Pushing Boundaries, Breaking Rules | Rohit Biswas | TEDxSSCBS

Key Concepts

• Deviating from the norm
• Visualizing future self
• Self-taught skills
• Pushing boundaries
• Embracing discomfort
• Defining your own "normal"
• Expanding skill sets
• Taking opportunities

Chapter 1: Boyhood - The Conventional Path and the Break

The speaker begins by describing his initial adherence to a conventional path: science education, engineering college, and a secure corporate job. He worked a 9-to-5 job and even received a promotion. However, at 25 or 26, after watching a YouTube video called "The Bike Ride from Nat Gio," he realized he was unhappy and felt a need to pursue his creative side. Despite the perceived risk, he quit his job the next day. This was his first and biggest step away from the norm. He embarked on a journey without a clear destination, taking pictures and eventually realizing his potential as a photographer or cinematographer. He returned and created a resume, promising to learn and absorb everything, and sent it to media companies.

Chapter 2: Fight Club - Figuring Out the "How"

After determining what he wanted to do, the speaker focused on how to achieve it. He landed an unpaid internship at Scoop at the age of 27, which was unconventional. He emphasizes the importance of defining one's own "normal" and breaking away from societal expectations. He became a self-taught cinematographer at Scoop, learning on the job. He highlights the supportive environment at Scoop and mentions his friends Kub and Vive. Within a year, he became the primary cinematographer, shooting brand films, sketches, and YouTube videos. He visualized his future self again and felt happy with his progress. Although he earned less than his previous job, he was content because he enjoyed his work and was learning. In 2019-2020, the Okested YouTube channel of Scoop became very successful, gaining millions of views and subscribers. The channel deviated from the norm by creating non-fictional content with people who had no prior experience. This approach fostered a community and family among viewers.

Chapter 3: Arrival - The Pandemic and Skill Expansion

The arrival of the pandemic in March 2020 presented a challenge, as the speaker's job required on-location shooting. Fearing for his job, he expanded his skill set by learning editing, drone operation, and anchoring from home. The CEO of Scoop saw one of his videos on Instagram, leading to his first video, "PPE wearing a PPE suit for the first time." He started anchoring in videos and was well-received by the audience. He emphasizes the importance of pushing boundaries and taking opportunities. By the end of 2022-2023, he pushed boundaries further by filming a video in Spiti at -20°C, taking a dip in ice-cold water for 5 minutes. He was also invited by Amazon Prime Video to Tokyo to cover the premiere of Takeshi's Castle as the only Indian representative. He shot, directed, and anchored the video himself, demonstrating his capabilities. He stresses the importance of trusting the process and pushing the bubble to discover one's true potential.

Chapter 4: Everything All at Once - The Present and Future

Currently, the speaker is a content creator, creative director, anchor, and cinematographer. He joined Zomato as a creative lead and production head but quit a month ago to further push his boundaries. He attributes his diverse skill set to his willingness to deviate from the norm and push his limits. He encourages the audience to not limit themselves, pursue their dreams, and seek discomfort.

Notable Quotes

• "You define your normal, you create your normal, you create your path and you make what normal is to you. You don't go by the societal terms."
• "Take your shots, you know, never shy away from taking any shots, take every opportunity that comes along because you know there is nothing worse than regret."
• "It's only when you do the unthinkable, it's only I mean you don't have to trust yourself, you just have to trust in the process and you have to keep at it because without trying there is no way to find out."
• "Always seek discomfort."

Synthesis/Conclusion

The speaker's journey highlights the importance of deviating from conventional paths, embracing discomfort, and continuously pushing boundaries to discover one's true potential. By taking risks, learning new skills, and defining his own "normal," he transformed from a corporate employee to a multifaceted creative professional. The key takeaway is to not limit oneself and to actively seek opportunities for growth and self-discovery.