Crossing the Realm: From Product Management to Coding

In every product manager, there lies a dormant coder waiting for the proper quest to rekindle the flames of logic and syntax. My narrative as a product manager had always been akin to orchestrating a complex yet harmonious symphony of ideas, strategies, and execution. Yet, beneath the cloak of managerial duties, the coder within yearned for the rhythmic dance of algorithms. The allure of the medieval fantasy and the unchartered terrain of a unique game concept beckoned, leading me to don the coder's helm once more, embarking on an expedition that took me back to the genesis of my technical odyssey.

I joined a gamification team two years ago to increase user engagement across various products. It was a creative and functional environment that developed a gamification solution for iGaming within a year, and it showed great results. As a result, gamification has become a significant part of my BBA studies.

In my spare time, I love immersing myself in the world of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), a game that has captured my imagination. The unpredictable and ever-changing nature of D&D storylines is truly exhilarating. However, finding a 4-hour window of uninterrupted time to play can be challenging. This is why I started searching for an alternative game that would transport me to a medieval world, where I could influence the storyline without putting in too much effort.

The idea was simple yet captivating: a game that would offer the player a few pivotal choices, each choice leading the game's narrative along different paths. I was inspired by ChatGPT's ability to create engaging D&D stories and decided to use my coding skills and product management experience to create a similar game. My goal was not just to create a game for myself but to build a world where like-minded people could find comfort and enjoyment.

The inaugural hamlet on this voyage was to conjure a basic yet functional prototype. A server sculpted with Python Flask and a visage crafted through a Telegram Bot - a maiden voyage into the Telegram Bot API realm. The objective was to craft a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) to gauge the currents of this unchartered domain.

As I started typing the first lines of code, I realized how much the coding landscape had changed since my last venture. The challenges had become more complex, the creatures more intimidating, and the terrain more treacherous. Yet, with every obstacle, I found myself enjoying the battle as a coder and strategizing as a product manager. The combination of the two was not a conflict but rather a smooth blend of swords that could cut through any challenge.

The first set of challenges has already surfaced, signalling the start of a new adventure. But as every coder and product manager knows, a challenge is just a quest waiting to be conquered. As I take up the sword of code once again, I am ready to face the quests that lie ahead.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, where I will share tales of the challenges faced and the lessons learned in my journey from Product Management to Coding.

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