Tech Dream in Reverse

Why did you decide to study Software Engineering?

The standard tech dream; build something great, mass market it, get rich, retire early. Thing is, I’ve already accomplished the last two items. I’ve been a follower of the FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early) movement for ten years now and finally reached my retirement goals two years ago. Every day I wake up, I have the freedom to approach life from a position of having all my basic needs met.

My retirement has been a journey up Maslow’s pyramid. I have spent the past two years, indulging in my hobbies, growing my personal relationships, raising my children, working out my body to find my physical limits, and introspecting to find deeper spirituality. I have made a lot of personal growth but see also the deficiencies in attaining self actualization and being my best self.

After peeling away the worries of physiological and safety needs, I saw in myself the purest of desires. I have a desire to build something great. I want to test my mental faculties to their limit. I want to study a subject deeply and gain an understanding of the technological world I live in. I want to see how large of a mark I can leave behind in this world. I chose to study software engineering as my journey to self actualization.