Play the long game and focus on continuous growth. Step outside your comfort zone, take on new challenges, and learn from every role. Find synergies between what you do and where you want to go. Seek mentors and coaches who can guide your development, and remember that leadership is not about title but about helping others grow. Stay curious, adaptable, and focused on meaningful impact.

My top advice to someone starting is to build a strong foundation in the basics of IP networking. Spend time thoroughly understanding the fundamentals by reading and revisiting classic texts like those by Tanenbaum and Widjaja—they pay dividends throughout your career. Depending on whether you’re working in the control, data, or management plane, go deep into the details and truly understand the bits and bytes of how a feature works and the problem it is solving. Be open to taking on all kinds of work; no task is insignificant, as even seemingly small pieces often support critical components of the system. Especially in a small team, every member pulls their weight, and each contribution matters—both for the product and for your own growth.

It's a cliché, but I think that it's true. Do something you like or even love, and you will never work a day in your life. I really enjoy what I do and so it's not work. I would recommend spending some time and figuring out what are you passionate about. What are the things you like to do and what do you find rewarding? I would even take a personality evaluation. Being aware of your preferences will be tremendously helpful in guiding your career path.