I worked in top end software engineering jobs, ended up as CTO of a second tier Indian company and led teams of engineers from all tier colleges; then worked as an entrepreneur and involved / employed a number of engineers from tier-1 colleges, till recently, when I took a break from work for a couple of years.

I am not a graduate. I did my Class 12th in PCM from a good school in an unheard of city. I scored 56% in PCM in finals. I provide these details to establish that I am eligible to answer this question.

So, how can you get a top end software engineering job if you've graduated from a tier-3 engineering college. This is my advice:

You need to be lucky.

This means two things in order.

1. You need to be Extraordinarily well Prepared.
   
2. You need to look for Opportunities without fear.

Above point is the most important point of all. You cannot do anything without Luck which is nothing but Preparedness + Opportunity.

I do have a small suggestion: Be Prepared First. Do not dedicate a portion of your time to look for opportunities and another portion to prepare.

No.

Be Prepared First. Make peace with your current station in life, hopefully a job in the same field, even if it is less than perfect and Prepare. Prepare early morning. Prepare on your way, Prepare in your breaks - coffee breaks, lunch breaks, gym breaks, walking breaks. Prepare in the evening. When you want to take breaks, use something that still prepares you. A bad example: If you want to give your brain a break from algorithms, memorize multiplication tables of prime numbers.

Those tier-1 college graduates are not taking any short cuts. They have crossed a stage of disciplined preparation earlier than you. Most of them have imbibed the discipline well enough that even when they slip, they won't fall too low, but it is possible to catch up or overtake them. I do not recommend such comparisons as an approach to life My point is, you need to prepare better than they did. Take that as a benchmark.

You will know when you are prepared enough.

You need to be alone, (or find someone to be alone with)

Your biggest disadvantage is not your college. It is irrelevant. Your biggest disadvantage is your circle. Where you are, is not the place, the most motivated of the youth are.

I am an introvert. Combined with the fact that I never went to college at all, my friend circle was non existent. I was managing teams when my peers were still studying. My problems (like how to ask older engineers to consider alternative approaches) and my interests (like solving one of the million dollars problems in Math) were completely incompatible with my friends' (where to copy the next assignment from). We enjoyed our ice-creams together, but I was not allowed to talk shop.

Over years, I have made friends with varied backgrounds ,and I have realized that even friendless, I was better off than those with bad friend circles.

If your friends insist that you are losing out in life by not drinking and not smoking - then a friendless loner who is always seen with a book, and has no friends, is better off than you.

If your friends taunt you because you like to work more and party less - or because you enjoy brain teasers - then that guy who solved a rubik on his own, and who is constantly made fun of, because he stammers - He is better off than you.

Your circle consists of people you call friends, but they are not all necessarily so. Some of them actively spread negativity due to their own emotional immaturity. Their need to grow up is their problem, not yours.

Ruthlessly remove such friends from your life.

I know this is hard advice, but curating your circle seems to be important to me. You end up with fewer friends and more acquaintances, but that was the truth anyway; you were just labeling relationships incorrectly.

You need to be fearless

When you are Prepared enough, you will dazzle people and you will know it. At least sometimes. Now, dazzle the right people.

Once you are prepared, getting selected in a top-end software job interview is not a problem. I can vouch for it. I have done it myself and I have seen multiple people do it. If you are dazzlingly prepared, you will get selected - tie-1 college or no college - two rounds of interview, or eight rounds of interview - getting selected is not a problem.

The problem is initially getting the call. When they sift through resumes, they reject non graduates (or in your case, tier-3 graduates). For the HR executive, you are a row in an excel sheet with a column which does not say IIT. But for the manager looking for a 'rockstar engineer' you are Gold. He wants you. He needs you. Do not be embarrassed or scared to approach him. Ask for an opportunity to interview for their firms.

Be Professional and Bold in your approach.

Do not worry too much about 'how to be professional'. Becoming Extraordinarily Prepared exposes you to the right kind of professionalism. You will know how to ask politely. Remember to not be afraid. Remember that they need you too.

Do not worry too much about 'where to find such opportunities / people'. Becoming Extraordinarily Prepared exposes you to the world of opportunities. They exist around you even today, but you can't see them because they are not applicable to you - simply because you are not prepared for them.

