Ibrahim
Diallo

— Software Developer / California

“Going through the boring parts of computers since 1992, so you don't have to. People tell me their problems and I write code to fix it.”

The world does not need more code, it needs more individuals willing to go through the boring stuff to solve difficult problems.

— Ibrahim Diallo

Tradecraft

Anyone that spends enough time doing something they love (or learned to love) can make a living with it. In my case, I've turned curiosity into a practical mechanism for problem solving.

while(problem_persists) {
  listen();
  writeCode();
  solve();
}

The Journey

From tinkering on my dads computer to software engineering in Fortune 10.

Origins // Saudi Arabia

The First Computer

I am a Guinean National who grew up in Saudi Arabia. My childhood memories are filled with moments where I spent on the couch in my father's office, waiting for him to step out so I can spend a minute on his computer.

School // Egypt

The American University Nights

I was first introduced to real programming in Egypt. I was in high school and took night classes at the local American University. I enjoyed solving the problems from the text book, but didn't really know what to do with my new found skill.

Migration // USA

The Moment it Clicked

Few years later in the United States, majoring in electronic engineering. I decided to give programming another shot. Few days into my JavaScript class, it clicked. It became a practical skill rather than theoretical classes.

"I spent the first month completing every single chapter of the book and the next getting paid tutoring the rest of the class."

And I dropped out of college.

Working // Industry

I am a Software Engineer

Somehow I've been working with computers for 3 decades now. I have worked with large conglomerate as a cog in a 250k pieces machine. I have sat in a crammed 4-person cubicle company. I have even founded my own start up. What I do next is what we will find out together on this blog.

“You write at a 7th grade level.”

A commenter from Reddit once said I write at a 7th grade level. To tell you the truth, this got me very excited because I thought it was much worse. 7th graders use simple words that everyone can understand. So I thought, at the very least, people can understand what I am writing.

2013 Started Blogging

7th Grade Writing Level

I Suck Less Current Status

I started this blog as an exercise. It is a place that first came to life because I had a very hard time writing. Maybe I should have graduated from college and would have been a better writer, but sometimes, you have to learn things the hard way.

Unlike speaking to a computer, writing is not something that comes naturally to me. I have to put the time and effort to say the simplest of things. Like Malcolm X once wrote: Malcolm X couldn't write.

Not to say that I am a good writer today (you be the judge), but blogging since April 1st, 2013 has definitely improved my thoughts-to-words conversion process.

Ibrahim Diallo California, USA

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