🚀 Tech, Triumphs, and a Bit of Oops: Arnav's October Ride🚀

THE EPIC OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

A recap about me:

I don’t usually smile :)

What's poppin', my tech-loving peeps? It's your buddy Arnav, the guy from India who's all about tech, a bit of entrepreneurship, and sometimes, oddly, sports. Also, you can't forget my love for whipping up some epic dishes. I've been coding my way through life for the past three years, and right now, I'm chilling as an innovator with The Knowledge Society. Let's dive into my wild October adventures!

October: The Beginning of the End

So, October kicked off on a pretty 'meh' note, to be honest. I was diving into some futuristic stuff, exploring AI and quantum computing. I was thinking about creating a bomb-proof encryption system that'll be the next big thing in the future. Felt like I was hacking the Matrix or something!

It was a part of finishing my learn article about how we can use AI and quantum computing to make a completely new encryption system and how will it be a thing that would be needed in the future.

check it out here- Securing the Future: AI-Powered Quantum-Safe Encryption

The TKS hackathon :

Then, out of the blue, on October 10th, the TKS fam dropped the bomb - the first-ever TKS hackathon! I was stoked, and guess what? My crew was already locked and loaded. Shoutout to my buddies Arjun, Achilles, and Ben. We were a solid unit. Our teamwork vibes were so on point; we had these epic four-hour huddles where ideas were flying like confetti. So, after some hardcore grinding, we won our cohort and snagged a spot in the top 8 teams globally. We called our baby "Fire Scout," and it's a game-changer.

Our Problem Statement:

“Using an existing technology that has come out in the last 3-5 years: create a solution that solves a problem or creates an interesting future

Fire Scout: Game On! 🔥

Alright, let's talk Fire Scout. It's our solution to the wildfire crisis, and it's lit (pun intended). This baby uses weather balloons and some killer AI prediction models to predict wildfires even before they ignite. How cool is that? We even mocked up the AI model and designed a slick app for it. We're on fire, literally!

YOLO Experiments: Living Life on the Edge

We didn't stop there. We got our hands dirty with some real-time action, experimenting with the YOLO algorithm. we actually made a real mockup of our idea and it was capable to predict where the wildfire can spread and by what time, It was like getting a backstage pass to a rock concert, but in the tech world. We had a blast.

AND GUESS WHAT WE WON, WE WERE THE BEST TEAM IN THE WHOLE TKS !!!!!

Big Shoutout Time! 🙌

Hats off to the judges, Brandon Jennings, Shile Ding, Jordan Landis, and Ben Walters. You guys rock! Their feedback was like a secret sauce, adding flavor to our journey. A huge thanks for making us level up.

And obviously a big shout out to our mentor - Aatik chopra(the reason because of which we actually made it to the top 8) he gave us the feedback from which we were actually able to see where were we lacking in the initial stages and we improved it.

Startup Shenanigans

I then pulled a solo mission to Gurgaon for a startup weekend at Masters Union. Man, it was a big deal! It was my second time solo traveling, and this time, it was like navigating through a maze of golden opportunities.

Masters Union was like a den of young prodigies from UG batch 2027. Our guide, Prabhu Guliani, an MU alumnus, dropped some serious knowledge bombs. We got the lowdown on problem statements, the ABCs of startups, MOAT (not the water-filled kind), and the common traps entrepreneurs fall into.

We didn't stop at learning; we dived headfirst into building a startup idea. We got our hands dirty with data, crafted an MVP, and pitched our hearts out to the big league VCs, Manish Johari and Vandana Tolani. The real world seemed way more fun than I thought!

Meeting Cool People: Swati Ganeti

So, while I was there, I had this cool encounter with Swati Ganeti, Director of UGP at Masters’ Union. She’s the real deal, an IIT Delhi and Wharton alumna. Her passion for the undergrad program at Masters' Union was so contagious; I caught the bug too!

We pitched this cool idea, "Ryze," a student-led community for students. It’s all about discovering your true passions and getting hands-on experience in stuff you dig.

