Arun


Meeting Derek Sivers

19 Feb, 2023


It was Feb 7, 2023 - I was going through my emails & clearing out the junk. Suddenly an email caught my attention - it was from Derek, titled "Who should I meet in Chennai and Bengaluru?" (Derek's announcement)

I got so excited seeing this and immediately started composing a response.

Hey Derek,

Loved listening to your episode on the Remote Ruby podcast. I'm a big fan of the way you approach things! I'm a 23 y/o developer from Chennai, currently working at Unifize (communication platform for manufacturing companies). I love to talk tech and indie hack projects. You can find more about me on my site.

Usually, when people visit India, they rarely come to Chennai. I was attending a meeting when I saw your email. Instantly it got me on the edge of my seat to compose this reply.

I could also help you in finding fun places to hang out! Didn't expect your son to be half Tamil. Would love to meet him as well 🤩

Cheers,
Arun

28 mins pass by... and Derek responds!

He replied with a link, which is a simple tiny app made by Derek for this meetup, where I could RSVP.

Finally, the day came, and we (I and Anumitha) met him. It was great seeing people from various backgrounds and cities travelling down to see a person because they found what he wrote inspiring, transformative & profound. Wherever he goes in this world, he will attract a similar, if not larger, crowd. It shows the power of writing. Derek is truly a citizen of the world!

This meetup and this article by Derek inspired me to start writing again. Here's to more posts 🥂

With Derek & the people from the meetup
At the dinner table with Derek & the group