From Developer to CTO: A Startup Journey

 Are you looking into becoming a full MERN stack developer and you are confused about where to start?

Worry-less, Dixre has got you covered because this interesting episode of Dixre podcast will answer all your questions. 

Introduction 

Attaining the position of a CTO in a tech company or even a high position in any organization is not a one-day job. It requires dedication, commitment, and hard work. It takes someone with passion and focus to get to where he or she has envisioned for himself/herself to be. Let me take you through a journey of how Solomon Yunana, a very dedicated and hard working Man who is the present CTO of Dixre Ltd got to where he is today.

Learning JavaScript

JavaScript is a programming language used to make websites interactive. It is a lightweight programming language commonly used by web developers to add dynamic interactions to web pages, applications, servers, and even games. 

JavaScript is supported by all major web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, making it a crucial component of web development. It is used to manipulate the Document Object Model (DOM) of web pages, allowing developers to dynamically modify HTML, CSS, and content, respond to user events, validate form inputs, and create animations and effects.

Skills Evolution and Development Process

“When I joined Dixre, I was only doing JavaScript, one good thing about programming is this, if you’re just learning random stuff then it is difficult for you to know what to learn but if there is a value that you should deliver then you look for the right tools to use to achieve your goal”- Solomon Yunana

An individual’s Skills Evolution involves continuous learning and improvement of technical and soft skills, while the Development Process includes the structured approach followed by teams to plan, build, and deliver software solutions efficiently and effectively.

Customer Value  

“What I admire the most about you and your contribution to the company is that, you always step up to learn the things that the company needs to offer value to its customers”- Samaila Chatto Bashir

Customer value refers to the benefits, advantages, and utility that customers derive from using a particular technological product or service. It revolves around meeting and exceeding customer expectations, addressing their pain points, and delivering meaningful outcomes that enhance their lives, businesses, or operations.

Pressure

“I would actually speak from my opinion and my experience so far, I think pressure is the normal meal that you could serve a programmer; just imagine as a human being, if you have to survive by anything, you have to eat. So if you have to be a developer you have to eat pressure, but it wouldn’t always be pressure, the pressure comes when you have to learn a new thing and apply it and have to keep up with it but over some period of time you become a master in that particular thing and then at that domain and then things seem to cool down for a little bit at some point. You know that’s a business requirement and that’s how life is, it’s full of ups and downs, everything seems to cool down and then at some point a complex requirement will come that will bring another pressure you know and you have to step up”- Solomon Yunana

Becoming CTO and Managing the Title

“Actually I didn’t see that coming because I know who a CTO is, I know what the position of the CTO was and I have never dreamt of that, I was actually doing my best not because of anything but to be valuable. When I was told that I was the new CTO I felt the weight of responsibility on me. I would just say one thing that encourages me was, I knew that I was not fit for that office but I knew I could rise to the point that I will be fit now for the office” – Solomon Yunana

Becoming a CTO has nothing to do with the number of years you have acquired experience but the number of times you were able to deliver value. A lot of people have ignored the part of delivering value and they focus on the title forgetting if they don’t offer value they are likely to be dropped from that position.

Hard Work

“Thank God I didn’t know how hard I needed to work because if I had known that this was what I would go through, I wouldn’t have taken this journey well. The reason is because, let me first separate passion from the main thing here, when a company employs you it’s not your passion that is their problem but it’s how you convert your passion to a solution that gives them what the value they want and they generate money from the value you offer” – Solomon Yunana 

If you are developing for fun, then your passion will keep you going but if it is from the point of offering value then it has to die and resurrect over and over again because most times you tend to lose interest in what you are doing but your passion will keep you going always.

 How Much Will I Make

“People are always putting their attention on the money they will make but I think if you want the money try to take your attention away from the money and go for the value and I think you will get the money, I know he would get the money”  – Solomon Yunana 

It’s up to every developer out there, especially if you’re starting out, your primary goal should be value. Be the most valuable programmer out there and the more value you create for yourself the more you open yourself up to opportunities

In conclusion, deliver value always irrespective of where you are at any point in time.

Interested in gaining more insights into technology, business, remote work, and professional networking? Then Dixre Podcast is an excellent place for you to get started.