27: Building a Compass

On two recent occasions, I was asked where I see myself in the future. My answer in both cases was relatively similar...

I don't know. 🤔

I'm not lost. I have a general sense of where I'd like north to point. At the same time, tech is moving at hectic speeds through multiple stages of evolution.

My job looks different from what I expected when I became a Software Engineer a few short years ago. Now the map feels more like a whiteboard someone is actively erasing as I'm writing on it. And I know it's not just Software Engineering, it's a similar feeling across most of the tech sphere and beyond.

And honestly?
I think more of us should feel allowed to say that.

I’m not unmotivated

It's tough to say where we will end up, I am still energized by all the things we can build and do with the plethora of tools that exist and will someday come to be. But, it's also exhausting to keep up with. The work keeps changing and things are unclear.

It's not just because AI is "here now." Though, of course, AI has a lot to do with this pace, bringing significant change in its wake. (Compare to my first post on using AI from barely 2 years ago! 🤯)

The entire shape of software engineering has changed. Skills that were "optional" when I started are now baseline. Take a look at some of the job descriptions out there for newbies. The demands are insane sometimes. I don't even qualify for some wish lists. 😵‍💫

Because of this rapid pace we're expected to know more, output more, and move faster all the while. And the parts we thought would stay human (at least for a bit) are being automated, scaled, rewritten, and redefined in real time, including some of the more creative endeavors.

So when someone asks where I’ll be in [n] years, I can’t give them a neat answer.

What I can say is what I’m building instead:

✅ adaptability
✅ balance
✅ a career that can take hits and keep evolving

Career ladders are actually jungle gyms

Even in v0 of the [WIP] Podcast, it's clear to me that no journey is the same, nor is any journey I've heard straightforward.

Humans are consistently experimenting, iterating, and trying to see where we belong whether we do it intentionally or not.

More than ever, tech doesn’t feel like a ladder. Layoffs are rampant and some folks have had to start anew as opportunities dry up or change drastically from what they once were. So many people I've talked to in tech now are also career changers who came from various industries and trades rather than a traditional computer science or technical degree. Myself included!

You climb sideways.
You hang for a while.
You pivot.
You rebuild.
You take a break because your nervous system is throwing error codes. And somehow, that’s still progress.

Adaptability isn’t being okay with change.
Adaptability is staying functional while the rules keep updating.

“I don’t know” moments

😱 Moment #1: Inquiry about “the future”

I was talking with my therapist about this afterward, too. (Yay therapy!) I shared those recent moments where I had been asked where I think I'll be in [n] [timeframe] and shared my concerns about how much I feel I really can't answer that clearly.

We talked about how my brain did that thing where it tried to generate the “correct” response. Senior engineer? Leadership? Architecture? Product? Something impressive?

In retrospect, the honest answer is simpler: Focus on what I can actually control. Right now.
“I don’t know. I’m focused on building skills that survive change.”

Because the truth is: we've seen too many ‘stable paths’ disappear mid-walk. Especially in the last few years.

🤨 Moment #2: The definition changed

Earlier this year I started a new job with new challenges. It was exciting, as it is for most of us when starting something new! But, there was also a lot of new things and unknowns to I didn't expect to grapple with related to all of this consistent change.

It used to be enough to:

• know your stack

• ship features

• write clean code

Now it’s also:

• navigating AI tools + automation

• building systems people can trust

• understanding system health + observability

• collaborating across functions constantly

• communicating clearly through ambiguity

The job didn’t just evolve. The scorecard changed.

So “I don’t know” isn’t actually a weakness. It’s just… accurate. And it's 100% okay to acknowledge and say it.

Adaptability requires balance

Have you noticed a trend on LinkedIn? Online in general? It's called burnout. Everyone is talking about it. I've been there. Done that. (See previous post.)

What I've learned in the last year in particular is that adaptability also needs a steady helping of balance. Although we're moving quickly, hustle culture is not going to help us keep pace.

👉 “Stay sharp.”
👉 “Always be learning.”
👉 “Keep up or fall behind.”

Okay, but… when do you get to be a person?

I've been feeling lately that this seems to be another one of those "go slow to go fast" times I hear so much about in tech. I've tried to embrace it more and more lately.

Over the last several months I took a nice long break outside of my day job. What did I find? I had much clearer thoughts and I things started to "click" better that eluded me when I was walking directly toward burnout. And I also felt a new sense of energy and excitement about the new problems I was tackling.

Balance isn’t a reward for success. It's what lets you stay in the game long enough to evolve.

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3 sustainable ways to grow your adaptability

1 - ⚓️ Anchor to skills, not titles

Titles change. Teams change. Tech stacks change. But transferable skills continually show up like:

• systems thinking

• debugging

• communication

• learning fast

• writing clearly

• collaborating smoothly

• shipping + iterating

Ask yourself: “If my stack disappeared tomorrow, what would still make me valuable?” That answer is your foundation.

2 - 🧪 Run small experiments often

You don’t need a full reinvention every time the industry shifts. Instead, work with something new and small:

• add one new tool into a project

• pair with someone from another specialty

• a mini internal demo / lightning talk

• join a cross-functional project

• a weekend “curiosity build”

Small experiments teach you:

• I can be new at something and survive it

• I can learn without turning it into pressure or judgement

• I can evolve without self-erasing

Adaptability is built through practice, not panic.

3 - 🛠️ Build a balance system you can actually maintain

Balance isn’t goofing off while pretending deadlines don't exist. It’s having a pace you can trust.

Some examples:

• a weekly learning window (60-90 minutes, not a second job)

• “no learning after 8pm”

• “one new thing at a time”

• a low-pressure curiosity list

• intentional rest without guilt

Your career isn’t a hackathon and you don’t need to optimize your entire life. I still have to remind myself these things often!

A better question

If someone asks me today where I see myself, I am certain that I will still say, “I don’t know.”

But now I would also add: “I’m building a career that can survive change.”

I need a compass, not a map on this journey. Because the goal isn’t predicting the future when the landscape is evolving. The goal is becoming someone who can handle whatever shows up next, who can navigate any terrain.

Maybe “I don’t know” isn’t uncertainty. Maybe it’s clarity. The future’s moving fast, so I’m building adaptability and protecting balance. That’s the plan.

If you feel behind, you’re not broken. The pace is real. Start small. Stay steady. Keep becoming. 💖

Thanks so much for reading! ✨

Did I miss anything, or would you like to add anything?

Let me know!

I appreciate constructive feedback so we can all learn together. 🙌