Focus on being Extraordinarily Prepared.

Create your own Luck. Slowly, but steadily.

Low Income?

Startup/Business Terms II

MOIC (Multiple on Invested Capital)

Formula: MOIC = (Investment Value + Gains) / Initial Investment
Definition: Ratio of returns to initial investment.

IRR (Internal Rate of Return)
Definition: Annualized return an investor earns on an investment.

COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)
Formula: COGS = Beginning Inventory + Purchases - Ending Inventory
Definition: Direct costs associated with making a product.

NPS (Net Promoter Score)
Formula: NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors
Definition: Measures customer satisfaction and loyalty.

D2C (Direct-to-Consumer)
Definition: Business model where brands sell directly to customers.

B2B (Business-to-Business)
Definition: Companies selling products/services to other businesses.

B2C (Business-to-Consumer)
Definition: Companies selling products/services to individuals.

MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue)
Formula: MRR = Subscription revenue per month
Definition: Revenue from subscriptions in a given month.

ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)
Formula: ARR = MRR × 12
Definition: Yearly revenue generated from subscriptions.

Valuation
Definition: The financial worth of a startup based on funding and market position.

Dilution (Equity Dilution)
Definition: Decrease in ownership percentage when new shares are issued.

Convertible Note
Definition: A loan that turns into equity during a funding round.

Pre-Money Valuation
Definition: A startup’s valuation before a new investment.

Post-Money Valuation
Formula: Post-Money Valuation = Pre-Money Valuation + New Investment
Definition: A startup’s valuation after receiving an investment.

SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity)
Definition: An investment contract that converts into equity in the future.

Term Sheet
Definition: A document outlining key deal terms between a startup and an investor.

Cap Table (Capitalization Table)
Definition: A record of company ownership, including shares and investors.

Vesting
Definition: Process where employees earn their shares over time.

Cliff
Definition: A period before equity starts vesting.

Pro Rata Rights
Definition: The right of an investor to maintain their percentage ownership.

Down Round
Definition: A funding round where a startup’s valuation decreases.

Bridge Round
Definition: Temporary funding to sustain operations before a major funding round.

Gross Profit
Formula: Gross Profit = Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold
Definition: Revenue left after deducting direct costs of production.

Operating Profit (EBIT - Earnings Before Interest & Taxes)
Formula: Operating Profit = Revenue - Operating Expenses
Definition: Profit after accounting for all operating expenses.

Net Profit Margin
Formula: Net Profit Margin = (Net Profit / Revenue) × 100
Definition: Measures how much profit a company makes after all expenses.

Break-even Point
Formula: Break-even = Fixed Costs / (Price - Variable Cost)
Definition: Sales volume needed to avoid losses.

ROI (Return on Investment)
Formula: ROI = (Net Profit / Investment Cost) × 100
Definition: Measures profitability of an investment.

Bootstrapping
Definition: A startup funding itself without outside capital.

Freemium Model
Definition: A business model where basic services are free but premium features cost money.

Viral Coefficient
Formula: Viral Coefficient = Referrals Per User × Conversion Rate
Definition: The rate at which new users join due to existing users.

Unit Economics
Definition: Revenue and cost per customer or unit.

Pivot
Definition: A major shift in a startup’s business model.

Unicorn
Definition: A privately held startup worth over $1 billion.

Decacorn
Definition: A privately held startup valued at over $10 billion.

Cockroach Startup
Definition: A startup that focuses on long-term survival rather than fast growth.

Blue Ocean Strategy
Definition: A strategy to create uncontested market space.

Red Ocean Strategy
Definition: A strategy to compete in an established industry.

StartUp Business Terms I

Startup/Business Terms

EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization)
Formula: EBITDA = Revenue - Operating Expenses
Definition: Measures core business profitability before non-operating costs.

PAT (Profit After Tax)
Formula: PAT = Net Profit - Taxes
Definition: Net income after deducting taxes from profit.

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
Formula: CAC = Sales & Marketing Expenses / New Customers
Definition: Cost of acquiring a single new customer.

HoReCa (Hotels, Restaurants, and Catering)
Definition: Industry category covering food & beverage businesses.

TAM (Total Addressable Market)
Definition: Maximum revenue opportunity for a product/service.

