First IRL Event experience

Today, Aug 5 2023, went to JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity to attend a IRL event.

While Twitter Spaces, YouTube TED Talks, and the podcasts on Spotify offer a wealth of knowledge and diverse perspectives, there's something uniquely different about attending a IRL (In Real Life) community event. As social beings, we crave that human touch and connection that can only be experienced in person.

The speaker at the event had a direct and no-nonsense approach. No sugar-coating, just honest conversations. They didn't entertain ideas simply to appease others but rather corrected and challenged viewpoints when necessary. In the corporate world, where politeness often takes precedence, it was good to witness unfiltered and honest conversations.

Observations I can remember:

1. In startups and companies - a small group of 10-12 people often do 80% of the work.
2. The magic lies in small, incremental changes that add up over time.
3. Patience is key in sales, and post-sales support matters just as much.
4. Not every problem can be solved by scaling up.
5. Bigger teams don't always mean better results.
6. High salaries don't guarantee great performance.
7. A core group of 10-15 people can shape the entire narrative.
8. Hardware projects are no joke; they're significantly harder than software ones.
9. College students are doing amazing things and attending these events.

Though this is not an extensive list of observations or things I learned, this is what I remember from the top of my head.

Attending this IRL event provided a sense of belonging and networking that I couldn't replicate from the comfort of my bedroom while watching YouTube or listening to Spotify. It was inspiring to witness students attending such events, striving to make a positive impact.

The event also underscored the power of mentorship and highlighted the contrasting approaches to mentorship in China and India. I plan to delve into this topic in a separate blog post at a later time.

Throughout the event, I met several interesting people, gained a couple of new Twitter followers, exchanged contact numbers, and did some networking.

Let's see how it goes. This is just the beginning. More IRL events to come.