The “Teary moment of the Year” 2025

The Day I Stopped Calling Myself Non-Technical

This story might leave you a little teary too. I’m sure, you would have experienced such moments in life. Do you know, sometimes the biggest barrier is not technology… and it is the belief that “This is not for me.”

And honestly, for decades, labels like Non-Technical, Non-coding, and Non-IT quietly became limitations I had placed on myself.

I admired people who could code like magicians. Me? I stayed safely on the other side. Sometimes the biggest ideas come not from learning a new tool, but from looking at an existing tool and asking, “What else can I do with this to solve a business problem?”

The real magic lies in finding innovative ways to use it to solve problems, simplify work, or create something entirely new.

During my decade-long career, I often came up with creative solutions, suggested alternative approaches, and sometimes asked the right (or wrong!) questions that helped steer discussions in the right direction in effectively using the technology.

However, I was often given the backseat because of labels such as “Non-technical,” “Non-coding,” or “Non-IT.”

Ironically, while a lot of effort goes into implementing an idea, I sometimes wondered… if the idea had not existed in the first place, would the solution have even been possible?. The irony is, we often celebrate the implementation and forget the idea that made it possible in the first place.

I used to wonder: shouldn’t the person who sowed the SEED (idea) also get to enjoy the HARVEST (money), alongside the GARDENER (developer) who watered it and the OWNER (Manager) of the garden?

I’m civil engineer by chance not by choice. However, no regrets now as it gave the strong foundation in the world of Project Management.

Like how Power BI rules the data world today, back then VBA macros were the king of data automation those years.

In early 2025, during the era when ChatGPT and copilot were competing in the world of AI, the company I worked, made sure we stayed ahead with building a in-house chat application.

I was tasked to create a 300+ folders as part of the project closure activity. I randomly asked in Chat application, how to create folders in one go. It immediately gave me VBA code. Huh again VBA? I wasn’t sure if the code will work.

Doubtful if I really need to set it up and run the macro? The so called “technical” bug caught me.
Since I’m not a coding person, except the fact that all VBA script starts with Sub and ends with End Sub, file to be saved as macro enabled file, everything else looked like a mystery.  

But I decided to give it a try. I updated the Excel file, ran the macro… and watched 300 folders instantly appear on my desktop within 5 secs.

Tears started flowing down after seeing 300 folders flooded in my desktop.

I was sitting and looking at my desktop and started to cry uncontrollably for several minutes overwhelmed by sheer of joy. 

This is my Teary Moment of the year 2025.

I’m very sure WE can NEVER ever compete with the wizards of “IT-Mastery” anytime in near future. Let me be honest, trying to compete with the IT-Mastery pros is like bringing the golden spoon to a sword fight.

100% no chance. May be in near future where Anybody Can Develop an Application using AI.

However, with the newest cool term called “Vibe coding”, I can’t think of all the endless possibilities for people like me. However, This is just a beginning.

RIP to all the lost time since you don’t know what the fancy 401, 403, 404 errors!
RIP to all the lost time since you got wrong data and self-doubting yourself why it didn’t work!
RIP to all the lost time debugging the minor glitch in the system!
RIP to all the lost time figuring why copy-pasting someone’s code that didn’t work!
RIP to all the lost time since excel formula worked yesterday, suddenly fails today.
RIP to all the lost time figuring why something is not working only to realise access was not given in first place!
RIP to all the lost time figuring out the IT jargons!

However, I set the foundation for the team that AI can use used for this use-case of vibe-coding as well.

Teary Moment – Key Takeaways

• Don’t let labels such as “non-technical” define what you’re capable of learning.
• AI is not just a productivity tool; it can also be an accessibility tool that lowers barriers to entry.
• You don’t need to master every technical skill to create meaningful outcomes.
• Curiosity often matters more than expertise when exploring new possibilities.
• Small breakthroughs can unlock disproportionately large confidence gains.
• Sometimes all it takes is one successful attempt to change the story you’ve been telling yourself for years.

A Few Things I Learned 

• Creativity and innovation is what separates each one of us.
• Being labelled “non-technical” for years can quietly shape how you see yourself.
• Having ideas and understanding problems are leadership skills in their own right, even if you’re not the one writing the code.
• One small win can completely change your relationship with technology.
• The most emotional career moments don’t always come from promotions or awards; sometimes they come from discovering a new possibility.
• AI didn’t make me a developer overnight, but it gave me the confidence to experiment without fear.
• For the first time, technology felt less like a wall and more like a bridge.

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