The Programming Pilot is Live!

Written By Sean Rowan

First off - Why?

As of last week, I'm officially in the three-decade club. And don't worry, this is not the introduction to a life crises meltdown.

When I was in school and starting my career, I thought everything would be figured out by this life milestone. Big shocker, things are still very up in the air. At times, I've felt like I'm on the outside looking in, watching colleagues and former classmates achieve insane levels of success in their different ventures and careers.

Ultimately, I've come to peace with the belief that everyone has their own path, and The Programming Pilot is an outlet to share mine.

Me and Alex at the Hoh Rainforest, Washington - Self Timer on Alex’s Canon AE-1 (Portra 400 Film)

Me and Alex at the Hoh Rainforest, Washington - Self Timer on Alex’s Canon AE-1 (Portra 400 Film)

As I've gotten older, I've realized how important it is to share significant life experiences that helped shape your path. A big inspiration is Alexandra Davis (@scrubsandfilm). She jumped into travel nursing without much guidance, mainly because there isn't much information out there. She created her website to share her knowledge and guide other nurses considering pursuing a career as a traveling nurse. Of course, she also uses her website to showcase her incredible film photographs.

After learning the ins and outs of film photography from Alex, I was lucky to receive my own Canon AE-1 film camera for this monumental birthday. The camera is naturally a calling to my competitive side to take better pictures than my mentor. Still, more importantly, the camera kickstarted The Programming Pilot to share life lessons I've learned in my personal life and career. 

What Kind Of Stuff Am I Posting

Short answer - whatever I want. In terms of content, everything is on the table for The Programming Pilot. I have some initial thoughts on what I think could be helpful information that I wish I knew years back and other fun stuff:

  • Career Choices

    • Software Engineer vs. Solutions Engineer

    • How to evaluate startups

    • What should I do while I'm in college to get the best CS job

  • Pilot's License

    • Financing your license

    • Flight Schools vs. Flying Clubs

    • How to manage the relationship with your flight instructor

  • Side Projects

    • Scoping a side project

    • Code walkthroughs of my own side projects

  • Everything Else

    • E-commerce

    • Real Estate

    • Travel Stories

    • Photography

    • Anything else I find interesting

I encourage everyone reading this to join the newsletter. It's going to be the best way to make sure you are receiving the newest information (I promise I won't spam you). Also, give me a follow @theprogrammingpilot.

If there are specific topics that you think I should talk about, please let me know! Thanks for reading!

Sean Rowan

Sean Rowan