When I first started to realize time is a treasure was around 2018. At that age, I was full of energy, and I realized that the prime years for pushing myself into new areas perhaps only had about five years (i.e. before 35). But at that time, I was still pursuing my studies, dedicating more time to completing my education. So I started this plan after my graduation.

Yesterday, I had an interview for an internship, the recruiter asked me why I’m so eager to enter this industry. It made me think. Despite having the highest degree in my field and having a stable and comfortable life, I’ve always felt drawn to another industry. What drives me? Today, I want to explore my internal motivations.

When people are drawn to a new industry, it usually starts with interest and passion, and I’m no different. While doing my PhD, I developed a strong interest in programming. The ability to create functionalities through code fascinated me—especially compared to using Excel. Coding was so convenient and efficient, particularly for automating repetitive tasks. This experience fueled my desire to keep learning programming languages and create practical tools. Initially, I was torn between learning R and Python. Ultimately, I chose Python for its broader applications.

When I first ventured into programming, I started with Java, following tutorials on YouTube. But I felt that I couldn’t really create anything practical. Python was different, I could immediately apply what I learned to my research, which gave me motivation. Through these experiences, I realized that I had the perseverance to continue learning coding.

After graduation, I aimed to find a job as a data scientist/analytics, but my coding skill was not up to par. I knew I needed to upskill, so I embarked on a self-learning journey through platforms like Coursera, DataCamp, Kaggle, and LeetCode. However, I quickly realized that self-study makes it difficult to improve my competitiveness. The fastest way to get into a new area would be to pursue another degree. However, I need to work and earn a living after graduation. So, I continued working in my field while studying at night. During that time, I found that every time I resolved a bug in my code, I found immense satisfaction. I could stay up late to solve these problems without any reward. I could have spent the time for relaxing, but I chose to learn code instead. From this, I realized that this is something I’m truly passionate about and can sustain over the long term.

Even though I didn’t find work in this field, I’ve never wavered in my belief in the power of programming. After watching the movie "The Matrix" and observing the technology today, I am convinced that a world built on code is not only possible but perhaps already exists. When I first learned about blockchain technology, it strengthened my belief that a consensus mechanism driven by code can build a new world. People tend to trust code (assuming it’s bug-free) more than human promises, revealing a deep desire for trust. Today, it’s common to see discrepancies between what is said and what is done. I realized that clarification can be perfectly correct to earn trust, but actions often deviate based on personality. If someone truly does the right thing, that’s great, but others might find ways to bypass the rules while doing something bad. For ordinary people, it’s impossible to keep track of all these details, making them vulnerable. With blockchain, those uncertainties can be transformed into certainties, ensuring that things can be done according to the rules. This is revolutionary.

The combination of blockchain and programming has given me a clear direction for my future. I want to be part of establishing these new rules of the game. I treat programming as a tool to accomplish my ideas. I believe that understanding programming is like studying a language like English. I don’t aspire to be a literary genius, but I need to be able to communicate with the world of code.

From a broader perspective, I’ve realized that this is what I want to do with my life. If I break down life into three 30-year phases, the first 30 years are for education. During this time, I acquire systematic thinking, gain work experience, and develop my own perspectives on education and society. This is a stage of finding my own direction. Then, the next 30 years are for deepening that direction, striving to become a top expert in this field, achieving significant accomplishments, and earning respect. The final 30 years are for passing on my experiences. Whether I succeed or fail, the goal is to guide the next generation to success or avoid mistakes, much like how the previous generation guided us. If, by then, I’m still healthy and mentally sharp, I believe that would be the best state of life. To achieve this, I must start making changes now, constantly adjusting myself. At the end of life, regret won’t come from the things that failed but from the things that untried.

I believe this is the source of my motivation. I’m uncertain about the future, but I know that only by taking action I will receive feedback and results.

[2 months]: Due to the pandemic, I took on a job temporarily. However, I couldn’t tolerate the work environment after just two months.

[12 months]: With a senior’s recommendation, my next job was doing post-doc. I planned to shift my career to data fields. I started learning programming systematically, using Datacamp, Coursera, solving LeetCode problems, and participating in Kaggle competitions. This year significantly improved my programming skills. However, My supervisor was hands-off, and without a team or guidance, the risks of working alone were high, I couldn’t do all the thing alone and I might go wrong direction. If the career shift failed, I might lose ground in my original field. Thus, I decided to return to my primary industry while continuing to enhance my skills in data.

