He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how !! - Friedrich Nietzsche. It's also mentioned in the book - A man's search for meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Software Engineer

Data Scientist

Product Manager

Chartered Accountant

He is just a media showman dude. Got nothing to do with AI. He has lost everyone that built the actual thing. Even Illya who actually did some revolution there wouldn't claim he revolutionized tech.

Data engineer

Software Developer

Life is hard. But failing is harder to deal with. So win at all costs

My favourite quote is: "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet. Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich." Napoleon Bonaparte

“It’s ok to fail as long as you played your best”

Founder

I think one of my favorite quotes that aligns with this is from Tony Robbins: “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”

It reinforces the idea that staying still might feel safe, but it often leads to stagnation. To truly elevate ourselves, we need to be willing to step into the unknown and embrace change

Zuck changed the course of humanity but for the worse. The old internet is dead and is now just full of corporate propaganda owned by big tech now.

@Elon_Musk Not everywhere no? Just look at Reddit and 4chan.

Man, can anyone please simplify it. It became too complex too fast. What is the quote trying to convey?

Let me break this down in simple terms: 
  
 Imagine you're climbing a mountain, but you can only see a little bit ahead of you because it's foggy. You have two choices: 
  
 1. Stay where you are on a small hill (local maxima) 
 2. Climb down and try to find an even bigger mountain (ceiling/global maxima) 
  
 The quote is saying that sometimes staying still (on your small hill) is actually worse than taking a risk to find something better. It's like saying "Don't settle for being king of a small hill when you could find a whole mountain to climb." 
  
 In career terms, this might mean: 
 - Not staying in a comfortable but limited job just because it's safe 
 - Being willing to take a temporary step "down" (like a lower position or salary) if it puts you on a path to much bigger opportunities 
 - Learning new skills even if it slows you down right now 
  
 The "stochastic gradient ascent" part is just fancy math language for: "Keep trying different paths upward, even if you're not 100% sure they'll work, as long as you're generally moving toward bigger opportunities." 
  
 Would you like me to elaborate on any part of this explanation?

Consultant

In the world of technology, every challenge is an opportunity to create, innovate, and change the future.

"Hard times create strong men, strong men create easy times, easy times create weak men, weak men create difficult times. Cycle goes on!"

Associate Consultant

Senior Software Engineer

Do not go gentle into that good night 
 Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Generalist

“Optimizing for ceiling rather than local maxima is exactly what it means when the cost of staying still is more than the cost of moving. Trading current momentum for higherorder potential  it's st...

Welcome to Get Motivated's Private Community

“Optimizing for ceiling rather than local maxima is exactly what it means when the cost of staying still is more than the cost of moving. Trading current momentum for higher-order potential - it's stochastic gradient ascent for your career

Here’s what ChatGPT wrote to me and it might be the most insane thing ever.

[Thread] What’s your favourite motivational quote?

[Thread] What’s your favourite motivational quote?- Grapevine

[Thread] What are some of the best quotes you've heard of?

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

I’ll start first: 

“The greats never sacrifice the important for the urgent. They handle the immediate problem and still make sure to secure the future.”

[Thread] Share one quote that stuck with you.

"The dildo of consequences rarely arrives lubed"

Here's how I modelled my data:
1. Got statistics of the entire Pak and Ind squads with their last 5 performances.
2. Got statistics of Last 3 games at Nassau County Stadium.
3. Got betting odds for all of these matches.

Used a very simple XGBoost model to get the implied odds for betting odds and compared it to the actual odds.
Model did well on Test and Validation set using K-Fold Cross Validation.

Compared the predicted odds and actual betting odds, figured there is some positive E(V) here.
So made two bets of 10k each. Made 8k in 1 match.

Unemotional after winning and unemotional even after loss.

Made Rs. 8000 using Machine Learning models in 1 day...

I asked ChatGPT what this means:

Firstly, this individual gathered a lot of data, including statistics about the players in the Pakistan and India cricket teams, their recent performances, data specific to the Nassau County Stadium for the last three games, and also the odds that bookmakers were offering for these matches.

They then used a machine learning technique called XGBoost to analyze this data. XGBoost essentially helps predict outcomes based on given data. In this case, it was used to predict the implied odds for the matches based on the statistics gathered.

To make sure their predictions were reliable, they tested their model on separate sets of data (Test and Validation sets) using a technique called K-Fold Cross Validation. This helps ensure that the model performs consistently well across different datasets and doesn't just work well by chance.

