Where it all began

I had always been interested in security, even before I got into programming. I was that kid in high school that would hack your wifi instead of asking for the password (ah, the days of WEP). So, after a break from uni I decided that when I went back I was going to change majors and actually start studying.

I knew there was no easy way to make it happen, and that I just had to start somewhere. So I picked up Violent Python, by TJ O’Connor. I knew that python was the language to learn, especially for security, and but having had avoided anything beyond the minimum to pass a subject I hadn’t gotten around to getting into it. And so I went through every exercise, and typed up all the examples. The long, boring, hard way. A very new concept to me. But I learned a lot, much more than just python syntax and a couple of practical security concepts, which was my initial goal.

Sure, I picked up a few interesting libraries and uncovered some of the magic behind “hacking,” but there was a deeper, more important lesson there too. I learned that if you ever want to get anywhere, you have to put the work in. You have to put the hours in, even when it’s boring or frustrating, which it sometimes will be, no matter what you’re doing.

This was a year ago, and it’s still a lesson I’m learning the hard way. I’ve always thought I was one of the smart kids, but that I was just lazy, or menial things weren’t worth putting any effort into. But at the end of the day, if you’re smart but lazy and getting Cs then you’re the same as the other kids getting Cs. And the kids who aren’t as smart as you, but put the work in to get As, they’re the ones who are actually going to go places.

I realized that smart doesn’t matter. It’s just something you tell yourself to make yourself feel better, to justify your under achievement. Sure, not everyone can be an astronaut, but the difference between the good and the great is the amount of hours they put in.

And so here I am, writing blog posts and writing code in my spare time. Reading books and learning new things. Because that’s what it takes to be great. That’s what it takes to be the best at the job you want, and to make a lasting difference to the big picture.