Teenage software Developer

Komal Poudyal

The young man, I was talking, at the corner of a restaurant; was keeping close eyes on his smartphone to check time, every ten minutes or so. After about half an hour or so later I asked him, do you have to go somewhere ? he said, yes. Where ? he said, a conference, it's a software development competition. And for that we have to be on time to login and register and then we can take part in it. Its just like being in exam hall.

Easy internet excess has made it so possible for a seventeen year old Nepali boy to take part in international conferences anywhere it takes place, that otherwise would not have been possible to take part in. He  can take part in this conference while still staying at home. Any one can take part in it but one really has to have internet connection on their computer. Computer has changed our life upside down and we can do so many things from it.

Is this what you study in college ? I asked him. No, well, I am a student of computer science but coding and programming is not part of my study. There is vast difference in what I study in college and what I do.

Do you have any friend with whom you can talk, share and get ideas in your coding and programming ?  No, this is not something you get talking with my friends will solve my problem. If I ask a word heuristic none of my friends knows about it and they don't know where this word is used. So I can't get any help from a single person who are around me, the teenage developer responded. So, you dig internet to learn and get all the ideas to help you design your own software ? he said yes. Is that the reason you wear specs  ? May be he responded with a shy smile.

Son of a General Manager and a housewife, the boy is very normal college student in all aspect, except; he is only seventeen years old and already a computer software developer. He has been working on this project since last two years to develop an antivirus and internet security which is named after his name Komal antivirus and security software. This is first antivirus which is available in Nepali Language as well as in English. Last year, he had launched this software nationwide but this time he has modified it improving lots of earlier flaws. and that's why he is planning to to re-launch it in market within three month October- November 2015.  

A 12 grade student of Uniglobe college, next year he is hoping to join MIT in US.  A huge fan of micro soft programming, he hopes to work in Microsoft. In my short meeting with this teenage boy, I saw a complete package of successful businessman rising. So I stopped him, when he said, wants to work in micro soft. You are not the type, who will work even if you will be hired by Bill Gates, why you want to work in micro soft ?  You are right, he said. I will not want remained employed by anyone for long, but there are so many things I still can learn, for that I have to be there [micro soft].

I have never ever in my life heard a teenager so confident and with so much clarity of his future about his dream, work and passion.  I heard myself saying, you are way too smart for your age do you know that ? He did not even see in my eyes, to nod. He is confident, yet not arrogant; this is what makes this young man so special. I have become so fan of this young man and I would like to keep him on my  watch list for young and emerging software developer as well as a young businessman.

We keep reading in news that computer and easy access to internet has spoiled our young generation and use of it has done them so harm than good. Then this young man is the answer for all of them, who says so. It depends on you how you use it, make it your slave or a master, decision is yours.