How a Boy With $0 Became CEO of Google

Explore the Power of Technology

It's 1984 a 12-year-old boy falls asleep on the dusty floor of a shared two-bedroom apartment in India. Little does he know he will one day become the CEO of one of the biggest tech companies in the world "Google". Now you might be wondering how you see in a few short years, his father will take a gamble that will cost the family their life savings. The young boy's name is Sundar Pichai, he would go on to reach. Reinvent Google challenging, his superiors and creating one of their most impactful inventions to date Sundar developed. An interest in technology, very early on his life changed drastically in 1982 with the purchase of his family's first rotary phone, it showed the power of what's possible with technology. The phone also made life a lot easier at the time, he would have to board a bus and travel for over an hour to a hospital to get the results for his Mother's blood tests, he'd wait for another hour. In line only to be told the results weren't ready. And to try again another day. Now, with one simple call, he was able to avoid the nearly four-hour-long journey, replacing it with a mere 10-minute, chat on the phone.

"The more access my family had to technology, the better, Our Lives were. God. So when I graduated, I knew I wanted to do something to bring technology to as many others as possible."

The boy's interest in technology became more specific when he was introduced to the world of semiconductors, he began to read books on an inventor of the technology, William Shockley, and the work he was doing in Silicon Valley, he knew where the action, The development of his interest were taking place, he just needed to get there. It was with a deep passion and Promises of the future that he got to work. Sundar began by earning a degree in metallurgical, engineering from IIT.

Sundar's Journey to America

"It wasn't smooth sailing right off the bat. My first year, CGP was so bad. I had to work hard to make up for it for the next three years." But ultimately, after hunkering down and working hard, IIT set him on a course, that would have a huge impact on his future. It wasn't only the place where he met his girlfriend Anjali whom he would go on to marry in 2008 and share, two children with It's also where he was. Awarded a life-changing scholarship to Stanford University. Sundar's hard work and determination were beginning to pay off. Propelling him one step closer to his visions of Silicon Valley. But getting this scholarship wasn't the hardest part physically getting himself from India all the way to America, would prove to be much more challenging.

His father raghunatha needed to come up with more than his annual salary in order to make the trip possible for his son, One thousand American dollars. He first tried getting a loan but when that fell through he resorted to the last possible. The option is unwilling to let this moment pass his son by but raghunatha took the money from his family savings. Sundar was taking this opportunity one way or another and so, in 1993 after Sure, his long-awaited first-ever plane ride suitcase in hand, Sundar landed in America.

Fathers who lead and sons who never give up

The weight of his father's Financial Risk on his heart. And mind he emerged from the plane looking up at the Californian. Sunshine. He knew he was stepping another foot closer to his dreams until something hit him with culture shock. He was astounded to find a phone call back. Home would cost him two dollars per minute and then there was a backpack. He needed it for school and came across one with an alarming price. Tag $60 is a normal price for a decent backpack but Force Under $60 was the equivalent of a month's worth of his father's income so you can understand Sundar was shocked when he came across that first backpack eventually he found a much cheaper One through an online bulletin board. He was not going to take this opportunity of his for granted. He was going to succeed in America and his perseverance and passion would carry him through this next chapter.

Leading the path to Silicon Valley

As Sundar walked into one of the numerous computer Filled Labs at Stanford, he was reminded of the importance of people's access to technology and its effect on their lives as he spent hours working in the labs, the internet was developing all around him in 1995 Sundar graduated from Stanford with a master's in Material Science and Engineering. Much to his parent's disappointment at the time. He did not return to Stanford upon graduation to obtain a doctorate. Instead, he kept his sights on his goal of working Hands-On in the tech industry. He got a job working in engineering and product management and Applied Materials, an American semiconductor chip Manufacturing Corporation. He was now working professional in California, more specifically, in Silicon Valley. The destination he spent so many days and nights dreaming about reaching but he didn't stop there. It's April Fool's Day and Cinder dressed first. Access walks into the biggest most life-changing interview of his career, but something big within the companies taking place today, the launch of Gmail. Sundar isn't aware of this, and upon finding out passes it off as one of Google's, Infamous pranks, Google had been known to be a fan of April Fools and had pulled pranks on the general public through fictitious Advertisements. To name, one of many, there was the mental Plex prank of 2000 that ask users to think of what they were in search of while staring at an animated gif with several funny error messages, appearing as a result. Thankfully when he admits this, "I honestly thought Gmail launch was a Prank..." it doesn't come as a disadvantage to him, quite the opposite. His ignorance leaves, Google's senior, VP of people operations, remembering Sundar to have intellectual, humility, a trait. He's looking for in the perfect candidate, and as a result, Sundar is hired. He will join Google as the vice president of product management and development. His hard work is finally paying off. He's entering into a position. And that is better than anything He had dreamed of before. "United feet Like when I first went to Google I was like a kid in the candy store" but he wanted more. He continued to climb his way up within Google working hard and taking every possible opportunity for growth that came along "One thing I've noticed over time is, you will have many, many many opportunities to reinvent yourself and so, I think it's worthwhile taking risks Trying to do something You really excited by"

