Try for free
Desi Academia Podcast
Desi Academia Podcast

S11E1: Pivoting from a PhD- navigating an alternative career path with Harsha

25 January 2026 1:30:35 Desi Academia Podcast

Listen to episode

About this episode

We are joined again by Harsha, to discuss the difficult reality of life in the sciences and how to pivot when the academia and funding the system fails. Harsha shares his learnings from his experience being asked to 'master out' of his PhD program, how he reconciled with academia, found a community to do impactful work, and how he views 'science for the sake of science’.


We discuss the short-term and long-term next steps, navigating the immigration system, building communities and using our knowledge for the good, and keeping the faith in science.


Recommendations

  • Megh

    • The Wire
    • "The War on Science'", Youtube video by Shaun
    • "OpenAI is huge in India. Its models are steeped in caste bias", MIT Technology Review

  • Vatsal

    • Lancet article: Estimating the effect of annual PM2·5 exposure on mortality in India: a difference-in-differences approach - The Lancet Planetary Health

  • Harsha

    • Braiding Sweetgrass Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

More AI podcast episodes

Browse all →

Want to find AI jobs?

Join thousands of AI professionals finding their next opportunity

We respect your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

© 2026 Desi Academia Podcast. All rights reserved.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about how DevFound's AI matching, resumes, and referrals work.

DevFound's AI Copilot ingests your profile, goals, and live job data to deliver curated matches in seconds. Every match includes a resume variant, suggested referrals, and interview prep so you can act immediately. The more feedback you provide, the sharper the Copilot becomes.

AI-led job searches shrink the hours spent sifting through boards and formatting resumes. DevFound pairs automation with your personal outreach, so you reserve energy for interviews and negotiation. Traditional networking still matters, but AI gives you a lift before you even send a message.

Modern AI roles expect comfort with production-grade code, data fluency, and practical ML tooling. The strongest candidates pair deep technical chops with storytelling—translating model impact to product, GTM, and exec partners. Continuous learning keeps you ahead as stacks evolve.

DevFound rewards active seekers. Keep your profile fresh, respond to match quality prompts, and enable alerts so you never miss a role. The AI prioritizes companies and teams that align with your feedback, accelerating both introductions and interview invites.

High-density tech hubs continue to host the deepest AI talent pools, yet distributed teams are catching up fast. Use DevFound filters to hone in on onsite, hybrid, or fully remote roles and watch openings expand across time zones.

DevFound aggregates thousands of remote AI openings and flags the nuances—core hours, async culture, and visa needs—up front. The Copilot also recommends how to position your distributed work experience so hiring managers know you can thrive on a remote team.

Still have questions?

Contact Support