so… where do we stand right now?

Dev.to / 5/14/2026

💬 OpinionSignals & Early TrendsIdeas & Deep Analysis

Key Points

  • The author reflects on their recent progress, including starting to study machine learning properly and completing ML pipelines.
  • They describe balancing ongoing data structures and algorithms practice with maintaining decent academic performance (an 8 SGPA).
  • They characterize much of the past year as a cycle of experimenting, feeling overwhelmed, restarting, and returning.
  • Compared to a few months ago, they feel more grounded because they are now building a foundation rather than only consuming tech content.
  • They are looking to join hackathons with others who enjoy building ML/dev/design/product ideas and have experience with hackathons, and they invite people to comment.

i disappear a lot.
randomly.
without warning.

but every time i come back, i want to come back with something.

so here’s where things stand rn:

  • finally studying ML properly instead of just romanticizing it
  • finished ML pipelines recently and honestly… that felt satisfying
  • currently doing backtracking in DSA
  • somehow managed to not completely destroy academics either — ended up with an 8 SGPA

small wins, but i’ll take them.

most of this year has honestly been:

  • trying things
  • getting overwhelmed
  • restarting
  • disappearing
  • coming back again

but compared to a few months ago, things feel more real now.

i’m not just consuming tech content anymore.
i’m actually building a base.

also been thinking a lot about hackathons lately.

not the “24 hour caffeine + linkedin post” part of them,
but the part where random internet people build weird ambitious things together.

so yeah —
i’m looking for people to join hackathons with.

if:

  • you’re into ML / dev / design / product ideas
  • you actually like building things
  • you have some good hackathons in your bucket

drop a comment.

maybe we build something cool.