Aravind Srinivas, CEO of the artificial intelligence-based search engine startup Perplexity AI, shared his journey from disappointment to success in a recent podcast. Srinivas, an Indian-origin American, revealed that he was initially upset when he failed to secure admission in Computer Science at IIT Madras. Despite having a dual degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras, he felt dejected as his friends pursued their studies in Computer Science.
After missing the opportunity to switch to Computer Science by a small margin, Srinivas delved into online lectures and competitive programming sites to enhance his skills. His dedication to self-learning and coding, fueled by a desire to prove himself, eventually led him to excel in Python and machine learning.
His proficiency in Python set him apart from his peers at IIT, and he later excelled in a machine learning class taught by the Computer Science department. This success earned him an internship with renowned computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, who later recommended him for a PhD in Computer Science.
Srinivas continued to make strides in the field of AI, securing internships with organizations like Open AI, Deep Mind, and Google. His experiences culminated in the founding of Perplexity AI in 2022, a startup that has garnered significant attention in Silicon Valley and boasts a valuation exceeding $500 million with investors including Jeff Bezos.