SAM (Serviceable Available Market)
Definition: The part of TAM a business can serve with its current offerings.

SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)
Definition: The realistic market share a company can achieve.

GMV (Gross Merchandise Value)
Formula: GMV = Total Sales Price of Goods
Definition: Total sales value of goods sold via a platform.

LTV (Customer Lifetime Value)
Formula: LTV = (ARPU × Gross Margin %) / Churn Rate
Definition: Expected revenue from a customer over their lifetime.

ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)
Formula: ARPU = Revenue / Total Users
Definition: Average revenue generated per customer.

Churn Rate
Formula: Churn Rate = (Lost Customers / Total Customers) × 100
Definition: Percentage of customers lost over a period.

Burn Rate
Formula: Burn Rate = Monthly Operating Expenses
Definition: The rate at which a company spends its cash reserves.

Runway
Formula: Runway = Cash Reserves / Burn Rate

Definition: Number of months a startup can operate before running out of money. 

Startup/Business Terms II

There’s a concept in the startup ecosystem called..........

 There’s a concept in the startup ecosystem called product-market fit.

In essence, product-market fit is the degree to which a company’s offering (product) satisfies customer demand (market).

Product market fit is evident when it is happening. Customers are clamoring for the product. You can’t keep up with demand. It is also evident when it is not happening.

But the key piece to observe is that no company has product-market fit from day one. They have to find it through continuous experimentation. Some even entirely modify their offering, known as a “pivot”.

Some companies have a greater degree of product-market fit when they start, others have lesser fit. The ones who win are those that keep experimenting, listening to customers, modifying their offering, mastering their strengths.

In your career, you are the product and the variety of jobs are the market. You bring your skills to the table, and the jobs market responds by finding a place for your skills.

Product market fit is evident when it is happening. Companies are clamouring for your work. You enjoy work and you’re learning. Your colleagues love working with you. It is also evident when it is not happening.

But the key piece to notice is that nobody has product-market fit from day one. You have to find it through continuous experimentation. Some even entirely modify their product, known as a “career switch”.

Some people have a greater degree of product-market fit when they start, others have lesser fit. The ones who work out what career is best are those that keep experimenting, listening to people, modifying their offering, mastering their strengths.

-Aviral Bhatnagar

Startup Terms

I was earlier working as an..........

 I was earlier working as an Assistant Manager in Union Bank of India. Life was a bit hectic there with regular follow ups from almost everyone including customers, Manager, Management etc Making things worse. Fast forward five years, today I'm working as AEO in Directorate and the life is much better now.

Here’s my story.

I had cleared CGL 16 examination but I got rejected because of Wrong ticket number. I appeared again and got Accountant CGA in 2017 which I didn't join as I was already working as an officer and didn't get posting of my choice. I re-appeared for one last time and got selected a Examiner in CBIC through CGL 2018 Exam. While I was busy with physicals and post result formalities from CBIC, I got a letter from SSC That I have won the Case and got allotted Assistant Enforcement Officer in ED through my 2016 examination. That was really a moment of euphoria for me.

I preferred ED to Examiner because of the 2016 batch seniority I'll be getting in ED and also because ED was always my dream post. Life has really changed. I'm posted in Headquarters which is like 15kms from my home and takes just 35-40 minutes to reach whereas I was 1800 kms away in Bank for 4 years. It is a 5 days a week job and very peaceful as compared to Bank.

I'm yet to go on a raid but I'm sure the day is not far when I'll be raiding someone. All my batchmates have been promoted and I'm expecting the same once I'm done with my probation period. There is a reason why AEO in ED is one of the most sort after post from CGL.

I feel satisfied with my job and feel all the hardwork was worth it.

“Excellence is nobody's monopoly” If you work hard and your efforts are sincere then there is nobody that can stop you from getting your dream post.

All the best to all the aspirants for future exams. Keep dreaming.

Thanks for all the upvotes.

Edit :

1. Why I got rejected? Their was a column for Ticket Number where I wrote an Extra 1. So Because of Wrong Ticket Number, I got rejected.

