After graduating from BITS Pilani in 2011, I set my sights on 3 deep-tech companies focused on computer science/vision: Adobe, Dreamworks, and Qualcomm.
Four years later, I held five patents and contributed to technology that’s integrated into the Snapdragon chipset, powering millions of Android device, thus impacting countless people around the world.
Back then, I had:
- No Leetcode practice routines
- No YouTube playlists to follow
- No masterclasses or influencer courses
Still, I secured an offer at Qualcomm based on my college work and my passion for computer science and vision.
During college, I discovered my love for computer vision, optics, and image processing.
I spent hours at animation clubs, fascinated by how things worked.
By the end of my studies, I knew this was the field I wanted to pursue.
Every company I applied to was doing exciting work in this space, and Qualcomm became where I officially started my career.
Working at Qualcomm gave me an incredible environment to grow. I was hungry to make an impact, and I got exactly what I needed:
- Brilliant engineers and mentors to learn from
- A legal team that helped me file five patents
- Supportive colleagues who trusted me with big projects
- Cutting-edge technology that kept me excited every day
One of my proudest moments was coding the JPEG and H.264 encoding for Android phones.
If you take a photo on any Android phone with a Snapdragon Gen 5/6 processor, my code runs behind the scenes, encoding millions of images daily.
Those four years flew by, filled with challenges and meaningful work.
After my stint at Qualcomm, I moved to Microsoft to pursue new opportunities and passions.
Looking back, I see how tools today make learning more accessible, but the hunger to learn and build seems to be fading.
In 2011, we cleared interviews with deep knowledge and genuine curiosity, not shortcuts.
So here’s my advice: Fall in love with the process of learning, unlearning, and building.
Money may push you forward at first, but passion will keep you growing.
When the thrill of learning becomes your fuel, success will follow naturally.
Keep that hunger alive.
Four years later, I held five patents and contributed to technology that’s integrated into the Snapdragon chipset, powering millions of Android device, thus impacting countless people around the world.
Back then, I had:
- No Leetcode practice routines
- No YouTube playlists to follow
- No masterclasses or influencer courses
Still, I secured an offer at Qualcomm based on my college work and my passion for computer science and vision.
During college, I discovered my love for computer vision, optics, and image processing.
I spent hours at animation clubs, fascinated by how things worked.
By the end of my studies, I knew this was the field I wanted to pursue.
Every company I applied to was doing exciting work in this space, and Qualcomm became where I officially started my career.
Working at Qualcomm gave me an incredible environment to grow. I was hungry to make an impact, and I got exactly what I needed:
- Brilliant engineers and mentors to learn from
- A legal team that helped me file five patents
- Supportive colleagues who trusted me with big projects
- Cutting-edge technology that kept me excited every day
One of my proudest moments was coding the JPEG and H.264 encoding for Android phones.
If you take a photo on any Android phone with a Snapdragon Gen 5/6 processor, my code runs behind the scenes, encoding millions of images daily.
Those four years flew by, filled with challenges and meaningful work.
After my stint at Qualcomm, I moved to Microsoft to pursue new opportunities and passions.
Looking back, I see how tools today make learning more accessible, but the hunger to learn and build seems to be fading.
In 2011, we cleared interviews with deep knowledge and genuine curiosity, not shortcuts.
So here’s my advice: Fall in love with the process of learning, unlearning, and building.
Money may push you forward at first, but passion will keep you growing.
When the thrill of learning becomes your fuel, success will follow naturally.
Keep that hunger alive.
