What was the author Annasaheb's initial view on having a Guru, and what caused it to change?

Initially, Annasaheb had a very skeptical view of Gurus. The account in Chapter 0 reveals that he had no Guru devotion or love for the Guru at all. Furthermore, he used to think that making a Guru was a fraud and argued there was no need for one, taking great pride in his own doership. This perspective was completely shattered when his eyes met Baba's. This encounter sparked an 'internal spiritual witness' that broke his pride and made him fully convinced that there is no way to cross the ocean of life without a Sadguru.