Born after 2000, a self-taught programmer (didn’t touch a computer until university), born in a small place, no resources, no background.
Two years after graduation, I changed jobs three times, co-founded a startup with a former colleague once, couldn’t make money so I went to Shanghai to work (I forgot to register for the MarsCode competition, missed the chance to take a photo with Teacher Pan Luan).
This Shanghai company was good, but four months later, I quit again and came to Chiang Mai. Preparing to explore the digital nomad life again, only working, not going to the office.
My career path has been exceptionally bumpy, but so far, I’ve lived and worked in Hefei, Guangzhou, Beijing, Dali, and Shanghai for half a year each.
These two and a half years of experience have allowed me to meet many people—programmers, designers, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and even some who have achieved financial freedom.
I’ve heard many experiences, many stories—some fake, some pragmatic, some absurd, some heartbreaking, some idealistic, some open-minded…
To be honest: what I’ve gained in these two and a half years is more than what I learned in the 22 years before graduating from university. These experiences and the resources and connections I’ve made are my most valuable assets.
“If you take the path that most people take, you’re destined to be like most people. (Mediocre)”
This is a sentence that suddenly popped into my head recently. I originally wanted to comfort myself with it, to express my uniqueness.
But later I realized, it’s true—I wasn’t lying to myself. I am indeed walking a path that few people take.
I don’t know what the end of this path is, and I don’t know whether tomorrow or an accident will come first.
With only the courage from my youth, I’m walking this path with difficulty, stumbling along. Perhaps one day the fog will clear and I’ll see the dawn. Perhaps…