Arjun Dev

How do I switch careers into tech from a completely different field?

I'm in my thirties working in a non-technical role and want to move into tech. Is it realistic and where do I start?

14 votes1 answers8d ago

How do I negotiate a job offer without losing the offer?

I got an offer and want more money but I'm terrified of them withdrawing it. Is that a real risk?

128 votes1 answers11d ago

What is a large language model and how is it different from a search engine?

People use ChatGPT the way they used Google. Are they doing the same thing differently, or are they fundamentally…

58 votes1 answers12d ago

What is the difference between stocks, mutual funds and ETFs?

I keep seeing these three treated as alternatives. What actually distinguishes them and which suits a beginner?

139 votes1 answers13d ago

What is the difference between HTML, CSS and JavaScript?

I keep hearing these three together and I'm not sure where one ends and the next begins. Can someone explain the split…

51 votes1 answers15d ago

What is compound interest and why does everyone say it's so powerful?

I understand the definition but not why it's treated as almost magical. Can someone show why it matters so much in…

77 votes1 answers16d ago

What is inflation and how does it affect my savings?

Prices keep rising and I'm told my savings are losing value. How does that actually work?

22 votes1 answers16d ago

What actually happens when you type a URL into the browser and press Enter?

This is apparently the classic interview question and I realize my answer is embarrassingly vague. Can someone give the…

49 votes1 answers18d ago

How do recommendation algorithms decide what to show me?

My feed knows me uncomfortably well. What's actually happening behind the scenes on YouTube, Instagram or Netflix?

11 votes1 answers20d ago

Are college grades actually important for getting a job?

Stressing hard about GPA and wondering if it's worth it. Do employers actually care about grades, or is it all…

136 votes1 answers20d ago

on How did you land your first developer job?

Referrals beat job boards 10 to 1. My first job came from a meetup contact, not an application. Concrete plan that worked for me and two friends: 1. Pick 20 companies you actually…

156 votes✓ Accepted5d ago

on What financial mistakes should I avoid in my twenties?

The mistakes that cost the most aren't dramatic — they're small defaults left unexamined for a decade. In rough order of long-term cost: **1. Not starting to invest early.** The…

92 votes✓ Accepted19d ago

on How much should I have in an emergency fund?

Three to six months of *expenses* (not income) is the target, but treat it as a staircase rather than a single goal — the first step is what matters, and it's much smaller than…

92 votes✓ Accepted1mo ago

on How do I deal with burnout when I can't afford to just quit?

The 'just quit' advice is written by people with a safety net, and it's useless when you don't have one. Real burnout recovery without quitting is possible — it's about reducing…

92 votes✓ Accepted23d ago

on How do I build muscle as a skinny beginner (hardgainer)?

First, the truth that changes everything for skinny beginners: 99% of 'hardgainers' don't have a muscle-building problem — they have an EATING problem, and usually a bigger one…

83 votes✓ Accepted1mo ago

on Is it normal to feel lonely even when I'm surrounded by people?

Nothing is wrong with you — you've just discovered that loneliness isn't about the NUMBER of people around you, it's about the QUALITY of connection and whether you feel truly…

83 votes✓ Accepted15d ago

on How do I learn to debug code effectively instead of guessing?

Systematic debugging is a loop: observe what actually happens, form one specific hypothesis, test only that hypothesis, and narrow. The random-changes approach fails because…

74 votes✓ Accepted1mo ago

on Is it safe to put my personal or work data into AI chatbots?

Assume anything you paste could be seen by a human reviewer or used to improve the model unless the provider explicitly says otherwise for your specific plan. That single…

65 votes✓ Accepted12d ago

on Can AI models reason or are they just pattern matching?

It's partly definitional, but not entirely — there's real empirical content, and the honest answer is that they do something reasoning-like that is genuinely useful and…

65 votes✓ Accepted1mo ago

on Should I pay off debt or invest first?

Compare interest rates. Debt costing more than you'd reasonably expect to earn investing should be paid off first — that's a guaranteed, risk-free return equal to the interest…

65 votes✓ Accepted22d ago