Learning from interviewing a tech candidate

Following were some of my learning while interviewing a tech guy: 1. Give the case study some more structure and how you think about this problem structurally with all its constraints before optimizing it. 2. start with unit economics and then scale it for larger scale. e.g. start solving the theorem from unity and then lead it further.

Doing 1 uncomfortable thing daily: Day 9 - Over express yourself

Everywhere - be it office setting or home or personal setting on phone, there are only those few moments where I am expressing myself well or a lot. Most of the time, I am a passive listener and do not worry about being insecure and need to express myself a lot more. The ideas is to express myself and make sure I am hear and my opinion is taken into account. This is really important from the point that lots of time it is generally the bullshit which is happening which does not grow your knowledge and helps you grow. Hence, it is more than important to start expressing yourself. Take this learning from the way mummy talks about her day and things that she has done. This really helps open things up and not fill space with silence plus it creates a more amicable and fun culture around you.

Better solitary voice - sitting position dilema

Do I have a better opinion and voice when I am alone to be the representative? Here is the situation - day 0, 4 ppl in the room and I kept wondering about my sitting position and hwo I was behaving in that position. I constantly thought over it and iterated. Day 1, I was the only guy towads the advice marketplace and thoughou the interqctiion I didn't even notice that I was stitting in which posture. It was a very new after thought that I didn't even realize the sitting position once I was port of the discussion actively and not passively. Passively brings out the sad over thinking aspect of the person.

Doing 1 uncomfortable thing daily: Day 8 - Build strong opinion on certain thing and defend them

Off late I have noticed myself that I have not be taking strong views on things especially related to office and work. I used to have a strong view of how things have been done in the past and how things have to be done be it from a process stand point or from a user standpoint. Somehow, with 2 more team members I have just deferred to their view of things rather than taking a strong person view on things. This is important as slowly I will just go sit in meetings and go along with consensus. Start having strong views about things and what needs to be done and what can not be done. Have points to back up your views and decisions. This will require more thinking effort from you and at the same time a strong sense of understanding as to when to let it go and when not to let it go. Start conversations at home and build viewpoints, build ideas but start creating a mental framework of evaluating thoughts and ideas. Lets see how I fare in this challenge.

Doing 1 uncomfortable thing daily: Day 7 - Be fierce in the battlefield

This challenge is something more symbolic and it stuck to me today - Today as usual I was in the meeting contemplating on long term things while the team was discussion on some minute details of some particular aspect of one of the ideas. This is when I realized that this is the battle ground for me and if I do not fight it out here then where else will I fight it out. Also not just fighting for the sake of fighting but also from the point of view that I am building a skill at looking at an opportunity from multiple angles and how to critically analyse it. So this has to be my training ground of asking touch questions and how to get answers around that. Secondly, I should leave a legacy that I fought fiercely in the battle and not like a normal person or not like a silent spectator. I want to be known as somebody who fought well. So here is the challenge, fight fiercely and not be a timid person in the room!

Story of a Syrian girl living the life of a refugee in Turkey

This is the story of a girl I spoke to on Opentalk. She was studying Civil Engineering while residing in Aleppo 4 years back. This is when ISIS entered Aleppo and she was forced to leave her home and her belongings to save her life (part of her family is still living in Syria). It has been 3 years now that she has been in Turkey as a refugee. She speaks only 20% Turkish and only few words of English. Initial few months were really difficult as they had to live off the government aid and could not take of themselves much. However, things got slowly better as she got work as a volunteer for looking after the refugees and immigration department. This is anyhow much far away from what she has studied to become. However, in the last 6 months, things have gone from bad to worse. The Turkish government has cancelled the work permit for the refugees so they are not able to work and earn a living. This is really troublesome as most of them do not speak Turkish or English very well and can not get a job without a work permit. She aspires to do a masters however, that requires money. So She has been looking for work and using applications like Opentalk to improve her fluency in English and become a better speaker.

Doing 1 uncomfortable thing daily: Day 6 - Be mentally strong and positive

Here are more details about this challenge. Somehow, over the last few months, I have just submitted to my fate. As an extension, have been cursing myself thinking as if I have been victimized into doing what I am doing and in the state that I am in right now. This is not a comfortable position first because neither am I taking control and changing things nor I am happy about the way things are. What this has led to is that I am no longer happy and nor do I feel in control. This has cause my health to take a backseat and just constantly worry over stuff that I have no control on. Hence, the challenge that I have to be mentally strong and be positive in the situations. Do not look back or regret. Just keep looking in front and be super positive. There will downtimes but ensure that you are always thinking positive and the narrative is always adding more experience and better experience to you rather than the other way around. Hence, the uncomfortable thing that lets move forward and keep improving things as they are. There is no point in going back and sulking about things. So be mentally strong and deal with things.