Showing posts with label Geeks Immotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Geeks Immotion. Show all posts

How does it feel like to be an introvert?


I feel frustrated when I explain to someone that I need alone time and he/she responds, "yes, I need that every once in a while."  No you don't get it, that is my preferred mode, almost all the time I would prefer to be alone.  I was just making it sound casual so I wouldn't offend you or make you think I'm weird. 

I feel sad when people take it personally that I don't want to spend time with them, or start to drift out of the conversation because my emotional battery is winding down and needs recharging.  It's not personal.  Unless our conversation cannot get past painful small talk and then yes, it is personal.

I feel pained when people joke that I'm anti-social and hate humans just because they cannot imagine a world where everyone is not as extroverted as they are.

Whatever I did, usually something alone, it won't make sense and I'll be pitied for having no friends.

 I feel depressed when the sun comes out and I know that everyone will be outside playing cricket or football or doing something social, together.  I love sleeping in morning.

I feel fake when I am doing small-talk. I am very interested in you as a person, why do I have to pretend I'm not?

I feel lonely when I'm with a group of people and talking about nothing.

I feel nervous when my phone rings or when I have to make a phone call.

I feel discouraged to read articles about "jobs for introverts" and it's all stay-at-home work on your computer type things.  I'm not a shut-in, I'm an introvert.  

 I feel satisfied when I have a really good conversation with a small group of people about something meaningful that matters to us.

I feel guilty because I often confuse people about being introverted. I am outgoing and friendly in person.  People do not realize I'm introverted and therefore, at some point, I have to let them down by not wanting to spend as much time together as they want.  It makes me think that I should not be so outgoing, but I cannot change that either.

I feel happy when my friends get to the place where they understand that although I'm not the hangout type,

I feel disappointed, apparently introverts are supposed to be smarter, better thinkers?  Damn, I missed that boat!

I feel excited by the increasing number of books, lectures, postings whatever i like.

 I feel inspiration in nature, reading, thinking, or watching my favorite films (see http://geekinfosystem.blogspot.in/2014/05/movies-scenes-which-inspires-me-to-work.html and http://geekinfosystem.blogspot.in/2014/05/the-most-inspiring-movie-ever.html ).

How poverty affects someone? failure is actually a gift, A story of IITian.



My grandfather was rich but did not have any sense of responsibility. Three out of his four sons grew up uneducated and affected by alcoholism. (One of them is my father). They also had this false sense of pride that created this feeling of shame in doing small jobs.

So what happened? By the time I gained conscience, we were shit poor.
Getting bread with some vegetables on the plate, twice a day, was a dream. On countless occasions, we used to eat only roti with chilly chutney.
Sadly, sometimes there won't be enough chilli even to make chutney.

In early childhood, I used to get old books from my cousin (lets call him Pappu) who was one class ahead of me in school. Pappu was a contemptible person, he used to bully me for his old books.

From early age (~10), I used to work in farms with my mother. After ~14, I started working at whole lot of places.

This is my resume before I entered college-
  • Worked on Sugar cane farms for as low as 10 INR a day. (US $1 = 60 INR)
  • Sold Ice creams, earning ~15-20 INR a day.
  • Worked as daily wage labour in house construction for 45-60 INR a day.
  • Worked in transporting bricks from brick fields to construction sites for ~80 INR a day.
  • Worked in an Indian wedding band for ~60 INR a day (only once). And yes, I had to wear a uniform like this.
  • My most memorable day is when I sold Kakadi (cucumber) for the full day with same cousin Pappu earning 7.50 INR. Each one of us got 3.75 rupees, with lots of Kakadi to eat.

How poverty affected my education?
If I look back, I was  above average in my class. But all that work for food, bad neighborhood, and lack of resources (time, stationery, school uniform etc.) affected my education badly. Also, my self confidence was very low.

So what happened? By the time I came in 10th Standard, my education was messed up. I got 46% marks in 10th exams. I cleared 11th standard with grace marks and finally...I failed 12th standard.

But, my failure was actually a gift. My friend-circle was gone, everything was meaningless to me. I had that talk with myself that made me realize that nothing matters except a good education. 

One of my uncle guided me in this tough time. He asked me to carry my 11th standard Physics, Chemistry, Maths books and go to a nearby Ashram everyday in the morning. I used to study there, eat free food, and come back in the evening. I followed that routine during my summer vacations and built my fundamentals. I realized that education is the only way out of my pathetic life. I used to recall Booker T. Washington's essay, The Struggle for an Education from my 10th English syllabus. It was a real inspiration.

