Don't strive for perfection, strive for progress.

👋 Hi everyone, last week I was invited to be a part of the "Discover One Amazing Creator Everyday" series by Anshu Shandilya. Recently he started a challenge in which he interacts and shares the stories of creators, what they have done and are doing currently.

I had a wonderful time having a conversation with him on Twitter DMs. And I really liked those questions and thought why not share them on my blog too. So this post is all about it.

Let's begin.

👨‍🎓 What are you currently doing (working/studying)?

I am a final year student of computer engineering at Sinhgad Institute of Technology, Lonavala. And currently doing an internship as a Software Developer Intern at Twimbit.

🎯 What's that one thing you want to achieve in 2021?

For me, the one goal for 2021 is to be a full-stack developer. I want to learn how to build products from end to end, utilize my skills and build exciting products. Also, I have lots of good ideas around side projects that I want to work on.

👨‍🚀 What's that one thing you are most curious about?

It’s everything related to the web. The more I am learning, the more I feel how little I know. And that makes me explore more.

💡 What's something you learned/realized recently that you wish you learned/realized much earlier?

One thing I recently learned is that one can never be ready. You have to do it anyway. Like I used to keep saying to myself, I don't know enough, once I learn some XYZ stuff, I will be ready for the job. And I kept pushing it. But now even after getting into an internship, I feel the same. Every day I have to learn something new. It's a continuous process of learning and growing. You can't just wake up and say, yup! I am 100% ready. And this applies to everything. So don't strive for perfection. Strive for progress.

🙋‍♂️ Couldn't agree more, as our society feed, your learning ends with the completion of a degree and that is totally wrong. What's the one mistake you have done and will you advise others not to repeat that?

It would be "choosing the wrong metrics". Reading one book and implementing it in your daily life would be more impactful than just reading 100+ books. Having few folks who support you is more important than having hundred thousand followers. So choose your values carefully.

🦸‍♂️ Why did you choose to become a creator? How do you see yourself differently than the rest?

Because It's fun. It's something that I truly enjoy doing. I follow the mantra of learn-apply-share and try to encourage everyone to do the same. I don't see myself as different from others. I am learning a lot from all the people around me. After all, We all are solving problems and creating stuff in our own ways. I am documenting rather than creating.

📖 Which book you are reading these days? Which Genre excites you the most?

I am currently reading Soft skills by Jhon Sonmez. So far I can say it's a must-read for all the developers and creators. I read both fiction and non-fiction. But reading people's stories and journeys excites me most. Rashmi Bansal's connect the dots, arise awake are a few of my favorites in this genre.

Besides coding, I like

reading fiction/non-fiction books,
writing/journaling, doing this since 2015
illustrating, I am not good though I am learning.
poetry, music, filmmaking.

Basically, I enjoy everything artistic.

🛠 What problem you are planning to solve next?

It's not a specific problem I am trying to solve right now. But there are few products that I wish should exist, at least for me. So I am planning on building them. And even if they do exist, my goal is to make them better. Most of the projects I built were actually to solve my own problems.

Well, I am in the early days of my career myself. What I know is just a drop, there is a whole ocean in front of me. But after some learning, watching awesome folks, and experiencing myself, all I can say is build, build and build. Your college degree, your certifications won't help you to get a job, but your skills and ability to build products will. Learn and build. Write blogs, share your story. The more you will put yourself out there, the more you will create good opportunities for yourself.

Take responsibility for your own career. The internet is filled with resources. Learn how to learn. Join a community. Hang out with folks who inspire you and explore as much as you can.

📺 I have one last question, given a big board, which line would you like to write there?

There is one quote that I really love. it says making mistakes is better than faking perfections. I would write that.

🚀 Stuff that I built

Insightful blogs to check out

🚀 Shoutout to Kiwismedia

Kiwismedia is a Home for multi-skilled creators and makers. Discover individuals sharing their best works.

I am really grateful to be a part of this. Special thanks to Anshu Shandilya for all the good questions. I never did something like this before and learned a lot about myself.

I keep writing about the things I learned and applied. So you can connect with me on Twitter, Github or Linkedin. Also, subscribe to my newsletter and stay up-to-date with my latest blog posts.

⚡ Happy learning!

Rutik Wankhade