Why Am I Writing This?
I'm writing this to show how unfair the world we live in can be, sometimes ridiculously so.
This isn't the first time I've faced unfairness. It's happened more times than I can count, and by now I'm mostly numb to it. I don't really feel sad or angry anymore. I just keep going.
So this write-up isn't really for me. It's for people who are just starting out, or who aren't used to doing everything they possibly can, and even more, and still not getting what they deserve. I've seen so many people give up on their careers, their job searches, and their dreams because of moments like this. I was lucky to be resilient and stubborn enough not to let them break me.
The Best Prize I'll Never Use
Back in March, I won the biggest competition of my life, a challenge held by GitHub. I built Metal Birds Watch, an app I'm absolutely proud of. It's in maintenance mode right now, but it'll be back soon.
I still don't know how I finished it. I was in severe pain the entire time. My neck, shoulder, and arm were absolutely killing me, and I could barely sit up straight. It was literal hell. But I pushed through and shipped it anyway.
So you can imagine how it felt to hear I'd won. And the prizes were amazing.
One of them was a one-year GitHub Copilot Pro+ subscription. I already had one, so GitHub offered me a very generous voucher for their shop instead. I asked them to donate that money to charity. It's the biggest charitable contribution I'd ever made, and I'm really proud of it.
The other prize was a ticket to GitHub Universe, the one I was looking forward to most.
Everything was going great.
The Reason I Had Zero Control Over
That lasted until a month or two ago, when I found out I wouldn't be able to attend. The reason is absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes I catch myself laughing hysterically at the sheer level of this utter BS. But the world is a weird place right now. A very, very weird place.
I won't go into the exact reasons, but remember this: where you are in the world matters, especially at this point in history. It can affect your career, your life, everything. Don't be naive about it. No matter how successful you are, how good you are, or whether you do literally everything right, external factors don't give a damn.
A Precious Ticket Gone to Waste
One more thing I'm really annoyed about: the ticket is going to waste, and nobody can use it. I reached out to GitHub twice to ask whether I could transfer it to someone else, but I haven't heard back. I get it, they have a massive conference to run, so they're too busy to respond my emails, but still, I would've loved to give it to someone and make their day. It is what it is. I'm still infinitely grateful to GitHub for what they have done, I love you folks!
So What Now?
Nothing, really. Like I said, it's bad, but I've been through much worse, and I can handle this. I have way too much on my plate anyway, so I don't even have time to dwell on it.
For me, knowing I gave it everything I had, and more, is enough. Regretting that you didn't give it your all would feel far worse than this nonsense.
This write-up is mainly for people who give up the moment something doesn't go their way. Be stubborn. Focus on what you can control. Play the long game. You might lose a round, but that doesn't mean you've lost the match.
That's what I've always done, and it played out pretty well for me. So I'm just going to keep doing it. I might get things the hard way, but one way or another, I'll get them. I've lost rounds before. I've never lost the match.
The seat stays empty this year. It won't stay empty forever. I promise you that.
Let's stay connected!
