No One Fits in Quite Right

I often shy away from calling myself an “entrepreneur.” It’s a term that technically fits, but somehow feels like it doesn’t quite match the rest of the crowd. I catch myself wondering, “How should I have been thinking to solve that problem?” Maybe instead of avoiding the tackiness I associate with the word, I should just embrace it — because, realistically, it’s something I genuinely enjoy pursuing.

Rather than dwelling on the past (though I still stand by the idea that your childhood and teenage years are shaped heavily by your parents, early friends, and the influences around you), I think a lot about how I was raised. My parents taught me to be a good person — my dad instilled a mindset of continuous improvement, and my mom kindness and hard work. I’ll admit: sometimes I fail to show enough gratitude for their support over the years, especially when I drift into thoughts about what could have been.

But I know they’re always doing their best, and I’ve seen their own growth over time. Looking forward, I can already tell that the skills they’ve given me will shape my career, even if in ways that aren’t purely technical.

Still, there’s this lingering feeling that I’m somehow behind. I try to convince myself otherwise, but part of me believes it’s simply true. Yes, I’m building skills, getting better, putting in the work — and I’ll keep doing that. But I’m also starting to understand the bigger picture.

Not everyone is meant to be the classic programmer or the purely technical teammate. There’s space for visionaries who push teams forward, storytellers who define the “why,” product designers who make everything feel right for the users, and programmers who happen to carry a range of other skills. The field is wide enough to fit people who take less traditional paths.

So when I think again about “How could I have led myself to that answer?” maybe it comes down to this:

• Caring less about the norm
• Not forcing myself into a role I think I “should” play
• And, as AMITHA MANDAVA, my genius silly friend from Stanford, always tells me:

“Relax a little man, you got this.”