Speak up! Publish! Seize your power.

My greatest professional regret over the past 13 years is that I chose to remain silent.

When I joined my current employer, a FAANG company, in 2012, I was initially put off by the stringent gatekeeping policies regarding my content creation. The social media guidelines that dictated the topics I could discuss and open-source rules that governed the content and format of my personal code contributions. This is in stark contrast to my previous experiences in smaller companies and as a self-employed consultant.

I found it utterly unacceptable that even my own creations, made during my personal time, would be owned or controlled to such an extent by my employer. Therefore, I made a decision: "If that's the case, then I won't publish." It was a dire mistake.

I misunderstood the nature of power. As many tech guys do. My decision wasn't a way to assert myself, but a forfeit. I submitted to the will and yoke of my employer.

Power is dialectic. It's a dance to constantly redefine the relationship between your Self and the Other, it's defined by finding yourself at ease in the world. However, if you fail to push boundaries, your power diminishes, and if you neglect to exercise it, it gradually fades away. If you remain silent, you relinquish your power altogether.

Moreover, writing and creating are tools for thinking. If you do it only for yourself, you limit yourself to a monologue and diminish your potential. If you cease creating and testing your work by sharing it with others, you lose.

It's time to change. I'll now write, code, and publish more freely and frequently.