Here is a small sneak peak for you guys:

Getting Silly from Exhaustion

After all this, I was dog-tired because I had barely slept for a grand total of six hours in the past four days. You see, my hackathon was happening simultaneously. So, here's the funny bit: I landed in Jaipur after all this madness and had my TKS session. I was so worn out that an hour into the session, I ended up dozing off with my airport outfit and earphones still on. When Aatik Chopra, our mentor, declared a break, I flopped onto my bed with my laptop and earphones, and the next thing I knew, it was 5:30 in the morning. I'd passed out during the session. It's going down in my 'Funny Fails' book!

75 Hard Challenge: Game Face On!

Oh, and here’s the kicker! I decided to jump into the "75 Hard Challenge" exactly 75 days before

2023 bid us adieu. This challenge isn't about lifting weights or doing burpees. Nope, it's all about flexing your mental muscles. Think diet, workouts, gallons of water, reading books, and no shortcuts. If you slip up, back to day one, my friend. It's a wild ride, but it's gonna be worth it.

It was created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella, and the rules are stringent. For 75 consecutive days, participants must follow a structured diet, complete two 45-minute workouts (one outdoors), take a progress picture, drink a gallon of water, and read 10 pages of a book (audiobooks don't count). No deviations are allowed, and missing any daily goals means starting over from day one. The challenge aims to boost confidence, self-esteem, perseverance, self-worth, self-belief, fortitude, and grit.

When Cooking Turns Wild

I've got a funny one for you - "WHEN COOKING GOES WRONG." Now, you know I love cooking, and I'm kinda good at it. But while I was whipping up some pasta (Italian is my jam), the unthinkable happened. The boiling water did a wild dance and splashed right onto my knee. Ouch! Result? I rocked a snazzy second-degree burn on my knee. The lesson? My kitchen gear might be subpar, but my chef skills are top-notch. Here’s a tip: Watch out while you cook. As I'm writing this, my knee is still on fire (not in the good way).

(credits to Aatik for giving me an idea to mention it in a post)

Books and Podcasts to Light Up Your World:

📚 Book of the Month:

48 Laws of Power:

what do I love about it - Robert Greene's masterpiece provides concrete strategies for accumulating power and influence. It's insightful about human psychology and motivations, entertaining, and appeals to our hidden Machiavellian sides. It encourages skepticism about others' motives and inspires bold, decisive action.

🎧 Podcast of the Month:

How I Built This:

Dive into the incredible tales of entrepreneurs and their rollercoaster journeys. It's all about the ups, downs, and moments of truth.

What did I love about it:
Host Guy Raz interviews famous entrepreneurs like Sara Blakely, James Dyson, and Howard Schultz about how they got started and built their companies. I enjoy the inspirational stories behind major brands and innovations.

Many founders open up about emotional topics like depression, divorce, death of a loved one, and rejection. This vulnerability forges strong connections with me.

Shoutouts for the month:

This time to My Awesome Squad:

This month, I’m giving props to some fantastic folks who made me feel like part of the gang. You rock!

1) Prabhdeep Singh: The Punjabi motivator with a side of brutal honesty.

2) Prisha Sinha(enthusiast): The wholesome and hilariously witty amigo.

3) MAX (TKS Hacker):Heart, humor, and a dash of streamer vibes(he looks like XQC some times).

4) Nicky (Nicholas Chua):Cool as a cucumber and massively impressive.

5) Nicholas Nishimura: The 5 feet Hawaiian bodybuilder with a heart of gold.

6) Arjun: The STEM enthusiast with a bit of an attitude.

7) Achilles Katsos: The king of weirdness, but oh so cool. (he can choke on wasabi)

8) Ben: The marketing genius who can shove a a 6 inch subway down his throat.

9) Vibhuti: The chat queen and a new TKS recruit. We're all about those long Discord convos.

Peek into the Future:

The adventure continues as I gear up for some heavy-duty competitions with my TKS crew. We're talking the Conrad Challenge, Microsoft Imagine Cup, and the Earth Prize. It's gonna be a wild ride, folks!

That wraps up my October updates! I hope you found this newsletter engaging and informative. As always, I appreciate your support and encouragement as I continue on my journey. Stay tuned for more updates, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to connect.

Here's to a successful November ahead!

I know this newsletter turned out longer than expected, but if you made it to the end, kudos to you! Thanks for being the awesome reader you are. Much love! 🚀💙

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