Next year, with same level of dedication, I cleared 12th with flying colours with distinction in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Also, I appeared for 
wikipedia.org
Chaudhary Charan Singh University engineering exam and secured 3rd rank. That gave me enough confidence to try something bigger.

Next one year I did nothing but prepared for biggest engineering entrance exam, Indian Institute of Technology, Joint Entrance Examination and cleared it. I spent next five years studying Computer Science & Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (BHU). Life was all set.

How poverty changed me as a person.
It made me rock solid. When usually people are scared about something, I drink some tea and carry on. Unless its about someone's life, I keep my cool.

Also, I have immense respect for hard working people. While so many people around me feel ashamed to talk to Rickshaw pullers, it gives me immense pleasure to talk to them. I speak politely with Rickshaw pullers, farmers, waiters and all those people trying to earn a living in tough economy.

It also made me realize the value of food. Usually this is how my plate looks like once I am done eating (even if food is not so tasty).

I never smoke. Sometimes I will drink a beer with my friends, but no hard liquor. Possibly because partially I hold my father and his drinking habits responsible for my bad childhood,

As far as money is concerned, being an ex-Oracle and current VMware employee, I earn well. Still, I don't waste money. I consider buying costly gadgets, drinking a lot, and doing something useless to impress your "friends" as a waste of money.

That doesn't mean I am cheap. For me, only few things are worth my hard earned money. I am living at a great place paying more that average rent for this apartment, because its so beautiful and peaceful.
I am also a proud owner of a Royal Enfield Thunderbird.

All in all, poverty made me the person I am today. It was hell of a journey. And it's still going on. It's just not that challenging any more :D
Life is good.
Story From Ajay Kumar Gautam:

I hope you this story inspire you and make you more stronger than before.

A story of poverty, a guy who can inspire you!
















whole story from his own word:-

 It feels suffocating.

I belong to a middle class family and had never seen 'real' poverty during my childhood. Yes, I had a Hercules bicycle. Yes, I was given good education. Yes, I would go to Disney Land once a year. Yes, my parents would take me on holidays. I had a TV video game and a huge collection of cartridges that my mom had bought for me when I scored good marks.

Then I entered college. My sister's marriage was planned, my dad bought an apartment and had to pay my fees for engineering. All three events happened in a quick succession and then suddenly, we were in debt.

Somehow, we got scammed and got ourselves chained into bank loans and then, poverty crept in. It all happened in such a rush that it felt as if I had to jump from an airplane without any preparation and learn to fly as I fell, or else, I'd be dead.

During a time span of 2 years (2008-2010), I had to fight poverty on my own. Here is a crux of what happened:

- No money to pay college fees? Figure out a way to earn money all by yourself.
- No money to pay for daily transport? Walk.
- No money for entertainment, movies or parties? Ask your friends for a smoke.
- No money for anything except basic food.
- Worst of all, deal with the hassles of the bank. They would send 'bouncers' to my house to recover the EMI amount and I would have to guard my mom. I was once, beaten in my neighborhood in front of everyone for not being able to pay the EMI amount for a couple of months. I had to sell house furniture, gold, and what not.

I told my father that pursuing my education was not worth it given the crisis situation, and that I should take up a job and earn money for the family. To this, my father said, "Son, you can make money whenever you want to but you won't be able to learn later. This is a difficult time, don't worry. I myself could not study further and had to take up a job at 18 so that I could feed a family of 10 which included my brothers, sister, parents. I won't let it happen with you. We will somehow manage through it; just do your thing."

The year was 2008. My monthly expenses ranged between Rs. 900-1500 (including food). My engineering fees was Rs. 7000 per month; on the other hand, my family was fighting debt. In Lakhs. Each month, the debt would increase because of the education fee. Imagine the condition of a 22 years old guy who has never seen poverty in his life, sitting with friends who would spend thousands on beer parties, and live on their mercy. 

I was literally beaten and broken because I had no idea about how to generate money while I was still a student. 

I sat for interviews for a BPO. Rejected. 
I sat for interviews for part-time jobs. Rejected. 
Applied for a teaching job. Rejected. 
Every door that I knocked on, I was turned away.
Every relative/ friend I asked for money from, slammed the door on my face.

There was a point of time in my life when I had just Rs.10 in my pocket for emergency or just in case, I needed to make phone calls from a local telephone booth. I would walk on the streets for days because I didn't have enough money to afford riding in a rickshaw. I would have to sustain on water when I was hungry and try to save as much as possible. I would work for hours in a data entry job and get paid Rs.1 for filling up forms. This way I earned Rs 80-100 a day. I saw my father giving up his scooter to save fuel costs. I saw my mom giving up attending family occasions. I saw my sister selling her jewelry. And I cried in the bathroom. Alone. For months. 

