IISC or IITB?

I will have a totally different perspective in answering this question.

First of all both the institutes are the top notch institutes of India. And if you talk about quality of education, placements, package etc., then both of them are more or less equal.

The real difference which is there is the culture. One of my professors used to tell us that you are not here just to gather the knowledge, it can be gained from the books, online lectures etc. Rather you are here to learn other important life skills, and learn from your peers. Academics is just a path towards your social development at this institute.

Taking forward from the statement of my professor, I will tell my own analysis about both the institutes.

If you are talking about the Bachelors course, then IIT Bombay is a better choice because IISc is still developing its UG course which is considered to be a new feather in its hat (9 years to be precise) as per IISc standards.

But if you are talking about M. Tech or PhD course. IISc will always win hands down. I am not making this statement out of thin air or just because I am from IISc. Let me explain this to you.

The importance of the degree within the institute is the first parameter on which the institute has to be judged for a particular degree.

There is no doubt that UG students of IIT Bombay have cracked a tougher exam than the PG students. It normally gives them a sense of superiority. Even the professors know this reality and they also act accordingly.

Now, it will not be wrong to mention that in IIT Bombay the most valued course is B.Tech. M.Tech people there have to fight for their existence. Also, UG students outnumber PG students by a huge margin. In IIT Bombay, M.Tech people are nick named as “Matka”. It clearly shows the sense of superiority among the UG students.

Now lets get straight to the point that how IISc wins hands down over IIT Bombay:

Each department at IISc has limited number of PG and PhD students. No UG students at all. IISc admits only one batch of UG (60 nos) students every year and they have completely separate department and building for them. That means UG and PG don’t share any resources.

PG and PhD students are more in number than the UG students at IISc. Hence, unlike IITB, PG people are the king of the institute.

Talking about the student-professor ratio. In IISc it is around 7–8 students per professor. which is around 25–30 in IIT Bombay. Hence, in the most important resource for any institute i.e. Professors, IISc is a clear winner.

Talking about the lifestyle. IISc doesn’t restrict its students in any way. Dining halls are common for both men and women. Women entry is allowed inside the boys hostels. There is no late night entry restrictions in women hostels. The freedom you get at this institute is incomparable. Whereas in IITB, PG students will also be treated like kids coming out of school.

Every department has a huge building infrastructure. M. Tech students get a desk for themselves with a desktop PC, just like you get in a corporate MNC. Even all the PG students spend most of their time in their department labs. We used to go to our hostel rooms, only to sleep. This kind of luxury life, you may not get in IIT Bombay.

I have a lot of other things to say as well, but cutting short to conclusion, if you want to spend your 2 years in PG living like a king then you should definitely join IISc. And it is confirmed that you will be second to UG in IIT Bombay. But you will be second to none at IISc Bangalore.

Last but not the least, the best thing you get at IISc is the peace of life. If you are a peace and nature lover, then definitely IISc is a better place to be at.

PS: Since you are making a life decision. I really advice you to visit both the places before taking any decision. And I hope you will yourself get your answer.

--Nikhil Panwar

All too often, people want specific habits and strategies for self-improvement.

But these questions are inherently flawed.

Because the specific manifestation of a habit or strategy or not universally applicable…but the principles ARE

E.g. While everyone should adhere to the PRINCIPLE of staying physically fit, this will look different for every individual based on their background, body type, and lifestyle. One person might do well with a 5x5 weight lifting routine whereas another prefers a daily trail run.

So, now that you understand the importance of the way you asked your question, here’s my answer…

Principle #1 - Optimize Your Meat Vehicle

At birth, we are all given a vehicle through which we can explore, create, and engage with reality around us — our bodies (or as Joe Rogan calls it, “Your Meat Vehicle”)

And NOTHING, let me repeat…NOTHING will have a bigger impact on the quality and longevity of your life than the way you treat your body.

Therefore, the first and most important self-improvement principle you can follow is to optimize your meat vehicle…while finding a way to balance both performance and pleasure.

The specific way in which you go about optimization is (and should be) intensely personal.

Your body is unique. And for it to perform at the highest levels, the way you treat it must be equally unique.

However, inside of this overarching principle, there are a few “sub principles” to get you moving down the right path.

