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Disclaimer: I know Vik very well.

It's always interesting how different people can read the same words and perceive them very differently! I thought Vik's post was incredibly raw and useful, especially for people who feel a bit disenfranchised by the way our education system works.

I have two thoughts about Vik's "floating through life and getting a few lucky breaks" (as you read it):

1) Vik is incredibly determined and took major risks to get where he is, luck and floating aside (those are subjective so I won't argue them).

2) I felt that his story served more as a narrative of how challenging it can be to find what you love when you don't have mentors or an education system that adapts to the different ways that people learn.

My big takeaway was that our education system lets a lot of people slip through the cracks and that many people are happy to just let it happen. There is a huge need for better credentialing in various fields and more dynamic education methods. Both Vik and I share alternate paths into technology, so I understand what he means.




I found it very useful. I'm going through something similar - I know I'm smart, but I made some bad career choices.

I'm now largely starting from scratch and seeing folks like Vik do it is encouraging.




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