When disaster comes, it comes with a battalion from all directions, all at once.

My girlfriend left me when I needed her the most. She said, " You yourself are in trouble and without a job. How will I present you in front of my family?" 

I lost her. I loved her; she was the only thing that made me smile but I lost her. For money. 

I had died many deaths in those two years but this was the hardest blow. Losing the love of your life because you don't have enough money. I remember our last meeting. It was raining and we were standing below an asbestos shed, enjoying an alpenliebe as that was the only thing I could buy for her.



This shit was so painful that I almost gave up on everything. Weird thoughts started hitting my mind. 

Meanwhile, I got a Govt. job which I did not like. I walked away. I was already broke, beaten and pushed to the corner but I chose to walk away. Somewhere inside my hear,t I still had hope. I knew that this was a temporary bad phase and that 'This too shall pass'. But I could not allow mediocrity to creep in. I had a dream and a temporary crisis was no excuse for giving up on my dreams and settling for mediocrity.

Here is the resignation letter (some portions have been blurred for privacy)



Crestfallen. Defeated, what were my options now?


Mission statement: Raise money as rapidly as possible and repay the debt.

  • Government sector - This is full of horse shit. I mean, you know the kind of shit I am talking about.
  • Private sector - No degree. No experience. No skills. Shitty resume. Bad idea. 
  • Part time jobs - Possible but not scalable as they are low paying. Won't be able to scale rapidly.
  • Business - Scalable but read mission statement again. No money in the first place. How do I start a business without money? Are you kidding me?
They say when you have hit your lowest point, you're bound to make the greatest change. That is the point when you realize that you've got nothing more to lose and then the animal within you comes out.

Solution: Start a business which does not require initial investment. But this model should be able to scale itself rapidly. In short, the rate of its scaling should be higher than the rate at which the loan scales. Also, there should be some kind of virality associated with it so that it spreads itself without my having to spread it.

Weapon: Internet and Time. Now let's get some shit done.

I made up a website with 700 INR. Fuck, I did not have Rs. 700 to buy a domain name. I bought it on debt again. Here is a bill which is very close to my heart.....(it says Rs 275 in debt)



I didn't succeed in the first go. I had ZERO technical knowledge on how to build a website. But that was not going to stop me because I didn't have any other option. My survival depended on this and I had to do it, come what may.

My first website didn't pick up. Failed.

I made a second one. It didn't work either. 

I made a third website. Failed. 

Devastated, I gave it a fourth try. Countless hours spent googling, coding, writing and building it. I remember those days when I used to lock myself in a balcony and google all day long. Days, nights, and weeks, I toiled like a madman; I suffered from Jaundice and lost 14-20 Kgs. That was the time when I realized what hard work meant.

First month, I made $1.29. Second month, I made $8. Third month I made $21.

And then some more. And then some more. And then some more...

When a wolf smells blood and flesh around, it becomes a dangerous beast. I had smelled my flesh and I jumped on my prey with all I'd got.

I generated $40,000 in two years. For the curious and those who doubt my story in their comments - I didn't raise it from a single website, there were some small sites as well. Also, I did a good amount of freelancing. This was to ensure that I had multiple ways of generating money, should the main site crash. The site did suffer a major blow but by that time I had solidified my basement.

Here is a picture of my balcony where I used to work on my website and other things (yes a CRT monitor and a broken laptop which college authorities had gifted me)




I had not wanted to share the stats. But after some people requested for it, here goes the journey of the website.




Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records.

I paid off the whole debt. Even saved a bit.

Today, I work at LinkedIn and it's like a dream come true for me. 

No, I am not an MBA. I am not an IITian either. Nor did I go to U.S. to get a degree from an Ivy league university. No, I did not get the job through campus placement. Neither did I make it through employee referral. I am just another average graduate from just another average engineering college. I just did one thing and did it well. I put my heart and soul into what I really wanted to do.

(I am at the extreme left, red kurta and dhoti. Colleagues are overjoyed on cultural day. More pics here Cultural Day @ Slideshare/LinkedIn Delhi)

But the lessons I learned in those two years have helped me shape my character and be a better person. Those were the longest and the hardest 2 years I will never be able to forget. But also the most worthwhile time of my life so far.

I don't waste money now. No show off. Yearly vacations - Yes. Weekend parties - No. No costly gadgets. I don't buy shit I don't even need. I don't buy 'branded' stuff just because every other clueless idiot is doing it. No. I don't. 

Lesson learned the hard way - Be grateful for what you have.

