Mo Gawdat

And I became a very serious developer just with those two months, because basically I'd wake up in the morning and I have eight hours of nothing but reading the manuals. And it improved my English, it improved my understanding of logic and algorithms and so on. So that was really, really an interesting turning point. And another turning point, of course, is I love my dad so much.

And my mom, of course, but my dad was a distinguished engineer, he was probably one of the top civil engineers in his generation in Egypt, because he was responsible for the road and traffic system. And so my elder brothers both did not choose civil engineering. And my dad came to me when it was time to apply for universities. And he said, would you be a civil engineer for me?

And my mom, of course, but my dad was a distinguished engineer, he was probably one of the top civil engineers in his generation in Egypt, because he was responsible for the road and traffic system. And so my elder brothers both did not choose civil engineering. And my dad came to me when it was time to apply for universities. And he said, would you be a civil engineer for me?

At least one of my kids should follow my trail. And I was like, yeah, no problem. And I basically became a Because he wanted me to. But I was a horrendous geek. I basically just finished whatever my uni wanted me to do in half an hour a day and then spent the rest of the day in front of a computer. But then I graduated and I decided I wanted to be a carpenter. And again, because of my parents.

At least one of my kids should follow my trail. And I was like, yeah, no problem. And I basically became a Because he wanted me to. But I was a horrendous geek. I basically just finished whatever my uni wanted me to do in half an hour a day and then spent the rest of the day in front of a computer. But then I graduated and I decided I wanted to be a carpenter. And again, because of my parents.

And so they bought me all the books, all the tools, but I became a really, really, really, I love it so much until today. I still build projects almost every week. So I basically didn't understand money or capitalism or success or anything other than I understood I wanted to marry Nibel. My first wife, which we were together six years by then. And she was like, it's time.

And so they bought me all the books, all the tools, but I became a really, really, really, I love it so much until today. I still build projects almost every week. So I basically didn't understand money or capitalism or success or anything other than I understood I wanted to marry Nibel. My first wife, which we were together six years by then. And she was like, it's time.

And so in my culture at the time, you'd had to propose to her father. And of course her father wouldn't give her to me if I was a carpenter. So I needed to find a job, right? Remember, I finished as a civil engineer, but my graduation project, they gave us a very complex road network. And instead of doing it the way they did, I wrote code, basically, which solved the entire network.

And so in my culture at the time, you'd had to propose to her father. And of course her father wouldn't give her to me if I was a carpenter. So I needed to find a job, right? Remember, I finished as a civil engineer, but my graduation project, they gave us a very complex road network. And instead of doing it the way they did, I wrote code, basically, which solved the entire network.

And my supervisor was like, you're going to fail. I was like, just give me a couple of weeks. And then I went in with, at the time we had dot matrix printers. So an entire report of every little elevation in every bit of the road. And before I even started drawing, I started to get job offers to be a civil engineer in the top companies in the country. And I said, no, no, no, no, no.

And my supervisor was like, you're going to fail. I was like, just give me a couple of weeks. And then I went in with, at the time we had dot matrix printers. So an entire report of every little elevation in every bit of the road. And before I even started drawing, I started to get job offers to be a civil engineer in the top companies in the country. And I said, no, no, no, no, no.

I want to be a carpenter. Until one day, I don't know if this is interesting or if we're chit-chatting, just because people need to know that a lot of life is luck when you really, really think about it. Now I need to marry Nibel. I need to find a good job, but I'm a freaking carpenter. I love what I do. And one day I have a fender bender with a friend of mine.

I want to be a carpenter. Until one day, I don't know if this is interesting or if we're chit-chatting, just because people need to know that a lot of life is luck when you really, really think about it. Now I need to marry Nibel. I need to find a good job, but I'm a freaking carpenter. I love what I do. And one day I have a fender bender with a friend of mine.

You know, I hit him in a traffic light. So he's opening his door, coming out ready to shout at me. And he goes like, oh my God, Mo, how have you been? I've been looking for you. I don't really have your contacts. And he basically said, we're looking for a civil engineer that knows computer science. And you're the only one we could think of. Can you come join us? That was IBM.

You know, I hit him in a traffic light. So he's opening his door, coming out ready to shout at me. And he goes like, oh my God, Mo, how have you been? I've been looking for you. I don't really have your contacts. And he basically said, we're looking for a civil engineer that knows computer science. And you're the only one we could think of. Can you come join us? That was IBM.

And so that was my life. And it's a series of fortunate events. The way I was hired at Google, the way I went to Google X. It is, as my daughter always says, I was paid in advance. God, I believe in God, but you know, if you don't, the universe wanted me to be in a certain place at a certain time.

And so that was my life. And it's a series of fortunate events. The way I was hired at Google, the way I went to Google X. It is, as my daughter always says, I was paid in advance. God, I believe in God, but you know, if you don't, the universe wanted me to be in a certain place at a certain time.

And so he sort of just always gave me a tiny little cheat, a cheat that worked against being born in Egypt or being educated in a public school or whatever. It was always a tiny bit favoring me life.

And so he sort of just always gave me a tiny little cheat, a cheat that worked against being born in Egypt or being educated in a public school or whatever. It was always a tiny bit favoring me life.

I always say every time I joined a company, it felt like home. And every time I left, it felt really, really alien. A massive pivotal point for me was in my second year on IBM, Egypt was struck with a seven point something hectare scale earthquake and a lot of the schools were cracked. And so children stayed at home.