After comparing their model's predictions with the actual betting odds, they found that there was a positive expected value (E[V]). This means that, on average, their model was predicting odds that were better than what the bookmakers were offering.

Feeling confident in their model, they made two bets of 10k each. In one match, they made a profit of 8k.

What's impressive here is that this approach seems to have paid off, indicating that with the right analysis and data, it's possible to make informed betting decisions. Additionally, the individual remained unemotional both when they won and when they lost, which is crucial in maintaining a rational approach to betting.

Software Analyst

Lawyer

Welcome to Personal Finance's Private Community

My current salary is 42LPA. I am from IIT, have 7 years of experience and work in product. Honestly, my value in the market is higher than what I’m being paid but I am very demotivated to optimise for that. When I do see less deserving people minting more money, I feel that I am doing injustice to myself and playing the wrong hand.

More and more though, the thought of earning more money chokes me a bit. I have dreams of building something of my own - that gives me control to build something my way and freedom to live my life as per my terms. But the mindset of “zyada paisa pareshaani hai” doesn’t leave me.

My family also is not dependent on me and whatever is needed from my side, I actively contribute to. I also lack any motivation to focus on my investments and see my money grow. I just have money sitting around in my bank account purely for nothing

I also look at my lifestyle choices from time to time and go into existential debate of why we need the things that we do. This has come to a point where I really do not understand my relationship with money and why we earn and spend it. 

For me at this point, it’s just a show for the world. There’s very little that you need, and really no limit to what you want to show. And I just don’t see a point in it anymore.

I am demotivated to work to earn more money

Hey @Hungryninja  
 Extremely relatable and very beautiful write up 
  
 I get the trouble you face. When you’ve almost figured out what you like and what you don’t like (that money isn’t thaaat needle moving, I have basic needs) but at the same time, the opportunity cost of relaxing is too high - everybody from your batch will remind you of how far you can go, and the middle class boy in you will find it difficult to stomach letting go of all the money, even though you can make it  
  
 Went through this at one point. I have ultimately sided with money. I cannot sit back and relax. Money will only unlock a lot of foreign travel and good lifestyle for me. But more than that, I am lucky to be in a position that allows me to earn money easier than other people do. So I’ll make it, help extended family and people who cannot earn as easily, because at least in a country like India, it’s almost a responsibility. We’re not fucking Europe. 
  
 I’ll just not kill myself for it as much as I used to :)

Investment Associate

Product Owner

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Share some of the quotes you really like?

Re reading Teddy Roosevelt’s quote- Man in the arena

for me. i spent college studying for grades and 20s making money in a job I don't like, but never got to make the memories I should've with all my friends. I regret doing all of that

what is your worst mistake professionally?

If we are spiralling, let's spiral right

1. Focused solely on grades in colleges
2. Thought Campus placements were ultimate goal
3. Spent 3 years in a company with 5% increment (once), because it was comfortable
4. Scared to ask even minimum budget while negotiating salary
5. Overthinking every step, still not taking actions to correct or fuck up anything
6. Major major regret - not taking risk of starting own. It also has to do with parenting, but lets not blame.
7. Ran away from public sharing - speaking, athletics, all extracurricular activities for that matter. Kids grow up with zero confidence and looking fat & ugly. (I'm not fat shaming, some fat people look 🤌)

I'll add more, there will be more for sure 😂

Venture Capital

My friends here, after having observed some common trends emerging in society today, it's very clear to me that being simple & normal is the best strategy. 

Look at the world around us:
- Attention spans are fucked. People cannot listen for 10 seconds without glancing over phone. There is very little recognition of the human in the 'other' person. 
- There is very little recognition of one self. Intoxicants, indiscipline, mindless activities are the sign of times. It's okay to do these. It's human to be silly. But it mustn't be your 24*7. 
- People are woke, but they're not awake. They'll come to you with a pitchfork as soon as they hear something that irks them, but barely try to understand your view.

These are disparate problems, and just some examples. 
The surest way to guard yourself is to **avoid doing what everyone else is doing**.

Be aware. Be disciplined. Exercise, eat well, sleep well, think well. 
Be simple, as you were a few years ago, or most people were mentally before the coming of the short term dopamine hit economy.

Random musings, thoughts welcome :)

Just be normal. Maintain your sanity. We will succeed in the long run.