[6 months]: Next job, \during a six-month probation, I started writing programs in the office to analyze existing data.

[1 months]: I discovered Xing on the internet and took the courses. I completed the fundamental course in a month.

[7 months]: Current work intensity increased. In after-working time, I took the [sharing meeting] and began learning more quantitative analysis.

1. BL

2. ZX boat. Initially, I didn't understand the factors well, so I was hesitant to put more money. Additionally, it was a bear market. I remained skeptical about quantitative analysis, so I didn’t invest heavily.

[4 months]:

1. ZS boat

2. BWB boat. Continuously backtested factors, but efficiency was low.

3. Scientist boat. I only watched the content without practice.

[6 months]: I joined a subsidiary, where work intensity doubled but gradually became sidelined with fewer tasks. After November, I intensified my focus on quantitative analysis again [2 months].

[6 months]

1. BWB & LD

2. Scientist. I put more effort on this.

In summary:

I spent two years on this. Using my after-hours time, I allocated about 3 hours on weekdays (20:00-23:00) and 5 hours on weekends, totaling 25 hours per week. On average, that’s 3.57 hours per day.

A standard workday is 8 hours, and 3.57/8 = 40%. Assuming I spent 50% of my time on this, it equates to 4 hours a day. With 2 years of experience, it’s equivalent to just 1 year of actual work in this new field.

Although it appears I spent 4 years to shift my career, in reality, considering it was all done during my spare time, it’s only equivalent to about 1 year in this new field.

So, reaching my current level is actually quite reasonable.

Since graduation, I’ve had three jobs, including this one.

First Job:

My first job lasted only two months. It was just after I returned to my home, and I lacked experience. I left because of the work environment sch as mandatory morning exercises, frequent after-hours meetings, weekend interruptions, and the people.

Second Job:

I quickly found my second job at a large, industry-leading company. Here, I learned another reality: many companies hire PhDs for the title, without providing meaningful work or resources. This might not be true for all, but it reflects my experience in my field. However, I had more freedom and growth opportunities here. I learned a lot, as I was always interested in data analysis and enjoyed programming. Despite the rapid development of GPT, the principles of programming remain irreplaceable. GPT has significantly improved programming efficiency, eliminating the need to read through numerous articles for answers.

I stayed at this job for a year, leaving it is not because of the work, but because I found a better opportunity on a higher platform.

Third Job:

My third job involved a management role, which was highly appealing. Unlike my previous roles as a regular employee, this position as a deputy director allowed me to manage a team and tackle bigger, more challenging tasks. Such an opportunity seemed rare, and I decided to join the company for long-term growth.

I worked there for three years, experiencing significant personal growth. I handled more complex tasks, requiring departmental communication, technical analysis, and team management. This job was the best I've had in terms of work itself. However, what drove me to leave was not the work itself but the complex interpersonal relationships and bureaucratic system. In such companies, one’s personality needs to be subdued or flattened out. Besides work, there were many irrelevant tasks to handle. I thoroughly analyzed the situation and future prospects, realizing I couldn't endure the consequences, leading to my departure. However, the work content itself was excellent.

Future Uncertainties:

Now, considering resignation, I'm unsure of my next steps. The immediate trigger for resigning was being asked to become a legal representative. Even without this, I would have chosen to leave due to the rigid rules. The work environment is highly political, which more like holding a gov position rather than working in a company.

Since my PhD, I've always believed that "time is money." Some people use their time for entertainment, which is spending money. Some people use it for learning and growth, which is investing money. Some people do nothing, which is wasting money. These choices are personal, there is no right and wrong. Investing time doesn't always yield good returns.

I'm always thinking about maximizing the time. Life is short, and it's important to leave this world with smile rather than regret. Therefore, in my world, there's no room for regretful statements like "What if I had done this?" or "If only I had done that." These are just hindsight bias. This leads me to make decisions decisively and firmly, sometimes appearing impulsive or reckless to others. I don't make decisions lightly, but once I do, I stick to them without wavering.

For this time, considering my long-term development, even though I don’t know where I go, I know I must avoid staying within this system. Once I confirm this direction, I have to take action right now.