CyberWire Daily Chetan Conikee: Create narratives of your journey. [CTO] [Career Notes]
Oct 12, 2025
Chetan Conikee, the Founder and CTO of ShiftLeft, shares his inspiring immigrant journey from India, emphasizing the importance of passion in career choices. He discusses adapting to U.S. academic culture and the significance of mentorship. Chetan also highlights the entrepreneurial mindset, describing how failures can lead to success and satisfaction. Additionally, he advocates for writing personal narratives to ensure your experiences benefit others and leave a lasting legacy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From Games To Computer Science
- Chetan Conikee grew up in India where parents steer children toward engineering or medicine, and he chose engineering because he loved hacking and reverse engineering.
- He convinced his father to buy a computer, explored game code, and then pursued computer science as his bachelor's.
Liking Must Match Doing
- Chetan says liking and doing must align when choosing a career to ensure sustained motivation and growth.
- He contrasts Indian educational steering with US culture that rewards individual curiosity and initiative.
Find Leaders To Emulate
- Find and follow leaders who inspire you, then make yourself available to join their teams and learn from them.
- Use those relationships to observe how leaders build teams and companies so you can emulate their behavior.