Fatima Riaz’s Post

As week 2 of the fellowship finishes up, I had the pleasure of attending the Pathways to Tech event hosted by Headstarter. The event featured some incredible speakers who shared their valuable experiences and insights into the world of SWE and entrepreneurship, including Dennis Crowley (Founder of Foursquare), Tariq Ahmed (First Engineer at AppLovin), Julian Alvarez 🚀 (CEO of Wisdolia), and Hamza Ali(CEO of Olostep). One important key takeaway that was shared by both Tariq and Julian is "Failure is a teacher" and "You have to have a level of maturity to stare failure right in the eyes and take that golden opportunity to make more of the learning". This resonated with me as I navigate my own journey in software engineering. Embracing failure as a learning opportunity is crucial for growth and development. It’s a reminder that setbacks are not the end but a part of the process, and having the maturity to learn from them can lead to significant personal and professional growth. Julian Alvarez also highlighted the danger of getting too attached to ideas without validation. Instead, he advised focusing optimism on the team’s ability to overcome challenges. This is a powerful reminder to be flexible and open to change. Overall, the event served as a reminder that growth and success in the tech industry are not just about technical skills, but also about resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning from failures. It reinforced the importance of being open to new experiences, collaborating effectively with others, and staying committed to personal and professional development. Thank you so much to Headstarter, Yasin Ehsan 🚀, and Faizan Ahmed for organizing an amazing event and thank you to all the panelists for sharing their incredible wisdom and experiences. 😁 #PathwaysToTech #SWE #Entrepreneurship #LearningFromFailure #CareerGrowth #Headstarter #Innovation

I'm at the 2nd week of fellowship. This has been an incredible week at Headstarter! The Pathways2Tech event yesterday was amazing and here's what I learned from each of the speakers: Dennis Crowley - Founder of Foursquare ($150M Revenue): Be passionate and emotional about your product. This is what you are going to be working on the majority of the day and thinking about in your free time so if you really care about what you are doing, it will be so much easier to be consistent and you will feel truly fulfilled in what you do. Tariq Ahmed - First Engineer of AppLovin ($30Bn IPO): "Chaos is a ladder" (Game of Thrones reference). In any uncertain situation, being able to adapt and take advantage of the position you are in and continue to persevere even when you can't see a clear path to success, is invaluable. (This was my favorite piece of advice). Julian Alvarez 🚀 - Ex-Meta and CEO of Wisdolia ($20K+ MRR): "The only real failure is the failure to learn". Being mature enough to acknowledge your mistakes and learn from them is the only way you will grow. Like Edison once said, "I have not failed 10,000 times—I've successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work". Hamza Ali - CEO of Olostep: Take initiative. Find out what you need to know, take advantage of opportunities that others let pass by, voice your opinion, and be proactive. The type of people that don't need to be micromanaged and told what to do are highly favored in any industry. I can't thank Yasin Ehsan 🚀, Faizan Ahmed, and the whole Headstarter team enough for bringing all these incredible people together to share their advice and experiences. hashtag #AI hashtag #Headstarter hashtag #SoftwareEngineering hashtag #ComputerScience hashtag #DSA hashtag #Interview hashtag #YCombinator hashtag #Startup hashtag #Determined hashtag #Growth hashtag #Perseverance hashtag #Mindset

🚀 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬! 🚀 Are you on the journey to finding the perfect organizationalculture to support your company growth? We share the same passion. And we are back in action. 💪 Our mission is going even further: we want to empower all of you to effectively develop the best culture to support your growth and bring your crazy ideas to life. To succeed, we try to get more insights about the state of the art about culture in our startup ecosystem. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞? 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦: Your input will help create the best growth culture tool for startup founders worldwide, fostering a stronger, more informed community. 🎁 Get an overview of your culture map: We are launching a tool for culture type mapping of your business, as a thank you note, free for all of you that are contributing. The survey is in the first comment (it takes just 5 minutes to complete). It would mean the world for us to be able to learn from you. 🙏 Yes, we are back in action. And we are energized. Yes you can comment, like and share the post if you'd like to contribute more and give us some reach. Thank you all 🙏 Let's make this happen.

🌟 Welcome to BuildCity! 🌟 We’re thrilled to finally be on LinkedIn, and we can’t wait to connect with all of you. Your go-to space for learning, building and incubating innovative projects with like-minded creators. *Our Mission* At Build City , our mission is to be the destination for aspiring innovators and creators. We provide a collaborative space where individuals can learn, build, and incubate innovative projects.  We believe in nurturing talent and ideas, ensuring that they have enough resources to make their idea in to reality.   What to Expect: ✨ Industry insights and trends ✨ Continuous learning opportunity & Hackathon ✨ Global Talented Builder Community ✨ Project Incubation Opportunity ✨ Fundraising Tips and strategies from our experts ✨ Venture Capital Connections ✨ Fun & Networking Events We’re here to build a vibrant ecosystem of like-minded creators who share common passion, providing resources to support their entrepreneurial journey. Let’s start a conversation! Follow our page, and let us know in the comments What you want to learn? What interesting project that are you engaged in ? Here’s to new beginnings and making a difference, together! 💡 #Welcome #Innovation #Community #NewBeginnings #AI #Web3 #Entrepreneurship

