whoami: > 0xW3ston

Hi, I'm Youssef, also known as "0xW3ston" — a backend-focused engineer from Nador, Morocco. When I was a kid, computers were simply gaming consoles to me. I had no concept of programming or IT. But through online multiplayer games, I unknowingly picked up English by chatting with British and American players. That skill — developed through play — turned out to be one of the biggest catalysts for my career in tech. My first exposure to tech came in 10th grade (equivalent to sophomore year in high school), where we learned the basics of IT: network topologies, hardware components, and an introduction to programming in Pascal. Out of 60 classmates across two classes, only two of us managed to build a working console application. That moment lit a spark. I remember asking the teacher about “port forwarding” — without having a clue how it worked. I was curious, even if a bit naive. Sadly, that spark faded for a while. IT wasn't part of the curriculum after that year, and I didn’t have the freedom or resources to continue exploring on my own. After earning my high school diploma, I felt lost — until I looked at my computer again and realized that the device I’d always been close to might also be the key to my future. I enrolled at the ISTA (Specialized Institute of Applied Technology) and began learning Python and C two months before classes began. That head start helped me gain confidence quickly. I discovered that solving technical problems gave me the same thrill as solving puzzles in a game. I was hooked. In my second year at ISTA, we specialized in Web Development. While I appreciated the practical work, I noticed some huge gaps in the curriculum — namely: Cybersecurity concepts Networking fundamentals Core Computer Science theory Thanks to my English skills, I self-studied these missing pieces. I explored TCP/IP, SSH, and port forwarding. I even managed to host my own local web server — a full-circle moment from that clueless question I once asked in high school. After ISTA, I took things to the next level by joining the ALX Software Engineering Program, where I chose the Backend Engineering track. This was a game-changer. ALX gave me exposure to more advanced software engineering practices and pushed me to think more deeply about systems, performance, and resilience. It was the perfect bridge between my practical foundation and the high-level thinking required of a true engineer. After graduating from ALX, I teamed up with my friend and colleague Mustapha El Idrissi to co-found "#./TECHLAB.MA" — a community of freelance developers who build digital solutions for startups and small businesses. I primarily focus on: Backend Development (Node.js, Express, Nginx, RESTful APIs...) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) setup Application architecture Security Best practices (such as SSH Bastion hosts) One of my first real-world projects was lemiel.shop, built for a French company based in Paris. It was my first exposure to building a commercial product with long-term users — and real-world stakes. Even after formal training, I continue to study topics in Computer Science, System Design, and Software Engineering — not just to know how things work, but why they work that way. My learning now is both theoretical and practical. I dive deep into OS internals, Assembly, networks, distributed systems, and architectural design and so on — the building blocks of large-scale, resilient applications. I speak advanced English, have solid German proficiency, and dream of pursuing a Duales Studium in Informatik in Germany. Because I started with practical, vocational training, I have a deep appreciation for theory — I’ve seen how much more powerful code becomes when you understand the systems underneath it. In 10+ years, I see myself as a Software Architect — someone who can design and build large-scale, distributed systems from the ground up. I want to be able to take a complex idea, understand every technical constraint, and architect a system that can scale, evolve, and endure. If you're an engineer, founder, or IT specialist who values curiosity, self-driven learning, and systems thinking — I’d love to connect. Whether it's collaboration, mentorship, or simply a shared passion for tech, feel free to reach out. I don’t just want to write code — I want to design the blueprint behind the systems that define the next decade of technology.

Apr 24, 2025 - 22:42

Hi, I'm Youssef, also known as "0xW3ston" — a backend-focused engineer from Nador, Morocco.

When I was a kid, computers were simply gaming consoles to me. I had no concept of programming or IT. But through online multiplayer games, I unknowingly picked up English by chatting with British and American players. That skill — developed through play — turned out to be one of the biggest catalysts for my career in tech.

My first exposure to tech came in 10th grade (equivalent to sophomore year in high school), where we learned the basics of IT: network topologies, hardware components, and an introduction to programming in Pascal.

Out of 60 classmates across two classes, only two of us managed to build a working console application. That moment lit a spark. I remember asking the teacher about “port forwarding” — without having a clue how it worked. I was curious, even if a bit naive.

Sadly, that spark faded for a while. IT wasn't part of the curriculum after that year, and I didn’t have the freedom or resources to continue exploring on my own.

After earning my high school diploma, I felt lost — until I looked at my computer again and realized that the device I’d always been close to might also be the key to my future.

I enrolled at the ISTA (Specialized Institute of Applied Technology) and began learning Python and C two months before classes began. That head start helped me gain confidence quickly. I discovered that solving technical problems gave me the same thrill as solving puzzles in a game. I was hooked.

In my second year at ISTA, we specialized in Web Development. While I appreciated the practical work, I noticed some huge gaps in the curriculum — namely:

Cybersecurity concepts
Networking fundamentals
Core Computer Science theory

Thanks to my English skills, I self-studied these missing pieces. I explored TCP/IP, SSH, and port forwarding. I even managed to host my own local web server — a full-circle moment from that clueless question I once asked in high school.

After ISTA, I took things to the next level by joining the ALX Software Engineering Program, where I chose the Backend Engineering track. This was a game-changer.

ALX gave me exposure to more advanced software engineering practices and pushed me to think more deeply about systems, performance, and resilience. It was the perfect bridge between my practical foundation and the high-level thinking required of a true engineer.

After graduating from ALX, I teamed up with my friend and colleague Mustapha El Idrissi to co-found "#./TECHLAB.MA" — a community of freelance developers who build digital solutions for startups and small businesses.

I primarily focus on:

Backend Development (Node.js, Express, Nginx, RESTful APIs...)
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) setup
Application architecture
Security Best practices (such as SSH Bastion hosts)

One of my first real-world projects was lemiel.shop, built for a French company based in Paris. It was my first exposure to building a commercial product with long-term users — and real-world stakes.

Even after formal training, I continue to study topics in Computer Science, System Design, and Software Engineering — not just to know how things work, but why they work that way.

My learning now is both theoretical and practical. I dive deep into OS internals, Assembly, networks, distributed systems, and architectural design and so on — the building blocks of large-scale, resilient applications.

I speak advanced English, have solid German proficiency, and dream of pursuing a Duales Studium in Informatik in Germany.

Because I started with practical, vocational training, I have a deep appreciation for theory — I’ve seen how much more powerful code becomes when you understand the systems underneath it.

In 10+ years, I see myself as a Software Architect — someone who can design and build large-scale, distributed systems from the ground up. I want to be able to take a complex idea, understand every technical constraint, and architect a system that can scale, evolve, and endure.

If you're an engineer, founder, or IT specialist who values curiosity, self-driven learning, and systems thinking — I’d love to connect. Whether it's collaboration, mentorship, or simply a shared passion for tech, feel free to reach out.

I don’t just want to write code — I want to design the blueprint behind the systems that define the next decade of technology.