From Tier 3 College to Lead Software Engineer to Product Specialist in One Year

If you look at my current role on paper, it might look like a fast and lucky journey.

Tier 3 college.
Engineering started in 2021.
Now working as a Product Specialist, after being a Lead Software Engineer, all within a year.

People often ask (directly or indirectly):

“Was it luck?”

This post is my honest answer.

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Where I Started (Tier 3 Reality)

I studied engineering in a Tier 3 college.

That means:

• No brand value
• No big campus placements
• Limited exposure
• Mostly academic-focused learning

In 2021, when I started engineering, I did what most students do:
I started DSA.

I tried to be consistent.
But reality hit hard.

Between:

• College assignments
• Exams
• Internal pressure

DSA slowly became something I kept postponing.

Not because I didn’t care — but because I couldn’t balance everything well.

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The Shift: From “What I Should Do” to “What I Can Build”

At some point, I realized something important:

I was spending more time planning to learn than actually building anything.

That’s when I shifted focus to development.

Instead of worrying about:

• Which problem level I’m solving
• How many questions I’ve done

I started asking:

• Can I build something real?
• Can I understand how applications actually work?
• Can I make mistakes and learn from them?

I worked on projects.
Not perfect ones — but real ones.

That decision changed everything.

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Final Year: Off-Campus Internship (No Shortcuts)

In my final year, I got an off-campus internship.

There was no referral magic.
No campus advantage.

Just:

• Projects
• Skills
• Willingness to learn
• And showing up consistently

Later, during my final semester, I got another internship.

At this point, I wasn’t trying to “look smart”.
I was just trying to be useful.

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The PPO That Changed Everything

I was offered a 6-month PPO.

I didn’t think about titles.
I didn’t think about promotions.

I focused on:

• Understanding the product
• Taking ownership
• Delivering features properly
• Fixing issues without excuses
• Learning fast under pressure

Within 3 months, based on performance, my PPO was converted.

Not because I was perfect.
But because I was reliable.

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Becoming a Lead (Without Feeling Ready)

Later, I moved into a Lead Software Engineer role.

Honestly?
I didn’t feel “ready”.

But startups don’t wait until you feel ready.

They look for:

• Ownership
• Decision-making
• Communication
• Responsibility

I learned that leadership isn’t about knowing everything.

It’s about:

• Unblocking others
• Understanding the system
• Making trade-offs
• Taking accountability when things break

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Now: Product Specialist (The Bigger Picture)

Today, I work as a Product Specialist.

This role taught me something new:

Code is only one part of the product.

Understanding:

• User behavior
• Business constraints
• Priorities
• Trade-offs

…matters just as much as writing clean code.

And all my previous learning — development, debugging, system thinking — helped here.

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So… Was It Luck?

Here’s my honest answer:

❌ Not pure luck

❌ Not overnight success

It was:

• Hard work (showing up even when confused)
• Smart work (shifting focus when something wasn’t working)
• Consistency (even when progress felt slow)
• Openness to learn (without ego)
• Taking responsibility early

Luck may have opened a door.
But walking through it and staying there required effort.

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What This Journey Taught Me

1. College tier doesn’t decide your ceiling
2. You don’t need to be perfect to grow
3. Real projects teach faster than theory alone
4. Ownership matters more than titles
5. Growth comes from responsibility, not comfort

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If You’re From a Tier 3 College Reading This

You’re not behind.

Your path may be:

• Less structured
• Less supported
• More confusing

But it’s still valid.

What matters is:

• What you build
• How you learn
• How you respond to opportunities
• How seriously you take responsibility

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Final Thought

This journey is still in progress.

I’m still learning.
Still improving.
Still figuring things out.

But one thing is clear:

It wasn’t luck alone.
It was showing up — again and again — when it mattered.

— Irshad