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Nicolas Menicou
Nicolas Menicou

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From Electrical Engineer to Startup Founder: My Unexpected Journey

Hey everyone! I’m Nicolas, and my journey from electrical engineering to launching my own startup has been quite an adventure. Grab a coffee, because this is going to be a fun ride!

The Beginning: Electrical Engineering and My Dislike for Programming

After graduating as an electrical engineer, I dove into network engineering. Here’s a fun fact—I never really enjoyed programming during university. It always felt like a complex puzzle that I couldn’t quite solve. But my fascination with technology kept me curious and eager to explore new paths.

Coding Bootcamp: A Surprising Turn

Just after finishing university, I decided to give programming another shot. I enrolled in Colt Steele's Web Dev Bootcamp Udemy course and started with the basics: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. To my surprise, I discovered a new passion for coding. What once seemed like a maze now turned into a creative playground.

I tackled React next, and diving into web development was a game-changer. The journey was filled with challenges, but it was incredibly rewarding and opened up exciting new opportunities.

Climbing the Ladder: Job Hopping and Growth

I hopped between several programming jobs, each one offering fresh challenges and valuable experiences. My salary saw a significant percentage increase as I progressed, and each role helped me strengthen my skills and broaden my horizons in software development.

The Unexpected Twist: Getting Laid Off

Life threw a curveball when I was laid off from my most recent role. It was a tough moment, but I’m grateful for the knowledge and experience I gained. This unexpected turn of events gave me a chance to reflect and set the stage for my next big adventure.

Enter Mirmigki: Revolutionizing Job Boards

When I looked at the job market in Cyprus and Greece, I noticed that many job boards were outdated and clunky. They seemed stuck in the past, and I saw an opportunity to shake things up. So, I decided to create something new.

Introducing Mirmigki—a modern job board designed to stand out from the usual templated sites. My goal was to build a platform that was fresh, intuitive, and user-friendly. The response has been fantastic, especially from the Cyprus subreddit community, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see such positive feedback.

Tech Talk: Building Mirmigki

For those interested in the tech side, I built Mirmigki using NextJS for a fast and responsive experience, Tailwind for a quick way to mess around with styling, and Supabase as the database solution. I also tackled the challenge of self-deploying on a Hetzner server, which was both fun and educational.

What’s Next?

My journey has been full of unexpected turns and exciting opportunities. From my initial aversion to programming to now running Mirmigki, I’m thrilled about the future. If you’re curious, want to collaborate, or just want to chat, feel free to reach out on Twitter.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure. Here’s to turning challenges into opportunities and making things happen! 🚀

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