Children’s education is highly valued in Asian households, especially those in India. Parents usually try their best to plan everything for their children, from choosing the best school to preparing for college and career paths. Still, not every child aspires to live up to the expectations of society or their parents. Some decide to follow their passions and hearts, and by doing so, they frequently achieve great heights and motivate others. One such young person was Sundar Pichai, who is the CEO of Google, one of the biggest and most powerful tech companies, at the moment.
During a 2023 speech that Medium was archived, Pichai mentioned that India has a lot of potential. The students are gifted, but they are frequently hindered by social expectations. This nation has a propensity to value education more highly than practical experience, which keeps people from realizing their full potential. Like everything else, I believe that education must adapt and change. Being well-rounded is important, in my opinion, when working in the real world. Pichai thought back to his own experience and admitted that he could have earned a Ph.D. today, something his parents would have been proud of, had he persisted in his academic endeavors.
But he decided to go for practical experience and the chance to have a real influence. If I had continued with graduate school, I most likely have a PhD by now, which would have made both of my parents extremely happy. However, I might have lost the chance to help so many others reap the rewards of technology. And I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you as the CEO of Google all of a sudden. Other than luck, the only things that brought me from there to here were a strong interest regarding technology and a willingness to learn. Pichai stated that although academics are essential, individuals should value their innovative thinking, expertise, and willingness to take risks rather than concentrating on them.
Sundar Pichai started out as a materials engineer and then spent a short time working for McKinsey & Co., a management consulting firm. In 2004, he changed course and started working at Google. Pichai led product management and innovation for a number of client software products, including Chrome, ChromeOS, and Drive, in his early years at Google. In addition, he was instrumental in the creation of well-known applications like Maps and Gmail. Notably he spearheaded the introduction of the WebM format and oversaw the VP8 video codec’s open-sourcing.
Pichai took over as Google’s CEO in 2015, the same year Alphabet Inc., the company that holds Google and its subsidiaries, was established. This was Larry Page’s last resignation. He joined the Alphabet Board in 2017 after taking on this new role in October 2015.