Eric Silverman, CEO and cofounder of FeaturePeek, discusses how he got started in software engineering and answers questions about his first role as a software developer, what he learned while working at his first startup, and the benefits of working at a startup if you're a new developer.
Eric's GitHub: https://github.com/eric-silverman
Learn more about FeaturePeek: https://featurepeek.com/
Learn more about the Mintbean developer community: https://mintbean.io/
Top comments (13)
I was a kid that wanted to make games and apps. My dad got me a visual basic introductory book. With that, I did two two-inputs, one operation calculator. Then I slowly learned different topics.
My first touch of an actual problem was to build a static website for a family member. Software development has been part of my life as much as any other activity I suppose.
Thanks for sharing Gabriel! A few devs I've worked with now have kids that are starting to code themselves. 🙌 to your Dad for being so supportive.
Do you feel like you've evolved as a developer since starting out, and what's been the biggest change? Any advice for new developers just getting their start?
I started a web agency with some friends as a joke... no one of us had any idea of what we were doing so I had to learn. And now almost 5 years later the agency is pretty big😂 I just left the company to find new adventures 🚀
That's wonderful Jakob! Any advice for dev collectives considering forming an agency?
Whey, go for it!🚀
Oh hard... Now looking back at it I would say find your own path, reflect ALOT over the operation and don’t work to much.
Good luck!🙏
That's wild Adam. Thanks for sharing your story and I hope to hear the long version one day. Having run your own company for a time, any advice for first-time entrepreneurs? Traps to avoid?
I graduated from the uni in cosmology, but i had done a minor in AI. This kinda coincided with the Cambridge analytica scandal from fb. I was so frustrated that I couldn't do anything to help - so I started making software for real (I had already started programming way before - but usually for science stuff)
Thanks for sharing Athul! I think a lot of devs can relate to frustration with the status quo being a motivator to start coding. Any advice for new developers looking to turn that initial spark into their first software engineering job?
I find myself so Relevant to your Background
If you're interested in this series, you can find all the videos here: featurepeek.com/blog/eric-silverma...
Let us know how you got started in software engineering in the comments! If you're looking for your first dev job, post your latest project.
Just published a post on how I got started – dev.to/ddoria921/how-i-landed-my-f...
Thanks for sharing!