I think I LOVE this...
Growing up, I wouldn’t say I really had a clear dream of becoming a software engineer.
What I did have, though, was fascination.
Movies made it look incredibly cool — this idea that you could diagnose, communicate with, and reason with a machine. You could tell it what to do (within its capabilities), and it would actually do it. That relationship between human intention and machine execution hooked me early.
So naturally, I fell in love with Robotics.
At the time, however, I couldn’t study robotics at the school of my choice — Obafemi Awolowo University. That forced me to step back and ask a more important question: what part of robotics do I actually love the most?
As I broke it down, I came across a description that stuck with me:
Software engineers are like the brain of the robot. Once you’ve coupled everything together — the body parts, electrical systems, sensors, and mechanics — something still has to run within it. Something has to command those parts, coordinate them, and make intelligent decisions. Like a master orchestrator in an orchestra.
I remember thinking to myself:
“Man… I think I love this.”
So I enrolled in Computer Science with Mathematics. I wrote JAMB, did pre-degree, and officially started the journey.
The Shift in Perspective
Looking back now — from the beginning of it all to where I am today — one key truth has reshaped how I see not just software engineering, but life itself:
With everything in life, there is a How, and there is a Why.
Most people never move from “kind of good” to “stupidly awesome” because they stop at learning the How of their craft and never pursue the Why.
The How gets you started.
The Why makes you effective.
And over time, the Why shapes your wisdom.
Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom
This framework has followed me deeply in software engineering:
- Knowledge — Information (the How)
- Understanding — Comprehension (the Why)
- Wisdom — Application (what you do with it)
Understanding takes raw knowledge and turns it inside out. It asks questions. It challenges assumptions. It connects cause to effect. And when understanding is present, wisdom becomes precise and efficient.
You don’t just know what to do —
you know why you’re doing it, when to do it, and how to judge the outcome.
That’s why the Scriptures say:
“Give me understanding, and I shall live.”
— Psalm 119:144
And also:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom:
and with all thy getting, get understanding.”
— Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing — not because of how much you know, but because of how you use what you know. Yet understanding is what makes wisdom sharp, effective, and productive.
Software Engineering Taught Me This
If I had to summarize what software engineering has taught me so far, it would be this:
Understanding is the true differentiator.
Two engineers can know the same tools.
Two people can read the same documentation.
Two professionals can have access to the same information.
But the one who asks why —
who understands systems, trade-offs, and intent —
will always stand out.
Final Thought
Don’t stop at the How.
Investigate the Why.
That’s where depth lives.
That’s where wisdom forms.
That’s where growth becomes inevitable.