Founder shares most valuable thing IIT Bombay gave him. Spoiler: it wasn't the degree
A Mumbai-based founder said IIT Bombay's biggest value came from the peers around him, not the degree. His LinkedIn post sparked discussion on how learning environments can outlast curriculum in the AI era.
An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay graduate, now a Mumbai-based founder, shared why he believes the institute's biggest value was never the degree itself, but the people who surrounded him for four years.
Shikhar Agrawal, CEO and co-founder of Anahad, shared his thoughts in a LinkedIn post while reflecting on whether studying at IIT Bombay was truly "worth it" in today's AI-driven world.
In the post, Agrawal said people often ask him whether IIT is still worth the hype, especially at a time when artificial intelligence can explain almost anything, information is freely available online, and college degrees no longer carry the same weight they once did.
Calling those questions fair, he argued that most people evaluate the return on investment of institutions like IIT the wrong way.
To explain his point, Agrawal used the example of a goldfish.
He wrote that a goldfish grows only two to three inches in a small bowl, a little larger in an aquarium, but can grow up to five or six inches when placed in a pond.
"IIT was my POND," he wrote.
According to Agrawal, the greatest return from IIT Bombay was not the degree hanging on his wall or the prestigious tag on his LinkedIn profile. Instead, it was spending four years surrounded by some of the most ambitious, curious and capable people he had ever met.
He said that when everyone around you is constantly building something, questioning assumptions, solving difficult problems and thinking bigger, your own standards naturally begin to rise as well.
Agrawal added that the rise of AI had made him appreciate that experience even more. While information and intelligence have become increasingly accessible through technology, he argued that a learning environment filled with exceptional peers who challenge and inspire one another remains rare.
"That's what IIT gave me. And no algorithm is going to replicate that anytime soon," he concluded.
Take a look at the post here:
The post prompted a discussion online, with many users agreeing that the greatest advantage of institutions like IIT often comes from the environment rather than the curriculum.
Several said being surrounded by highly motivated peers naturally pushes students to aim higher, solve tougher problems and constantly improve, making the experience valuable long after graduation.
Others said Agrawal's goldfish analogy perfectly captured how the right environment can shape a person's ambitions and potential.
Many argued that while knowledge is now available to anyone through AI and the internet, the opportunity to spend years learning alongside exceptionally driven classmates remains difficult to replicate, with several describing the peer group as one of the biggest returns on an IIT education.
An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay graduate, now a Mumbai-based founder, shared why he believes the institute's biggest value was never the degree itself, but the people who surrounded him for four years.
Shikhar Agrawal, CEO and co-founder of Anahad, shared his thoughts in a LinkedIn post while reflecting on whether studying at IIT Bombay was truly "worth it" in today's AI-driven world.
In the post, Agrawal said people often ask him whether IIT is still worth the hype, especially at a time when artificial intelligence can explain almost anything, information is freely available online, and college degrees no longer carry the same weight they once did.
Calling those questions fair, he argued that most people evaluate the return on investment of institutions like IIT the wrong way.
To explain his point, Agrawal used the example of a goldfish.
He wrote that a goldfish grows only two to three inches in a small bowl, a little larger in an aquarium, but can grow up to five or six inches when placed in a pond.
"IIT was my POND," he wrote.
According to Agrawal, the greatest return from IIT Bombay was not the degree hanging on his wall or the prestigious tag on his LinkedIn profile. Instead, it was spending four years surrounded by some of the most ambitious, curious and capable people he had ever met.
He said that when everyone around you is constantly building something, questioning assumptions, solving difficult problems and thinking bigger, your own standards naturally begin to rise as well.
Agrawal added that the rise of AI had made him appreciate that experience even more. While information and intelligence have become increasingly accessible through technology, he argued that a learning environment filled with exceptional peers who challenge and inspire one another remains rare.
"That's what IIT gave me. And no algorithm is going to replicate that anytime soon," he concluded.
Take a look at the post here:
The post prompted a discussion online, with many users agreeing that the greatest advantage of institutions like IIT often comes from the environment rather than the curriculum.
Several said being surrounded by highly motivated peers naturally pushes students to aim higher, solve tougher problems and constantly improve, making the experience valuable long after graduation.
Others said Agrawal's goldfish analogy perfectly captured how the right environment can shape a person's ambitions and potential.
Many argued that while knowledge is now available to anyone through AI and the internet, the opportunity to spend years learning alongside exceptionally driven classmates remains difficult to replicate, with several describing the peer group as one of the biggest returns on an IIT education.
