My father worked as an in-house doctor in cement industries, which are often located in remote areas far from city life. Consequently, the school I attended and the teachers I had were individuals who lived in these remote areas not by choice, but because they either could not succeed in the cities or had no other options, despite having aspirations. They had resigned themselves to life in less vibrant and stimulating environments. For those who romanticize the countryside, it's worth noting that I am from India, where rural living conditions are not always ideal.
Although my teachers covered the curriculum (of which I recall little, being an average student), they inadvertently taught us self-doubt and pessimism. They implied that the “real world” was beyond our reach, filled with individuals far smarter than us. We were encouraged to memorize and vomit their dictated answers verbatim in exams, discouraging independent thought. This approach led us to believe there were always right answers provided by others, stifling our critical thinking skills. In seventh grade, when I forgot a memorized answer but improvised based on my understanding, my English teacher—the only person who ever encouraged my own thinking—commended me, marking a significant shift in my educational experience. However, attempts to apply this approach in other subjects were met with criticism.
This mentality of obedience without question was prevalent. While guidance was available, we struggled when left to our own devices, lacking the initiative to solve novel or undefined problems. This trait, I observed, is common among many Indians: adept at following instructions but hesitant to innovate or tackle abstract challenges. Our parents, having navigated a post-Independence era in a populated country marked by scarcity and limited opportunities, pushed us toward secure, high-earning professions. Mostly medicine and engineering, emphasizing academic excellence as a means to avoid risk.
I grew up believing exceptional achievements were beyond me, destined for a mundane 9-to-5 job unless I was among the top students. Being a girl, expectations were even lower, with societal norms suggesting my future depended on marriage rather than personal achievement.
Fortunately, my mother did not strictly adhere to these beliefs, but she, too, faced societal pressures. Questioning elders was taboo, leaving acceptance and belief in these norms as my only options during my impressionable years.
This conditioning led me to aspire for a simple future, but life had other plans. The realization that my life was unsatisfactory led to severe depression and a period of introspection. College became a turning point where, despite becoming a topper, I felt unchanged, challenging the notion that academic success equaled intelligence. A friendship with an exceptional human and developer introduced me to technology and eventually led to the launch of a startup. Driven by a desire for perfection, the startup needed to address real issues.
To learn more about our startup's mission, why it matters to me, and how we plan to achieve our goals, I will have to write more, which I don't want to do now.
Bye bye.