We talk to a successful CTO about his experience working in Software Engineering & Technology

I sat down for coffee with Terry, an Asia based CTO and serial entrepreneur to talk about his experiences in the tech industry as well as what advice he has for people starting out in their career. Terry has led large technology teams at startups all the way through to consulting firm Accenture. He has also co-founded and exited from several tech companies.

Name: Terry Wong
Age: 48
Industry: Technology (Software and SaaS)
Education: Dual Degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Current Company: Cydeas
Current Title: Principal

I started programming computers as an engrossing hobby when I was 11 years old. The challenge of solving problems and stating the solutions unambiguously to both other people and machines continues to offer endless fascination. I’m fortunate to be reasonably competent in and enjoy an activity that many find so challenging and essential to modern life.

Like many technologists, I am a night owl, and tend to work late into the night, rising in the late morning to start the day with coffee and on some days a round of teleconference stand-up meetings with my teams, many of whom are working in various locations around the world. My afternoons are reserved for research or writing either documents or code alone, or in working sessions for design or progress review with my colleagues. After a 2-3 hour break for exercise (normally a swim, or training in a gym) and dinner, I’ll spend at least 1-2 hours working on a project, sometimes taking a call with collaborators in Europe or America.

I studied Architecture in University, and was fortunate enough to have worked as an intern in an small architectural firm under the direction of one of the two partners. My internship in architecture gave me the opportunity to work on a small project with full scope for the design and presentation for a renovation proposal on a prominent civic landmark in the community. The experience helped me to see the need for rich, relatable presentation, and the careful, systematic development and documentation of the design journey—showing the process I used to arrive at my solution. It took some time to truly appreciate this lesson as I struggled sometimes to short-cut my design work, often failing to convince my professors or clients of the intentions of my designs in some cases. The completeness and “believability” of my design work during that internship were a standard that I returned to as a minimum standard of professionalism that has helped me as I continue myself and as I encourage others to strive for excellence.

Having been born and raised in the USA, and spending my early working life there, working in Hong Kong for the last 8 years has forced me to let go of my assumptions about the motivations and limits of people I work with every day. As much as the USA, Hong Kong is a mix of cultures, in some ways more, and in a lot of ways less than the fabled melting pot of culture one finds in the USA. The two takes on cosmopolitan work environments could not be more different, with one attempting to minimize differences, while the other, intentionally or unintentionally, magnifies differences. I’ve learned to tailor my approach and demeanor, depending on the setting and work at hand in order to maximize the results of engagement.

In my industry, the ability to learn and also to unlearn (in the case of bad habits) is critical to long term success, since technology, by its very nature, changes faster and faster as time passes. Successful technologists must develop reasonably complete and deep knowledge of their industry’s critical skills and  toolsets, while at the same time staying ready to learn new methods as rapidly as possible.

Get an internship. Seeing how professionals in this industry handle ambiguity and how they learn and stay current are areas of exposure that will serve you well, regardless of whether you enter this industry.

If you are not already a competent writer, or are afraid to tackle writing assignments, take a course in writing and composition. Even among the best in this industry, there is a low standard for written communications. The best technologists are good communicators, so remember to ensure you continue developing your writing skills.

We offer Technology & Software Engineering internships programs across 14 locations. For more experiences, expert stories and tips on interning abroad, check out our blog. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at hello@beyondacademy.com.