Hi everyone,
I’m Athul Muralidhar, and I’d like to share the story behind my career—a journey that spans my passion for understanding the universe, unexpected detours, and the path that has brought me to where I am today.
A Cosmic Calling
Before diving deep into software and hardware, my eyes were set on the stars. I once aspired to be an astro-particle physicist, driven by the urge to understand the universe. My MS thesis even focused on primordial black holes—a subject that captured the mysteries of our cosmos. While our theories about the universe are vast, we’ve barely stepped outside our own planet. I started pondering these big questions as early as 2018, even though, as an immigrant Indian student in Amsterdam, I had to take whatever work came my way to support myself.
Unplanned Detours and Personal Triumphs
I had plans to transition into a role aligned with my passion by 2020. But then, COVID hit—layoffs, lost savings, and more than a few setbacks. During this turbulent time, I started making games for fun using Rust. Soon, I realized that while Rust is fantastic, its tooling for space and embedded systems was still in its early days. This led me to dive into C, invest in a bunch of STM32 boards, and experiment with side projects that blended C/Rust game development with embedded systems.
In the midst of this mess, I was fortunate enough to find someone who would love me—a pediatrician who is not only smart and beautiful but truly too good to be true. She pushed me toward my goals at a time when I needed it most. Although we were initially separated by thousands of miles—she was in Kerala, India and I was in Amsterdam, NL—her unwavering support inspired me to take a bold step and emigrate back to my Chennai hometown. This personal turn of events eventually led me to apply to Aiden Medicals, a company located very close to my new home in Chennai.
Professional Evolution: From Go to Embedded Systems
My career took off when I joined Keana as a Go developer, where I contributed to developing sustainable logistics solutions. This role laid the foundation for my technical growth. Later, I transitioned to Print.com as a Golang/C developer, further honing my skills and tackling real-world challenges with scalable code.
Yet, despite these exciting experiences, my heart was always set on embedded systems. I immersed myself in online courses—learning everything from FreeRTOS to various board support packages and ESP32 programming. This passion culminated in my role at Aiden Medicals, a ventilator manufacturing company where I now get to work on what I love most.
At Aiden Medicals: Bringing It All Together
At Aiden Medicals, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a range of cutting-edge projects:
- Embedded Development: Hands-on work with FreeRTOS, multiple board support packages, and ESP32 programming.
- Remote Monitoring Systems: Bringing my web expertise to the table and playing an instrumental role in designing our remote monitoring systems.
I’m excited to share that my probation period is ending on February 26th—a milestone marking the start of an incredible new chapter.
Gratitude and a Message to Dreamers
This year has been nothing short of transformative. Amid the challenges and detours, I’m truly thankful for the happy accidents in life. My journey has taught me that no matter how hard the road gets, chasing your dreams is worth every step. It’s been a tough ride, but I have no regrets. Remember: the universe is our oyster. Chase your dreams, and you’ll live a fulfilling life.
If you’d like to follow along or connect, feel free to check out my LinkedIn profile.
Thanks for reading, and here’s to the next chapter!
NOTE edited and updated by chatGPT