The Accidental Path to Tech Enlightenment
Not every tech guru starts with a Computer Science degree or a stint at Google HQ. Some start with a small explosion.
In my case, it was a Packard Bell desktop, a hot summer afternoon in 1997, and the impatient curiosity of a 7-year-old. One frustrated “finger mash” on the power button later, a small puff of smoke and the distinct aroma of fried plastic announced my first major foray into technology.
My first instinct? Not panic – investigate. I dismantled the PC, pinpointed the dead power supply, raided my piggy bank, and trekked 5 kilometres to the nearest computer store. By some divine alignment of courage and cable placement, I had it up and running before my father came home. He never knew. But I did. I’d caught the bug.
Trial, Error, and the Pre-Google Grind
Back then, learning tech was not about Googling error codes – Google was not a thing in South Africa yet. We had dial-up modems, AOL CDs, and advice from a teenage friend who once installed a sound card.
My education? Pure trial and error. If something broke, you figured it out – slowly, painfully, and often with help from that one guy behind the counter at the local PC shop who knew too much for his age.
Installing a graphics card? You read the manual and prayed. There were no YouTube tutorials, no forums with upvoted answers, and no AI assistant to walk you through it: just instinct, manuals, and the occasional static shock.
Google Arrives – and the Game Changes
When Google finally hit our shores around 2005, it was not just a search engine – it was a revolution. For the first time, you could ask a question and get a halfway decent answer. Overnight, I went from tinkerer to wizard. Need to build a gaming rig? There is a guide. Want to set up a home server? There is a thread. Stuck in BIOS purgatory? Someone has been there.
Google was not just a tool – it became my mentor. It gave me access to the global hive mind and pushed me deeper into cloud storage, networking, automation, and eventually, professional-grade development and deployment.
Becoming the Tech Guy
When I entered the professional world, I was not just “good with computers.” I was the person people called when things fell apart – or when they needed to build something from scratch.
What started as DIY fixes and Google-fueled tinkering evolved into system architecture, enterprise solutions, and strategic tech planning. The skills I picked up crawling through error logs at 1 a.m. translated surprisingly well to project deadlines and tech leadership.
And yes, I still Google things. Constantly.
Curiosity Over Credentials
Becoming a tech guru was not about being the smartest in the room. It was about staying curious, adaptable, and relentless in finding answers. Whether AI, blockchain, or the latest development framework, I approach it like I did at seven: open it up, poke around, and figure it out.
Because in tech – and life – the real gurus are not the ones who know everything – they are the ones who know how to keep learning.