• Prioritize Recovery: Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night (ideally do a genetic test like 23AndMe or Self-Decoded to determine the exact number of hours you need to perform at your highest levels (and when you should get those hour)…yes, you can find this out by looking at your genes.
• Move More, More Better: I don’t just mean going to the gym and pumping iron (although that’s great). I mean prioritizing movement on a daily basis. Going on more walks, hanging from trees, doing handstands. Engaging every muscle in your body and learning how to efficiently move yourself through space. (Pick up a copy of The Align Method for some great strategies on this). You should work up a good sweat for at least 30-minutes a day, but think bigger than just your workouts.
• Eat Whole Foods: I recommend you do a gut biome test like Viome to get actionable insights into what your body needs. But if you don’t have the cash for something like this, start by simply eating only whole foods for 30-days. Then, as your body adjusts, start to pay attention to how specific foods make you feel and eliminate anything that makes you feel sluggish or low energy from your diet.
• More Nature, Less Bullshit: In your free time, one of the best things you can do for your body is to spend more time in nature. Go for a hike. Swim in a lake. Walk on the beach. Get out of your house and into the real world. The benefits are many.

Principle #2 - Relationships > Money

The second overarching principle I encourage you to follow (based on my own experience with financial success and men in my network with 10-figure net worths) is that you should ALWAYS prioritize high-quality relationships over making money.

I don’t mean that you should not prioritize financial or professional success—you should.

Simply that it should never come at the expense of spending time with people you love.

When it’s all said and done, your relationships matter more than anything else (Harvard proved this empirically with the longest-running study of human behavior/fulfillment ever conducted).

Unless you’re below the poverty line, adding an extra 0 to your bank account won’t improve your life as much as finding the partner of your dreams, building a social circle filled with high caliber people, and going on regular adventures with people you love.

Make money, yes. But make friends, have lovers, and live your life.

You might be surprised to find that you actually make more money in the long run when you do this.

Principle #3 - Mastery is Everything

The simplest and fastest way to become successful is simple…

MASTER a high-income skill that you love.

Devote thousands of hours to honing your craft. Educate yourself on the best practices. Learn, learn, and then learn some more (more on this later).

When you have a highly refined skill that makes other people’s lives easier, you never have to worry about keeping food on the table.

If you can write words that sell…negotiate like an FBI agent…lead people to pursue a joint vision…speak in a way that moves others to action…

You’re set for life.

Find a skill you love and master it.

Master it for the sake of mastery, not for the sake of money. And with enough time, the money will come.

Principle #4 - Move TOWARD Adversity

Today, our lives are far too easy.

We live in comfortable climate-controlled boxes where things like boredom and discomfort are the exception, not the rule.

We can order food, find easy sex, watch endless streams of dopamine-producing content all with the click of a button.

And it’s slowly killing us.

People have become afraid to take risks…terrified of experiencing discomfort…and thrown off by the most minor of setback.

Don’t follow the masses.

Embrace discomfort and move toward adversity.

When you look at the pain you are experiencing in your life, it is ALWAYS a direct reflection of your willingness or unwillingness to embrace discomfort.

If you’re single and lonely…you’ve avoided the pain of rejection.

If you’re broke…you’ve avoided the pain of hard work and acquiring new skills.

If you’re sick and overweight…you’ve avoided the pain of discipline, exercise, and healthy living.

And by moving TOWARD the pain you’ve been avoiding, you can dissipate the pain you are currently experiencing.

No matter what, you have to face pain.

You can choose to face the pain caused by inaction…or the pain of taking action.

One path leads to ruin and regret. The other to liberation and joy.

Pick your pain wisely.

Principle #5 - Remain a Student

No matter who you are or how successful you become…always remain a student.

Never stop learning, growing, and challenging your beliefs and assumptions.

Pursue growth and expansion at every turn and NEVER rest on your laurels.

The perpetual student is alive, engaged with life, and filled by curiosity.

As Henry Ford said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”

Hope this helps.

Stay Grounded,
Andrew

Try using this trick for 7 days and message me personally and let me know if this worked for you.

Using this trick you will go from being a lazy person to a high performer and you will be able to achieve all your goals and will also feel happy and satisfied while doing so.

This is a completely science based technique to make your life better which I have figured out from my very own experience.

We all want to achieve our goals in life, but to achieve them we need to put in the work.

