What 42 Strangers, One CEO, and a Simple Birthday Taught Me

Hey Beyonder!

You know that feeling when life starts teaching you the same lesson from different places?

That happened to me last week. Let me tell you how.

It Started with Biryani

I was recording a podcast with the founder of Cookd. He makes ready-to-cook food that doesn't suck.

He handed me a biryani mix and asked me to try it out.

We spent the next hour talking about why people buy things. Not fancy marketing tricks. Just real human psychology.

When I made that biryani at home later, it hit me. This guy wasn't trying to revolutionize cooking. He just made something that worked.

Simple. Effective. Real.

Also, the podcast is OUT 😉 

Then I Did Something Scary

A few days later, I got a message about a meetup in Lonavala. Indie Hackers - people who build small businesses without big funding.

Now here's the thing. I've barely traveled outside Tamil Nadu. The idea of flying to Pune and meeting 42 strangers? That scared me.

But that realization about solving problems from the podcast simply kept playing in my head.

So I bought the ticket.

What I Found There

I was the youngest person there.

These people had built real products. Made real money. Created real freedom.

But you know what surprised me? They weren't trying to be the next big thing.

One guy built a simple tool that helps developers. Makes six figures with just two people on his team.

Another woman turned her weekend hobby into a business that pays for her entire lifestyle.

They all had the same approach: Find a problem. Solve it simply. Help people.

No drama. No hype. Just useful things.

The Tool That Changed Everything

During the meetup, someone taught me mind mapping.

I've always had too many thoughts running in my head. Writing them down never helped. But drawing them out? Complete game changer.

It's simple. But it works.

Just like that biryani mix. Just like their businesses.

Where It All Made Sense

When I flew back to Chennai, my head was buzzing. New ideas. New tools. New ways to think.

But my mind kept drifting back to something simple — Agnel’s birthday. It had happened just a few days before I left for the trip.

We didn’t do anything wild.

We went to Barbeque Nation. Played bowling. Laughed about random things. That’s it.

No big Instagram story. No fancy celebration. Just good food and real friends.

The Lesson That Hit Me

All those successful people I met. All their impressive businesses. All the complex problems they solve.

It all started with something simple.

A conversation. A small problem. Caring about helping someone.

Just like birthdays. Just like friendships. Just like the best moments in life.

They don't need to be complicated. They just need to be real.

What This Means

I'm still processing everything from that trip. The conversations. The insights. The new tools.

But one thing is clear now.

Success isn't about being the biggest or the loudest. It's about being useful. It's about showing up for people who matter.

It's about keeping things simple and real 😃 

A Question for You

For me, it's moments like Agnel's birthday. No filters. No performance. Just being present with people I care about.

Hit reply and tell me yours. These conversations always make my day.

Thanks for reading this far, Beyonders.

Sometimes the best insights come wrapped in the simplest packages.

Cheers,
Epaphra

P.S. That vlog from Lonavala is coming soon. And yes, we're still looking for an editor who gets storytelling. If that's you, let's talk.