🌄 Waking up early, I immediately opened the announcement channel, eagerly staring at the page so I could join the meeting ASAP. 🚀 The anticipation was worth it, as the Pathways to Tech Event at Headstarter was packed with invaluable insights from some of the brightest minds in the industry. Here's My Key Takeaways: Dennis Crowley: Founder of Foursquare ($150M Revenue) When asked about the ideal tech stack, Dennis emphasized the importance of being "willing to fill in gaps." It's not just about knowing specific technologies but being adaptable and ready to learn.   His insight on startup failures: "People quit on themselves or quit on their startup." This line hit me so hard, reminding me to stay resilient and to never quit ✊ Tariq Afaq: First Engineer at AppLovin ($30Bn IPO) Tariq's talk was packed with valuable lessons. His talk was so insightful that I filled an entire page with notes. He highlighted that you don't need to be super intelligent to succeed. Instead, focus on creating in-depth products, being quick and responsive, and working hard. Julian Alvarez: Ex-Meta, CEO of Wisdolia ($20K+ MRR) My favorite speaker of this event! 🤩 His line, "Optimism creates attachment. Getting attached to one idea is like attaching yourself to failure," landed perfectly on me. Lately, I was so attached to one idea for my FYP, thinking, "This is it." But no, Julian's words reminded me to explore and think like a scientist—do multiple experiments! His startup Wisdolia — Get flashcards auto generated for you from any YouTube video, article, or PDF.I can already see it becoming a vital part of my learning routine! Hamza Ali - CEO of Olostep I was deeply inspired by Hamza Ali's vision for Olostep, which is enabling Api to interact with web like humans do, truly a brilliant idea that showcases his commitment to shaping the future of tech. 🔗 Here's the link of recording: https://lnkd.in/dzX6Saaz Can't wait for the next week event 🌟

A beautiful end! As I wrap up this incredible journey of growth and learning in the #20daylinkedinchallengewithhaoma, I can't help but reflect on my progress so far. Throughout these 20 days, I've witnessed: 📌 Tangible growth on LinkedIn 📌 Exciting new connections forged 📌 Enhanced LinkedIn presence 📌 Improved communication on product strategy with my audience, and so much more... Today is not just the end of the challenge; it's also #StrategyMonday with me! So, here's a strategic tip for today: EMBRACE ITERATION Just like a captivating story evolves with each chapter, your product strategy should continuously evolve based on user feedback and market insights. Embrace iteration as a fundamental part of your strategy, allowing room for refinement and innovation at every step of the journey. This can be applied to our everyday life. Remember there’s always room for GROWTH. —————————————————— 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚, 𝐈 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫-𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬. Have an amazing weekend ahead.✨ Thank you Haoma Worgwu for this enriching experience.

🌟 Insights and Highlights from the Pathways to Tech Event by Headstarter 🌟 I recently had the opportunity to attend the Pathways to Tech event hosted by Headstarter, and it was an enlightening experience filled with valuable lessons from leading industry figures. Here are some of the standout takeaways: 🚀 Building Relationships and Networking: Start conversations with genuine compliments and light topics to build initial rapport. Leveraging platforms like LinkedIn can significantly enhance your professional visibility and connections. 💼 Career Development and Growth: Embrace unexpected opportunities and seek out mentorship for personal and professional growth. Soft skills, including collaboration and communication, are just as crucial as technical expertise. Regular reflection on your achievements can help boost confidence and counteract self-doubt. 🌱 Startup Journey: Adaptability and persistence are essential for navigating the startup landscape. Actively seek customer feedback and explore funding options through accelerators to fuel your startup’s growth. Building a strong professional network can open doors to mentorship and further opportunities. 🔧 Technical Skills and Learning: A broad skill set prepares you for a range of roles and challenges. Engaging in hands-on projects enhances both technical abilities and resilience. Understanding and addressing user needs should guide your development priorities. 🤝 Community and Support: Positive interactions within your community can foster growth and collaboration. Participating in hackathons can ignite creativity and passion for coding. 🎤 Key Moments and Speakers: Shariar Kabir (CEO, Ruby Card): Emphasized adaptability and customer engagement. Miguel Acero (CTO, Ruby Card): Advocated for continuous learning and the value of diverse skills. Dustin Beadle (Director, Lattice Semiconductor): Highlighted effective communication and team building. Nabeel Alamgir (CEO, Lunchbox): Shared insights on resilience and strategic networking. Logan Havern (CEO/Founder, Datalogz): Discussed emerging tech trends and their impact. 🌟 Personal Takeaways: Favorite Speaker: Nabeel Alamgir's journey of raising $100M in venture capital was inspiring, showcasing perseverance and innovative thinking. His insights into scaling a business and nurturing meaningful relationships were particularly impactful. Fellowship Plans: With Headstarter's partnership with Ruby Card, I aim to prioritize learning, community engagement, and building a robust project portfolio to enhance my prospects as an SWE Fellow. I am truly grateful to all the speakers and organizers for such an enriching experience. These insights will undoubtedly shape my continued growth and journey in the tech industry. #Yasin Ehsan 🚀 #Faizan Ahmed #HeadstarterAI

#NYTechWeek was incredible this year! Here are my top takeaways: 1️⃣ Innovation is Thriving: The energy and creativity from startups across various sectors are truly inspiring. AI is, of course, the hot topic. One standout moment was Damián Scavo discussing how Streetbeat can create a portfolio based on your interests. I tested it by asking the AI to build a small portfolio based on Taylor Swift’s moves—fascinating stuff! 2️⃣ Networking = KEY for Success: Maggie Rose Macar shared valuable tips on managing social anxiety while networking, like using mini stress balls. It’s all about making meaningful connections. 3️⃣ Angel Advisor: Breen Sullivan introduced the concept of the #AngelAdvisor - if you’re struggling to find capital, consider asking your advisors to invest. If they believe in you, they will! 4️⃣ Bootstrapping: Not every business needs VC money to succeed. Sharon Gillenwater and Tina Duong offered golden advice: start a business in a field you know well and you will make it. Parul Khosla added that hiring people in a career transition part-time can be a game-changer to get an extra pair of hands. Lastly, a shoutout to the badass founders in this photo at Chief - keep building! What were your highlights from #NYTechWeek?