#PeopleOfDonatekart: Meet Sampreet Gupta
“Cooking is my newfound love. I started about 3–4 months ago, and it’s been a complete stress buster for me. I follow recipes very closely, so I just bought myself a measurer, a professional knife, a cutting board, and everything! I like to do things in a very organized and precise manner — even the vegetables have to be cut a certain way, otherwise, it’s not cooking for me. I enjoy the process more than the outcome. For me, it’s all about giving your 100%. I guess I’ve always been that way.
It took me a long time to realize that I was just living up to society’s idea of success. Growing up, you’re always told that getting good grades and becoming an engineer is everything. So that’s exactly what I did. I focused all my energy and time on studying, got 98%, and before I knew it, my childhood had gone by. And I had missed most of it. When I started engineering college I thought — this is it, I’m finally on the path of achieving my dream. But I wasn’t happy. Was it MY dream to begin with anyway?
Halfway through I realized that this is not what I want to do, that there’s so much more to life than just marks! I wish I had focused on those other things growing up. So, I decided to do something more and not give all my time to academics. I then started interning at various startups and did multiple online courses. It was during one of these internships that I found my passion for product management. I met so many people making a real impact with their work, and I finally knew what my purpose really was. As destiny would have it, I found my way to Donatekart.
I’ve always been very committed to what I do. Even when I do sudoku or play chess, it’s to improve my ability to solve problems, focus on critical thinking, and just get better at what I’m doing. I try not to get disappointed if I ever fail, I see it as an opportunity to learn again. But now I’m focused on learning other things too.
Today, my aim is to still be successful, but not by following society’s idea of success. I want to learn new things every day and do what makes me happy — like cooking, traveling or even bungee jumping from the 75th floor!”
- Sampreet Gupta, Product Manager
