Hyderabad: Decades ago, an Intermediate student in Hyderabad had three choices before him — journalism, something that he liked, engineering, something that his father had studied, or medicine, the permanent favourite.
When the day for applying for the professional course came, he opted for engineering as he feared to see blood day in and day out, something that doctors do. Journalism, well it was a dream.
The result is India has got a global corporate honcho — Adobe chief executive officer Shantanu Narayen.
In his address to college students in Hyderabad on Tuesday, Narayen reminisced about his family’s deep connection with Osmania University, where his father studied electrical engineering and his mother, a PhD scholar, taught at Koti Women’s College.
Narayen himself had aspired to be a journalist as he edited a school newspaper but ultimately chose a path in engineering. He humorously admitted, “Engineering felt like the lesser of two evils, as the sight of blood would have terrified me.”
Emphasising the importance of education, life-long friendships, diversity, and pursuing one’s passion, Narayen made friends during his time at Osmana University. He was table tennis champion in college, and represented the country in sailing.
Narayen also highlighted the role of his professors, especially Prof. R.V.P. Chary and Prof. Pardhary Pande, in kindling his passion for computers and electrical engineering.
"College life today is much more stressful, but the long-term view of Indian philosophy encourages one to take more opportunities and embrace failures as valuable learning experiences," he said, addressing a question on handling stress.
Asked about the academic experience in the United States, he said that it is only as good as what one made of it, adding that he wasn't the best student at OU but worked extra hard in the US only to score better so he wouldn't get deported.
He stressed that rebounding from adversity is a gift, leading to more opportunities and innovative ideas. He also reflected on his family's unwavering support for education, underscoring the value of pursuing one's unconventional path. He encouraged students to be what they ask for, not limiting their aspirations to conventional wisdom.
"If you don't like your job, you're not the victim here, it's not on you," he said, recalling how this advice passed on to him by a manager earlier in life put things in perspective for him.
He emphasised the importance of putting the company's interests before personal gains, referring to his experiences at Adobe. Narayen shared that it's essential to find work that makes you happy and to contribute positively to the organisation.
"It's a two way street, companies today are sure more in pursuit of intellectual property (workers), but don't let just 'what's in it for me' attitude be your motivation for work," he advised.
Asked about the future of AI replacing humans at their jobs, he said that it's always a person who knows how to use artificial intelligence to do his job that will trump a person who refuses to use AI to help him do a better job.
In his closing remarks, Narayen left the students with a powerful message: education is a great equaliser, and by seizing the moment and staying true to their passions they can make a significant impact on the world.
