I became a researcher without a PhD – Because my bike got stolen

I became a researcher without a PhD
Because my bike got stolen

10 years ago, I had just arrived in the Netherlands.

Young, excited, I just started a new job.

As a proper Dutch celebration,
I bought myself a nice bike.

And a week later, I woke up.
The chain was hanging there, alone!

If you have lived in The Netherlands,
You probably know the feeling.

I’m stubborn and I think like a hacker.
And I was mad!

I was left with two choices:
– buy a crappy bike
– buy a good bike with a pricey secure solution

I hated both options, so I channeled that anger.
And I decided to create my own solution.
Something that would suit my needs.

I did not know anything about hardware.
So I learned, I spent two years on the project.
Building a GPS tracker for my bike from the ground up.

I studied:
– electronics
– code for electronics
– communication and radio protocols
– antenna design
– energy management
– so much more…

And I built it, my dream solution, a GPS tracker for my bike.
Which lasted for one year on one battery without extra cost.

Well… Aside the 5k I spent learning.

This device in today’s world is part of “the” thing as in internet of things – IoT

This IoT ended up giving me a job as an IoT researcher.
I spent two years researching 5G security.

If life throws you a lemon, make lemonade!