When I first started working, my starting point was as a UX/UI Designer at a tech start-up. I was completely new and was directly mentored by my first leader (who was also the CEO). That leader meticulously guided me on everything from spacing and fonts to ratios. He also showed me the product vision, how technology can solve societal problems, how to work in a team, how to communicate effectively, and much more.

UX/UI wasn't even his main expertise. Therefore, as time went on, my professional questions grew, as did my desire to learn more about technical skills. And so, I decided to leave the company after 5 years of commitment.

That leader also confided in and shared with me before I left that I shouldn't pursue technical skills because they are not sustainable and will change over time. Instead, he advised me to better understand the root causes of the problems people are facing and how technology solves those problems.

He also mentioned that after some time, once I had grasped the technical skills, I would need a team, a group, to be able to do something bigger and more valuable together. "Because you alone as an expert cannot create anything" - That was his exact quote.

This is a snippet of his message when I decided to leave:

Some time passed, and after I personally verified what he said through my own experiences, both good and bad bosses (mostly bad), I truly appreciated the importance of having a team, a group, and an environment that could support me in going further. It's really difficult to achieve without it.

Imagine you are a singer. To have the best performance, you need a team to prepare the stage, sound, microphone, etc., so you can perform at your best. The environment and the team are like your stage. You cannot perform well if the quality of everything around you is not good. Once, I coincidentally reread what my first leader had confided in me, and at that moment, I truly understood what he wanted me to focus on.

And it's just like Steve Jobs once said, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

What are my current thoughts? Do I regret the choices I've made? My answer is no. Having gone through those days, I understand more about how important the work environment, culture, team, and colleagues are. And that will also be an important evaluation criterion when I consider moving to a new environment.