I began my engineering career 10 years after I started college. I had failed early and taken a detour while others were going right from college into their new tech jobs. I had a 6-month-old child, a stay-at-home wife working hard to raise him, and a ton of debt to pay down. I used to tell my mentees at ECPI, “When you get hungry enough, you’ll eat.” I was hungry. I needed growth in a hurry. Fast forward to now: the amount I paid in taxes last year was more than my annual salary at my first developer position in 2009. Here's how I did it: Learn by doing (LBD). Manufacture Opportunity. Punch Above Your Weight. Outpace Innovation. Growing Your Connections. Consistent Branding. Plan Your Growth. Pay It Forward. "You cannot manufacture serendipity but you can increase the chances of encountering it." - Ryan Hoover, Founder of Product Hunt