Sundar Pichai says PhD would have made parents happy but he chose to be Google CEO, talks down academics

In Asian households, and particularly in India, the education of children is given utmost importance. From selecting the best school to college preparations and career paths, parents tend to plan everything for their children or try their best to guide them. However, not all children tend to follow their parents' or society's expectations. Some choose to follow their hearts and pursue their passions and often reach heights and inspire others. One such kid was Sundar Pichai, who now currently holds the position of CEO at Google, one of the biggest and most influential tech companies. Pichai once shared that if he hadn't followed his heart, he might have pursued a Ph.D. and never ended up as the CEO of Google.

In one of his speeches archived from 2023 and published by Medium, Pichai shared that India holds great potential. The students are talented, but societal expectations often hold them back. In this country, there is a tendency to prioritise educational qualifications over real-world experience, which prevents individuals from achieving great things. "I think education needs to evolve and change just like with everything else. I think working in the real world I would say it is important to be well rounded."

Reflecting on his own experience, Pichai acknowledged that had he continued on the academic path, he might have obtained a Ph.D. today, which would have made his parents proud. However, he opted for real-world experience and the opportunity to make a tangible impact. "Had I stayed the course in graduate school, I probably have a PhD today, which would have made my parents really proud…But I might have missed the opportunity to bring the benefits of technology to so many others. And I suddenly wouldn't be standing here speaking to you as Google CEO. The only thing that got me from there to here, other than luck, was a deep passion for technology and an open mind."

Pichai said that instead of focusing on academics- though it is also important, people should value their creativity, experience, and risk-taking. "I think I would like to see people value creativity, value experience of doing things, and taking risks. And, you know, academics is important, but it is not as important as it's also made out to be," says Picahi

Sundar Pichai began his career as a materials engineer before briefly working at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. He then shifted gears and joined Google in 2004. During his early years at Google, Pichai spearheaded innovation and product management for various client software products such as Chrome, ChromeOS, and Drive. He also played a key role in the development of popular apps like Gmail and Maps. Notably, he led the open-sourcing of the VP8 video codec and introduced the WebM format. Chromebooks debuted in 2012, and by 2013, Pichai had taken on the additional responsibility of Android.

In 2015, Pichai succeeded Larry Page as CEO of Google, coinciding with the formation of Alphabet Inc., the holding company for Google and its subsidiaries. He assumed this new position in October 2015 and joined the Alphabet Board in 2017.