Vanshika Pandey – Don’t Wait To Feel 100% Ready (SDE & Creator, 280K+ Followers)

Vanshika Pandey Interview 

"I never planned to be a creator—I was just overwhelmed, learning JavaScript, switching jobs, doubting myself... and suddenly, thousands were resonating with my story. That’s when I knew: this chaos was worth sharing."

1. What motivated you to start creating content around tech and careers?

Honestly, I never set out to become a content creator. I simply started sharing what I was going through—learning JavaScript, preparing for tech interviews, switching roles, and feeling completely overwhelmed at times. Along the way, I realized a lot of others were feeling the same but weren’t talking about it. That inspired me to keep showing up online. It became my way of documenting growth, helping others feel less alone, and creating a space where we could learn and grow together. Especially in tech, where everything often looks too polished from the outside, I wanted to show the real journey.

2. Can you share a key moment that helped shape your professional journey?

There was a phase when I felt like I was just checking boxes—shipping features, resolving JIRA tickets—doing the work, but not really growing. Then I was given the responsibility to lead an end-to-end feature, and it changed everything. From ideation to production, I had to think beyond just the developer’s perspective—considering user needs, edge cases, and cross-functional collaboration. That experience made me realize I was capable of more than I gave myself credit for. It was a turning point where I stopped seeing myself just as a developer and started embracing my role as a builder who could impact the product.

3. What’s one habit that’s helped you grow both as an SDE and a content creator?

I write things down. Not in a structured journaling way, but casually—lessons from a bug I fixed, thoughts I had during a walk, or moments that frustrated me. Over time, it became a habit that helped me reflect and also fuel my content. These notes sometimes turned into posts, or helped me troubleshoot similar problems later. It keeps me grounded, self-aware, and continuously evolving—both as an engineer and as someone who wants to create meaningful content.

4. You often talk about learning beyond college. What does that personally mean to you?

To me, it’s about owning your growth. In college, I learned how to clear exams. But outside of that structure, I had to unlearn a lot and start over. My real growth came from curiosity—watching tech talks, building side projects, learning from people in the industry. I stopped waiting for someone to teach me and started figuring things out on my own. That’s when learning became fun and fulfilling.

5. How do you handle burnout or creative blocks when juggling work and content?

When burnout hits, I let myself take a break. I stop creating, stop pushing, and allow myself to just exist offline. I spend time with friends outside of tech, go on long walks, or engage in activities completely unrelated to work or content. I’ve realized that the pressure to “keep posting” kills creativity. Taking a proper break helps me reset—and ironically, that’s often when the best ideas come.

6. What’s one piece of advice you'd give to students preparing for their first job?

Don’t wait to feel 100% ready, because that moment may never come. It’s okay to not know everything. What truly matters is your willingness to learn quickly, communicate clearly, and accept feedback with an open mind. Show that you’re curious and reliable. People love working with those who take initiative, ask questions, and stay humble throughout the process.

7. What's something about your journey that people often misunderstand?

People often assume I’ve always had clarity or confidence, but that’s far from the truth. I’ve had countless doubts and moments where I felt stuck or behind. What you see online is the polished version, not the behind-the-scenes struggle. There have been rejections, detours, and a lot of quiet overthinking. If anything, I’m just someone who kept showing up—even when it didn’t make sense. That persistence is what made the difference.

8. If you could exist inside any app, game, or software as a character, which one would you choose and what would your role be?

I’d probably live inside Notion. I’d be that helpful little voice nudging people to organize their chaos—suggesting frameworks, dropping bits of motivation during mental blocks, and helping bring structure to messy ideas. It matches how I think: part creative, part logical, always aiming to make things more thoughtful and efficient.

Bio:

Vanshika Pandey is a Software Development Engineer turned creator known for her candid journey through tech—learning JavaScript, nailing interviews, switching roles, and overcoming imposter syndrome. Passionate about making the world of software development more transparent, she blends professional insight with personal storytelling on her platform, where thousands resonate with her authenticity and practical advice. Whether she’s debugging code or crafting content, Vanshika’s mission is to build a growth-focused, empathetic tech community—one real-life story at a time.

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Interviewed by: Niyati Gupta 

Edited by: Shantanu Singh