If I moved to Hubli
It’s that time of the year again. End of year reflections.
I was thinking about this podcast I heard a few years back. This valley founder who had it all - the headlines, the success, the network. Then his company started going downhill. And suddenly, all those people who used to hang around? Gone. He talked about how he had never felt more alone. Eventually packed up and left the SF startup scene altogether. Spent years trying to find himself while rebuilding his company from scratch.
Makes me wonder sometimes. What if I moved from Bengaluru to Hubli tomorrow? Left this whole startup bubble behind. No more fancy meetups, no more “what are you working on” conversations, no more startup ecosystem drama. If work wasn’t my identity anymore, how many people from my current circle would actually stay in touch?
Not asking for LinkedIn engagement or Twitter DMs. Just genuine “hey, how are you doing” calls. People who’d want to talk because they enjoy our conversations, not because there’s something to gain or lose.
In Bengaluru your worth is tied to what you’re building, what company you work at, what your designation is. Take all that away and who really cares about grabbing that coffee just to catch up?
Maybe I’m being cynical. Maybe I’m overthinking. But these thoughts hit different during December when everyone is posting their year-end achievements and goals for next year.
Not that I’m planning to move to Hubli tomorrow. But it’s a good thought experiment. Makes you think about what really matters, who really matters.
Anyway, I’ll also be back to posting about product and growth next week. Let me have this moment of existential crisis.