The reality of working in a high-pressure environment like trading quickly became clear to me. Software development, as I knew it, doesn’t operate like trading. Traders are used to prioritizing tasks on the fly, constantly shifting focus, and demanding quick solutions. It’s all about speed and results. The pressure to deliver within hours was intense, and I quickly realized I had to adapt.
In contrast to what I had envisioned, the technical environment wasn’t what had been promised during the interview. The tech stack was outdated – legacy Java and Matlab, tools I wasn’t used to. It was a challenge, to say the least. I found myself trying to establish a roadmap despite the chaos, while also trying to develop skills in Matlab, something I hadn’t anticipated. It felt like I was playing catch-up the whole time. The tools, the codebase – nothing was up to date, and yet the expectation was that everything would be done yesterday.
Despite these challenges, I found motivation in other areas. One of the things that kept me engaged was my involvement in the recruitment process. I was now the one asking the questions, assessing candidates, and being a part of building the team. It felt like I was shaping something bigger than just the code. Another source of fulfillment was mentoring a junior colleague who was older than me. This was new territory for me – I had never worked with someone older but junior from a tech perspective, and I wasn’t sure how to approach the situation. But I remembered a key lesson from my previous job: empathy. I learned that my job wasn’t to show him the solution directly but to guide him through the process and let him discover it on his own.
I’ll admit, the hardest part was getting him to adopt unit testing and think in a Test-Driven Development approach. But it was incredibly rewarding to watch him grow. Over time, I saw him advance to other roles, and I felt a sense of pride knowing I had a small part in his development. That experience made me realize that beyond being the technical expert, I really enjoyed working with people, helping them grow, and fostering an environment where they could thrive.
At that point, I realized that mentoring and supporting others was just as fulfilling as solving complex technical problems. It sparked a desire to not only lead teams technically but to help others become the best version of themselves. Looking back, that was one of the most valuable lessons in my career: technical skills are important, but the ability to guide and mentor others is what truly makes a leader.