My life’s strangest coincidences
Act 1, Scene 1: In 2004, I left India to pursue Masters in United States. India had a worst thrashing in Tests against Australia that year. I flew past Europe where an Olympics was going on [Athens]. President Bush got re-elected winning 51% votes. I enrolled at UMBC next to the freeway I-95 in a city starting with B [Baltimore].
Act 2, Scene 1: In 2012, I left India to pursue Masters in United States. India had a worst thrashing in Tests against Australia that year. I flew past Europe where an Olympics was going on [London]. President Obama got re-elected winning 51% votes. I enrolled at Babson next to freeway I-95 in a city starting with B [Boston].
Act 1: Scene 2: In 2004, I got to the Masters with lofty goals — research. I ignored the career services department. I got good progress in the following summer. But, just before I graduated a year later, I inexplicably got into making enterprise software at Microsoft. I had no dreams/goals to do enterprise software even a couple of weeks before then.
Act 2: Scene 2: In 2012, I got to the Masters with lofty goals — entrepreneurship. I ignored the career services department. I got good progress in the following summer. But, just before I graduated a year later, I inexplicably got into making enterprise software at Black Duck. I had no dreams/goals to do enterprise software even a couple of weeks before then.
On both acts, I got on to roles that was directly related to the subjects I allegedly studied.
Act 1, Scene 3: Enterprise software didn’t excite me and I got on to writing. People knew me predominantly for writing in the internal distribution lists. After a couple of years I picked up my bag to attempt to change education in India. I founded online based education startup, NalandaU.
Act 2, Scene 3: Enterprise software didn’t excite me and I got on to writing. People knew me predominantly for writing on Quora. After a couple of years I picked up my bag to attempt to change education in India. I founded Invento as a way to build Maker centric education.
Act 1, Scene 4: I found that education is not easily monetizable and started building ML/AI tools for fintech industry. That became Zingfin.
Act 2, Scene 4: I found education is not easily monetizable and started on robotics with ML/AI tools that is sold in banks.
As I stare at LBS Marg in Bhandup where I stayed recently during a conference [and lived during Act 1], I saw the two worlds collide. It feels like Groundhog day — when things keep repeating.
I just hope that Trump doesn’t stand for a re-election as I don’t have any energy to study for another Masters to start Act 3.
