I wanted to become an architect. Life had other plans.

Some career decisions begin with a clear plan. Mine began with a plan that never really got the chance to happen.

When I was in school, I wanted to become an architect. I was drawn to the idea of creating things, shaping spaces and turning an idea into something people could actually experience. At that point, architecture was the direction I imagined for myself.

But getting from an interest to a career is not always straightforward. I missed the NATA entrance exam, and with that, the path I had imagined became much less clear. I had to make another decision about what to study and where to go next.

I eventually chose Computer Science at Nirma University.

It was a practical next step, but it was not the story I had pictured for myself. I was entering a field that looked very different from architecture. I did not know then how much that decision would influence the next few years of my life.

A different starting point

Looking back, I can see a connection between architecture and many of the things I became interested in later. Both involve understanding how people experience something. Both require you to think about structure, details and the relationship between an idea and its final form.

I did not have those words for it back then. I only knew that I liked creating things. I liked the thought of taking something that existed in my head and making it real.

Computer Science gave me a different environment to explore. It introduced me to technology and gave me access to a world of tools and possibilities. But as I spent more time studying, I began to realise that the traditional idea of a computer science career did not excite me as much as I expected.

That was an uncomfortable realisation. I had chosen a degree, and there was an expectation that I would follow the path that came with it. But I was still trying to understand what kind of work I actually enjoyed.

I did not have a perfect alternative waiting for me. I just knew that I needed to explore.

The first connection

At the time, I thought missing the architecture entrance exam had closed one door and pushed me into another field. Now I see it a little differently.

It did change my direction. But it also placed me in a position where I started discovering interests I might not have explored otherwise. I was introduced to technology, and eventually I found ways to use it that felt more creative and more connected to how I liked to work.

That did not happen overnight. It started with small experiments and a growing curiosity about design, websites and the tools people were using to build things.

I still think about the version of me who wanted to become an architect. I do not see that ambition as a mistake or a road not taken that I need to regret. It was an early clue about the kind of work that attracted me: creating, designing and bringing ideas to life.

I just had to find a different way to do it.

And that search began during my time studying Computer Science.

Next chapter: I was studying computer science, but I was slowly discovering that I did not want to become a traditional software developer. The next thing I explored was design.