I would come top of my class in school almost certainly from 1st to 3rd grade
DPS Kanpur was one of the best schools in the city. I was one of the best kids. My eyes always were on the bigger prize ahead. I wouldn’t notice most students except my close friends or the other toppers. After all, everyone believed I was destined for bigger things.
My streak of doing well in school continued long afterwards
I ended up at the top of my school in Pune in my 10th board exams. I was in the top 3 boys in the city. I was doing so well that it was clear nothing could stop me
I picked science, took the JEE, and made it to IIT Bombay
A few days after my result, and congratulations on my post, my Facebook message lit up. New message from an unknown person.
“Were you at DPS Kanpur in 1st standard?”
Of course, I was at DPS Kanpur. I reverted with the affirmative
“I was too. Do you remember me? What are you doing now?”
As you remember, I was one of the best kids. I hardly focused on who the others where. I replied confidently that I had done well and I was joining IIT Bombay.
“Oh, that’s awesome. I took science, too. Congrats. You must have got an amazing rank. What was it?”
Before the person finished typing the whole message, I continued with my confidence that my rank was 638
“Wow. I was just going to say I plan to join IIT Bombay or IIT Delhi. I got around 150”
150? Rank or marks? From DPS Kanpur, where I was top? This was suddenly the biggest plot twist I had experienced in my life. As I checked the rank list, it was the truth. From flying high for a decade, I had been beaten hands down. In a decade, I was topped by someone I hadn’t noticed. I learned a big lesson that day.
Whoever you may be, do not underestimate anyone
We regularly do this. NYT wrote an article in 2013 showing India with a cow, knocking to enter an Elite Space Club. Today, India is the first country to be on the Moon’s South Pole. Everyone wrote off Jeff Bezos in 2000 when Amazon crashed. Today, it is the Everything Store. Your bright intern maybe the boss of a unicorn one day. Your quiet college mate may become a state’s chief minister.
Human potential is beautiful
I see this happen with startups all the time. The underdogs, that were ignored, eventually win. It is perhaps what fuels them. The outcome may not be visible in the short term. But eventually, individuals with determination and effort compound so dramatically, that they blow past everyone else.
Never underestimate anyone because over a 10-year time frame they may end up doing magic