From My First ₹2,000 to My Sixth Year as a Software Engineer
From My First ₹2,000 to My Sixth Year as a Software Engineer
My first salary was ₹2,000.
I received it for designing the UI of a mobile app while I was still in college, for a company in my hometown.
I still remember the exact digits that appeared on my phone when I received the payment.
I showered the client with thanks because, for me, it wasn’t just ₹2,000.
It was my first remuneration earned using my own skills.
And that ₹2,000 gave me something much more valuable than money — confidence.
It Wasn’t Really About the Money
Looking back, ₹2,000 might not sound like much.
But at that point in my life, it meant something completely different.
I was still a college student. I didn’t have years of professional experience. I didn’t have an impressive resume or a long list of achievements.
I simply had a skill that someone was willing to pay for.
That small payment answered a question I had probably been carrying in my mind for a long time:
Can I actually make money from something I know how to do?
The answer was yes.
And that realization gave me confidence to keep going.
From ₹2,000 to a Career
From there to today, it has been a journey of trying to become a better version of myself.
It wasn’t a straight path.
There were successes, but there were also plenty of failures, mistakes, criticism, and moments where I had to question what I was doing.
Over the years, I’ve:
- Learned a lot.
- Failed a lot.
- Received plenty of criticism.
- Made mistakes I wouldn’t repeat today.
- Had mentors who genuinely helped me grow.
- Worked with some incredibly talented teams.
- Built things I’m proud of.
- And, most importantly, realised how much more there is to learn.
Every one of those experiences added something to the person and engineer I am today.
Some taught me technical skills.
Some taught me how to work with people.
Some taught me what not to do.
And some simply taught me to keep going.
Six Years as a Software Engineer
Now, I’m in my 6th year as a Software Engineer.
Six years can feel like a long time when you look at it from the outside.
But when you’re actually living through those years, it can feel surprisingly fast.
You start with the excitement of getting your first opportunity.
Then you discover how much you don’t know.
You learn.
You make mistakes.
You improve.
You take on bigger responsibilities.
You work with people who are better than you in certain areas.
You learn from them.
And eventually, you look back and realise that you’ve come a long way.
But you also realise something else:
There is still an enormous amount left to learn.
The Person Behind the First ₹2,000
When I look back, I don’t think about the salary numbers as much as I think about the person I was when I earned that first ₹2,000.
A tier 3 college student who simply wanted to prove that his skills were worth something.
That was the mindset I had then.
And six years later, that mindset hasn’t changed much.
I’m still learning.
Still building.
Still making mistakes.
Still trying to get better.
The technologies may change.
The projects may change.
The responsibilities may change.
But that desire to improve is something I hope stays with me.
The Hunger to Keep Learning
One of the biggest things I’ve realised during these years is that becoming a better engineer isn’t really about reaching a point where you know everything.
That point doesn’t exist.
There will always be a new technology to understand, a different problem to solve, a better approach to discover, or something you could have done differently.
And honestly, the struggle and thirst for learning are still very much alive in me.
I don’t want to lose that.
Because the moment you stop being curious, you start becoming comfortable with where you are.
And in software engineering, where things keep changing, staying curious matters.
Maybe the Goal Isn’t to Become the Best
Earlier in my career, the goal might have felt like becoming the best engineer I could be.
Today, I think about it a little differently.
Maybe the goal isn’t to become the “best” engineer.
Maybe it’s simply to become a little better than who you were yesterday.
A little more knowledgeable.
A little more capable.
A little better at solving problems.
A little better at communicating.
A little better at handling failure.
A little better at helping others.
And then doing the same thing again tomorrow.
From ₹2,000 to Wherever Comes Next
That first ₹2,000 will always mean something to me.
Not because of the amount.
But because of what it represented.
It was the first time I realised that a skill I had developed could create value for someone else.
It gave me confidence.
That confidence led to more learning.
That learning led to more opportunities.
And those opportunities eventually led me here — six years into a career that I’m still figuring out every day.
I don’t know exactly where the next six years will take me.
But I know I want to keep the same mindset I had when I received that first payment.
Keep learning.
Keep building.
Keep making mistakes.
Keep getting better.
And most importantly, I hope I never lose that hunger.
Because maybe that’s what really matters in the long run.
Not how quickly you become successful.
Not how impressive your title becomes.
Not how large your salary gets.
But whether you continue becoming a better version of yourself.
A little better than who you were yesterday. 🚀
Final Thought
Everyone has a starting point.
Sometimes, it isn’t a huge opportunity.
Sometimes, it’s just ₹2,000.
But you never really know how far that first small step can take you.