June 17, 2021 PereViki On Topcoder As A Family And Succeeding As A Full-Time Freelancer – The Topcoder Nation Show #5

In promotion for this episode I said we were going to talk about life, and talk about life we did. Viki shared her journey to becoming a designer in an intimate and sincere manner. We talked about the challenges and caveats of remote work. We learned good advice to mitigate these risks, and to improve chances of winning design challenges. Viki revealed how she has become able to dedicate her time to Topcoder as a regular source of income.

“If you check the TCO interviews most of us would say that we are not going there to win but to meet the others, so I don’t really care about, I’m sorry to say, the competition. I wouldn’t win anyway and it freaks me out. I go there because of you guys, to meet you. It’s such a nice feeling to have, this kind of friendship, and it’s amazing that we are competing against each other. There are no hard feelings, no negative feelings besides that. It’s really nice, I don’t know how Topcoder does that.”

— PereViki on the mystery of Topcoder as a family.

A puzzling question was left hanging at the end of the episode when she was mesmerized describing the community and this family factor often promoted by Topcoder. How does Topcoder do that? You can’t watch the video without checking out how she described her initial impressions on meeting Topcoder members for the first time and how they became her extended family.

We are lucky to have Viki in our community. Her journey is remarkable; in her first year as a member she qualified to a TCO and has achieved a myriad of exceptional traits – she is talented, emphatic, curious, adventurous. I hope you can benefit from this piece of wisdom. I leave you with PereViki, enjoy.

TAKEAWAYS

These lessons, tips and advice captured my attention, they may also help you:

• She started designing in 2012 in another platform, switching from her business career to pursue her creative passions based on curiosity.
• She enjoys traveling to Prague and Italy very much as well as encountering not very popular places to discover their beauty.
• As overall advice to overcome the life-work balance struggle, she suggests choosing challenges carefully.
• For the first time ever, she talked live about her Himalayan internetless struggle. Here’s a written recap of that.
• She was asked for suggestions on books, here are her top five (5) books every designer should read.
• She admires Surya’s journey to become a top designer.

Topcoder Nation Show #5 is up on Youtube. See timestamps below for a summary.

TIMESTAMPS: GATES TO WISDOM

• Favorite things to do in Hungary: 04:06 – 05:55
• Her business degree and design background: 06:02 – 07:58
• How she decided to become a designer: 08:30 – 11:00
• A typical day in Viki’s life: 12:10 – 15:20
• Struggles of remote work, Viki working from the Himalayas: 15:50 – 21:25
• Dealing with life-work balance and COVID-19: 22:16 – 24:09
• Concerns of working as a single mother: 24:10 – 25:10
• Succeeding as a designer to win in a regular basis: 27:15 – 30:50
• Topcoder as a family: 32:49 – 37:00

AMA 

We held an AMA (ask me anything) with PereViki. Curious community members asked questions for her to ponder on. Watch the video from 37:40 until the end to check out the replies to questions such as:

• When did you start designing?
• Recommend some books on UI/UX design that you’ve read.
• How much time does it require to become a great designer?
• What is your favorite place in Europe?
• Any tips for a newbie stuck at learning? I don’t see much progress in my designs.
• Assuming you are in the TCO final round and you can pick your opponent, who would you pick and why?

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Peace out.

TOPCODER NATION

Are you living the gig economy lifestyle at Topcoder? Want to join fellow members? Share your story, your travels, and experiences about the ultimate goal of working at Topcoder; the freedom, the flexibility, and the earnings that make it happen! Join Topcoder Nation.

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