Co-founder & CEO, Virtualness, GenAI+blockchain platform to authenticate “moments that matter” | Board Director | Obsessed about enabling diverse leaders
Rajesh Setty 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐲. For those who know Rajesh, 19X author, when he asks, the answer is “yes!” His Q: “After all these accomplishments behind you, how do you keep yourself to operate with a beginner’s mind, always hungry, always curious, learning from everyone you meet?” I believe there is more in the frontview mirror than in the rearview. I’ll answer the question from three perspectives: business, practical & personal. 👉 From the business perspective, I’ve learned that one needs to 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 My first job after my MS in Computer Engineering at Syracuse University was with Silicon Graphics (SGI). SGI was what OpenAI is today — one of the hottest companies that seemed to be at the center of everything consequential. SGI high-performance computers powered the Human Genome Project, Landing on Mars, Jurassic Park & more. A highly profitable $2B+, 9000+ people company. Well, decades after, it no longer exists. The office I used to work out of is now the Google campus. Sun Microsystems was a competitor. Sun’s campus is now Facebook’s campus. I worked from there when I relocated to HQ. Behind the FB logo at FB HQ is the original Sun logo. A daily reminder that needs to constantly stay in touch with consumer needs, stay ahead of tech trends, innovate, reinvent or become irrelevant. Chk out Virtualness for how we are innovating to ensure ownership and verification in this world of deep fakes and forgery! 👉 From a practical perspective, as Neeraj Sagar, CEO, WisdomCircle, drilled into me, 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 We’ll live to be 80 & beyond unless something untoward happens. I’ve decades of learning & impact ahead of me. Learning comes from every quarter. - From those who have traversed similar paths before me. I’m grateful to stand on their shoulders. - From those who are companions. I’m grateful to have them in my village. - From the next generation, I learn so much! My INKTalks with Lakshmi Pratury is titled MC(square). My Children, My Coaches. 👉 From a personal perspective, the realization that 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 My mother didn’t have the opportunity to finish her high school education. Her parents said she only needs enough math to do the grocery bill. Her brother got a post graduate degree. My mother is smarter & wiser than I’ll ever be. I’m painfully aware that there are many women, men & people of all gender identities who still don’t have the choices I do. With that realization comes the responsibility to make things that much better in ways I can. To Rajesh and to LinkedIn fam, Q: How do YOU operate with a #beginner’s #mind? - Pic from afternoon tea, 30 Women in Power, Rashtrapati Bhavan with the President of India. One of those #reflection moments of the change possible
Ashima Kohli
2w
Thank you Kirthiga Reddy for sharing different perspectives especially the personal perspective. Being grateful for the current opportunity (for tomorrow is unknown), respecting all the contributors, being a student of life and for a lifetime Please teach me on how you juggle all the balls including travel and keep moving ahead 🙏
Rajesh Setty
2w
Thank you so much for sharing this, Kirthiga 🙏 My approach is to always be in the mode of "learning to grow more" I explain it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/jTSSNIjeqsU 🙏
Love this! Learning can never stop, even after your incredible success, it’s so endearing to see you still going out there with the energy and enthusiasm of a newbie! So much to learn and imbibe.
Kirthiga - I love this! Resonates a lot. I too live under constant apprehension of going irrelevant; that feeling drives me to learn continuously, to consume copius amount of content and ensures that I stay humble while also pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I must admit, your story reminds me of my mother. She was pissed that she was denied opportunities she very well deserved, but that made her fight fiercely for me and my siblings. She simply did so much for me that I cant let her down. :)
I can relate to your personal life perspective more than anything else. My Mom became a widow at the young age of 40. With 3 daughters and me, the last child with no education and skills to manage the situation. I am eternally thankful to my Mom and sisters for having given me a college education to help me define my future.
Great insights !
Such a great answer, you are so inspiring! BTW, I didn't know about SGI - I used to visit them back when I was running the labs at PC Week. Remember their flying dragon demo? They were so ahead of their time! Oh yeah and PC Week was like 4 reinventions ago on my side!
Learning is a never-ending process, and you always need to be curious and hungry to learn more and more. As the market keeps evolving, we need to adapt and learn new technologies, strategies, and perspectives to achieve growth.
Great insights Kirthiga Reddy thanks for sharing!
Chief Innovations / Strategy Officer | Machine Learning | AI | Data Science | IOT | Cloud | Web3 | Blockchain | Metaverse | AR | VR | Digital Twin | EV Charging | Entrepreneur | Angel Investor | Mentor
2wReflecting on my time working with SGI at Pentafour, it was truly groundbreaking. SGI's machines were way ahead of their time, enabling us to develop cutting-edge graphics for movies. Even after nearly three decades, I still miss the raw power and capabilities of those systems. If SGI had survived and continued to innovate, I believe they would be leading in real-time rendering, virtual production, and AI-assisted graphics creation today. SGI's advanced graphics and high-performance computing would have positioned it as a key player in the AI revolution, driving innovations across various industries. However, SGI's fate is a reminder to always operate with a beginner's mind. No matter how advanced a technology or company may be, there's always room for growth, learning, and adaptation. This mindset helps me stay relevant and excited about new developments in the field, even as I fondly remember the past. In this rapidly evolving tech landscape, maintaining a beginner's mind is essential for continued growth and relevance. Thank you for prompting this reflection Kirthiga Reddy Rajesh Setty