BUT!

But, but , but!

When you get to work, work for a few hours, days or weeks after a while you will start feeling:

1. Less motivated.
2. Less driven to do the work.
3. Loose interest in pursuing your goals.

I have been in a similar cycle, rather than just saying you should overcome these things, lets learn the science behind why we feel less driven after working for a while.

To understand why this happens, I’ve analysed my own behaviour and I’ve analysed the behaviour of others who are driven, disciplined 365 days a year.

Here is how it works:

1. You are inspired by something and start working .
2. You work, everything is going great, you feel good.
3. You work for hours straight, you feel on top of the world because not only are you working but you are also feeling good because of it.
4. By feeling good, your brain is generating happy chemicals to make you feel good.
5. These happy chemicals associate working towards your goal to happiness which means that the more you work the better your feel.
6. After a while, you get mentally exhausted, but still you feel good as you have completed a lot of work.

Now this is where most people FU*K UP!

7. At this point as you are tired, you will take a break which is actually a good thing.

8. As this is your break time, you decide to surf the internet, browse social media, watch a YouTube video.

9. Although there is nothing wrong in doing so, but these activities provide a lot more “feel good” chemicals to your brain than those which you get from working/ studying hard.

Now your brain knows that:

Unit of feel good chemicals gained by YouTube/Netflix etc >(greater than) Unit of feel good chemicals gained by working/studying.

Which means that your mind now knows that it can attain a much higher level of happiness from social media/ Netflix/ YouTube than working hard.

Hence your mind will now be always inclined more towards these activities and you won't be driven to work hard.

Some people completely FU*K this up using other activities like watching porn or consuming alcohol/ nicotine which produce a lot more units of feel good chemicals as compared to what you get by working/studying.

So what's the ninja technique:

Stop doing other activities that provide a sudden spike of feel good chemicals in your brain.

Make your work the only source to get those feel good chemicals.

This way your mind will be automatically programmed and driven to do the work which will be actually beneficial and will take you to your results.

Make a list of all the unproductive things which release the “feel good” chemicals and stop doing them immediately.

These things might include.

1. Surfing social media.
2. YouTube videos.
3. Porn.
4. Eating junk food.
5. Smoking/ Alcohol.
6. Binge watching TV series.

Replace them with more activities that produce the same “feel good” chemical, such activities would be:

1. Working/studying mindfully.
2. Working out.
3. Meditating.

Warning:

Trying this technique will be super hard and boring on the first day as our mind is already wired and addicted to a lot of high “brain chemicals” inducing things.

In the initial few days you will still feel a lot lazier and unmotivated while working but if you continue this habit your mind will start to rewire itself.

If you follow this technique and if it works for you then definitely let me know by sending me a message.

 -Saurav Sharma

I love my parents so much that I will do whatever they want me to do......

Qualities among successful people

My Life Story: 5000 rupees to 500 crores (Last Part)

Read the first part here before proceeding below : First Part

After running the coaching center in Guntur for one year, I had to shut it down.

I moved to Bangalore in search of a job.

Within just one week, I got placed at Cisco.
At that time, I badly needed money, so I joined immediately.

The work was simple for me. Whatever task they gave, I used to finish it in just 1–2 hours.
But I never told them that it was already done.
I waited until the deadline and only updated when they asked me.
That way, I was free for most of the day.

I hardly went to the office.
I was doing everything from home.

Back then in India, GATE coaching was completely offline.
No one was teaching online. Coaching centers were the only way for students to prepare.

I began approaching different institutes. Slowly, they started giving me classes.
My remuneration was ₹3,000 per hour.
On weekends, I used to teach almost 10 hours a day.
Even during festival holidays, when students got long breaks, I used to travel.

For example—
During Durga Puja, students in West Bengal had 10 days holiday. I went to Kolkata and taught there.
Like that, I traveled across India, taking sessions in different cities.

But the coaching centers were small.
At max, I could teach 100–200 students in a room.

One day, I heard about an institute in Delhi.
There, in a single class, at least 500 students would attend at once.

I was excited.
If I got a chance there, it meant my teaching could reach more students.
It also meant recognition. And honestly—I felt it would be fun too.

I applied. A few days later, they called me.

