Logo Ng Ting Sheng

Adapt FAST in any industry (as a Software Engineer)

Feb 25, 2024 - 2 minute read
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How to Adapt Fast as a Software Engineer (In Any Industry)

As software engineers, we tend to hop between industries — and that’s totally normal. I’ve gone from building tools for training medical students, to working at a food delivery company, and then to an insurance tech firm. Each move meant learning a new domain from scratch — but the expectation stayed the same: ramp up fast and start contributing.

Being new to an industry is fine. But being an engineer, especially a senior one, means you’re expected to hit the ground running.

Tech Stuff: It’s Just Different, Not Hard

Let’s be real — most of us already know the technical basics. Clean code, CI/CD, tests, deployments — it’s part of the job. Every company might do it a little differently, but different doesn’t mean difficult. Just get comfortable with their stack and flow. Once you can code, test, and deploy end to end, you’re already halfway there.

Learn the Business Fast

Here’s where it gets interesting: understanding the product and business. This is what really makes you valuable. No need to become a domain expert on day one, but try to learn fast. Read docs, sit in meetings, and most importantly — talk to people. Everyone sees things a bit differently, and chatting with a few folks gives you a broader view.

Ask things like:

  • Who are our users?
  • What’s the main pain point we’re solving?
  • What metrics matter most?

Figure out the 20% of knowledge that’ll let you do 80% of the work. Prioritize that, and you’ll start adding value way quicker.

Be Curious, Not Clueless

Nobody hands you a perfect playbook — you’ve got to go find it. Read up. Ask dumb questions (they’re usually not that dumb). People appreciate it when engineers care about more than just the code.

I wrote another post, How to Succeed as a Product Engineer, which goes deeper into this mindset. But the core idea is simple: the more you understand the context around your code, the faster you’ll thrive — no matter what industry you’re in.