Shivam Mor Passionate Software Engineer. Crafting tools and experiences.

Shifting Towards Impact

2024 was a year of focus and direction. I began circling back to the basics — revisiting data structures and algorithms with a fresh perspective, this time with the goal of preparing for job opportunities and technical interviews. While brushing up on fundamentals, I also immersed myself in open-source contributions. Two communities that particularly resonated with me were OpenStreetMap and NixOS, where I found myself contributing to tools and documentation I personally used and admired. It was both humbling and empowering to be part of larger projects used by developers worldwide.

To improve my industry readiness, I picked up the MERN stack and began building full-stack websites, combining my backend logic with intuitive frontends. This learning path opened the door to freelance opportunities, where I got hands-on experience translating client needs into real-world applications.

A key milestone this year was my internship at a social media startup called FyerX, which I joined in the latter half of the year. The experience gave me insight into fast-paced development cycles, teamwork, and shipping features that actually reach users.

Across these four years, the biggest transformation wasn’t just in my technical skills but in how I see myself. I began my college life unsure and just trying to keep up, but over time, I grew more independent, confident, and self-aware. Living away from home taught me how to manage my time, money, and energy. Diving deeper into low-level systems gave me not just knowledge but clarity about what kind of work excites me.

Digging Deeper & Finding My Niche

In 2023, my curiosity shifted toward understanding how things really work under the hood. I made the switch to Linux as my primary operating system, which opened the door to exploring the internals of systems, from memory management to process lifecycles. This year became all about going low-level: I found myself diving into C, writing Bash scripts, and building custom developer tools to automate and improve my workflow. These little tools started becoming my niche, practical, problem-solving scripts that made my day-to-day computing life smoother. I also stepped out of my comfort zone by attending a few hackathons. Although I didn’t win, the experience was invaluable in terms of collaboration, pressure-handling, and building fast MVPs. I also got to meet some amazing people who shared my passion for tech.

Beyond tech, 2023 was also about personal exploration. I traveled a lot, from the vibrant energy of Mumbai to the serene landscapes of Himachal Pradesh. Somewhere along the way, I picked up sports too, adding a refreshing physical balance to my otherwise screen-heavy days. It was a year of going deeper technically and growing more personally.

Foundation and First steps

In 2022, I began the second year of my Computer Science bachelor's degree, where much of my focus was on building strong fundamentals. Alongside core engineering subjects like mathematics and physics, I was introduced to formal definitions of data structures and algorithms — concepts that would later form the backbone of my development journey. Technically, this year was all about C++. I used it not only to complete academic assignments but also to explore my curiosity through personal projects. I built basic games and physics simulations using the SDL library, which helped bridge theoretical knowledge with visual, interactive outcomes. Additionally, I collaborated with classmates on a coursework-driven NLP project — my first exposure to working with real-world language data.

While I didn’t have any formal work experience yet, I completed a few Coursera courses to expand my learning beyond the classroom. Outside of academics, 2022 marked a major personal milestone: living away from home for the first time. It was a year of learning how to manage personal finances, prioritize self-care, and become independent. These life skills turned out to be just as important as anything I studied in class.

Starting University

I started my bachelor's in Computer Science after spending a year at home recovering and preparing to move to a new place for college. During that time, I got curious about how things work behind the scenes in tech. I spent a lot of time learning the basics of computer science and building all sorts of fun things—mostly games and random web apps. It was my way of exploring and making sense of what I was learning, and it really helped me build confidence before diving into my degree.

The Pandemic Breakout

Right after I graduated from school, the pandemic struck, and due to medical reasons, I had to take a year at home — but that time became an opportunity to explore and learn new things.