A quiet truth that rarely gets discussed openly is that no one will consistently celebrate your effort except you. This realization became especially clear to me after wrapping up a recent podcast shoot of Techzila with a fellow Microsoft MVP and an absolute tech powerhouse, Hari Prasad Krishna Pillai. What started as a conversation between two professionals with shared experiences quickly turned into a deeper reflection on careers, leadership, relevance in an industry that never slows down.

We have walked parallel paths for years through the same struggles, the same late nights, the same moments of doubt and the same belief that real innovation does not come from perfection. It comes from persistence.

The Myth of Recognition in Corporate Life

Many professionals enter their careers with a quiet belief that hard work will automatically be noticed. They think that if they consistently deliver results, someone will see it and staying late, taking on extra responsibility will eventually lead to appreciation and recognition. In reality, this does not always happen. Workplaces move fast. Managers are under pressure. Organisations are focused on outcomes, deadlines and targets. In a place like this, waiting for recognition becomes risky.

One of the strongest ideas that emerged during our conversation was simple yet powerful. If you do not appreciate your own effort, no one else will do it consistently for you. Self-appreciation is a survival tool and not a form of arrogance.

Parallel Journeys and Shared Realities

We both have encountered a few similar challenges.

• Long nights debugging problems no one else could solve
• Learning new technologies
• Keeping skills relevant
• Giving more than what was formally required because we cared about building something meaningful

What is unique is how individuals respond to these challenges. Some burn out, some disengage and some quietly disappear. And the ones who last developed a deeper internal framework for motivation. What we spoke about went way beyond code. We spoke about leadership, careers, satisfaction in the work we do and about staying relevant in the industry.

Leadership Beyond a Title

One of the most meaningful parts of the discussion focused on leadership not as a designation, but as a mindset. Leadership often shows up long before a title does:

• Taking ownership when no one asks
• Mentoring juniors without expecting credit
• Raising quality standards
• Speaking up when something does not feel right

That is how true leadership is practiced, in silence long before it is recognised publicly.

Building a Career

Careers in tech are often approached in such a way that you have to learn a skill, get a role and earn a title. While this approach may deliver short-term gains, it rarely delivers long-term satisfaction. Careers are built in quiet consistency.

A career is shaped by:

• Depth of understanding and not just surface knowledge of a subject
• Long-term thinking
• Continuous learning even when it feels uncomfortable
• Contribution beyond the job descriptions

Building Satisfaction

In an industry obsessed with growth, promotions and visibility, satisfaction mostly comes last to anyone’s mind. People work for the next title, the next award and the next recognition they will earn. These milestones are meaningful but they are also temporary. True satisfaction comes from a different place:

• Showing up even when it was hard
• Not compromising on quality
• Helping someone else grow
• Building something that mattered

Staying Relevant

We know that technology evolves faster than most people can comfortably keep up with. Skills that were valuable yesterday can lose relevance overnight and this creates a constant pressure to keep up. But staying relevant is not about chasing every trend. It is about:

• Understanding fundamentals
• Participating actively in communities
• Sharing knowledge
• Remaining curious

When you participate, you stay connected and when you stay connected, you stay relevant.

A Conversation That Went Beyond Code

One line from our conversation stayed with me long after the recording ended: Real innovation comes from persistence and not perfection. Perfection often slows us down. It makes us wait for the right moment, the right skills or the perfect conditions. Persistence, on the other hand, creates momentum. It pushes us to act, learn as we go, and improve with every step.

What made this Techzila episode special was not the discussion of tools or technologies. It was the conversations built on honesty.

If there is one message worth carrying forward, it’s this: Don’t wait for your managers, don’t wait for titles and don’t wait for applause. Celebrate your effort and celebrate the fact that you are still learning, still participating and still building. Because true satisfaction does not come from recognition. It comes from knowing that you showed up, gave your best and created something that mattered.