Đà Nẵng. I used to say:

“One day, I want a big room — big enough to spread paper all over the floor, to lie down, sit down, and draw every idea that comes to mind.”
It sounds like something out of a war strategy movie, but for me, it was simply the image of peace — a quiet room where I could dream.

From small modules to components, and eventually a web framework, I built not to follow trends but to understand how things truly work — to create something strong, independent, and mine.

Ten Years of Youth – Life Lessons in Code

There’s a saying:

“The ten years between age 10 and 20 are just ten years,

but between 20 and 30 — that’s an entire lifetime.”
Your 20s are a collection of dreams, mistakes, and lessons.

Another truth I’ve learned:

The greatest gift in life is experience.
No one is born perfect. Some look up and feel small, while others look down and feel grateful.

Recently, I climbed a small hill near my wife’s hometown — a place called Vọng Cảnh (“View of Scenery”). Standing there, I remembered a word I once read at age 20: “Vọng tâm” — the restless heart.

In the heart lies the path, and in the path lies the heart.

A path with heart is a true path.

A heart with path is a true heart.

A path without heart is lost.

A heart without path is illusion.
Those lines stayed with me. But life is more than philosophy — it’s about living, trying, and feeling.

Ten years have passed, and I’m still walking this winding path — like melodies in a song that keeps evolving.

My Indie Hacker Journey – Golang and the Dream of Creation

I once built Samdy (the early version of Kitbuy) — a small project that somehow made it to the Top 100 e-commerce websites in Vietnam (2022) purely through SEO.

All of it ran on a single 1-core VPS, alongside 20+ other sites.

Recently, I wrote KITURL, a URL shortener system in Golang, along with several other APIs.

But I don’t just code — I connect it with Affiliate Marketing, SEO, and UX Design, because I believe:

Programming is science.

Design is art.

Writing is the way to feed your soul.
I’m not a great poet. My code isn’t perfect either. But I know what I love — and I’m determined to follow it to the end.

The Next 10 Years – The Dream of “Technological Independence”

Looking back, I realize this is not the destination. It’s still the beginning.

In the next decade, I want to:

  • Build a social network
  • Create an e-commerce platform
  • Develop a chat application
  • And most importantly, realize my dream of technological independence I’ve always dreamed that:

“Every Vietnamese person should not only have an email address,

but also a website — their own digital home.”
I’ve spent years building systems that manage multiple websites at once, much like how Facebook manages Fanpages.

From a front-end developer, I’ve had to learn Design, UX, Marketing, Advertising, and more.

I didn’t choose this path — life pushed me toward it. But that pressure shaped who I am today:

Not the best at any one thing, but capable of building an entire project from A to Z with a unique mindset.

Youth – The Backpack of Failures

They say:

“The most beautiful thing you can carry in your youth is failure.”
When we’re young, we fall — and we rise again.

But after turning 30, fear grows: fear of failing, fear of being judged, fear of not living up to expectations.

As the old saying goes:

“The heart may stay steady, the mind may stay calm,

but an empty stomach never lies.”
I don’t know what the future holds. But if one day I’m not as strong or as bright as I am today — please, don’t expect too much.

A hot cup of tea on a cold winter day —

Is it really warmer than an ice cream in your freezer?

When I was young, I wrote stories to draw my world.

Now I write code to build my life.

I don’t know how to write the word “Vọng” (Hope, Expectation),

but I do know this — please don’t expect too much from me.

“Coding and Life” — that’s how I continue my journey.
If you love programming, startups, or simply want to hear stories from a dreamer —

then walk with me a little while.

The journey is long,

and I’m still dreaming. 🌙

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