May 2026 Wrap Up

May has been a really fun month in my programming journey! I wanted to start a project that I could start and finish in a week that was low-level and let me try Odin for the first time. So I built a Chip-8 emulator! This was my first time directly controlling bits and bit shifting, and I’ll get into it more in a little bit. Turns out my brain really likes Odin, and because of that I’m going to rewrite ABX in Odin. Lastly, I started applying for Software Engineering jobs this month. I feel like I have enough experience to start going for it—and guess what, I’ve already made it through two interviews with one company!

BEEP BOOP Machine

That’s what a Chip-8 emulator sounds like in my head. Early this month I wanted to do a micro-project to help propel me forward on my game, because making a game—especially your first game—is just a long process, especially since I’m only able to work on it in little bits at a time. Plus, I’ve listened to a couple of podcasts featuring Ginger Bill, so I also wanted a good excuse to try Odin. After asking Claude what would be a good weekend project (even though I knew it was going to take a week), I decided on a Chip-8 emulator.

This project is the lowest level of programming I’ve ever done and my first time doing anything with bit manipulation and bit shifting. It was a cool little project! I used Claude to guide me through it one step at a time, with the parameters to not give me the code but to use the Socratic method to guide me instead. Through this, I learned that I really like writing Odin code. Like, wow—there are so many small quality-of-life things that the overall experience was so enjoyable, especially coming from C. Which leads us to…

Rewriting ABX in Odin

I’m doing a full rewrite in Odin. I’m glad I started in C because it helped me embrace a data-oriented process and understand more of the low-level details that I had been missing coming from Python/Go/Dart. But wow, Odin is such a pleasurable experience to write in. The ability to rapidly iterate and build within one file without having to worry about header files or declaration ordering is so nice.

I’ve also come to really enjoy batteries-included languages. So far the only languages I’ve tried that are like this are Odin and Go. I think this is really important to consider as a solo developer. Since I’m new to programming, I don’t have years of personal libraries built up to plug and play into a project. Therefore, it’s really nice when a language has tools included so I don’t have to depend on package managers for basic functionality.

I’ve gotten to the point in my rewrite where I have a screen and a movable red square for the player. I’m re-implementing the procedural generation now to spawn enemies, and that’s going to take some work because I don’t like the way I originally wrote it, I think I abstracted too much. Other than that I am really enjoying the rewrite!

I’m Getting a Job!?!?!?

Well, I have a job, what I mean is I’ve started applying to software developer positions! I feel like I have enough experience through my personal projects to start putting myself out there. I know it might take a while, but I figured I might as well start now because all it takes is one yes.

On that note, I’ve already heard back from one company and had two interviews with them, and the technical interview went really well! So now I’m just waiting to hear back to see if I get a third interview. Fingers crossed! 🤞

To Wrap Up

It’s been a great month, and I’m really excited about the possibility of becoming a full-time developer! I’m also excited to keep working on my game in Odin, and hopefully I’ll be able to make faster progress now that I’m not fighting the language.

“And so, does the destination matter? Or is it the path we take? I declare that no accomplishment has substance nearly as great as the road used to achieve it. We are not creatures of destinations. It is the journey that shapes us. Our callused feet, our backs strong from carrying the weight of our travels, our eyes open with the fresh delight of experiences lived.” — Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings