The Power of Not Having the Privilege to Give Up | Amjad Oudeh | TEDxBerlin Salon

Quick Overview

Amjad Oudeh shares his personal story of overcoming the lack of opportunity as a stateless Palestinian refugee by embracing continuous learning and mentorship, ultimately leading him to a successful career in tech in Germany, emphasizing that the drive to succeed is more important than having a perfect plan.

Key Points: Amjad Oudeh was born in Damascus, Syria, and grew up stateless as a third-generation Palestinian. In 2012, he made the difficult decision to leave Syria, eventually moving to Berlin in 2015 with no concrete plan. He worked odd jobs like in restaurants and cafes while learning German and teaching himself coding in his free time. His manager at a company noticed his passion and offered him a job as a QA engineer, which transitioned into iOS development. He strongly believes that one does not need a perfect plan or qualifications to pursue opportunities, citing his own journey as proof. The speaker credits his mother's guiding principle—that they do not have the privilege to give up—for motivating him through tough times.

Context: Amjad Oudeh delivers a personal narrative at a TEDxBerlin Salon event titled "Future of Tech Education." His talk centers on his journey from being a stateless Palestinian refugee, forced to leave Syria in 2012, to finding success as a tech professional in Germany. He highlights the importance of perseverance, continuous self-learning, and accepting opportunities even when feeling unqualified, driven by a core belief inherited from his mother that giving up is not an option for those facing hardship.

Detailed Analysis

Amjad Oudeh recounts his challenging path, starting from being a stateless, third-generation Palestinian born in Damascus, Syria. Following the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, he made the difficult choice to leave in 2012, eventually landing in Berlin in 2015 without a clear plan. During this period, he worked menial jobs in restaurants and cafes while dedicating his free time to teaching himself programming and improving his German. He learned a critical principle from his mother: that those without privilege cannot afford to give up. Despite feeling unqualified and lacking a perfect plan, he accepted an unexpected opportunity offered by his manager to work as a QA engineer, which later evolved into an iOS development role. He attributes his success not to luck or qualifications, but to taking the next small step and executing on opportunities, even when they felt daunting, like transitioning from web development to iOS and later to QA roles. The speaker emphasizes that the next chapter in life does not arrive on autopilot; it requires proactive effort and learning, concluding that his mother's mantra guided him through every difficult moment.