Corporate Strategist

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

(PS - Apologies for sharing a post from LinkedIn) First and last tym

This is really amazing if it's true. To have that kind of motivation alive after all of it!

I know it’s early, but it’s an extended weekend 😅

Share an article / post that made you go ‘Aha’ in the recent past. 

Let me start with one - would love to hear opinions on this.

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Ffamily%2Farchive%2F2018%2F12%2Frich-people-happy-money%2F577231%2F

Weekend musings

Growth Manager

Welcome to Data Scientists's Private Community

Anything happening in AI today can be traced back to this one brief moment in history...

Share your favourite papers. 

GPT ftw :)

Attention is all you need

The Research paper that changed the world...

🏃🏼‍♂️Ever feel like we're all just chasing numbers at work? 

But here's a thought: what if these numbers aren't the full story?

💡Charles Goodhart (British Economist) noted that metrics picked to represent progress often backfire by driving the wrong behaviours. 

People optimize blindly for the metric itself, losing sight of the intended outcome.

👉🏼So by all means, use metrics judiciously to track outcomes. 

But don’t let metrics become the outcomes themselves. 

📀Form a growth loop.

1️⃣ Set metrics
2️⃣ Execute Ops
3️⃣ Measure Results
4️⃣ Optimize Ops - based on data
REPEAT!

📈Remember, it's about 'what matters', not just what's measurable. Let's focus on the real value behind our work, not just the numbers that represent it.

Don’t run behind absolute metrics. They deceive more than inform.

Read this immense motivator on Grapevine 
This has been my go-to get up everyday and be 1% better everyday

"We only live once, why miss the chance to meet the best version of ourselves"

Welcome to Movies & Music's Private Community

I'll go first: Mine's from Winston Churchill, though I first encountered it in a biography I read - ""Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.""

This quote hit me like a ton of bricks. It completely reframed how I view setbacks and challenges. Instead of seeing failures as endpoints, I now see them as stepping stones. It's not about avoiding failure, it's about maintaining your drive and passion through the ups and downs.

What book or movie quote unexpectedly became your personal mantra?

after college, i had two offers - one from a top consulting firm with a great salary, prestige, and all the perks. the other was from a startup. and while the startup didn’t pay peanuts, it didn’t come with the polished career path and stability that consulting offered. most people around me thought it was a no-brainer: take the consulting job. secure, predictable, and impressive on a resume.

but something about the startup felt more real. it wasn’t about rejecting corporate life; it was more about thinking, *if i’m going to take risks, why not now?* so, i took the leap and joined the startup.

was it easy? no. there were days i questioned my decision. consulting was stable and structured, with a clear path ahead. startups? they’re chaotic. one day i was strategizing with the team, the next i was firefighting some random problem. but that’s what made it exciting. i wasn’t just another cog in a big machine—i was helping build something from scratch.

sure, there were moments i missed the comfort my friends had in consulting. they were climbing the ladder, enjoying business-class flights, and working with high-profile clients. but the trade-off? in a startup, i was growing faster than i ever expected. i learned to take ownership, handle chaos, and make decisions with real impact. it wasn’t about doing the job—i was figuring out *how* to do the job.

looking back, i wouldn’t change a thing. yes, consulting would’ve been the safe option, but here’s the truth: **linear bets get you linear results**. it’s predictable, comfortable, and you know what you’re signing up for. but if you want *outsized returns*—not just financially, but in how much you grow, how quickly you learn, and how big your impact can be—you have to bet on the uncertain.

that’s the beauty of taking risks early in your career. you might fail, but the upside is massive. you learn more, you grow faster, and you open doors that would never exist in a linear path. so, if you’re starting out, don’t just optimize for safety. **bet on outsized returns**. they’re harder to chase, but far more rewarding.

optimise for outsized returns :)

If I had gotten this advice during my undergrad, I would have done things very differently. 
Maybe for most of us it might feel a little out of touch but it tells you the realest advice.

"Focus on what matters, not on what looks better" ❤️

Your time is precious.

