Chapter Content
Okay, so, uh, where do I even begin? I guess let's start with the background, right? I mean, growing up... it wasn't exactly a walk in the park. I was raised in a single-parent home, you know? My mom, she was a total rockstar. Juggling work, school, raising me and my brother... it was a lot. We were basically latchkey kids from pretty young, you know, just learning to take care of ourselves.
And yeah, there were definitely challenges, but, hey, everyone's got their stuff, right? And honestly, looking back, those challenges? They really helped shape me, you know, in a lot of ways.
We were, like, a poor immigrant family, really. My dad, he was a pharmacist back in India, but when we came to the States, his degree just wasn't recognized. So he ended up working in a hardware store. So, yeah, not exactly the most privileged upbringing, no fancy schools or anything. My parents, uh, they split up later on too. But, even with all that, my mom, she gave us this incredible, unconditional love. Like, without a doubt, always there. And when you've got nothing, you know, knowing that someone, at least one person, just loves you no matter what? It really does wonders for your self-esteem, you know?
We lived in this kind of rough neighborhood in New York. The library? That was basically my after-school hangout. I'd head straight there after school, just stay until they closed, and then head home. That was pretty much my daily routine.
I wasn't, you know, super confident when we first moved to America. I was pretty young, didn't really have any friends. So I just spent a lot of time reading. Books were my best friends, really. And hey, they are amazing, because you're basically getting to hang out with the smartest thinkers from the last few thousand years, all sharing their wisdom with you, you know?
My first job? It was working for this, like, totally illegal catering company. I was, like, fifteen, riding around in the back of a van, delivering Indian food. Even before that, I was, you know, delivering newspapers, washing dishes in restaurants, the whole nine yards.
In New York, I was nobody. Just some immigrant kid trying to make a living. But then, I got into Stuyvesant High School, and that totally changed everything. I mean, it was like winning the lottery. Going from blue-collar to white-collar in one shot. Just boom.
I went to Dartmouth, studied economics and computer science. I even thought I was going to become an economics professor at one point, you know?
Nowadays? I'm an investor. I've invested in, like, two hundred companies or something. I advise some companies, sit on the boards of others. And I'm also a small partner in a crypto fund, because I'm a huge believer in the potential of crypto, you know? And I'm always exploring new ideas, always working on side hustles, that's for sure.
Oh, and, of course, I'm the founder and chairman of AngelList.
So, you know, I came from nothing. I was lost and confused for a long time. And now, I'm, you know, financially comfortable and, more importantly, happy. And I've worked really hard to get here.
I've learned a few things along the way, picked up some lessons, some principles. And I've tried to, you know, put my thoughts down in writing, hoping they'll inspire you in some way. Because, really, I can't teach anyone anything. I can only, you know, hopefully offer a little bit of inspiration, maybe a few soundbites that stick with you.