Breaking Society's Script | Journey from coder to edtech founder | Akshay Saini

Career & Entrepreneurship - College students generally have three career aspirations: a dream job with a high-paying package, following their passion (e g becoming a YouTuber or Instagram influencer), or starting their own company as an entrepreneur [1] - The speaker, Akshay Saini, shares his journey of successfully achieving all three aspirations: entrepreneurship with his EdTech company Namastey Dev, a YouTube channel with 19 million subscribers, and a dream job with a high package [1] - Overcoming mental barriers created in childhood is crucial for success, as society often provides a script for an ideal life that may not align with individual passions [1][2] Education & Skills - The speaker initially struggled with traditional academic subjects like Chemistry and Physics, which are prerequisites for IIT, but excelled in Computer Science [2] - The speaker chose to pursue Computer Science engineering in a private college, breaking societal norms that emphasized IIT preparation [2] - Combining passion (teaching) with skills (software engineering) creates a unique selling proposition that is hard to beat [4] Startup & Business - The speaker started his first startup from his college hostel and later joined a company after acquisition, eventually becoming a top performer [2][3] - Despite societal pressure to take placements, the speaker pursued his startup ambitions, facing initial failure but eventually achieving success with a subsequent startup that was acquired by Lending Kart within 8 months [3] - Starting a company requires curiosity and a willingness to learn various aspects like business, administration, marketing, and accounting, even without prior knowledge [5][6] Motivation & Mindset - Extraordinary achievements require extraordinary efforts, and consistency is key to reaching goals [6] - Maintaining a supportive community of positive and motivating people is essential for overcoming challenges and stereotypes [6] - Even in moments of depression and uncertainty, believing in oneself and persevering will lead to finding light at the end of the tunnel [6]