Amatullah Kapadia is a Data Engineer whose career reflects persistence, self-direction, and steady growth. She grew up in India and moved to Canada at the age of 13, an experience that shaped her ability to adapt and learn quickly. She later earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo, where she developed strong problem-solving and logical thinking skills.
While in school, Amatullah did not land an internship. Instead of seeing this as a setback, she used it as motivation. She began teaching herself programming and data concepts to build a competitive edge. That decision changed the direction of her career. By applying engineering logic to software and data systems, she created her own entry point into the tech industry.
In 2018, Amatullah moved to Houston and started working in the oil and gas sector, gaining hands-on experience with large and complex data systems. She later transitioned into consulting at Accenture and then into big tech at Amazon, where she works as a Data Engineer. Her career path is entirely self-taught and built through consistent effort rather than traditional shortcuts.
Outside of work, Amatullah Kapadia is a writer who values reflection and clarity. She journals regularly and shares her thoughts through her personal blog. She also enjoys hands-on hobbies like sewing, needlework, and cooking. She measures success by her own standards and believes growth comes from curiosity, grit, and the willingness to keep learning.
Q&A: Amatullah Kapadia on Redefining Success
Q: When you think about success today, what does it mean to you?
For me, success is peace of mind. That might sound simple, but it took me a long time to get there. Earlier in my career, I thought success was about hitting the right milestones or landing the right role. Now it’s more internal. If I feel satisfied with the work I’ve done and the choices I’ve made, that’s success. I don’t need everything to be perfect. I just need it to feel honest and sustainable.
Q: Did you always think about success this way?
Not at all. When I was in undergrad studying environmental engineering at the University of Waterloo, I was very focused on doing what I thought I was supposed to do. I didn’t land an internship, and at the time, that felt like failure. Looking back, that moment forced me to rethink what success could look like for me. It pushed me to learn programming on my own, which ended up shaping my entire career.
Q: How did teaching yourself programming change your view of success?
It showed me that success doesn’t require permission. I didn’t have a computer science background. No one told me I was ready. I just started learning. I used the logic I learned in engineering and applied it to data and programming. Every small thing I figured out felt like progress. That taught me that success can be incremental. You don’t have to leap forward. You can build your way there.
Q: You’ve worked across oil and gas, consulting, and big tech. How did those transitions shape you?
Each move helped me understand success differently. When I moved to Houston in 2018 and worked in oil and gas, success was about learning how real systems worked at scale. At Accenture, it became about communication and seeing how data supports decisions across teams. At Amazon, success looks like clarity and ownership. Each role added something. None of them felt like an endpoint.
Q: What personal habits have contributed most to your success?
Writing things down. I journal constantly. If something feels overwhelming, I write it out. That helps me slow down and see things clearly. I also try a lot of hands-on hobbies like sewing, needlework, or cooking. Those hobbies teach patience and problem-solving in a very physical way. They remind me that learning doesn’t always have to be abstract or screen-based.
Q: How do you handle moments when things don’t work out?
I’ve learned not to force things. If something isn’t enjoyable or useful anymore, I let it go. I don’t see quitting as failure. For example, if I stop reading a book halfway through because it’s not serving me, that’s a success decision. It means I’m paying attention to my time and energy. That mindset has helped me avoid burnout.
Q: Do you compare your success to others in your industry?
I used to. It was exhausting. Tech moves fast, and there’s always someone doing something bigger or louder. Now I compare myself to my past self. Am I learning? Am I growing? Do I feel grounded? Those questions matter more to me than titles or timelines.
Q: What role did grit and persistence play in your career?
They were everything. My career is entirely self-taught. There were long stretches where I wasn’t sure if what I was doing would pay off. I kept going anyway. Grit, to me, isn’t about pushing nonstop. It’s about showing up consistently, even when progress feels slow.
Q: Has your definition of success changed as your career has progressed?
Yes. Early on, success felt like proving myself. Now it feels like trusting myself. I don’t need external validation the way I used to. I focus on building a life and career that make sense to me.
Q: What advice would you give someone who feels behind in their career?
Start small and stay curious. Write things down. Learn one skill at a time. You don’t need a perfect plan. I didn’t have one. Success can come from following ideas that make sense to you and giving them enough time to grow.
Q: What does success look like for you in the future?
Continuing to learn. Staying grounded. Making space for creativity alongside technical work. If I can keep building things thoughtfully and maintain peace of mind, that’s success to me.