What You Can Expect from My Blog & Get to Know Me :)

This might sound a bit like a personal journal entry, but that's only because I want my readers to truly understand who I am. I’ve been meaning to get this site built, up and running for some time, primarily for sharing hobby projects. But something always held me back, and it mostly came down to figuring out my “why.”

I’ve always seen myself as an engineer, though I wasn’t sure what kind at first. I remember being drawn to scientists and tinkerers in the media I consumed like books, anime and manga. Being an excited, wide-eyed kid asking my primary school science teacher what the future might look like, wondering if we'd have robots or cities in the sky. He was so pensive before answering, almost as if he was imagining the possibilities himself. Definitely liked the question haha. There was also a lot of hogging of the family computer as a kid and stressing my older brother (also an engineer) so much by getting into MS-DOS boot menu on our Windows 98 and messing with things I shouldn't.

Fast forward today: I’ve been working with ASICs for the past 7 years. ASIC stands for Application-Specific Integrated Circuit which is a fancy term for someone who designs custom-made circuits. These are typically tiny, nanometer-scale chips that get sent to a fab for manufacturing (or fabless), eventually powering a wide range of applications, from computers, to mobile phones to car dashboards.

Why? Because I’ve been fascinated by engineering and technology for as long as I can remember. That and art, which is probably evident from my website. At uni I started with electrical engineering, where I learned the fundamentals of electricity and magnetism. Things like Ohm’s Law and Maxwell's equations then later, I was introduced to VHDL/Verilog and Assembler and embedded systems design. I also did a module in C and I absolutely hated it! But I taught myself how to code in python and changed my mind about coding.
This led me to the niche world of IC design. The idea of using code to automate hardware really captivated me. Just think of the endless possibilities! Add AI and machine learning into the mix, and the advancements in fields like robotics, agriculture, environmental monitoring, medical industries, and even space exploration become boundless.

After getting my degree, I moved to Cambridge to work for Qualcomm as a physical design engineer. A good, cushy job that paid decently and offered a solid package. Many of the projects I was involved in were related to voice and music technology. Back at uni, we were only experimenting with PICs, FPGAs and basic development boards, so the learning curve was steep, but incredibly rewarding. Imagine 300+ engineers made up of frontend (RTL), backend (Physical Designers) as well as software and verification engineers working on one single chip or SoC. 

I’ll be honest with you though — after 4 years I eventually became so burnt out that I quit, quite unexpectedly! This was due to a combination of factors: the stress of meeting deadlines, lack of recognition, and a growing sense that my work was purposeless and working for a large company just wasn’t fulfilling. In fact, you could say the passion simply faded away. This put me in a tough spot because I had rent to pay, travel plans, and family members depending on me. During this time I was also being offered roles at companies like ARM and Cisco, but I turned them down. Was I insane?

After serious reflection, I decided to work for a smaller company where I met several contractors. This sparked an idea: contracting could be the path for me and my freelancing journey began.

I was drawn to contracting because it allowed me to explore new opportunities and domains on a short-term basis while giving me the freedom to uphold my values and ethics. There are many challenges facing the semiconductor industry including the need for raw materials that are critical for manufacturing like cobalt, copper and rare earth elements that significantly affect the environment. There's also of course the issue of how do we go about tackling conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo being used in the semiconductor supply chain and we need to pressure and even boycott companies that are complicit. Sadly most semiconductor companies are involved. Finally, a lot of technology in the industry is also secret, patented and not open source.
 

Many emerging startups, especially in IoT and related fields, needed my expertise. This step in my career reignited my passion as it gave me the flexibility to set my own hours and choose the projects I worked on. It's always been passion over money for me but I am not going to shy away from admitting that it pays well too. The downsides being the instability of the market and the complexities of IR35 rulings if these apply.

Note: I use the terms 'contracting' and 'freelancing' interchangeably here. Although I primarily work as a physical design contractor with single-client engagements, I also collaborate with professionals from various industries, including consultants, software engineers, and artists.

If there’s anyone reading this who feels like they've lost their spark, I hope I can inspire you to take control in the same way. I want to show you that it’s possible to earn a living doing something that brings you joy and makes a difference—even if it sounds juvenile or idealistic.

Aside from ethics, we are seeing a skills shortage, especially in the UK. Young people just don’t seem to care about pursuing a career in STEM. Through this blog, I hope to inspire others. I'm also a strong advocate for inclusivity, promoting racial and gender diversity. In today’s fast-paced tech world, I’m passionate about demystifying technology and making it accessible to everyone.

So, keep an eye on my blog and GitHub for the latest updates on my projects. I'll be posting tips on contracting/freelancing and more. Also if anyone wants source code for the frontend/backend of my website I'll be sharing this all on GitHub soon. Bye for now! ❤️