# 2024 Review ### Major Highlights * **Bukuwarung (YC S21):** * Left Bukuwarung because of unfair circumstances despite being a top performer and pushing boundaries in backend development. Professionally, I identify as a data engineer. * **British Petroleum (BP):** * I joined BP as a senior data engineer (remote). * Faced challenges working with the worst team of my career: * I went six months without coding for office tasks (a first in my career). * Previously, I had never experienced more than a two-day gap in coding. * Despite challenges, I had time to explore personal interests and goals. * **Preparation for IITH:** * Choose to prepare for the IITH Master’s in Machine Learning entrance exam instead of taking the easier route of travelling, reading, or watching shows. * Successfully gained admission by clearing the written exam (similar to GATE but with easy-to-medium complexity questions) and an interview. * This was a significant academic achievement, as I hadn’t studied formally since 2018. * ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1735771652956/f54ddba1-4b64-4432-bfe3-5c095e99e9aa.jpeg align="center") * **Running Goals:** * Maintained a consistent running routine for 8 months: * Ran ~4 times a week with an average pace of 7’18” (worst) to 5’50” (best). * Covered 2.2 km per session—good progress for a beginner. * Set a goal for 2025: increase to 3.2 km per session with an average pace of 6’10” (worst). ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1735771415281/74ad671d-c1d8-49da-8dc6-9f03179e7949.jpeg align="center") * **First Bike Trip:** * I undertook my first bike trip with my friend Archit. * Rode almost 200 km in a single day despite having never ridden a bike before. * This was a unique and special milestone. ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1735771209848/6fbb254f-4f2d-41e0-88bc-28147a2033ee.jpeg align="center") * **BP Contract Non-Renewal:** * BP unexpectedly refused to renew my contract at the last moment. * I learned that managers often prioritize salesmanship and marketing inefficient code over actual skills and performance. * **Weight Loss:** * Lost 8 kg in the first two months of this phase—a personal health victory. * **Tech Upgrade** * bought a new laptop, a tablet, and a monitor. --- ### Major Learnings * **On Career and Side Hustles:** * Life is unpredictable and unfair; you never know when you might lose your job. * Stop relying solely on your primary job and develop a side hustle to diversify your income sources. * **On Measurement and Improvement:** * "Whatever gets measured gets"managed"—tracking metrics helped improve: * Running speed. * Focus hours and productivity. * Screen time management. * Sleep duration and quality. * Daily steps and calorie consumption. * **Stress Management:** * Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) can significantly boost testosterone levels and is a game-changer for stress relief. * **Learning from Academic Challenges:** * Avoid passive learning methods like blindly copying notes—it’s ineffective. * I realized the importance of active engagement when I scored a B-grade in machine learning, which was disappointing after a history of straight-A grades. * Getting into IIT is easier, but surviving there is far more challenging. * Damn!! Normal distribution is everywhere. * ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1735773199287/97477e69-7bb2-42c3-9935-7a756b61becf.jpeg align="center") * **Self-Reflection:** * I recognized a lack of sheer determination for the things I truly want to achieve. * I learned that doing hard things builds confidence and resilience. * **Resilience and emotional growth:** * Developed greater resilience compared to previous years; now able to handle setbacks without overthinking or worrying excessively. * Stopped attaching negative emotions like frustration, sadness, and disappointment to work or learning activities—this shift has made learning more enjoyable. * **Academic and Personal Achievements:** * I completed my first semester at IITH. * I learned to master hard concepts and became better at tackling difficult subjects. ### Things I Will Discontinue * **Productivity Overload:** * Avoid reading excessive productivity content, as it leads to "tutorial hell." * Focus on practicing existing habits instead of constantly consuming new strategies. * **Sleep Habits:** * Stop sleeping late at night by identifying cues that trigger bad habits. * **Task Delegation:** * Get out of the mindset of doing menial tasks. * Focus on delegating them or raising the bar for engineering excellence. * **Overstretching:** * Avoid forcing focus when distracted—take breaks to refresh and reset. * **Dopamine Detox:** * Stop pursuing dopamine detox strategies excessively. * **Passive Learning:** * Discontinue passive learning. * Leverage tools like ChatGPT/Claude to regularly build practical projects instead. --- ## What could have been done better? * I could have travelled more during the initial first 4 months instead of just doing menial work; nothing helped me in life. I wasted time, I believe. * Instead of a B grade, I could have got a straight A. If leveraged, the correct strategies * plan out in advance * active learning strategies * Increase speed. * Stronger intent and better intensity on how badly I want something. * Product Thinking instead of learning a technology and spending hours working on bits and pieces, identify a product idea, build it, and then deep dive. * Becoming a people person and handling corporate politics like a pro. * Self-branding and will consistently write more technical blogs. --- ### Inspirations * **Prof. J. Saketha Nath (IITH Faculty):** * Taught machine learning with a focus on convex optimization and linear algebra basics. * Conducts lectures without supplementary materials (books/slides), writing flawlessly on the board. * Uses sarcasm effectively to highlight mistakes, which left a lasting impression. * **Prof. P.N. Karthik (IITH Faculty):** * He taught probability and stochastic processes with exceptional dedication. * Inspired a strong interest in research through his teaching and personal research contributions. * **My Sister:** * Currently pursuing a PhD with one patent and one published research work. * Has two additional research works in progress, serving as a motivating example of academic excellence. --- ## Gratitude * My family * My friends, close and acquaintances,  * Living close to nature * My mind, body, and soul. ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1735772833914/da085648-1580-4bdd-ba40-f21d57e1d771.jpeg align="center") ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1735772852321/0301261c-93de-4fe7-a49e-d69df4821543.jpeg align="center") ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1735772878035/d8537d54-f408-431a-b1a1-30659e41cf4c.jpeg align="center") Cheers for the next year!