Hello stranger!
After doing some thinking about the nature of this post, and specifically the post’s audience; I realized that there’s no need to explain to my already smart audience how dumb I am. So, rather than make a list of the number of software engineering competitions and scholarships I’ve won, projects I’ve completed, institutions attended, companies I’ve worked with, and startups ended (pun intended), I would prefer to do something different.
If it is not already obvious, I am of moderate intelligence which I would argue is below, if not on par, with a large minority of my readers. And since this podcast focuses on life, business, technology, and how each part affects the whole, I think that it would be better to paint a broad picture that encompasses not just the dazzling parts of a largely imperfect life, but the parts that help bring the picture to life, albeit that the reader may relate more with the writer.
Setting the stage
The stage is the NBA Finals, and we’re in game 7.
Fortunately for everyone else in the audience, I had to witness the Clippers bounce back from a 20 point deficit against the Bucks in the final game of a tied series. While everyone from California is rooting for their city’s team, this young man is somewhere in the back dressed fully in black, doing God knows what with heaven knows who.
Although parts of my eyes are covered by strands of hair, I am still able to focus on Dame’s game, not wanting to miss another buzzer beating dagger three. I try to adjust my jacket to make myself more comfortable with my (activity) and I accidentally reveal the Bucks shirt with a large 34 on it.
The individual covering my eye notices it (finally), and stops to ask whose number that is. Then I have to stop as well to go on a 10 minute rant about a young dude from Nigeria managed to find a way out of his country together with his family to Greece where they sought refuge and a better life for years, before his brother introduced him to basketball and the rest is history. Fast forward to this moment, and he is now an NBA champion, a finals MVP and a two time NBA MVP amongst other accolades.
“All that because they were able to leave Nigeria?” she asks. “No”, I retort. “He worked hard obviou…”.
And just as I was about to complete my sentence, I notice Dame side-step away from the three-point line, leading the defender to the other side of the court floor and then raising his hands for a dagger three-point shot. My head follows the motion of the ball in an arc-like fashion as it goes up and on reaching the basket, I hear the buzzer.
The Milwaukee Bucks are NBA champions once again.
Heading Backstage
After a successful night as a fan, I head to the Bucks’ locker room to meet my FAANG engineer friend who invited me to the game, laptop in one hand, girl in the other. After exchanging pleasantries I take a seat and open my laptop to make a presentation about the product my team and I have been working on, not minding Rema’s Carry playing in the background.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688c36d9-8e09-4439-b930-56dee336d6fb_564x547.jpeg)
It’s software obviously, but I start my presentation from the raw design before diving into a live demo. After a few minutes of explaining what the product is, what it does and how it would generate revenue for investors and service its users, I notice my mask slip, and as I’m about to go full-nerd on everyone in the room, I force the presentation to a stop; It’s a locker room after all.
It’s safe to say the product worked and the presentation was good. But I got no response since my friend and I were covered in celebration champagne as we took some more pictures and headed out for the night.
Who knew tech could be this much fun?
Coming Home
Ordering an uber for the other individual was easy, the tricky part was getting home.
Although I enjoy taking the subway, I’m not familiar with the Cali subways system so it was only normal that I take a few minutes to get on a train to my apartment. What wasn’t normal was the fact that I was late. I had to finish the article I started earlier in the day, and worse; I had work the next day.
So rather than panic and throw my laptop open in the train in an attempt to beat life. I decided to calm my nerves to get home safely first before resuming my unfinished tasks. As fate would have it, I got home just in time to skip my (second) dinner and head straight to my desk to finish my article whilst filling myself in on the tasks for the day ahead.
“Life is hard, but I’m harder”, I write as I add a full stop to the final sentence of my article and hit send.