I am usually the kind of guy who likes to have everything planned out, especially when I’m traveling somewhere: I need to know what I’m going to do, who I am going to meet, at what time and so on.
On a recent weekend, I had no such plan. I just knew I was going to Philly for PennApps, a hackathon, taking a six-hour bus ride with people I had never met before, with no team and with no idea of what I was going to build. Perfect.
When I was first accepted for PennApps, I was thrilled. But, when I found out that none of my friends or classmates from college were going, I wasn’t so sure. Moreover, it was during the first weekend of the fall semester: I would still be settling in. The bus ride would be tiring. And, I would be there for two nights with no place to sleep.
Above all, I wouldn’t have a team, since no one I knew was going. I had messaged a bunch of random people online, trying to get a team together, but nothing had been finalized. These thoughts ran through my mind for a few days. But, a part of me wanted to take the risk, go and make the most of this wonderful opportunity.
Friday arrived, and it was time to go. I was nervous as I tried to fit a pillow in my bag, hopeful of catching some sleep in the next three days. I had never travelled for a hackathon before. And, this was only my second one, so I was worried about what to expect. My friends were all going to be on campus for the weekend, while I would be on the road for more than six hours for my first 36-hour hackathon.
I met two guys on the bus who were in the same boat. They, like me, had hopped on the bus, being the only ones from their college, hoping to find a team somewhere along the way.
We talked a lot during the bus ride and realized we had a lot more in common than I could have thought. We eventually teamed up and spent the next two days together, working on what is perhaps my coolest hackathon project so far.
On the bus ride back, when I reflected on the experience, it felt like I had known these guys forever, even though it had only been a little more than two days. I guess that’s what happens when you join forces over two days, with each moment spent towards the common goal of building something cool.
And that we did.
How had this happened in the first place? One of them had tried to start a conversation with me; I had responded enthusiastically and continued the conversation. That was all it took.
Be nice to people. Be open to interactions with people you’ve never seen before. Who knows, you might find amazing new friends, just like I did.
Seeing some of the best developers in the world really opened my eyes. Here at UR, we don’t really have a hacker community, so this was the first time I got to see, on a huge scale, what one is like. It also helped break some of the stereotypes I had. I realized that this community is all about building something cool. And, contrary to stereotypes, people are all nice and social.
Learning about others’ hacks broadened my horizons, kindling new sparks to help me see the things that can be built through technology to solve so many of society’s problems, in ways that I had never imagined earlier.
Before this hackathon, I could never imagine taking a 12-hour bus ride just to volunteer at a hackathon. When I met two other college students in my bus ride who were doing precisely that, I thought maybe they didn’t have anything to do over the weekend and wanted to while away time. But, nothing could be farther from the truth. Having gained so much by meeting just about 15 new people, now, I imagine going around talking to countless talented hackers from 147 colleges, 11 different countries and 24 states. I can see how much these volunteers probably gained through their experience. I now find myself wanting to take that 12-hour bus ride just to volunteer at a hackathon.
I have come back inspired, with new friends, new experiences and a transformation in my perspective on various things related to technology, the hacker community and startups.
I had been nervous and skeptical of going. But, now, I look forward to many more such experiences.
Step out of your comfort zone. Seek new adventures. Plan a spontaneous trip. Put yourself out there, and, who knows, wonderful things may happen, without your planning them.
At this conference, I also attended a talk by the founder of a successful startup. Learning about his journey in his own words was insightful and inspiring. I spoke to him in person after the event, asking him specific questions I had. One of the things he told me was, “Put yourself in positions where you can allow serendipity to happen to you.”
That made an impact on me.
Serendipity. That’s exactly what this weekend had been. Here’s to many more such experiences.
Hora is a member of the class of 2018.
