2 months ago, I met a friend in real life in Shanghai after chatting several times online.
He's an alumni from a university in the same network as mine and, funnily enough, we also went to the same high school (we are 16 years apart).
During our conversation, he praised how active I’ve been in attending tech events around the city.
He said, “I wish I had known about these things 10 years ago, when I first arrived in Shanghai.”
That comment stuck with me.
Because while I appreciate the recognition, I honestly don’t think I’m doing enough - at least not for the level I aspire to reach.
I know people my age or even younger who’ve done far more.
Some are #1 in their sport. Some have made several figures online.
They’ve pushed my baseline of what’s possible.
And that’s what made me reflect on how awareness shapes ambition.
Many of my friends from university in France have no idea how open and accessible the tech world can be - even for students.
I’ve seen young people on X who volunteer at tech events, help out with startups, and somehow end up working with great entrepreneurs.
That shattered the belief I once held - that you had to “wait your turn” to get into that world.
Tech Twitter, for example, has almost all the brilliant researchers and tech founders who share their knowledge for free. Yet most of my French peers don’t even know it exists.
In the end, it all comes down to exposure and agency.
I’m grateful to be in that circle now - and I want more people to see what’s possible, too.
Questions of the week:
When was the last time you realized you were missing out on an opportunity simply because you didn’t know it existed?
Who around you is redefining what’s “possible” for someone your age or background?
Until next week,
Rémy
