Tech Things I Used To Do in Class 10 😭

It all started with the dumbest searches imaginable.

Don't judge me. 😂

I genuinely searched things like:

• >“How to hack WhatsApp?”
• >“How to hack Instagram?”
• >“Free hacking tricks 2020.”

Like every curious teenager with Wi-Fi and too much confidence.

The rabbit hole went from YouTube → Reddit → random forums → Telegram... and Telegram completely changed the game.

Telegram became my unofficial tech university.

I spent an unhealthy amount of time there.

I joined hundreds of channels about cybersecurity, Linux, networking, automation, Telegram bots, privacy, random internet tricks... basically anything that looked technical.

I met random tech geeks from different countries, asked lots of dumb questions, learned even more, and somehow ended up creating my own channels and discussion groups.

I didn't realize it then, but I was learning communities, moderation systems, and internet culture long before I entered engineering.

Kali Linux on a 2 GB RAM laptop... because why not? 💀

I was obsessed with Kali Linux.

First I tried running it inside a Virtual Machine on my 2 GB RAM laptop.

It didn't even boot. 😭

Someone from Telegram gave me temporary remote desktops to experiment with Linux tools. When those expired, I somehow found ways to create cloud VMs through student accounts just so I could keep exploring.

Eventually I decided,

“Permanent solution? Boot Kali from a pendrive.”

So yes... I secretly borrowed my mom's pendrive, turned it into a bootable Kali Linux drive, and happily booted Linux from USB on that tiny laptop.

Still one of my most questionable engineering decisions. 😂

I explored a whole new world of tools.

I had no idea what “cybersecurity” actually meant. I was just curious.

I spent hours exploring tools and learning what they were used for:

Most of the time I wasn't building anything original — I was reading documentation, watching tutorials, and experimenting in safe environments just to understand how things worked.

Half the commands looked like magic to me.

ESP8266, Arduino... and random hardware adventures.

I secretly bought an ESP8266 without telling anyone at home. 😭

I connected it with Arduino, flashed firmware, experimented with Wi-Fi networking projects, and spent evenings wondering why something either worked perfectly... or refused to work for hours.

I honestly still can't believe I managed to get some of those projects running at that age.

(And yes... I desperately wanted a Flipper Zero back then. Never got one. 💔)

My first deployments happened before I knew the word “deployment”.

This is my favorite part.

I was deploying Telegram bots and SMS gateways without knowing what an API was.

Someone would say:

“Paste this command.”

I'd paste it.

It worked.

Mission accomplished. 😎

I even used Twilio before I knew the definition of an API. Looking back, that's hilarious.

I accidentally started freelancing.

• I made logos.
• I made posters.
• I built WordPress websites.
• I even deployed automation tools for a few clients.

Then one client asked me,

“What's your wallet address?”

I had absolutely no idea what that meant.

He told me to download Trust Wallet... and that's literally how I installed my first crypto wallet. 😂

Imagine getting introduced to crypto because someone wanted to pay you.

Life has a weird sense of humor.

Then life changed.

I moved to a hostel for Classes 11 & 12.

No phones allowed.

Telegram eventually banned my account (RIP 🪦), and that entire chapter quietly ended.

But the curiosity didn't.

It simply shifted from blindly following tutorials to actually understanding systems.

Today, when I learn Docker, Linux, backend architecture, or blockchain, I can trace that curiosity back to those lockdown days.

Looking back...

I wasn't trying to become a hacker.

I was just a kid who clicked on every interesting tech rabbit hole the internet offered.

Some experiments worked.

Many failed.

A few taught me lessons that still help me today.

And honestly... I'm glad that curiosity never disappeared. ❤️