A Postcard from Gaurav

IIT Kharagpur → Data Scientist
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Gaurav
A Postcard from Gaurav IIT Kharagpur → Data Scientist

Hey,

I'm writing this from my desk in a tech company, where I get paid to teach machines how to predict things. Seven years ago, I had no idea this job existed. Ten years ago, I was a student like you — just trying to figure out the next step, and honestly, still trying to figure things out today.

I chose engineering because I liked math and I liked figuring out how things worked. That was it. I didn't have a master plan. I didn't know what "data science" meant. I didn't know what AI was. I just kept saying yes to things that pulled me — a project here, a course there, a question that wouldn't leave my head.

Engineering didn't give me a job. It gave me a toolkit. A way of thinking. Once you learn to break a hard problem into smaller ones, you can apply it to anything — building software, running a company, solving problems in your own village.

I've worked at Zomato, at OLA, and now at a global logistics company. I've published research in top conferences like ICASSP. I help build Saarthi alongside my work. None of these were on any list I was shown in Class 10.

Here's what I want you to know: you don't need to know your destination at 15. I didn't. Most of the people I admire didn't either. You just need to pick a direction, walk honestly, and stay curious. Engineering is one such direction — wide, forgiving, and full of doors you can't even see yet.

If you love asking "how does this work?" — you'll be fine here.

— Gaurav · IIT Kharagpur, 2021 · Data Scientist