Naveen RK

#Journey.md

From the badminton court to the terminal — the real story.

If someone had told me 3 years ago that I'd be a software engineer with 100K followers on Instagram… I wouldn't have believed it. Not even for a second.

// chapter_01

The only thing I knew was badminton.

I played professionally for over 10 years. That was my whole life — early mornings, long practice sessions, tournaments. I didn't think about anything else. I didn't need to.

Then one day, without warning, it was over. Financial constraints hit — things I couldn't control — and just like that, I had to walk away from the sport I loved. No goodbyes. No plan B.

Naveen at a badminton tournament with trophy

// chapter_02

Three months of just… nothing.

I was in my first year at SRM University. No direction. No plan. Just a degree I wasn't sure about and a sport I could no longer play.

For about 3 months, I couldn't get out of bed. Frustrated, lost, and honestly just hating myself for feeling that way. I kept thinking — is this it?

"It felt like it would never end."
Naveen working at his desk as a software engineer

// chapter_03

One conversation changed everything.

Then I had a real conversation with my mom. Nothing fancy, no big speech. But it was exactly what I needed. A few words — and something inside me shifted.

I started exploring computer science properly. I knew a 3-year degree alone wouldn't cut it, so I pushed hard — studied extra, applied everywhere, got rejected a lot.

At the same time, I picked up content creation and video editing. Made 20 videos. One of them clicked — and within a few months, I had close to 80,000 followers.

// chapter_04

And then, things started falling into place.

A couple of months after that, I landed my first job. Then a better one. Then got to stand in places I never imagined I'd be standing in.

Not because life suddenly got easier — but because I decided I wasn't going to stay the same. That decision made all the difference.

"Your story isn't done yet. Don't give up on yourself. Not now. Not ever."
Naveen at a Microsoft event
git log --oneline
  • COMMITTED2013 – 2023

    10 Years on the Court

    Played badminton professionally, competed in national-level tournaments, and built a discipline that would carry over into everything else.

  • BREAKING_CHANGEEarly 2023

    Had to Walk Away

    Financial constraints forced me to quit the sport I'd built my life around. Enrolled at SRM University with no clear direction.

  • REBASINGMid 2023

    3 Months of Nothing

    Stuck. Frustrated. Barely getting out of bed. Didn't know what I was doing or where I was going.

  • RESOLVEDLate 2023

    One Conversation with Mom

    A simple, real conversation changed everything. Started exploring computer science properly and picking up content creation on the side.

  • SHIPPED2024

    80K Followers & First Job

    One video clicked — close to 80K followers in a few months. Landed my first engineering role shortly after.

  • HEAD -> mainPresent

    Software Engineer @ Chargebee

    Building production systems, growing the community to 100K+, and still going.