Why I Started dailydevnotes.in as a Software Engineer

I’ve been working as a software engineer for about a year now.

One year may not sound like a lot.
But in a startup environment, one year feels like several.

In this time, I’ve learned more by doing than I ever did by just watching tutorials or reading documentation. I’ve also felt more confused, stuck, and unsure than I expected.

This blog exists because of that experience.

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Before My First Job: What I Thought Software Engineering Was

Before entering the industry, I believed that:

• Knowing a tech stack meant I was ready
• Writing code that works was enough
• Following tutorials consistently would make me confident
• Once I got a job, things would slowly become clear

I was wrong.

Very wrong.

Nothing truly prepares you for real-world development — especially in startups.

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One Year Inside Startups: Reality Check

Working in startups means:

• Fast deadlines
• Limited documentation
• Constant changes
• Real users depending on your code
• Learning while delivering

There’s no “learn first, build later” phase.

You’re expected to learn and build at the same time.

Some days I was excited by how much I learned.
Other days I felt completely overwhelmed.

And that emotional swing is something nobody talks about.

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The Pressure That Forces Growth

In a fast-paced environment:

• Bugs don’t wait
• Features can’t be delayed because you’re “still learning”
• Code you write today might be used by thousands tomorrow

That pressure is scary at first.

But slowly, it teaches you important lessons:

• How to think instead of copy
• How to debug instead of panic
• How to read errors instead of fearing them
• How to ask better questions

This is where real learning begins.

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The Problem With Most Tech Content

As I learned more, I noticed a problem.

Most tech blogs and tutorials:

• Show perfect examples
• Skip confusion
• Ignore mistakes
• Avoid real constraints

But real development is messy.

You don’t understand everything at once.
You make decisions with incomplete information.
You learn by breaking things.

That gap between online learning and real work is huge.

I wanted to write content that sits in that gap.

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Why Writing Changed Everything for Me

At some point, I started writing things down.

Not for others — for myself.

I wrote:

• Why a bug happened
• What I misunderstood
• How I finally fixed something
• What I’d do differently next time

That reflection changed how I learned.

Writing forced me to slow down, think clearly, and truly understand what I was doing.

That’s when I realized:

If writing helps me this much, it might help others too.

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Why I’m Starting This Blog Early in My Career

Some people wait until they feel “qualified”.

I didn’t want to wait.

Because most developers reading blogs are:

• In their first job
• Or preparing for one
• Or struggling to bridge theory and practice

That’s exactly where I am.

This blog is not written from the top.
It’s written from the middle.

And that makes it more relatable.

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What dailydevblogs.in Will Be About

This blog is not limited to one topic.

It’s a reflection of how real software engineers grow.

Technical Learning (With Context)

• Backend development
• APIs and data flow
• Frontend logic
• System behavior (not just syntax)

Startup Engineering Lessons

• Working under pressure
• Handling unclear requirements
• Writing code others depend on
• Debugging in production-like environments

Career Growth (Early Stage)

• Learning while working full-time
• Avoiding beginner traps
• Improving confidence gradually
• Becoming reliable, not just fast

Building in Public

I’ll also document things I build:

• Features
• Side projects
• Experiments
• Failures and fixes

Everything is part of learning.

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Who Should Read This Blog

This blog is for you if:

• You’re early in your tech career
• You feel overwhelmed by how much there is to learn
• You want clarity, not shortcuts
• You prefer honest explanations over hype
• You want to grow consistently

If you’ve ever thought:

“I know basics, but I don’t feel like a real engineer yet”

You’ll feel at home here.

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What This Blog Is Not About

Let’s be honest.

❌ This is not a shortcut blog
❌ This is not about chasing hype
❌ This is not motivational fluff
❌ This is not copied documentation

This is slow, practical, reflective learning.

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What I Hope This Blog Becomes

I don’t want this blog to feel like a lecture.

I want it to feel like:

• A conversation
• A shared journey
• Notes from someone walking slightly ahead

If something confuses me, I’ll write about it.
If something finally clicks, I’ll break it down.

That’s the promise.

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What’s Coming Next

Some upcoming posts:

• What working in a startup taught me in one year
• How I learn new features quickly under deadlines
• Common mistakes I made as a junior engineer
• Backend concepts that only made sense after real usage
• How fast-paced environments shape you

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Final Thoughts

One year in, I’ve learned one big thing:

You don’t become confident by knowing everything.
You become confident by learning how to learn.

This blog is my way of doing that — publicly.

If this helps even one person feel less lost,
dailydevnotes.in will be worth it.

Thanks for reading.
Let’s grow together, one lesson at a time.

If you’re new here, start with the Start Here page.

— Irshad