Hey, I'm Taya! 👋
Security Engineer by day, Serial Builder by night. Currently on an ambitious journey: 10k MRR.
A few years ago, my ultimate dream was simple: land a job at a Bitcoin-related company. In 2018, I finally nailed it! The excitement was real, so real that for the first six months, I became a living embodiment of hustle culture. Think 24/7 grind, zero weekends, barely any sleep, fueled purely by adrenaline and too much coffee. (Honestly, coffee owes me royalties at this point.)
Fast forward one year, I took exactly zero days off. Impressive? Sure. Sustainable? Absolutely not. My smartwatch tried its best to warn me: "Hey, you're overstressed! Your heartbeat is through the roof!" My brilliant response? "Nah, I'm just a little tired, it's nothing."
Spoiler alert: It wasn't "nothing." Three years later, still constantly thirsty, exhausted, and puzzled, I got a diagnosis: type 2 diabetes. No cheat days, no junk food parties, just relentless stress that broke something inside me. Hearing from my doctor that diabetes is irreversible felt like a punch straight to the gut. Yeah, I cried, a lot.
But here's the plot twist: since then, I've dived deep into books, research papers, podcasts, and interviews about T2D. I've learned so much I could practically hold TED Talks on how to live your best life despite diabetes. Turns out, managing T2D isn't just about medication, it's about lifestyle.
These days, my routine looks a little different: tennis five times a week 🎾, minimum seven hours of sleep 🛌, meditation 🧘, and a solid "no-drama" policy. I wish someone had told me back then that sacrificing health for hustle isn't heroic, it's harmful.
Now, my mission is clear: build products that help ambitious, brilliant folks (like you!) who love their screens and their work, but also deserve balance. Because greatness shouldn't cost your health. And honestly, life's too short for burnout.
So yeah, welcome to my journey, let's find our healthy golden middle, together. 🌟
╔══════════════════════════════════╗ ║ HACK THE PLANET! ║ ║ ░█░█░█▀▀░█░░░█░░░█▀█░ ║ ║ ░█▀█░█▀▀░█░░░█░░░█░█░ ║ ║ ░▀░▀░▀▀▀░▀▀▀░▀▀▀░▀▀▀░ ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════╝
Current Focus
- Full-time Security Engineering
- Building Side Projects
- 12 Startups Challenge
Tech Arsenal
- Security Engineering
- Full-Stack Development
- Project Architecture
Latest Updates
Follow me on Twitter @TayaPollard
[2024-05-01] Just launched my new security project! #security #coding
[2024-04-28] Started my 12 startups challenge today. First project underway! #entrepreneurship #coding
[2024-04-25] My Shiba Inus approved my latest code. Best code reviewers ever! 🐕 #programming #dogs
[2024-04-20] Working on a new retro-themed web garden. Nostalgia meets modern tech! #webdev #retro
[2024-04-15] Just fixed a critical security vulnerability. Remember to always validate your inputs! #security #bugfix
10k MRR Journey
Contact
Email: taya@leftforsec.com
Location: In front of multiple screens 🖥️