Yesterday, I had the incredible privilege of returning to St. Georges College in Agra, India, where I spent 14 formative years (Nursery to Class 12). Standing before 1400 students in their signature maroon uniforms (pictured here), I shared a story that began in these very hallways. Here is what I shared with the students
Imagine walking into school one day and discovering that you get to play video games in an air-conditioned room during the scorching summer heat. For a student, that's a dream come true, right? That’s exactly what happened to me in 1992, on my first day in class 5th. Our computer teacher, Mr. Manish Dulekar, led us into the computer lab, and that moment changed my life forever.
I didn’t realize it then, but we were incredibly fortunate. Years later, when I moved to the US, I learned that many US schools didn’t even have computers in 1992. Most of my colleagues hadn’t touched a computer until the early 2000s! Right here, in this very school, we were pioneers, guided by incredible teachers like Mr. Dulekar, who opened a window to the future for us.
It was also in these hallways, during a science competition, that I first learned about Bill Gates and Microsoft. Standing here, I dreamed of going to the US and working for Microsoft. Dreams have a funny way of shaping our paths, even when they don’t unfold exactly as planned.
Like many of you, I dreamed of cracking IIT. When that didn’t happen, I was crushed. Then came another blow—I didn’t get into a top government engineering college either. But instead of giving up, I made two crucial decisions: I would study computer engineering, and I would stay near Delhi to prepare for the GRE.
I remember sitting outside the GRE test center on a bench in a park feeling heartbroken about my scores. At that moment, I thought my dreams of studying in US were over. But there was something interesting—I had a crush on a girl in engineering school, and suddenly, my US dreams felt flexible. Well, that didn't work out either.
While researching universities, I saw Carnegie Mellon listed alongside MIT as one of the best computer science schools in the world. Everyone said, "You don't stand a chance." But sometimes, the only person who needs to believe in your dream is you. I applied anyway. And to everyone's surprise, including my own, I got in.
At Carnegie Mellon, life wasn’t easy. My GPA was so low at one point that I was nearly kicked out. Microsoft, the company I had dreamed of working for since childhood, interviewed me multiple times but never offered me a job.
It felt like my dreams were slipping away. But twenty years later, something unexpected happened—Microsoft/M12 Ventures became an investor in my startup, Bolster. That little boy playing computer games in 1992 could never have imagined this path. The dream came true, just in a way I never expected.
And you know what? Now, decades later, I find myself at another test center, sitting on a bench just like the one where I got my GRE scores. Some dreams haven't materialized the way I hoped. That familiar weight of disappointment feels as heavy today as it did back then. But this time, I know something different setbacks are just part of the journey, and every bench can be a turning point.
Dream big. Be bold. And Never, ever let your childhood dreams go. Because sometimes, like that little boy playing computer games in this very school, you're already living the first chapter of your extraordinary story.
Thank you, Babita Ma’am, for that wonderful introduction yesterday, and thank you, Principal Mr. Akshay , for inviting me here today. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers who shaped my journey: Deepti Ma’am, Bansal Sir, Awasthi Sir, Singhal Sir, Geeta Ma’am, and so many others who left a lasting impact.
