🔮 Long-Term Vision
Where all of this is heading. The 3-year plan. The 10-year dream.
🗺️ The Journey Map
🎯 3-Year Strategic Plan (2026-2028)
2026: Foundation - Build the Base
Key Milestones 2026:
- Q1: AZ-104 certified
- Q2: First FRP PR merged, job applications start
- Q3: Land 1L+/month job, LeetCode 100 solved
- Q4: 3 certs total, GATE prep underway, ₹3L emergency fund
2027: Growth - Expand & Multiply
Key Milestones 2027:
- Q1: GATE exam, GRE prep complete
- Q2: GRE exam, freelancing 30k+/month
- Q3: IELTS exam, shortlist universities
- Q4: Apply for Masters, freelancing 50k+/month
2028: Leap - Make the Jump
Key Milestones 2028:
- Q1-Q2: Secure admits, choose university
- Q3: Start Masters program (likely Aug/Sep)
- Throughout: Maintain side income, keep contributing
🎓 Masters Degree Plan
Why Masters?
Target Programs
Preferred: MS in Computer Science / Software Engineering / Data Science
Target Countries:
| Country | Pros | Cons | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Best universities, high ROI, opportunities | Expensive, visa uncertainty | ₹60-90L |
| Germany | Low/no tuition, quality education, work permit | Language barrier, fewer English programs | ₹15-30L |
| Canada | Good balance, immigration-friendly, safe | Cold, moderate cost | ₹40-60L |
| UK | 1-year programs, prestigious, English | Expensive, Brexit impact | ₹40-70L |
Target Universities (Examples)
USA:
- Georgia Tech (OMSCS - affordable online option)
- UT Austin, UIUC, CMU, Stanford (reach)
Germany:
- TUM, RWTH Aachen, University of Stuttgart
Canada:
- University of Toronto, UBC, Waterloo
Preparation Timeline
Prerequisites Checklist
Academic:
- [ ] Strong undergraduate GPA (already done)
- [ ] Relevant coursework (CS fundamentals)
Test Scores:
- [ ] GRE: 320+ (Quant 165+, Verbal 155+, AWA 4.0+)
- [ ] IELTS: 7.5+ overall (7.0+ each section)
- OR TOEFL: 100+ iBT
Profile:
- [ ] Work experience: 3-4 years by 2028 ✅
- [ ] Open source contributions: Regular FRP contributor
- [ ] Projects: Scalr Alternative, others
- [ ] Certifications: AZ-104, Terraform, etc.
- [ ] Publications (optional): Tech blogs, talks
Financial:
- [ ] ₹30-50L saved for tuition + living
- [ ] OR education loan eligibility
- [ ] Financial stability to leave job
Documents:
- [ ] Statement of Purpose (SOP) - compelling narrative
- [ ] Letters of Recommendation (3) - from managers, professors
- [ ] Resume/CV - highlighting achievements
- [ ] Transcripts - official academic records
🎓 GATE Backup Plan
Why GATE?
Primary: Admission to IIT/IISc for Masters in India (backup if US doesn't work out)
Secondary: Deep CS fundamentals useful regardless
Tertiary: Opens PSU opportunities
GATE Strategy
- Exam: February 2027
- Target: Qualify with good rank (Top 5000)
- Backup schools: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IISc Bangalore
If Masters abroad doesn't work:
- Pursue MTech at top IIT
- Continue working while studying
- Lower cost, still excellent education
💼 Career Vision
Career Progression Path
5-Year Vision (2030)
Technical Track:
- Staff/Principal Engineer or Platform Architect
- Deep expertise in cloud-native, Kubernetes, platform engineering
- Recognized contributor in open source
- Speaking at conferences
- Mentoring junior engineers
Management Track (Alternative):
- Engineering Manager leading platform team
- People management + technical leadership
- Building teams and processes
Entrepreneur Track (Alternative):
- Founded tech startup (SaaS, DevTools, Platform)
- OR Consulting company (DevOps/Platform services)
- Building products that matter
10-Year Dream (2035)
Career:
- Distinguished Engineer / CTO / Founder
- Building things that impact millions
- Financial freedom to choose projects
Impact:
- Known for open source contributions
- Teaching next generation (courses, mentorship, books)
- Solving meaningful problems
Life:
- Location independent (work from anywhere)
- Healthy work-life balance
- Travel, explore, experience
🌍 Geographic Optionality
Near-term (2026-2027)
Stay in India:
- Build skills, certifications, portfolio
- Lower cost of living = save more
- Network locally
