Building Side Projects, Becoming full-time SDE and more

The year 2023 has been a whirlwind of experiences, growth, and self-discovery. As the calendar pages flipped, so did the chapters of my life, introducing me to a new city, challenges, and the realization that the path to a brighter future is paved by the actions of the present. Let's take a closer look at the transformative journey of the past seven months.

A New Chapter in Bangalore: January - March

In the crisp January air, I embarked on a new adventure as I stepped into Bangalore, a city known for its bustling tech culture. The purpose was a six-month internship that held the promise of learning and professional development. However, the initial days were filled with moments of uncertainty.

The unfamiliar surroundings left me feeling lost, as adjusting to a new city and its rhythms took time. The first two months were a period of adaptation, both to the city and to a routine that differed from what I was used to.

During this phase, one lesson stood out: the importance of living in the present. The key was to focus on the present, recognizing that every step taken today shapes the path to tomorrow.

It was during these introspective moments that I also noticed how disconnected I was from my passions, particularly my involvement in open source contributions.

Finding Focus and Rediscovering Joy: March - April

March brought a shift in perspective. Determined to steer the course of my journey, I resolved to become more focused. If not me, then who would lead the way? Amid this determination, a ray of positivity entered my life in the form of a college friend, a running companion from the past.

Rekindling our shared interest, we decided to tackle 10-kilometer runs every weekend, a commitment that not only brought back an enjoyable habit but also symbolized the perseverance I needed in other areas of my life.

Professionally, the haze began to lift as I gained a better grasp of my internship responsibilities. Constructing various products and services, I garnered praise from my mentors. I also started exploring and building things that could solve some daily life problems people faced. I searched for different problems people were facing but couldn't come up with the solution that I would like to build and enjoy building at the same time.

So I thought why not build something for myself? I thought about how good it be for me to send messages to my future self regarding how I am doing and how things are going. My future self would be so proud of me and would take a look back at how far he has come.

That's when I decided to build Timecapsule.

A Spark of Creation: May - June

April witnessed a pursuit of innovation, as the itch to build something took center stage. Around this time I was looking for offline Hackathons to take part in. My search for offline hackathons led me down a path of discovery. I thought of searching for teams or teammates to take part in the hackathon. But couldn't find them as the process of building teams for hackathons included joining discord servers and finding teams there.

So I thought how good it be if there were a platform where teams are listed and we could directly reach out to the team that is taking part in the same hackathon as me. This is how the concept of HackBud was born.

I started working on Hackbud while taking part in a hackathon organised by Hashnode and Appwrite and the byproduct was HackBud an app built for hackathon in a hackathon.

I didn't win the hackathon but Hackbud was born which certainly has the potential to help students all over the world search for teams in hackathons and win them.

Around the same time I was performing well in my internship and also got full-time offer.

Balancing Work and Well-being: July - August

Summer unfolded with a harmonious blend of good work and personal well-being. Embracing a holistic lifestyle, I struck a chord between mental and physical fitness. Regular runs and workouts became integral components of my routine, paralleled by the sharing of insights and journey through articles on Hashnode.

In July I decided that the time to take my running journey to the next level had come. Therefore I decided to take part in an official endurance run taking place in Bangalore over the long weekend in August.

Called my brother Arjun Bakshi, who was ready to hop on this expedition.

This run changed me. We had to run for 3 continuous hours and it tested my patience, mental strength endurance, and most importantly my spirit. However, the folks who were running alongside me were incredibly encouraging. I was the youngest and least experienced participant in the race, but I kept going and finished third.

From Endurance to Empowerment: August - Present

Post-race recovery bore witness to yet another side project creation. An idea struck me of how good it be for programmers to manage tasks from their terminals.
Over this Sunday, I built todos.

Conclusion: A Journey of Self and Beyond

The past seven months of 2023 have been an incredible journey of transformation, self-discovery, and innovation.

The shift to a new city, the challenges and triumphs of the internship, the birth of transformative ideas, and the pursuit of physical and mental excellence have collectively shaped this chapter of my life.

As the year unfolds, I look forward to new challenges, opportunities, and experiences that continue to mold me into a stronger, more resilient individual ready to embrace all that the future holds.

Well, that's it for me friends, if you liked this blog then do give it a like and follow me for more such blogs. I will meet you in the next one. Till then, peace ✌️.

Whenever you are ready there are 2 ways I can help you:

sideProjectss: Create you personal page showcasing your side projects in just 5 mins
HTML email: Create your marketing HTML emails using AI within seconds