In a post that’s been making the rounds on LinkedIn, Prabhkiran Singh, founder of youth fashion brand Bewakoof, shared one of the most unexpectedly brilliant stories in tech entrepreneurship that of Zhang Yiming, the elusive and soft-spoken founder of ByteDance, the company behind TikTok. And the TikTok Story.
“Most people chase college prestige. Zhang Yiming chased snowfall and seafood.”
– Prabhkiran Singh on LinkedIn
Zhang, a top-ranking student in China, could’ve gone to the country’s most elite universities. Tsinghua. Peking. Fudan. You name it.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he chose Nankai University, a lesser-known public institution, not for rankings or résumé polish, but because:
- It had snow
- It was near the sea (he loved seafood)
- It was far from home (he craved freedom)
- It had a good gender ratio (his words, not ours)
That’s it.
No overthinking. No prestige parade. Just instinct, comfort, and joy.
In a world especially in countries like India or China, where college choices are often dictated by societal validation, entrance exam ranks, and family pride, Zhang’s decision sounds irrational. Even rebellious. But it may have been the smartest, most human choice he ever made.
The Campus of Chance
While at Nankai, Zhang initially enrolled in microelectronics, but soon switched to software engineering, a pivot that aligned perfectly with the digital wave China was about to surf.
He met his future wife there.
He had the space to explore life beyond grades.
He later worked at Microsoft.
And eventually, he created ByteDance, one of the world’s most influential tech firms, valued at over $300 billion today.
Why This Hits So Hard in India
In India, choosing a lesser-known college over a top-tier institute like IIT, NIT, or DU for “snow” or “gender ratio” would not only be ridiculed, it would be rejected outright.
We are conditioned to pursue prestige over peace.
Rankings over relevance.
Degree over desire.
But Zhang’s story is a reminder: you don’t need a famous name to build something world-changing. You need an environment that lets your curiosity breathe.
The Larger Lesson
Sometimes, the best decisions don’t come from logic charts or placement packages.
They come from knowing what makes you happy and creating the space for it to thrive.
That doesn’t mean rankings are meaningless. But it does mean that we might be underestimating the power of joy, freedom, and instinct in shaping extraordinary careers.
The Takeaway
Zhang Yiming didn’t follow the “path of most approval.”
He followed the path of most alignment, And the world got TikTok.
So next time someone says your dreams sound irrational, tell them snow, seafood, and a sense of freedom once built a $300 billion empire.
Also Read: Bewakoof Founder Prabhkiran’s Viral Post: Wife’s To-Do List Steals the Show