Mid-term (2028-2030)
Masters Abroad:
- USA / Germany / Canada
- Global exposure
- International network
- Higher earning potential post-graduation
Long-term (2030+)
Options:
- Stay abroad (USA/Canada for high pay + quality of life)
- Return to India (if opportunity is compelling)
- Digital nomad (work remote from anywhere)
- Follow the opportunity, not the location
🎯 Personal Development Goals
Health & Fitness
- 2026: Establish meal + exercise routine
- 2027: Maintain consistency (80%+ compliance)
- 2028+: Fitness as lifestyle, not chore
Relationships
- Family: Regular time, support parents
- Friends: Maintain connections, grow network
- Mentoring: Help juniors, give back to community
Intellectual Growth
- Reading: 20+ books per year (mix: tech, philosophy, fiction)
- Learning: Always 1-2 skills actively developing
- Teaching: Share knowledge (blogs, talks, mentoring)
Experiences
- Travel to new places
- Try new things (hobbies, sports, arts)
- Meet interesting people
- Build memories, not just resume
📊 Long-Term Success Metrics
2028 Check-In
- [ ] Masters program started OR on track for 2029
- [ ] Total income 2L+/month (job + side income)
- [ ] Net worth 10L+
- [ ] Open source: Recognized contributor
- [ ] Health: Consistent habits maintained
- [ ] Relationships: Strong family/friend bonds
2030 Check-In
- [ ] Masters completed (if pursued)
- [ ] Career: Senior/Staff level or equivalent
- [ ] Financial independence within reach (passive approaching expenses)
- [ ] Impact: Teaching, mentoring, community contributions
- [ ] Location: Flexibility to live/work anywhere
2035 Vision
- [ ] Career: Top of IC track, management, or successful founder
- [ ] Financial: True financial independence achieved
- [ ] Impact: Known for meaningful contributions
- [ ] Life: Freedom to choose projects, location, lifestyle
- [ ] Legacy: Helped others, built things that last
🔄 Quarterly Long-Term Review Questions
Use these every 3 months to stay aligned:
Am I closer to the 1L+ job?
- Skills improving? Portfolio growing? Applications sent?
Are my certifications on track?
- Studied consistently? Exams scheduled? Passed?
Is my financial foundation solid?
- Emergency fund growing? Investing started? Side income building?
Am I building in public?
- GitHub active? Open source contributions? Community presence?
Is my health on track?
- Eating well? Moving regularly? Sleeping enough?
Am I learning and having fun?
- Excited about Go/Linux/networking? Enjoying the process?
What needs to change?
- What's not working? What should I stop/start/continue?
💡 Principles for the Long Game
1. Compound Daily
Small consistent actions compound exponentially:
- 1% better daily = 37x better in a year
- 1 LeetCode problem daily = 365 problems in a year
- 1 hour Go practice daily = mastery in months
2. Play Infinite Games
Don't optimize for short-term wins at the cost of long-term positioning:
- Build real skills, not just resume keywords
- Create actual value, not just appearances
- Network genuinely, not transactionally
3. Maintain Optionality
Keep multiple paths open:
- Masters abroad OR IIT MTech (GATE backup)
- Technical track OR management OR founder
- Multiple income streams, not single dependency
4. Invest in Yourself
Best ROI is always yourself:
- Certifications open doors
- Skills create opportunities
- Health enables everything
- Network multiplies impact
5. Give Back
Success without service is meaningless:
- Help juniors learn
- Contribute to open source
- Share knowledge freely
- Mentor others
🎯 The Ultimate Long-Term Goal
In one sentence:
Build skills and wealth to create the freedom to work on meaningful problems with great people from anywhere, while helping others along the way.
Remember the Why
When the grind gets hard (and it will):
- 2026: Every LeetCode problem is a step toward the 1L+ job
- 2027: Every hour of GRE prep is investing in Masters abroad
- 2028: Every sacrifice now creates freedom later
- 2030+: Every skill built compounds forever
You're not just building a career. You're building a life of freedom, impact, and meaning.
Never stop. The long game is worth it.