Going solo in tech: What this developer learned from starting a business

Balancing family, freedom, and frontend development—tips from a one-person consulting firm.

Adhithi Ravichandran, founder of Surya Consulting, sat down with the All Things Open team to share her journey from front-end developer to entrepreneur and educator. Based in Kansas City, Adhithi helps clients with architecture, mentoring, and training in technologies like React and Next.js. Her consulting work grew out of a desire for flexibility as a mother, but it’s also fueled by a deep passion for teaching and making a difference through tech.

Adhithi discovered her love of teaching while working as a TA at the University of Kansas. Later, she expanded her reach through online platforms like Pluralsight, where she now has over a dozen courses. Her early roles in healthcare tech showed her how impactful software can be, especially when it helps improve lives. That perspective continues to shape her approach to consulting and education today.

Read more: How AI will change frontend development in 2025

As an entrepreneur, Adhithi values the ability to make fast decisions, take responsibility for outcomes, and align her work with what brings her joy, even when that means turning down clients or investing time in non-lucrative projects. She highlights the importance of balancing happiness, flexibility, and financial sustainability in independent work.

For developers looking to grow professionally, Adhithi stresses the value of showing up. Attending conferences like All Things Open, engaging on social media, and participating in meetups help break out of workplace silos and expose you to new ideas and people. While remote work offers flexibility, she believes in-person events still offer irreplaceable value when it comes to networking and connection.

Key takeaways

• Start with purpose. Flexibility, impact, and joy are all valid reasons to shape your own path in tech, especially through entrepreneurship.
• Make connections. Go beyond your daily workflow by attending conferences and meetups or connecting through online platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.
• Own your journey. Independent work offers the freedom to iterate quickly, learn fast, and stay true to what matters most.

Conclusion

Adhithi’s experience blends technical depth with a human-centered approach to community and career. Her story offers developers a relatable model for balancing life, work, and impact—and a reminder that sharing what you know can be just as powerful as building what you code.

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