Notes from a Tech Journey | Santosh Janardhan | TEDxFruitvale Avenue Youth

Navigating Life's Challenges

• SOS shares his experiences from working in demanding tech companies like PayPal, eBay, YouTube, Google, and Meta.
• He emphasizes the importance of finding alternative outlets and stress relief to balance the 24/7 nature of tech jobs.
• SOS describes his experience preparing for and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, highlighting the significance of teamwork and support.
• He stresses the importance of not going through challenges alone and emphasizes the value of having friends and family for support.
• SOS encourages open communication and having fun together, even in challenging situations.
• He shares an example of how porters on Mount Kilimanjaro maintain a positive attitude despite carrying heavy loads and encourages everyone to let their guard down and enjoy the moment.

Conflict Resolution and Communication

• SOS emphasizes the importance of conflict resolution and active listening, especially when opinions differ.
• He highlights the power of listening and understanding in resolving conflicts and achieving goals.

Achieving Success

• Diversity is important for success. A team with diverse skills and backgrounds is more likely to achieve its goals.
• Don't be afraid of chaos. It is a precursor to greatness.
• Don't worry about finding the "one thing" you should do with your life. Most people don't find it until later in life.
• Embrace mistakes. They are a sign that you are trying hard.
• Learn from your mistakes and try again.
• Take risks. The more shots you take, the more likely you are to succeed.
• Use the resources available to you to learn and grow.
• Coding is a valuable skill that can be learned by anyone with practice.

Personal Growth and Resilience

• The world has a sympathetic ear for a short time, but people won't listen to you complain forever.
• Fix more and whine less.
• Life is what you make it. If you give more, it gives back more.
• Don't be obsessed with finding the exact center of your life. Just keep navigating and you will eventually reach your goals.
• The journey is 1% finished for all of us. Focus on navigating the other 99% and don't dwell on the past.