Could following your passions—not a checklist—be the real secret to getting into your dream school?

In this episode, I talk with Abhinav Agarwal, a Stanford graduate with a master’s in artificial intelligence and the CTO of KOS AI. Guided by his core value of technology for social change, Abhinav’s journey spans founding an education nonprofit in high school, writing a book to demystify the scholarship process for international students, and now developing a non-invasive wristband that could transform life for millions living with diabetes.

We explore how embracing genuine passions—not resume checklists—opened unexpected doors, why creative outlets like tango and photography can enrich a technical career, and what it’s really like to lead a health tech startup through innovation and clinical trials. Along the way, Abhinav shares insights on staying true to your values, navigating big career decisions, and designing technology that touches lives.

If you’ve ever wondered how to turn curiosity into impact—or what it takes to balance ambition, creativity, and purpose—this conversation will leave you inspired to find your own guiding principle and follow it.

00:00 Welcome to the Live Lab

00:31 Meet Alban Agarwal: A Journey to Stanford

01:43 Advice for Aspiring Students

06:31 Finding Your Career Path

10:31 Inspiration Behind Tech for Social Change

14:14 Writing 'Mapping Horizons'

20:42 Pursuing Higher Education at Stanford

29:06 The Role of Data Science

31:58 Innovating in Health Tech with Coast AI

40:12 A Day in the Life of a CTO

43:28 Reflections and Future Aspirations

45:10 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement