Early success in tech feels like momentum you can’t lose.
You get paid well.
People respect your skills.
Opportunities start coming to you instead of the other way around.
I experienced that early in my software engineering career and I didn’t realize that the same success was slowly pushing me off track.
This is not a story about failure due to lack of skill.
It’s a story about losing direction after success and what it took to recognize and correct it.
Accidental Beginnings, Real Momentum
I didn’t plan to become a software engineer.
I learned Python during university to do small side hustles. My original plan was to focus on .NET, but Python projects kept finding me. Small scripts turned into paid freelance work. Then came web projects, Django applications, payment integrations, production systems.
Within a few years, I was:
- Working on real-world production systems
- Handling clients directly
- Designing backend architectures
- Leading engineering teams in startups
From the outside, everything looked right.
Inside, I believed something dangerous:
If my skills got me here, they’ll keep me here.
When Success Stops Teaching You
The problem with early success is that it reduces urgency.
I stopped asking:
- What should I learn next?
- What will matter in five years?
- Who am I surrounding myself with?
Instead, I focused on:
- Delivering
- Earning
- Staying busy
I didn’t notice that:
- My learning became shallow
- My routines disappeared
- My curiosity declined
I was still productive but I wasn’t growing.
The People Problem Engineers Don’t Talk About
One of my biggest mistakes had nothing to do with code.
I spent years around people who weren’t my peers.
I confused:
- Friends with mentors
- Noise with insight
- “Marketing” with shortcuts
I tried to learn business and marketing from the wrong people. I invested time and money chasing knowledge that wasn’t real. That environment slowly distorted my thinking.
As engineers, we often underestimate how much our circle shapes our trajectory.
Wrong people don’t slow you down immediately.
They slowly pull you off course.
The Hidden Cost of Losing Direction
Losing direction doesn’t look like failure.
It looks like:
- No long-term learning roadmap
- Ignoring new technology waves
- Poor financial discipline despite good income
- Escaping stress instead of fixing systems
When the AI wave started accelerating, I realized something painful:
I was late, not because I lacked intelligence, but because I lacked focus.
That realization hit harder than any rejection or failed project.
The Wake-Up Moment
At one of my lowest points, I disconnected from almost everyone.
One day, I found an old note I wrote years earlier — a personal roadmap.
It had:
- Clear goals
- Daily routines
- Learning plans
- A disciplined version of myself
That version felt unfamiliar.
That’s when I understood:
I didn’t lose my skills.
I lost alignment.
What Early Success Taught Me (The Hard Way)
Here are the lessons I wish I understood earlier:
1. Early success hides structural problems
Momentum can mask bad habits for years.
2. Skills decay without intentional learning
Especially in fast-moving fields like software and AI.
3. Routine matters more than motivation
Consistency beats intensity.
4. Your environment is part of your system
Choose peers, not just friends.
5. Direction > speed
Moving fast in the wrong direction is still failure.
Rebuilding With Intention
Today, I’m rebuilding my career with clarity:
- AI and system design as core learning paths
- Strong routines for work and life
- Better boundaries with people and time
- Long-term thinking instead of short-term wins
This time, I’m not chasing momentum.
I’m building systems that sustain growth.
Final Thoughts
If you’re early in your career and things are going well, pause and audit your direction.
If you’re successful but uneasy, trust that feeling.
And if you feel lost:
You don’t need a new career.
You need a new system.
P.S: Follow me to learn from my real experiences. I'm sharing my journey publicly.
Originally published at https://www.meetrakib.com/blog/i-lost-my-direction-after-early-success-in-tech-heres-what-i-learned/ on December 16, 2025.
Top comments (0)