reflections at 21

what's the riskiest thing you have done in life?

dropping out of college after my 2nd year. i was doing bsc from a local college while learning to code — after 6 months i realised i enjoyed coding more than studying bsc.

choose between money or power? why?

i would choose money. i've seen the hard times throughout my upbringing, and now i'm 21 — i want to make a lot of money so i can take care of everyone around me.

are you usually more spontaneous or calculative? why?

calculative on big decisions, spontaneous day to day.

for big life calls (like dropping out), i calculate everything: what's the worst that happens, can i handle it, and is the upside worth it?

but day to day, i'm spontaneous. i trust my gut, make decisions fast, and hate overthinking. calculating helps you pick the right direction, but overthinking just slows you down. once i decide on something, i just dive in and figure it out.

do you usually strive for speed or perfection? why?

perfection, 100%.

seeing how steve jobs built things really shaped my mindset. anyone can move fast and put out sloppy work, but obsessing over taste and the tiny details is what actually makes something great.

what's more important: the institute name or the course you study? why?

the course, 100%.

that's the whole reason i dropped out — so i could spend all my time going deep on the exact knowledge i care about. the substance of what you learn is what stays with you.

what is one thing you know you should be doing, but you keep procrastinating? what makes that thing hard to do?

being honest (hope that doesn't disqualify me), but actively grinding job applications.

what makes it hard is that my default is always building. whenever i sit down to fill out forms, my brain immediately pulls me into shipping my ideas, talking to users, and trying to get a startup off the ground.

it's hard to pull myself away from creating things from zero just to do repetitive application loops, even though i know i need to do it.

why do you get angry? how often?

i get frustrated when things feel blocked or progress is slower than it should be — probably a few times a week.

why do you lose patience? how often?

almost never.

i learned the hard way through past personal experience that forcing things out of frustration never works. if something is meant to happen, it happens when the work is put in; if not, stressing over it won't change the outcome.

when was the last time you were intimidated?

recently, when i got selected for a builder residency in jaipur.

there are 35 of the most cracked builders coming and i'm going completely solo. since the day i got in, my first thought was "how am i even gonna survive around these guys."

when was the last time you had self-doubt?

honestly, right while filling out this application. i kept thinking there are probably way smarter, more experienced engineers applying for this exact role — and wondering how i would stand out.

what would your worst enemy say about you?

i don't think i've ever had a real enemy, and if someone disliked me i honestly don't remember lol.

list at least 3 things you have learnt about life.

• get really good at something and the world will always value your work
• life brings you to the bottom just to see if you can stand back up
• people come and go, so just make good memories with them while they're around

share something about the latest new thing you have learnt. it could be a new fact, a new hobby, a new field. anything at all.

i recently started playing football every evening.

the thing i've learned is that it's way more about positioning and spatial awareness than just raw stamina. you have to scan the field, anticipate where the ball will be two passes ahead, and make decisions in a split second before the ball even reaches your feet.

it's been a great reset after spending all day staring at a screen, and it constantly forces you to think about teamwork and off-ball movement.

in a year from now, what do you think you will be celebrating about your life? and why?

probably moving out of my hometown and being surrounded by high-agency builders full-time.

i've lived at home my whole life, but attending hackathons and meetups completely shifted my perspective. being around people who obsess over shipping, distribution, and building startups made me realize how much environment matters. i never had them in my hometown.

what would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

i would get in front of the camera and just speak my mind instead of hiding behind written text.

rate your self-worth on a scale of 10, 10 being the highest? why?

8/10.

i have complete conviction in my ability to learn anything, stay disciplined, and build from first principles. i know my work ethic and what i bring to the table.

the reason it's not a 10 is because i'm still early in my journey. there's a huge gap between where i am today and the level of craft.

what talent do you have that you are currently not using?

public speaking and talking naturally on camera.

where do you draw the most energy from? it could be a person, a task, an experience.

the childhood version of myself.

growing up, i had all these big dreams about what life would look like once i became an adult. whenever things feel slow or exhausting, thinking about that kid instantly motivates me.

what do you believe you are best at?

copying things and making something new out of them.

what's the best advice you've ever received?

create value.

it sounds simple, but it's the filter i run every decision through. does this actually help someone? if yes, build it. if it's just noise, skip it. it's why i dropped out and it's why i keep building — everything i do comes back to creating value for someone.

what would you tell your 16-year-old self?

have fun while creating things.

16-year-old me thought building had to feel like grinding — all discipline, no joy. but the things i've made that actually worked came from enjoying the process. the fun is the fuel. if it stops being fun, you're doing it wrong.