They explained their selection process:
“You’ll get a 3-hour class for problem-solving.
There’s a break after 1.5 hours. If the number of students after the break is the same, and they continue to listen, then you are selected.
If the crowd reduces, you are rejected.”

This was the challenge in front of me.

All this I was doing while still continuing my Cisco job from home.

Now the big question—
Did I get the class or not?

I knew the rule. If students left after the break, I would fail the test and never get a class there. So, I had to make sure no one walked out.

I decided to play to my strength — Computer Networks.
After all, I was working at Cisco, and I knew this subject inside out.

I picked the most difficult concepts. And I made them so simple that anyone could understand.

When the class started, the strength was low. In a hall that could seat hundreds, there were only 40–50 students in front of me. It felt almost empty.

But something magical happened during the interval.

Those students who were listening went out and called their friends:
“Someone has come who is explaining Computer Networks in the easiest way possible. Come and listen.”

After the break, the classroom was overflowing.
Every bench was filled. Some students didn’t even get chairs — they stood the whole time, listening to my lecture.

That day, I got selected.

My remuneration jumped to ₹7,000 per hour. And now, wherever I got a chance, I taught. Sometimes even 12 hours a day. I didn’t waste my time on anything else.

You see, I also had a habit — I loved reading books.
Around that time, I read two books that completely changed my life:

1. Good to Great
2. The Innovator’s Dilemma

You may not believe me — but these two books helped me create a wealth of ₹500 crores for me and my family. They changed my thinking forever.

From those books, I realized the future is online.
Offline coaching would decline sooner or later.

At that time, YouTube was already popular in India.
But no one was using it seriously to teach.

I told myself: If the future is going to be online, I should be the first.
And I can proudly say — I was among the first to start teaching Computer Science on YouTube in India. In a way, you could call me the one who started EdTech in India.

I did my research.
I calculated how much money YouTube creators could earn.
I thought ad revenue would be high enough to sustain everything.
So, I recorded my Compiler Design and TOC lectures and uploaded them.

The response was huge. Millions of views.
But the money? Very small.

Maybe ₹50,000–₹80,000 in total from those videos.

I researched more. And then I found the reason.

YouTube’s payment depends on who’s watching.
If the audience is from the US or Europe, the ads pay much higher.
But my audience was mostly Indian students — young and preparing for exams.
They never clicked on ads. Ads shown here were different, and the rates were low.

That’s why the income stayed small.
I understood this was not the right way to earn money.

But one thing happened —
By then, I had already become very popular.

I was not earning anything worthwhile from YouTube ads.
Millions of views, but only a few thousand rupees.

So one day, I thought — Instead of relying on ads, why not charge for the full course?

That morning, I woke up early as usual. I recorded a simple YouTube video.

In that video, I said: “If you want all my GATE lecture videos for Computer Science, pay ₹10,000 to this bank account.” And I shared my HDFC account details.

At that time, my YouTube channel had only TOC and Compiler Design lectures.
The entire GATE syllabus wasn’t recorded and not uploaded yet.

Still, I uploaded that video and went back to my day.
I had an offline class starting at 9 AM.

Around 10 AM, during the class, I heard a notification on my Motorola phone.
I checked it quickly.

The message said:
“₹10,000 credited to your HDFC account.”

For a second, I froze.
Someone had actually paid.

I continued teaching, and then — ping!
Another message.
Again ₹10,000 credited.

Then again. And again. And again.

In just 3 hours, while I was teaching my offline batch, I saw more than ₹3 lakhs being deposited into my account. That moment changed my life.

After the class, I went straight to the institute owner.
I told him: “I don’t want to teach offline anymore. I will teach online.”

He laughed. He said, “Online won’t work.”
I smiled and replied, “It will. Wait and see.”

But still, I had to respect my commitment.
So I completed the offline syllabus for those batches.
Daytime, I used to teach in offline institutes.
Night-time, I used to record videos.

I slept only 2–3 hours a day. If you watch my early videos, you’ll notice — most of them were recorded late at night.

There was no platform in India to host online courses back then.
So I searched, I learned, and finally I discovered an open-source platform called Moodle.

I downloaded it, set it up myself, and built my own online course platform.

The videos were heavy — more than 1 GB each.
Internet speed was poor, and data was expensive.
Uploading was almost impossible from home.

