My Journey into Web Development and DSA

When I first got into tech, it wasn’t some cinematic “aha” moment. I was just curious. Curious about how websites worked. Curious about why everyone said DSA was the "key to everything." Curious about what I could create with just a keyboard and logic. That curiosity slowly grew into something bigger..

Starting Out: Clueless but Curious

Should I do DSA first? Or make websites? Or learn Python? Everyone had advice, and all of it conflicted. So I made a deal with myself: I’ll do both — but I’ll do it my way.

DSA: The Mental Gym

I began with Java. Then dove into LeetCode and a few other platforms. At first, even solving basic problems took me way too long. But the satisfaction of finally cracking a solution? Addictive.

I started appreciating how problems had layers — and solving them made me feel like I was levelling up not just as a coder, but as a thinker. It wasn’t easy, but it was real. Especially when I started noticing how my logic evolved outside of code too. Even today, I go back to DSA as a way to sharpen myself — especially when web dev starts feeling too “drag-and-drop.”

Web Dev: My Creative Escape

I’ve always liked creating things that feel alive. That’s what drew me to Web Dev.

From building NuVue for a hackathon, to developing KoNet as part of a college project, to now ideating and building LoKAL — a platform designed to connect local service providers and small businesses — I’ve realised that building for the web is where I come alive.

The first time I deployed on Vercel and saw my own work live? Magic.

The first time something broke after a push? Humbling.

The first time I fixed it without Googling? Growth.

Frontend taught me design. Backend taught me structure. GitHub taught me version control. And late nights taught me patience.

Where I’m At — And Where I’m Headed

Right now?

I’m polishing my full-stack skills.

Learning APIs through hands-on mini projects.

Studying Linear Algebra alongside.

Grinding a bit of DSA to stay sharp.

And building cool stuff that I would want to use.

To Anyone Starting Out

You don’t need to figure it all out at once.

Try things. Drop some. Obsess over others.

Don’t just copy what works — build what matters to you.

And most of all — don’t wait to feel “ready”. I didn’t feel ready either when I wrote my first line of code or deployed my first app. But I did it anyway.

Because progress (no matter how small) > perfection.