VSF Tech Club — 4th Offsite Recap: Learnings, and Connections

I’ve written here before about VSF Tech Club and the offsite that we had earlier this year. Today (10/27/2024), we had yet another fantastic gathering, and I am excited to share a few highlights.

The day kicked off with a keynote where I took everyone back to the early days of VSF Tech Club. Together, we relived our journey and I highlighted the defining moments when we delivered something truly impactful. I also introduced the driving forces behind our success: my co-founders and the club officers. They are the real MVPs of the VSF Tech Club. No superpowers required, just pure dedication! We continued to see a good turn out for offsite events from the VSF Community.

The agenda was packed, and each session brought something valuable. Here is a peek at our lineup:

• Sriharsha Guduguntla from Hyperbound: Sai’s startup story had us at the edge of our seats. Hyperbound, a YC startup, has been generating buzz recently, and for good reason. Sriharsha’s talk was full of insights, and he left everyone with a demo that had jaws dropping. We all left wondering, “How does he do that?”

• Shankar Ramanathan from OCI: Shankar dove into the intricate world of networks with a session that even made IP addresses sound exciting! Our networking enthusiasts in the crowd could barely contain their excitement. He traced the evolution of networks from the 70s-80s to the future, and it was like watching a Marvel movie unfold minus the superheroes :)

• Subhash Kodnad from Palo Alto Networks: With a refreshing talk on strategic thinking, Subhash laid out insights that resonated deeply with both engineers and engineering leaders. Sure, some concepts felt familiar, but then he hit us with new revelations that made us think that we should adopt them.

Today’s event felt particularly special because of our distinguished guests from the VSF Board and Executive Committee — Rao Garu and Vish Jakka. Their presence wasn’t just symbolic, it showed their commitment to the VSF mission and their willingness to back our initiatives whenever we need that extra push.

As a nonprofit organization, the VSF Tech Club relies on community support, and we couldn’t be more grateful for BayOne Solutions (thank you, Rahul Sharma and team!) for letting us use your office space. The venue was just right for our needs. And, of course, a big shoutout to our event organization team: Srinivas, Veera, myself :) and our dedicated officers: Sravanthi, Shanthi, and our latest addition, Vissu. And let’s not forget our ever patient spouses! This would not be possible without their endless support and help with

logistics.

In my keynote, I emphasized the power of professional networking. By the end of the day, every participant walked away with not just fresh ideas but fresh connections. The motivation was tangible, with attendees ready to channel this energy back to their teams and projects. There is just something about the spark of connecting with like minded people.

Every offsite feels like an accomplishment. I am not just referring to the day itself but to the journey that leads up to the event date. As we wrap up, we are returning with the satisfaction of having put together another great event!