1. Promotions: AEO in ED has best promotions when it comes to CGL jobs. After completion of 3 years you'll be promoted to EO and after completing 2 years as EO you'll be eligible for promotion to Assistant Director which is a Group A post. Restructuring is on cards and you might see more vacancies in ED in coming years. Overall promotion wise best job.
2. Transfer and Posting : Except for CGL 2017, they've never asked for preferences and posting is done randomly. But you can apply for transfer to your homestate after completion of 3 years on grounds such as Medical Emergency , Spouse etc. You will be transferred on promotion. I find this better than CBIC and CBDT because their you have to stay at a particular place. Here their is a hope that you'll return to you're homestate after sometime.
3. Work life Balance - It depends on which post you are working and what station you are posted at. At lower posts and at busier stations, it is drudgery like any government job. At smaller station and higher posts you enjoy more power and work is not much.Being an investigative agency, its work includes field work and that may sometimes lead to some scary situations for officers involved. But mostly financial investigation is about paperwork, files, excel sheets and spending long hours finding money trail. Some people are good at it and enjoy work. Others simply do as much is expected from them and no more. I Hope I've answered all of your questions. You are free to ask any doubts if you still have any.

-Sameer Kumar

Take a moment to look around—do most people seem to......

 Take a moment to look around—do most people seem to have their lives sorted?

• If yes, seek them out and learn from their experiences. With so many sorted individuals, you’ll easily find someone who can offer guidance.
• If not, it’s time to take a different approach. Many people find themselves:
  • Stuck in unhealthy habits.
  • Distracted by social media.
  • Wasting time on mindless entertainment.

By avoiding these common traps, you create space for a more sorted and meaningful life.

Now That You Have Time, How Do You Get Your Life Sorted?

A truly sorted person doesn’t run from problems—they face them head-on. While most people try to escape challenges, those who sort out their lives actively seek solutions. Invest your time in building valuable skills, whether it’s coding, engineering, medicine, or any field that excites you. Take action, keep learning, and let your expertise grow.

Interestingly, financial success will come naturally—even if getting rich wasn’t your goal.

Now That You Have Stability, How Do You Stay Sorted?

Many people spend their earnings chasing luxury, believing it will make their lives feel sorted. But the truth is, no matter how much you acquire, unfulfilled desires will always remain. The secret to a truly sorted life is knowing what truly matters—meeting your needs without getting lost in excess.

Simplicity, focus, and purpose will keep your life truly sorted, no matter where you are.

Life is Hard

 My friend Sofia suffered a lot in her life. Her parents passed away when she was seven, and since then, she had lived with her uncles and their families.

Most people in the family saw her as a burden and resented her presence in their lives. They even did their best to make her life miserable.

Sofia grew up feeling spineless. She lost her confidence and courage. She felt abandoned and had no self-respect. She often went hungry, but no one cares for her.

Her personality was damaged, and she felt worthless. Even for the smallest things, she needed someone's approval and validation.

For her, life seemed unbearably hard.

After her parents’ death, her uncles inherited all their property since she was a minor. Over time, they started spending it as if it were their own.

One day, while drowning in her miseries and shedding tears, Sofia suddenly had a thought - she was no longer a minor. She had every right to question her uncles about her parents' property.

Summoning every ounce of courage, she stood in front of them, demanding answers. Everyone was shocked. At first, they tried to ignore her, but when she warned them that she would consult a lawyer, they all surrendered.

Suddenly, their behaviour changed. They became sweet to her.

For the first time, Sofia, who had lived like an orphan, felt empowered at the age of 25. She fought for herself, sought legal help, and had the property transferred to her name. She then moved to a rented house in another city and started working as a receptionist at a hospital.

Life changed - and it became easier the moment she decided to stand up for herself. This proves that life is not as hard as it seems when one makes effort to change it.

Thank you for reading.

Stay Calm!

-AnshuWork or Luck ?

Minimize the number of times you make decisions, every day

 Minimize the number of times you make decisions, every day

I’ve found this to be highly useful, but something few people talk about - largely because people don’t even realize they are doing it.

Decision making is one of our most mentally taxing activities and can add to undue stress. Most of us don’t realize how many decisions we end up making in a day, and it is an unnoticed drain on bodily resources.

We face decisions from the innocuous “what do I wear today?”, to the more pertinent “what do I do now?”, to the impactful “where do I take my life next?”. I have gone through these feelings of being frozen, and immobile, because you’re stuck with deciding what do next.

