Lessons Learned
Sometimes the most valuable lessons come from our biggest mistakes. Here are mine.
The Overcommitment Trap
I had a great track record. I liked to impress people. And I absolutely hated telling anyone that something wasn’t possible.
This was a recipe for disaster.
For too long, I said yes to everything. Every project, every request, every opportunity that came my way. I thought I was being ambitious, but I was actually being reckless with my own capacity and, worse, with other people’s expectations.
The Breaking Point
The reality hit hard when I found myself juggling too many commitments, delivering subpar work, and disappointing people I cared about. The very thing I was trying to avoid-letting people down-became inevitable because I couldn’t be realistic about what I could actually deliver.
The Lesson
Never overcommit. Be realistic about what you can do and what you can provide.
This doesn’t mean being pessimistic or underselling yourself. It means understanding your limits, respecting your own time, and being honest about what quality of work you can deliver within a given timeframe. This puts you in the best position to actually deliver your best work.
Motivation is a Flawed Concept
I used to think motivation was everything. Wait for the spark, ride the wave, create when inspired.
Wrong.
Motivation is unreliable. It comes and goes like the weather. What you need is discipline-the ability to do what needs to be done regardless of how you feel.
The Breakthrough
I don’t like learning new technologies outside my comfort zone. It’s a bad habit, I know. But I found a way around it: I learned new things for people I cared about. When a mentor needed something done, I learned whatever it took to help them.
The lesson? Sometimes discipline comes from external accountability, from caring about something bigger than your own comfort zone.
The Speed of Change
I used to believe that things take time, things are slow. That building meaningful software required months or years of careful planning and development.
Then tools like Cursor changed everything.
The New Reality
Now I can build things over a weekend that can bring real value and return. The pace of development has accelerated beyond what I thought possible just a few years ago.
This shift has been mind-blowing. It’s not just about speed-it’s about the ability to iterate quickly, test ideas rapidly, and bring solutions to market while they’re still relevant.
The Power of Focused Obsession
Here’s what I’ve learned about balancing learning and building:
Focus on the end goal. If the end goal is motivating enough-something you really desire-you’ll do whatever it takes to execute it. The learning becomes a byproduct of the building, not a separate activity.
When you’re truly passionate about what you’re working on, when that passion reaches the point of “madness and craze,” you don’t struggle with motivation or discipline. You just do what needs to be done.
The Mentorship Factor
Words cannot define how much I care about my mentors. One of them told me something that I’m still trying to master: “Don’t work on too many things at once.”
I’m failing at this advice right now, but I keep coming back to it. The best guidance often comes from people who’ve walked the path before you and can see the pitfalls you’re heading toward.
The Bottom Line
These lessons aren’t just about code or technology-they’re about being human in a fast-paced, demanding field. They’re about understanding your own limitations, building discipline, and staying focused on what really matters.
The bonfire burns brightest when it’s well-tended, not when it’s trying to consume everything at once.
What hard lessons have shaped your journey? The fire is always open for sharing.
Related: my-journey-into-tech | projects