From Gamer to Developer: How Curiosity and Tinkering Shaped Muhamed Karajić's Career

Over the past decade, Muhamed Karajic has faced numerous challenges and learned invaluable lessons. Here is his personal story:

Muhamed's journey began as a young teenager disinterested in school, feeling out of place—like a gamer at a sports camp. However, he was deeply engaged in tinkering with software and operating systems. At that time, the internet was slow, tutorials were incomplete, and people struggled with basic tasks like setting up email accounts.

One day, a friend brought over a video game, and they immediately tried it out, ultimately spending countless hours playing it. It was a small, challenging 2D fighter game with various modes, but the versus mode, which allowed them to battle each other, brought the most satisfaction.

As months passed, Muhamed's curiosity led to exploring the game's folder. It contained files such as images of the fighter animations, structured text files, and some that were just gibberish. At some point, he wondered if it was possible to make the fighter's attack stronger. Looking back, the goal was to gain an advantage against his friend, but realistically, the fighter's powers were not evenly distributed. The method he used was shockingly simple yet very inefficient: guessing the files' purposes. Despite his father's belief that this was a waste of time, with better soft skills, Muhamed would argue today that this was his first developer project. Hours, weeks, and even months were spent analyzing and adjusting those files. To him, that was the new game. Over time, that new game became more interesting than playing the actual one, and one day the first task was finally completed. The sense of accomplishment felt in that moment was indescribable.

As time went by, Muhamed attempted more complex challenges and sometimes got stuck. Not for weeks, but for quarters of a year. As a 13-year-old, giving up was quick, but after some time, he would return to it, trying different things out. Eventually, the gap between giving up and returning shrank. One night, he dreamed about the game, finally connecting the missing dots. Upon waking up, the solution was tested, and to his amazement, it worked. The initial reaction was not fulfillment, but a mature approach, feeling a hint of doubt about the 'piece'. Gradually, reality was accepted, and it was realized that the game had been successfully conquered by playing by his own rules. The next day, the new hero was introduced to his friend, who instantly became his first user.

While eventually outgrowing the little 2D game, today as a lead developer, Muhamed clearly sees how those early experiences shaped his career. Having delivered numerous software products, including enterprise solutions, he now works at a small yet highly successful German company. The countless hours spent experimenting, problem-solving, and learning from silly mistakes have shaped him into a unique developer. Now at 27 years old, he recognizes the value of formal education, yet believes that nothing beats the curiosity of a young child who defies the school system and ignores adult talk. This mindset continues to define his approach to each new project. Today, his focus has shifted from files to engaging with individuals from diverse fields and navigating various project requirements.

To be fair, the time spent tinkering made his high school grades quite poor. While grades have since improved, Muhamed was fortunate enough to gain admission to a prestigious university, ranking at the bottom of the scoreboard as the last student accepted in his year. Despite this initial placement, he maintained that curiosity and with the guidance of several inspiring professors, became the top student just after the initial year. It wasn't intentional but rather a consequence of the academic environment encouraging participation in their formal education game. Today, alongside his job, Muhamed is completing his master’s thesis in artificial intelligence and considering pursuing a PhD. For him, education has evolved into a personal journey where each subject poses unique challenges and rewards within a structured curriculum.

This glimpse into Muhamed's life encourages those who might not excel at school. A system is something that came together because of circumstances; there is no perfect one. You can be an obedient follower, but ultimately, you should play the game on your terms. After all, it's your life. Live your life, not the one adults imagine for the average child. Besides, who doesn't want to reach their potential by being original? And if you're a parent, please don't judge your child by grades or the education system. Not advising against such things, but realistically, ask yourself how much does your child benefit from outdated textbooks. Your child might not have found the right game to play! For Muhamed, it was programming. What will be yours?

Muhamed with his BH Futures Foundation mentor Ronny Kroehne

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Muhamed is also a proud alumni of the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation, where he has benefitted immensely from their support and resources. Additionally, he completed the Innovation Nation Entrepreneurship program, further honing his skills in business and innovation. These experiences have not only broadened his horizons but have also equipped him with the tools to succeed in the dynamic world of technology and entrepreneurship. He greatly developed his leadership skills while he was a scholar at BH Futures Foundation.