Breaking Out of My “Android Development” Comfort Zone

Photo by Jason Hogan on Unsplash

In this post, I’ll discuss venturing beyond my “Android development” comfort zone. I’ll start by giving my professional background, follow-up with the reasons behind my decision to embrace this challenge, then share the process I undertook to achieve this, and conclude by reflecting on my experience so far.

My professional background

I’ve been doing software engineering for the past 8 years. My professional journey began in Java development. After exploring the domain for nearly a year, I shifted my focus towards Android development where I spent the subsequent 7 years working mostly on video streaming apps. I’ve worked at several companies and for the past 9 months I’ve been working at Klarna.

Why breaking out of my comfort zone?

Based on my professional background, I always identified myself as an “Android Software Engineer.” That was until a year ago, when I decided to be a “Software Engineer.”

I was quite comfortable with Android development and I was enjoying it, so much that I turned down some opportunities in backend, iOS, and web development. But eventually, I felt as though I’d hit the ceiling. This isn’t to say I’d mastered every facet of Android development. Rather, I felt it was time to explore other platforms. My decision was mainly driven by the following reasons:

• Curiosity: I was always curious about other platforms and had tried web and backend development but never beyond toy projects. I had never spent time to get comfortable with them. This time I was more curious than ever to try them.
• New learning opportunities: As software engineers, we possess a distinct knack for perpetual learning, whether it be a new programming language, a framework, or a tool. Despite continuously learning about Android, I decided to widen my scope. This time I wanted to learn other platforms which meant a ton of new learning was ahead of me and what could be better than that!
• Professional growth: I admired many senior software engineers and noticed that they shared some common traits. A common characteristic was their T-shaped knowledge profile. While they specialized in one platform — say, Android — they also had a working understanding of other platforms. To further my professional growth, it seemed necessary that I adopt the way of the T-shaped software engineer. Such an engineer’s forte lies in their holistic viewpoint when devising a feature, solution, and so forth. Given this comprehensive perspective, they can assess the situation from multiple angles, providing valuable insights to the existing discourse.

How I broke out of my comfort zone

A year ago when I decided to try other platforms I had two options on the table:

1. To stay in my previous company but change my team so I could start working on something other than Android.
2. Finding a new job where I could try something different.

The first option didn’t work. I tried to change my team but after sometime I came to the conclusion that it was not going to be easy because of how my previous company was setup. It was more complicated than I expected!

By the time I was convinced I could not achieve what I had in my mind in my previous company, I started looking for a job and after some time joined the mobile SDK team at Klarna.

Joining the mobile SDK team at Klarna fundamentally changed two aspects of my professional career. Firstly, I switched from video streaming into the banking and payments industry. Secondly, I was presented with an opportunity to work on iOS, React Native, Flutter, and even some web development, in addition to Android. This was precisely what I was looking for: the chance to venture into new territories!

During my initial months of onboarding, my focus was primarily Android-based, but gradually I also began working on other platforms including iOS, React Native, and web. Now, when I look at the backlog of the tasks I’ve done I see a healthy amount of Android, iOS, React Native, and web tasks and this means I’ve managed to get out of my “Android development” comfort zone!

Reflecting on my journey so far

When I look back at my decision to break out of my “Android development” comfort zone, I think it was hell of a good decision! Now when someone talks about iOS, React Native, web, etc I have a rough idea of what they’re talking about and how things work on those platforms.

To wrap up, here are some key insights I learned along the way:

1. Start before you’re ready! You do not need to grasp a platform in its entirety before embarking on working with it. A week or two spent acquainting yourself with the basics is sufficient. As you progress, you’ll naturally acquire a deeper understanding, uncover best practices, and learn tips and tricks.
2. Embrace challenges. Starting on a new platform can seem daunting initially, but rest assured you’ll get the hang of it swiftly. With the right motivation, you’ll soon find yourself proficient and productive.
3. Do not be afraid to try new things. Do not shy away from trying new things. For me, it was this fear that had previously prevented me from exploring new things. Overcoming this fear is the very first step towards stepping out of your comfort zone.