Rising Above the Competition

His first role was as the leading product manager for Google Toolbar, a feature that streamlined Google's use through its placement in the top right corner of competing web browsers despite his experience. He was now a small fish thrown into a big pond and was surrounded by very knowledgeable. People would many years in their positions for many. This would put them off their game but not Sundar working with people who made him feel insecure was right where he wanted to be "So there were many many times I felt working with people in a group am I doing enough at these people seem much better than me? And I think that's an inherent part of learning." Sundar felt that if you are secure in what you're doing, that would mean you're comfortable and comfort means you're not pushing yourself enough. "Some point in your life. You have to work with people where you feel a bit insecure. That's essential because that means you're working with people who are better than you and we're pushing you." His mentality of always being better than he was before and pushing himself past Comfort  Stuck with him as he progressed within Google.

Sundar made his first wave when he approached. The companies co-founders and made a proposal. He saw an opportunity for growth a gap in their approach when compared to the competition. Google needed its own web browser, but with the costs outweighed by the benefit CEO Eric Schmidt seems to think so when sooner proposed, this addition to the company. He dubbed the idea too costly without everyone's full support. Sundar was left with only one option to try again. So, he got back to work, crunching numbers and making a case for the new browser. And when he made his second presentation, that was it, he was given a green light. They were going to war. After several years of hard work with Sundar are being directly involved In the development of the new software Google Chrome was released to the public on Labor Day in 2008. They had finally joined a browser war that had been waging for years between the internet Browser and Mozilla Firefox. And soon, they would defeat them both by May of 2012 Chrome had overtaken both of its Rivals and became the most popular web browser in the world. Eventually went over 65 percent of the market. It would also be announced as the new browser for Android devices that same here. Sundar's risk-taking and persistence were not only paying off for him anymore but was translating into success for Google as a whole. Chrome OS had also come to life along with a line of affordable laptops. Now, known as Chromebooks. 

Global Tech Expansion through Android

The waves under was making were getting him noticed by upper management. But unfortunately for Google also beyond the confines of the company. It was around this time that he began to be incessantly sought after by Twitter for high-ranking positions, within the micro-blogging company. Thankfully Force Under Google was not willing to let him go off. Offering him a significant financial incentive to stay right where he was. Sundar became one of the most powerful Tech Executives in the world when he was put in charge of Android and began Overseeing Android OS on a global scale. This power move put him in a position to do something He'd been wanting to do since he was a teenager in India. Bringing, Tech to more people globally. And Along Came Android One within a year, it would distribute 1 billion devices worldwide. And in October of 2014, Sundar became the product chief of Google and Android OS. He was now, overseeing Google search maps, play, Android, Chrome, Gmail, and workspace. But soon, everything had the potential to collapse for Google. They were at risk of losing Sundar again only now to their competition, Microsoft in 2014 Sundar was widely publicized to become their new CEO. But Google had big plans for him and were unwilling to let him slip away from their grasp again. They offered him a hefty Financial incentive to stick with them and then on October 2nd, 2015, they would make him the new CEO of Google.

His many years of persistence and risk-taking had paid off in July of 2017. He joined the board of directors for alphabet, Google's parent company. And in 2019, when Google's former CEO stepped down as CEO of alphabet, he took over the role, he was now the Chief Executive Officer of both Google and alphabet.

When Sundar Pichai took the reins as CEO of Google. In October 2015, Google's stock price at just thirty-six dollars per share. Seven years later, it had reached ninety-six dollars per share netting. A 15% annualized return for shareholders, that kind of return is why Pichai is considered one of the top CEOs of our time. However, like most other tech stocks Google has gotten hammered over the last year, down close to 30%. Now, what if I told you another asset class that nearly Match Google Stellar performance, but that actually remains strong even through 2023. These asset prices have appreciated. Nearly 14 percent per year, over the last 26 years, beating the S&P 500 by a stunning 131 percent.

Conclusion

Never want to give up or let fear dictate his decisions. So under followed his dreams to the very top. he was even awarded the third-highest civilian award in India in 2022. As of February 2022, he was recorded as having a net worth of 1.3 billion dollars.

Today, he and his wife College sweetheart Anjali recite together with their daughter Kavya and son Kiran. Sundar Pichai Who started his journey sleeping on the floor of his family's home in India Now lives in a 40 million-dollar mansion. The home boasts a tennis court miniature. Golf course, swimming pool, and a guest house. His father's gamble had finally paid off. This is the story of how a young boy with Big Dreams living a humble life. Let his Surveillance and hard work, take him on a journey to become the CEO of one of the largest tech companies in the entire world. Be bold, take risks. Be okay with being uncomfortable, but most of all being persistent. "If the first attempt you don't do it, you can try again. Things tend to work out in the long run."