18/03/2025
Hey there,
Let me tell you about the most dangerous barrier to your tech career.
It's not the job market. It's not your technical skills. It's not even the competition.
It's that voice in your head.
When I was 16, stacking shelves at a grocery store, I had a voice that constantly told me:
"You need a degree."
"No one will hire you."
"You're not smart enough."
That voice nearly destroyed my tech career before it even started.
I remember sitting at my computer, finger hovering over the 'Purchase' button for my first coding course.
The voice was SCREAMING at me:
"This is a waste of money."
"You'll fail like you always do."
"People like you don't become programmers."
For 30 minutes, I sat frozen, paralyzed by that voice.
Then something inside me snapped.
I realized this voice wasn't protecting me from failure. It was ensuring it.
I clicked that button.
That decision changed everything.
Six months later, I landed an $80k job as a software engineer.
By 17, I was interviewing at companies like Canva.
At 18, I'm running my own tech startup making $20k+ monthly.
That voice was wrong about everything.
I've seen this same voice destroy the potential of countless aspiring developers:
"I'm too old to learn coding."
"I need a computer science degree."
"I'm not a 'tech person.'"
"I'm not good at math."
These aren't rational concerns.
They're excuses manufactured by our own minds to keep us comfortable. To keep us safe. To keep us exactly where we are.
The most successful students I've worked with aren't necessarily the most talented.
They're the ones who recognize that voice for what it is – fear disguised as wisdom.
They're the ones who understand that every time that voice speaks up, it's actually pointing toward exactly what they need to do.
Fear of investing in yourself? That's exactly why you should.
Fear of applying for jobs? That's exactly why you need to.
Fear of being rejected? That's exactly why you must try.
The voice gets quieter with each success, but it never completely goes away.
Even now, when I'm faced with a new challenge, it whispers:
"You've just been lucky so far."
"You're going to be exposed as a fraud."
"This is where you finally fail."
The difference is, now I recognize it. Now I know that when that voice is loudest, I'm on the right track.
So if you're sitting there, finger hovering over a decision, and that voice is screaming at you not to take the leap...
That might be the clearest sign that you absolutely should.
Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't
external. It's the battle happening in your own mind.
~ Iman
