If you want to progress in tech, surrounding yourself with the right people is key. Here’s who you should get close to:

1. Senior Developers & Engineers

• They have hands-on experience and can mentor you in coding best practices.
• Learning from their mistakes saves you time.

2. Tech Mentors & Industry Leaders

• They provide career guidance and help you navigate challenges.
• Follow their work, attend their talks, and engage with them online.

3. Technical Founders & Entrepreneurs

• They understand both tech and business, giving you a broader perspective.
• Great for learning about startups, scaling products, and problem-solving.

4. Product Managers & UX Designers

• Understanding their perspective helps you build better, user-friendly products.
• Collaboration improves your ability to communicate technical ideas effectively.

5. Open Source Contributors & Community Leaders

• Working with them exposes you to real-world projects and best coding practices.
• Engaging in open source builds credibility and a strong portfolio.

6. Recruiters & Hiring Managers

• They keep you informed about industry trends and job opportunities.
• Good relationships can lead to better job referrals.

7. Growth-Minded Peers & Colleagues

• Surrounding yourself with ambitious techies keeps you motivated.
• Join coding groups, hackathons, or local meetups.

Where to Find Them:

• Tech conferences (e.g., Web Summit, Google I/O, AWS re:Invent).
• Online communities (GitHub, Stack Overflow, Twitter/X, Reddit, LinkedIn).
• Tech meetups and hackathons (Meetup.com, Dev.to, Discord groups).
• Open source projects (Contribute to repositories on GitHub).

Are you looking to grow in a specific area, like software development, AI, or cybersecurity?