Okay, so this one goes back to early 2000s. I had one week with the first computer my family ever owned before I completely destroyed it. I hadn’t dropped it or spilled liquid on it, rather I followed instructions from a magazine called Digit (link for nostalgia), step by step, into a place called Regedit, confident I was doing everything right. At that time, it was a popular magazine for those interested in computers, came with DVDs of cool stuff (programs and games) and the magazine also had a “troubleshooting” and “tips and tricks” section that would make you feel like a hacker at school in those times.
Well, I wasn’t doing everything right, and turns out, after of my little adventure with Windows registry, every program on that computer refused to start, and I’d hear a loud “boop” with an error popup. Exactly like this š
I’m not sure if anyone from the west can relate, but in India, you don’t break new things. Especially not the first computer your family ever bought. Or anything that’s “new” or “expensive”. Well, I had broken something that was “new” and “expensive”. In under a week. š«
I did what any panicking kid would do. Going to the oldest, most “tech-savvy” person I knew. A teenager from the neighbourhood. I told my parents that he’s at our home to teach me “computer tips and tricks” and we got to work, to fix the computer before anyone could notice.
He sat down, looked at the screen, and started clicking and trying different things. He would check for the fix after every try, and every attempt would end the same way – with a “boop” and a popup (we had decreased the volume by this time).
In like 10 minutes, it was clear he had no idea what was wrong and what could be done to fix. Every attempt ended the same way. My anxiety increased after each failed attempt, but that guy… was focused. (Well, he was not looking at the possibility of being told to not be near the computer ever again, but still).
After countless tries, Windows XP stopped “booping”. He had landed on something called System Restore from what I remember, that fixed it that time. That felt like Hanuman bringing sanjeevani to save Laxman š.
When I think back to that moment, I know he didn’t fix it because he knew more than me. He fixed it because he kept going.
That was the “figure it out mindset” in action.
Just the decision, quiet, stubborn, unglamorous, to keep moving until something works.
Sound familiar?
Right now, information is free. AI can write a lot of the code, answer questions, and map out strategy in seconds.
The tools have never been more accessible. But the gap between people has never been more about mindset.
Ā I feel like the coming time would favour a lot of folks who can sit down, face the “boop,” and don’t get up until it stops.
The boop will come. The only question is who’ll still be sitting there when it stops.
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Who’s your version of that teenager from the neighbourhood? The person who taught you what figuring it out actually looks like? Tell me below!
Ash Anant 
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