Gagan Sandhu

My biggest learning there was that a lot of the innovation in manufacturing and automotive had happened. Pace of innovation had slowed down considerably. If you go back, I'm talking about 98 and 99, 2000. Around that time, if you think about it, the internal combustion engines were running really well, highly efficient. A lot of the electronics was already factored in.

My biggest learning there was that a lot of the innovation in manufacturing and automotive had happened. Pace of innovation had slowed down considerably. If you go back, I'm talking about 98 and 99, 2000. Around that time, if you think about it, the internal combustion engines were running really well, highly efficient. A lot of the electronics was already factored in.

A lot of the innovation had happened. And when I looked around, I felt that by graduating from college as a technical person, even if it's mechanical engineering, I was hungry for knowledge. So I realized very early on in my career that I am a knowledge worker. And for me to continue to be successful as a knowledge worker, I had to consistently update my knowledge.

A lot of the innovation had happened. And when I looked around, I felt that by graduating from college as a technical person, even if it's mechanical engineering, I was hungry for knowledge. So I realized very early on in my career that I am a knowledge worker. And for me to continue to be successful as a knowledge worker, I had to consistently update my knowledge.

And that actually has been the theme of my career all along. What I mean by that is that once you realize that something is critical, like in my case, I figured it is knowledge. So after about a year of working in the mechanical engineering industry, I decided that I needed to upgrade my skills and get into this new industry. Back in the late 90s, tech was brand new.

And that actually has been the theme of my career all along. What I mean by that is that once you realize that something is critical, like in my case, I figured it is knowledge. So after about a year of working in the mechanical engineering industry, I decided that I needed to upgrade my skills and get into this new industry. Back in the late 90s, tech was brand new.

Internet had just started to become popular and a lot of things were happening, exciting things. I decided that I was going to get into tech, so I decided to come to the US. So I took the GRE exam for grad school and started my journey. That journey took, if you think about it, 98 I graduated from college and 2005 is when I actually entered the knowledge industry, the tech industry.

Internet had just started to become popular and a lot of things were happening, exciting things. I decided that I was going to get into tech, so I decided to come to the US. So I took the GRE exam for grad school and started my journey. That journey took, if you think about it, 98 I graduated from college and 2005 is when I actually entered the knowledge industry, the tech industry.

The journey wasn't simple. It wasn't straightforward. It wasn't even a straight line journey. It took many different turns, many different jobs, two different continents, many different cities. But I was able to make that journey. But one thing that was consistent and constant in that journey was knowledge. And this is something I would like to share with all your listeners is knowledge.

The journey wasn't simple. It wasn't straightforward. It wasn't even a straight line journey. It took many different turns, many different jobs, two different continents, many different cities. But I was able to make that journey. But one thing that was consistent and constant in that journey was knowledge. And this is something I would like to share with all your listeners is knowledge.

We actually are in the, I would still say in the beginning, but definitely our generation, Gen X and Gen Y and Gen Z, we are firmly in the knowledge economy. Unless you are doing something with your hands, let's say you are a construction worker or you are a gardener or you are a farmer. That's different.

We actually are in the, I would still say in the beginning, but definitely our generation, Gen X and Gen Y and Gen Z, we are firmly in the knowledge economy. Unless you are doing something with your hands, let's say you are a construction worker or you are a gardener or you are a farmer. That's different.

But if you're not, if you're working in any other kind of job, whether it's a research associate or a professor or tech person, data scientist, we are part of the knowledge economy. And you always have to seek to increase your knowledge, to improve that skill. And that doesn't come automatically. You have to always go for it and find new avenues to improve your knowledge. It could mean

But if you're not, if you're working in any other kind of job, whether it's a research associate or a professor or tech person, data scientist, we are part of the knowledge economy. And you always have to seek to increase your knowledge, to improve that skill. And that doesn't come automatically. You have to always go for it and find new avenues to improve your knowledge. It could mean

going deep and becoming a super specialist in your area, or it could mean going broad and finding more about certain areas, or it could mean looming one area and picking totally different area and learn more about it because you might have learned most of the things that had to be learned in your previous role, in your previous avatar.

going deep and becoming a super specialist in your area, or it could mean going broad and finding more about certain areas, or it could mean looming one area and picking totally different area and learn more about it because you might have learned most of the things that had to be learned in your previous role, in your previous avatar.

So to answer your question succinctly, I would say seeking knowledge has proven for me to be the ultimate success criteria. And every time I've increased knowledge, the dividends have been tremendous. And I should add here, since you and I share that background, for me, going to business school was purely a knowledge decision. I didn't go there to change careers. I was working in tech.

So to answer your question succinctly, I would say seeking knowledge has proven for me to be the ultimate success criteria. And every time I've increased knowledge, the dividends have been tremendous. And I should add here, since you and I share that background, for me, going to business school was purely a knowledge decision. I didn't go there to change careers. I was working in tech.

I continued to work in tech. I didn't expect a huge jump. I was working as a senior manager, then I became a director after that. It was a pretty linear path. But I went there to learn about things that as a person working in tech, certain things like economics and marketing and finance and accounting, those things were my blind spots.

I continued to work in tech. I didn't expect a huge jump. I was working as a senior manager, then I became a director after that. It was a pretty linear path. But I went there to learn about things that as a person working in tech, certain things like economics and marketing and finance and accounting, those things were my blind spots.