The latest articles on Forem by Stennis Smith (@stennis1). https://forem.com/stennis1 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F2634242%2Fd446f59a-998f-46a7-a867-85f4905e5de3.jpg https://forem.com/stennis1 en Stennis Smith Thu, 06 Nov 2025 23:09:05 +0000 https://forem.com/stennis1/my-software-journey-so-far-and-where-im-going-next-4i4n https://forem.com/stennis1/my-software-journey-so-far-and-where-im-going-next-4i4n <p>My journey into software hasn’t been a straight line. It didn’t start with childhood coding competitions, a computer science background or reading entire programming books or manuals like Elon Musk and others. Instead, it began with curiosity, a desire for impact, and the realization that technology is one of the most powerful ways to solve real problems in society.</p> <p>In the past year, I’ve been steadily developing my skills across backend engineering, cloud architecture, and full-stack product development. I’ve worked on projects that challenged me, broke me, rebuilt me, and taught me to think not just as a developer—but as a problem solver.</p> <h2> Where I Started </h2> <p>Like many people, I started by learning the basics: front-end development, JavaScript fundamentals, and UI frameworks. But I soon realized that what truly fascinated me were the systems behind an application—the logic, architecture, data flow, and scalability.</p> <p><strong>That curiosity led me deeper into:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Node.js &amp; Express.js (for building backend services)</li> <li>AWS &amp; Terraform (for cloud infrastructure and deployment)</li> <li>Flutter (for mobile app development)</li> <li>..and even Java for desktop and web applications (not so much though).</li> </ol> <p>Learning each of these wasn’t just about syntax. It was about understanding how real applications are built, scaled, deployed, and improved.</p> <h2> What I’m Building Now </h2> <p>I am currently engaged on projects, including building a platform designed to improve how people discover, evaluate, and experience housing—especially in markets where property search is difficult, unreliable, or slow.</p> <p>Working on the web and mobile platform has pushed me to learn:</p> <ul> <li>Microservices architecture</li> <li>API design</li> <li>Secure authentication &amp; permissions</li> <li>Video processing for mobile (such as YouTube Shorts)</li> <li>Cloud deployment pipelines</li> <li>Real-world debugging and user feedback loops</li> </ul> <p>There are projects where I feel I am not just coding but designing systems that affect real people’s lives.</p> <h2> What I’ve Learned So Far </h2> <p>Here are a few lessons that have shaped my perspective:</p> <ul> <li><p>Consistency beats talent. Even small progress, made daily, compounds over time.</p></li> <li><p>Systems thinking matters. It’s not about writing code—it’s about understanding how everything fits together.</p></li> <li><p>Real problems are messy. Building for real users requires empathy, patience, and iteration.</p></li> <li><p>Learning never ends. Every new problem opens the door to 10 new things to explore.</p></li> </ul> <h2> Where I’m Going Next </h2> <p>My long-term goal is to grow into a high-impact engineer and researcher, contributing to scalable systems and meaningful digital solutions, especially those that improve access, equity, and opportunity.</p> <p>I do love the idea for pursuing graduate studies in Computer Science / Software Engineering (although I have a MBA in Management Information Systems), where I plan to deepen my knowledge in core application services such as Distributed systems, Cloud architecture, AI-assisted application design, Scalable platform engineering.</p> <p>I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and the people I’ll meet and learn from along the way.</p> <p>Here’s to progress. One step at a time!<br> — Stennis</p> career development softwareengineering careerdevelopment