What publishing something with 27k downloads at 15 taught me
When I uploaded Rust Yoneis I didn't expect it to reach the scale it did. It was a project I built for myself, to solve a problem I had. Learning as I went, adding features along the way.
I remember the satisfaction of receiving real feedback from real users — people who don't know you and owe you nothing — it's one of the most brutally honest things that can happen to you as a developer. Some reported bugs. Others requested features I hadn't even imagined. That taught me that software doesn't end when you upload it: it ends when the user stops having problems.
"The code you write to solve your own problem tends to be the most honest."
Why I chose C# as my first language (and why I don't regret it)
Honestly, it wasn't planned. Ever since I had a computer at home, I knew I wanted to do something related to technology. My first approach to programming was through video games. My favorite game — the one that got me into development — runs on Unity. Unity uses C#. There was no philosophical decision, I just followed what excited me.
Over time I understood that C# is a language that forces you to think. Static typing, object-oriented design, memory management — all of that, which seems like an obstacle at first, later becomes your best tool for reasoning about complex systems.
Self-taught and university: can they complement each other?
For a long time I felt that what I learned on my own was more valuable than what I learned at university. Then I realized that was wrong. University gave me structure, the foundations of concepts that, when self-taught, can sometimes become blurry, and the ability to communicate with other professionals. Self-taught learning gave me speed, judgment and the habit of solving problems without waiting for someone to explain how.
I think the combination of both is what defines me as I am today. I wouldn't choose one without the other.
