The Journey From Creative Writer To Software Writer

Hey Hackers!

I’m Oliver Emeka Ifediorah (Oliver_Emeka) and I’m a software developer and tech writer. I am glad to announce that I have been nominated for the 2022 Noonies Award.

A huge thanks to the gzht888.community and staff for considering me worthy of this opportunity. I’ve been nominated in the following categories and if you like my writing, please do check out these award pages and vote for me:

1. HackerNoon Contributor of the Year- FLUTTER: ,
2. HackerNoon Contributor of the Year- GAME-DEVELOPMENT:

As a tech writer, I believe that one of the most exciting technologies of the present is Flutter because of its ability to facilitate completely ubiquitous cross-platform development with one programming language. Learn more about my thoughts and opinions on my profile and my journey in the tech industry via the interview below.

1. Tell us about your journey. What do you do and what do you love about it?

I am a recent computer science graduate from the University of Benin, Nigeria. A course that I fell in love with after witnessing the numerous transformations that information technology is facilitating in the world today. I’ve always been fascinated with computers from a young age because I always wondered how the same device can be used to watch movies, play music, play games, browse the internet and also be used to work. I didn’t have much exposure to devices while growing up in a small town so my little experience with the versatility of computers always dumbfounded me. Eventually, I’d learn that computers were so versatile because they could be programmed to do many different things. Hence, in my teenage years, I resolved to study computer science and understand how to perform that magic of programming. Today I code in a couple of languages and write about tech to educate people who may be confused about technology like I used to be.

2. Tell us more about your work. What do you make/write/manage/build?

Currently, I am a software developer with flutter and I am also into machine learning with python programming language. My goal is to combine these two technologies in building smart apps which are the apps of the future. I’m also a Linux power user because I fell in love with Linux OS while in school. I write about these technologies to contribute to human knowledge in the way I can.

3. How did you start writing? What made you choose HackerNoon for publishing your work?

Actually, I started writing before I got into tech. I was into creative writing which I came to love after reading exceptional novels like Harry Potter, A song of Ice and Fire, Things Fall Apart etc. Aside from these stories just being mind-blowing, I was also intrigued by the fact that writing helps you create extensions of human knowledge that never existed before. Hence, I learned to write and when I got into tech, I applied writing to tech. I learnt about Hackernoon from an advert for the future of gaming writing contest by Hackernoon on Facebook. I entered an article on flutter and game development for the contest, and I was one of the finalists. I’ve been writing with Hackernoon since then.

4. What excites you in tech? Tell us about your favorite technology and why you are passionate about it.

Well, I am quite excited and passionate about a number of technologies like Linux, Cloud Computing, Flutter, DeFi, etc. but one that stands out is Artificial intelligence. This is because AI is something that is projected to transform all other aspects of technology. AI will help us transcend the limits of human intelligence and help us accomplish things that we never thought possible. This potential is something I really dig.

5. What were some of the challenges you faced being a tech writer and how did you overcome them?

Well, one major problem I faced especially here on Hackernoon is getting people to actually read my articles. Any content creator wants their content to get to people. That’s one of the main reasons for creating it right? My first publication here was a top story so it was easy for it to reach people, but several articles I published after it didn’t get many reads. I was discouraged a bit but eventually, I stumbled upon an article on the site that explained the things I needed to do and things have been improving since then.

6. What are you learning/reading currently? Any recommendations for our readers?

Currently, I am learning about Decentralised Finance. I think is it’s a promising new frontier in the tech and finance world and I think that everyone should at least understand the basics of it. This is because it is projected to considerably transform how we transact in the near future. I have an article “Imagine DeFi simplified” explaining the technology in basic terms which can be accessed on my profile.

7. What is your biggest achievement so far?

Well I’d say my biggest achievement so far on Hackernoon is my article “Is Flutter the panacea in game development”, which was a Hackernoon top story, made me a finalist in the recently concluded future of gaming contest and got me nominated for these Contributor of the Year awards.

8. If we gave you 10 million dollars to invest in something today, what would you invest in and why?

Well, I have a startup idea for a company that focuses on building smart apps like Shazam which incorporate AI and software development. I will invest most of the money in that. I also have an idea to start an illustrative YouTube channel like The Infographics Show which focuses on tech. I love writing but I know that I can reach a wider audience through videos.

9. What advice would you give to someone just starting in this field?

My general advice to anyone starting out in the tech industry is to quickly figure out what area of tech you love and then focus on it. Tech is a really broad field with many exciting branches which can be quite distracting to anyone trying to master a particular skill in tech. Trying to learn many things in tech at once can really slow down a learner’s progress and many eventually end up losing interest due to burnout. Hence, anyone who is new to tech should first of all read about tech, in general, to figure out a niche, and then he/she should focus on the selected niche till they get what they want.

10. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Its not easy to say but if I had to choose I’d say that the best advice I have ever received is to follow your passion. In the small town where I grew up, computer science wasn’t among the coolest courses that high school graduating students wanted to study in university at the time. Medicine, Pharmacy and Engineering were the respected fields of study but I was passionate about computers so I chose to study computer science. Today, people are beginning to realize the importance of tech and I am happy I made that choice.

Voting opens on 15th August 2022.

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