Luckily, the person who is my wife today — back then she was my girlfriend and working in a software company — helped me.
I used to copy videos into a hard disk and give it to her.
She uploaded them from her office WiFi.

She actually hated her job.
But I kept telling her:
“Please just keep working for one more year. Trust me. After that, you will never have to work again.”
I don’t know where that confidence came from.
But I believed it.

That first day in 2013, I received 3 lakhs. And from that day until 2021, not a single day passed without money coming into my account.

Every single day, I got credited.
Minimum 3 lakhs a day.
At peak, even 30 lakhs in a single day.

Of course, I paid all my taxes properly.

Every single day, money was getting credited into my bank account.
All my financial problems were gone.

I paid all my taxes.
And my tax payments themselves started running into crores.
Something I had never even imagined in my life.

When I got ₹1 crore for the first time, you know what I did?
I went and bought a Mercedes Benz E 350 for ₹75 lakhs.

The next time when I got ₹2 crores, I bought a Mercedes AMG.
Then another time, I bought a Mercedes S Class.
And later, even a Mercedes A Class.

Not just cars — I also bought a Harley Davidson CVO for ₹50 lakhs.
Another bike, a Triumph Tiger 1200 for ₹22 lakhs.

I’m telling you all this, not to show off, but to admit —
I wasted so much money.

I used to roam in helicopters.
Stayed in the costliest hotels.
Traveled across the world.
I even did a full world tour — except for the USA.

They say if you have money, you don’t get time.
And if you have time, you don’t have money.

But in my case, life was different.
Since my content was recorded, I only had to do it once.
After that, I had both — money and time.

I fulfilled all my dreams.

In 2021, I sold my company to another EdTech at a very high valuation.
As part of the agreement, I was not allowed to teach or compete for 3 years.

So, for 3 years, I stayed at home.
I had money.
I had no financial worries.
I had done everything on my bucket list.

But I felt empty.
Life became boring.

Then I asked myself — What do I truly enjoy?

The answer was clear.
Teaching.

When I teach, I forget time.
When I teach, I feel alive.
When I teach, I feel happiness.

So I started teaching again.

God has given me everything.
Even without me asking… He gave.
Now I don’t ask Him for anything anymore.
I only thank Him.

And because God has blessed me so much, I feel it is my duty to give back to society.

God has blessed me so much, and I feel it is my duty to give back to society.
That’s why I created the Raudra Charitable Trust, through which we help poor students pay their fees and continue their education.

I’ve already decided — when age finally forces me to retire, I will give away 50% of everything I earn to orphanages, or I will start one myself. The other 50% will go to my family.
My dream is for my daughter to run that orphanage, continuing to help thousands of poor children long after I’m gone.

And when that day comes… I want my last breath to be in front of a blackboard.
I want to die while teaching.

Because whatever I am today…
It is all because of teaching.

My idol is Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
He died while giving a lecture.
I too want the same — a peaceful death while teaching.

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् |
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ||

Aum Tryambakam yajaamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam |
Urvaarukamiva bandhanaan-mrityormuksheeya maamritaat ||

(This prayer means: release me peacefully from life, like a ripe fruit falling from the vine, free of pain, free of suffering.)

This is my life.

Before I end, I want to share my final thoughts —

👉 If you are born poor, it is not your mistake.
But if you die poor, then it is definitely your mistake.

👉 Don’t ever say that money can’t buy happiness.
It may not buy happiness directly, but it solves 99.9% of your problems.
First earn. Take care of your family. Live your dreams. Then think about the world.

👉 Don’t follow your passion blindly. Plan your life wisely.
Ask three questions:

What are you truly passionate about? (Something you’d do even if no one paid you.)

What comes to you naturally? (Your genetic or natural strength.)

What does the world pay for? (Your economic engine.)

The intersection of these three is your life’s work.

In my case:

Passion → Teaching

Natural strength → Explaining complex concepts simply

Economic engine → Students willing to pay for quality education

That’s why I succeeded.

And my last advice to everyone —

No matter how rich or successful you become,
Always remain humble.
Respect elders, bless juniors, and help the poor.

The moment arrogance enters your life, your downfall begins.
Stay grounded. Stay grateful.

I still remember where I came from.
And I’ll never forget it.

Thank you all for the love.

Jai Hind. 🇮🇳

Friendship Axis

Energy Management