These days, my parents are looking for a bride for me. When the girl's father asks for my salary, I smile and say "I hope your daughter gets a wealthy guy. Because I know money matters. Every single rupee counts."

When I return home in flight, a part of me cries. Not because I am spending money on traveling which can be done in train. I feel bad thinking someone on this planet needs this money to feed himself. And here I am, traveling in a jet to save time because I am short on leave.

Lesson: Be kind, for everyone out there is fighting a hard battle.

Edit: Thanks for all the upvotes. Here is sharing the first cheque I received for my website. This was that day when I cried the most.  

Whenever I am in trouble, I open my archive and see this cheque. This gives me all the strength that I need.



Some tips to graduates, students who are yet to enter "real world"

1. Lead a loan free life. Need a car? Wait. Don't jump into an EMI. Save and then buy the car. Avoid banks as much as possible. No credit cards, I don't need cashback and other things. Want to study abroad? Don't take huge educational loan. If at all you take loans, have something to fall back on. Money is fire, you gotta be careful. Save. Every month Pay Yourself First

2. Make mistakes. Fail, fail fast and make it public. Don't drag it on. I wouldn't have succeeded in this wild venture had I listened to people telling me I write shitty articles. In fact, all I wrote for the first year was pure garbage. But here is the thing. I didn't stop. I kept pressing on because I had no time.

3. Do not be ashamed of your situation. I could have written it Anonymously, so that my Facebook friends never know how miser my life was. But No. I am not ashamed of the truth. Accept life as it is.

4. Do not compare your life with anyone.

I see a new trend, People comparing their life with IITans and IIM graduates. As if, IITans don't have any struggle in life. As if IIM graduates are the happiest people. Trust me, its a myth. They too have challenges, they too have problems in their life. Keeping the expectation of society because you're an IITan or IIM graduate is no easy feat. The moment an interviewer sees the word IITan on a resume, he himself prepares the toughest questions. If you compare your life with someone else's, you will not achieve peace.

5. Do something on your own. However small or big, doesn't matter. Do something completely from scratch and learn how to sell that thing. This will teach you lessons you will use for the rest of your life.

This will also give you huge confidence. I don't have any fear in my mind. Fear of what? The worst that can happen is that I will lose my day job. So what? I have worked on my own for 3-4 years without any help and have overcome a huge financial crisis on my own, without a job. So if I am in trouble again, I know how to make my way.

6. Help people as much as possible. My friend Soumen Halder was with me during that tough phase. WE have had many fights. But he was there. When the storm had settled down at my end, he was going through a tough time. I pulled him out and secured him a position at a startup I was working. 


7. Failure is acceptable. Every single person fails. You know what's not acceptable? NOT TRYING. I see most people giving up without even trying in the first place.

So you hate your job. What are you doing to find something you love? You dedicate so much to your girlfriend, you spend hours chatting on Facebook, you go to weekend parties and then on Monday morning, you are ready with your excuses. Stop pretending. Yes You, I am telling this to you. Stop being a hypocrite to yourself. Yes, I am angry and shouting because I know you're not giving your 100%.

You keep feeding excuses to your brain everyday. Things like - "I don't find time to do this. I don't have 60%, I won't be able to sit in some campus placement interview, I am a loser. She will leave me, my parents, he is lucky because he has an MBA, I don't have a rich father, recession is coming, not many companies are hiring electrical engineers, everyone is shooting for IT companies. I must get some money to pursue MS from US, otherwise it will be impossible to succeed.....I am a girl and I cannot survive outside my home because of rising crime against women, I am this I am that...." FUCK..!

WTF dude? WTF are you thinking? You need a massive thrashing from life. Someone must tie you with a rope and beat you up like shit, then you will do it. You dumb ass, stop telling yourself those imaginary lies. Stop cribbing over your misery. Stop crying over your weaknesses. JUST DO IT. You're not a kid who cries over a fucking lollypop. Get off your ass...!!!!!

8. Life is hard. Remember that dialogue from Rang de Basanti,

“Gate ke is taraf hum life ko nachate hain, to dujji taraf life humko nachati hai”



I don't care who you are and how much money you have, life will bring you down on to your knees and keep you there if you let it. Be prepared. Value relationships: you will need them some day.

What has poverty taught me?


Here is the thing I have learned from poverty, being broke, establishing a small business from scratch. Money is not everything in life. Neither is your job title. Nor is your MBA degree. Life is much more greater than these petty things. Life is all about the experiences you make. I could have sat at home and pursued my website, made more money but I would have missed out on experiences which are far more valuable. 25-35 is that time of your life when you can explore and do whatever you want. If you give up your freedom for money, one day you may have to regret it. You're going to die anyway, so the amount of money in your bank account is useless. Make experiences, not wealth. Money is important and it matters but far more valuable is gaining experiences, inviting challenges, accepting how life unfolds. Live in different cities, work on small jobs, you will see the true color of life. You will never be able to realize this if you stay within your comfort zone. Get out of your comfort zone and do stuff you're afraid to do, do things you want to do.