Share this with someone who needs this advice. ✨

Advice from OpenAI Co-Founder

Program Manager

Some things I believe:
As human beings it is our right (maybe our moral duty) to reshape the universe to our preferences
* Technology, which is really knowledge, enables this
* You should probably work on raising the ceiling, not the floor


Enthusiasm matters!
* It's much easier to work on things that are exciting to you
* It might be easier to do big things than small things for this reason
* Energy is a necessary input for progress


It's important to do things fast
* You learn more per unit time because you make contact with reality more frequently
* Going fast makes you focus on what's important; there's no time for bullshit
* "Slow is fake"
* A week is 2% of the year
* Time is the denominator


 The efficient market hypothesis is a lie
* At best it is a very lossy heuristic
* The best things in life occur where EMH is wrong
* In many cases it's more accurate to model the world as 500 people than 8 billion
* "Most people are other people"


We know less than we think
* The replication crisis is not an aberration
* Many of the things we believe are wrong
* We are often not even asking the right questions


The cultural prohibition on micromanagement is harmful
* Great individuals should be fully empowered to exercise their judgment
* The goal is not to avoid mistakes; the goal is to achieve uncorrelated levels of excellence in some dimension
* The downsides are worth it


Smaller teams are better
* Faster decisions, fewer meetings, more fun
* No need to chop up work for political reasons
* No room for mediocre people (can pay more, too!)
* Large-scale engineering projects are more soluble in IQ than they appear
* Many tech companies are 2-10x overstaffed


Where do you get your dopamine?
* The answer is predictive of your behavior
* Better to get your dopamine from improving your ideas than from having them validated
* It's ok to get yours from "making things happen"


You can do more than you think
* We are tied down by invisible orthodoxy
* The laws of physic

From Nat Friedman’s personal site (former Github CEO)

Just sharing a random thought that I feel is very important, would love to get your thoughts on it as well.

I've been in startups for ~5 years now, and my big realization is that the best people know when to go all-in into an idea and close the loop: in terms of making sure resources are put behind the project, founders' approval exists, and people are championed behind it's execution 

It's super easy to come up with 3-4 ideas every month, share it, move on to the next ones. Most commonly, some execution also happens, but then people eventually lose interest... they are too stuck on being an idea generator, and often times there is a missing culture of seeing things to fruition. 

But the joy of having thought of something, seeing it succeed/fail, get to a logical conclusion is unparalleled. It's the most beautiful way to learn how 0 to 1 actually works, and makes sure you learn to execute, not just think. The happiness lies in seeing the early signs of success, and then some mid-stage and late-stage signs of success. 

This culture within early team members makes a startup successful. It makes you successful, if you're the person behind it. 

So to everyone who's still early within startups (especially early stage), try to close the loop on those ideas you find to be wonderful. You'll never again have to think about what to write on your CV or what to say in an interview.

TLDR: Execute your ideas with as much excitement as you had when you first thought of them, don't lose track.

From other operators, would love to get your thoughts on this. What have you seen? Do you feel differently?

The beauty of 'closing the loop'

Saw this on X, absolutely spot on!

The past year has been the best!
I'm engaged to my long-term partner, making the first person I loved, my last.
I'm working in my dream company and dream role 
I've finally moved out and have a healthy distance from my controlling family
I wish I could say all of the above but you know what they say "You plan. God laughs'
My life has become a joke. 

After years and years of nurturing my relationship and working on myself,  I've achieved nothing personally or professionally. Being an overthinker, I'd detail everything from plan 'A' to plan 'Z' to ensure my dreams come true. I had an extraordinarily amazing relationship but when it came down to marriage he didn't have time to even think about it. I have a brilliant resume filled with distinction grades, extracurriculars, and leadership roles, and yet I couldn't score an interview let alone be shortlisted for any role I wanted. With no choice, I'm stuck in a job that I absolutely hate and have no interest in! And finally, after 26 years of living with my family and growing up to be a responsible adult and doing everything and more, they ask me, they still think the worst of me, call me names, hardly acknowledge my presence, and make me feel guilty for barely living my life. 

I'm honestly so emotionally drained and feel like my whole life has been a struggle, hoping for things to get better someday. But all I feel is stuck. Everyone around me is moving on with their lives - getting married, moving to a new city/country, getting roles in dream companies and I'm nowhere close to anything I want. 

Being a practical and logical person I would usually not take advice from random strangers on the internet but I'm keeping an open mind and I'd love to hear your thoughts on my depressing life! 💔 

People below 25 yrs don't bother commenting, unless you want to start a crowd fund for my therapy. 

P.S. The last para is a joke. Don't come at me about it in the comment section. I do need therapy though, but can't afford it. Not from an experienced psychologist at least.

[Thread] What’s your favourite motivational quote?

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