In 2004, I transitioned from civil engineering to computer science. Despite having a weak foundation and facing a steep learning curve, I ultimately managed to meet the minimum academic standards.
When I began searching for a job, I encountered numerous challenges. Interviews revealed how crucial algorithm skills were, and as graduation approached, I landed an algorithm-related role with leaders from Tsinghua University. To improve, I immersed myself in MIT’s English algorithm courses, slowly overcoming my fear of algorithms.
In 2008, I joined NetEase as an algorithm engineer. Though the project I worked on didn’t succeed, it strengthened my foundational skills. By 2009, I was part of a team tasked with developing NetEase’s advertising system to replace Google’s DoubleClick. The high technical demands required innovative solutions. Fortunately, a colleague built a simple version of tcpcopy (only 300 lines of code), which allowed us to avoid hundreds of potential problems. For five years, under my management, this advertising system, built from scratch, never experienced a major failure. If ChatGPT helps bridge the communication gap between non-English and English-speaking countries, then tcpcopy shortens the gap between developers and production issues. Both are powerful tools that simplify the resolution of complex challenges.
In 2011, I took on the task of making tcpcopy a generalized solution. Despite my limited knowledge of TCP, through logical reasoning and four years of effort, I successfully transformed it and made it open-source. While tcpcopy was adopted by many companies domestically, focusing solely on this project meant I missed certain opportunities for financial freedom.
By 2015, with tcpcopy nearly complete, I shifted my focus to databases. In 2016, I entered the MySQL middleware field, gradually deepening my understanding of database systems. By 2019, I fully transitioned into MySQL development, solving numerous challenges and discovering new potential in myself.
On July 31, 2024, I voluntarily left my job to fully dedicate myself to writing a book. This book encapsulates 20 years of experience and focuses on the art of elegantly solving problems. Though I’ve written only 50,000 lines of effective code throughout my career, 90% of my time was spent solving problems, with logical reasoning being my strongest asset.
Over these two decades, my ability to think logically has continually enhanced my foundational knowledge, turning me into an expert problem solver. Solving problems is far more valuable than writing code, and successfully overcoming difficult challenges is what makes someone stand out in a company.
In the future, I plan to share the insights from this book with the MySQL community, as I believe it offers a clear guide to optimizing MySQL performance and improvements.