Hey guys, this is the end of his word, now let me tell you Some People you can take inspiration from

When you have an empty pocket, you will need inspiration.




Here is a small list of entrepreneurs and technology bloggers I know whom you can refer for inspiration

This list is endless and I can go on and on. More awesome people here
The Best Indian Bloggers

I have share this story for that soul who is in trouble and needs inspiration. I know that soul is reading it and I know that soul will one day thank me for this. That is all.

A story of my friend, dumbest thing he's done for someone he had a crush on?

From his own word,


 I gifted her a book that I had never read before, on Valentine's Day, and ended up with something that I would have never expected.

This was a girl whom I knew very well and was 100% sure that I had zero percent chances of dating her. Yet we were good friends and were in the same group in the lab. Till to a week before, I had no intention of buying a gift for her, nor was I infatuated with her. But in the week before Valentine’s Day, something got into me and I started to believe that I liked her and she liked me too! (Alas, I was such a dumb ass back then, *sigh* )

So I decided to buy something for her. I knew that the girl was a nerd and she wouldn't like it if I bought her a teddy bear or a greeting card. I started to browse the Internet for suggestions and finally settled down on buying a book for her. Now, I wanted to buy a romantic novel for her. I thought of several classics, that I have already read and rejected them for the same reason—she must have probably read them. So I decided to consult the Internet once again for help. I searched for "most romantic novel" and found, Outlander (novel), on the top of many lists. That was the first time I'd heard of the book, but I was somehow convinced that it was a great book and I ended up ordering a copy on Flipkart.

The book reached two days before, and I had to rethink several times before getting it gift wrapped. I was so sure that I was certain that I was deeply in love with her. On the day, I decided that I will give it to her in person after the class is dispersed, and when no one is in the vicinity. Once the class was over, I slowly walked towards her and the following conversation occurred:

le me : I have bought something for you.

she : oh I see, but for what?

me: today is February 14th.

she:  (innocently) so what?

me: That is Valentine`s day.

she: oh I see, but we are not in love, are we?

me: No, but I bought this for you. ( I was starting to get frustrated)

she: So I can`t accept this gift.

me: dude, I am not proposing you, I bought this for you. YOU CAN HAVE IT!

she: but that will imply a lot of different meanings, I don't want it!

me: Okay, you don't need a relationship, but we are friends, right? what's wrong in just accepting this for my sake? (yes, I took things too emotionally back then, I am a changed man now)
she : Actually I like you, but not in that sense, could you please leave me alone for sometime? (Even if she told me to fuck off, I would have felt much better)
me: Okay, this will lie here, I bought this for you. I don't want to do anything else with it, I bought it with love, so I can't use it for anything else. (I deeply regret for me saying this, and it will follow me to my grave.)

I left the gift there and left. The moment I left that room,  I felt 'true love' evaporating from inside me, and it was the first time I realized that we could very well be tricked by our own mind to believe that we loved someone, though you could find no substantial reason for it and this feeling could fade away in time, no matter how much real we felt about it. 

The interesting thing happened two days latter. I got a text message, just before I was going to bed. It read, "I have read a tale so dipped in love that I could see the tenderness in your heart, who bought this book for XYZ. I think that she is too arrogant to reject you. I found this from your classroom, and I thank you for giving me an opportunity to read it. May God bless you!"

I was overjoyed, I knew that at least one person has been benefited from a precious share of my pocket money, which I wasted in vain for a hollow romantic venture. I needed to find who was this strange person, who send me this message. A chance existed that it would be a girl, a beautiful girl, and she would have developed a tender feeling towards me. I started searching for her. But none of my friends could identify the number. I lost all hope, and decided to call her back. I really needed to know who she was, and I seriously felt that she was the last ray of life existing in my miserable life. (Oh God, how pathetic must I have been?)

Finally, I mustered all my courage to call 'her' back. I dialed her number and waited and waited till she attended the call. I was shattered, when I heard a male voice on the other side. I was bewildered when I found that it was the sound of an elderly male. I was ruined when I found that it was my Maths teacher, who came to collect the forgotten attendance sheet, after I left the book in class!

I never ever dared to celebrate Valentine's day in my life again, and I think I never will be.
. Not for Reproduction

friend's name:Hashin Jithu

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