How do you minimize the number of decisions you make every day? You bunch together similar types of decisions in dedicated time slots.

How do you resolve “what do I wear today”? Spend 30 minutes once a week to decide, and organize your wardrobe. How do you resolve “what do I do now?”. Spend 60 minutes at the beginning of the week to decide, and put it on your calendar. How do you resolve “where do I take my life next”? Spend dedicated time once a quarter to meditate on this question.

This can be literally extended to everything you do. Should you reply to a just arrived email or not? Dedicate time every day to decide on email behaviour. Should you eat something or not? Decide at the beginning of the week. And so on.

What this allows us to do is become incredibly productive. We get focused on the action of the task, rather than the inaction of decision making. There are obviously decisions that need to be taken within a certain period of time, but those are few. The regular decisions go from being instinctive and emotional to being well thought out and objective.

-Aviral Bhatnagar

Average Student

Follow Your Passion

 

UPDATE: The whole point of this article is that the advice “follow your passion” is often misused and misunderstood. The idea of “doing what you like” is good, of course, but many people get the illusion that each person has this innate passion and they just got to find it.

Below is the longer version of the above paragraph.

The idea of finding your passion and making it your life’s work has been romanticized for decades — in Hollywood movies, in modern books and by your aunt.

You know, the little 5-year old who finds a pen and starts drawing meticulous paintings with no effort? Ugh!

I do not disagree that you should love what you do.

But this idea has been sold and represented so unrealistically that its implications did more harm than good.

It took me a few years to realize that what most people mean when they use the word “passion” does not align with the reality.

1. Basketball

Run to the hoop,cross-cut to the three-point line, catch the ball and BANG!

Throwing orange balls into a big hole at 10 feet height has been my first real touch with the so-called passion.

At first, it was just like any other sport such as football or volleyball. But then I started practicing it. After months and months of training, I have slowly started liking basketball.

Soon, I was one of the top players of my age in Armenia and, the more I practiced basketball, the more I fell in love with it.

2. Physics

And then came my intellectual endeavors.

I started attending a Physical-Mathematical specialized school in Armenia. I was attending a physics club two days a week.

Did I like it at first? Nope.

If anything, I had to force myself to study physics at home so I could improve my skills.

But…

After months and even years of extensive practice, physics has become my new passion and I was doing it almost every day. Voila!

3. Writing

At the last periods of my high school, I started writing.

At first, when I was writing college essays, writing only meant dumb words on a piece of paper (or a Google doc). But soon enough, once I got the glimpse of it, writing has become like making melody.

Notice The Pattern:

I have had my other share of skills and they shared one thing in common:

I was absolute crap at all my passions in the beginnings.

Basketball, physics or writing would never have become passions for me if I stopped practicing them. I repeat, NEVER!

It took me months and months of extensive, focused hard-work to get it “clicked” in my head.

Basketball was just an orange ball for throwing into a big hole before I sweated to learn how to play this sport.

Writing was just words and physics was just formulas before I practiced my art every single day.

Passions Are Built — Not Found

You have to put work to see the beauty.

You can’t appreciate the little things that make a painting or the notes that make a melody like a master does.

When you do not put the work, when you do not learn the subtleties and do not dig deep to learn the underlying truths, you just see the surface of things.

Let Go Off The Excuses

Do you know what a teenager excessively romanticized with the idea of inborn passion becomes?

A quitter.

We are strangers to every new skill we practice… And love does not happen to strangers.

Every new skill is dealt with challenges. When you activate your placebo effect — that you have one passion and you just gotta find it — you automatically engage in negative self-talk when you face difficulties.

Instead of continuing to develop the skill and practice on it, many people give up.

“Wait, what? I am not throwing darts in the center on my first day of practice? Man, darts is not my passion. I gotta find mine!”

Photo by Andreas Fidler on Unsplash

Embrace Strengths

This does not mean people do not have strengths and they should pursue anything that comes to their mind.

Neither does it mean we do not have the skills and activities which are more enjoyable to us.

But its extent is highly overrated and most people fail to the trap of“follow-your-passion”.

Instead, build your passion!

Thanks for reading. In case, we haven’t met before, I am Ara Mambreyan :)

Simple Life