My journey to SIH2023 began a year prior, when we participated in SIH2022 in the software domain. Our idea was an advanced software solution for maintaining diet and exercise routines, a complete package for body fitness. We poured our hearts and souls into this project, dedicating countless hours to its development.
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we didn’t qualify past the first round. Our downfall was not due to a lack of effort or dedication, but rather our presentation skills and our lack of experience in the sector. As a team, we faced coordination issues and disagreements on certain ideas, which led to conflicts. These issues, we believe, contributed to our early exit from SIH2022.
This experience, while disappointing, was a valuable learning opportunity. It taught us the importance of effective communication, coordination, and the need for expertise in our chosen domain. It was a steppingstone that prepared us for our future endeavors in SIH2023.
Just an hour after learning about our disqualification, I received news that two of my friends had qualified for the final round. This news filled me with a mix of nervousness and happiness. My friends, being more academically oriented, were initially hesitant to participate in the final round. I spent hours motivating them, emphasizing the rarity of such an opportunity and the regret they might feel if they let it pass. After much persuasion, they finally agreed and filled out the confirmation form just before the deadline.
At this point, an unexpected opportunity presented itself. One of their teammates was not contributing effectively, and they offered me a chance to join their team for SIH2022. However, I declined. I believe in the values instilled in me by my parents, one of which is to never take someone else’s place unjustly. So, I turned down what seemed like a golden opportunity. After turning down the offer to join my friends’ team for SIH2022, another opportunity came my way. My classmates invited me to join their team for a competition organized collaboratively by ASI, ISRO, and In-Space. I accepted this offer and put my efforts into this new challenge. This experience turned out to be another significant chapter in my journey, which I look forward to sharing with you in my upcoming blogs.
I began working on the CanSat competition. During this time, one of our college teams, Power X, had qualified for the same competition. The leader of Power X was Mawiz, a friend of our CanSat leader, Gaus.
I remember the day; Gaus and I were working on an ESP32 controller for sending data to the cloud in our Engineering Exploration classroom. Mawiz happened to pass by and noticed us. He approached Gaus and asked for help with his project. At that time, Mawiz and his team were working on their project at a café in Connaught.
Gaus agreed to help, and we both visited the café where they were working on their project. It was not just any project, but a wheelchair designed for a hackathon. The café buzzed with the energy of innovation and teamwork. It was here that I got a glimpse of the dedication and effort that went into creating something meaningful and impactful. Gaus started troubleshooting the issue, and that’s when I met some of the Power X members for the first time. I distinctly remember Sanket, who later led the team to victory in SIH2023. He had braved heavy rain to reach the café and was completely drenched when he arrived. These experiences taught me the importance of collaboration and perseverance, values that would guide me in the journey ahead.
The real story began when we received a notice about SIH2023 at our college. I immediately started researching the competition - surfing their website, studying the problem statements, understanding the rules and regulations, and noting down the submission rounds. After a day of brainstorming, I chose a problem statement. I thought the hardest part was over, but little did I know, the real challenge was just beginning - forming a team. I first reached out to two of my friends who were finalists in the previous version of SIH. Trusting their skills and experience, I stopped searching for developers. Soon after, two of my classmates, along with one of their friends, expressed interest in joining my team. We discussed the idea and started working together.
However, one evening, I received a conference call from these friends. They informed me that they wouldn’t be able to participate in the competition. I didn’t know the reasons behind their decision, but I calmly accepted it and tried to lighten the mood by discussing other topics. This call left me disturbed, and my morale dropped significantly, much like a crashing stock market. Despite these setbacks, I remained determined. I knew that this was just a hurdle in the journey, and I was ready to face whatever came next.
In my quest to form a team, I started searching for programmers and developers. However, finding the right people was a challenge. Despite visiting different departments and having one-on-one conversations with several engineers, I couldn’t find the appropriate person for the role. As days passed, my morale started to decrease. Most of the worthy candidates were already part of a team, and the remaining ones were not interested in the competition.
Around the same time, Gaus, who had become a friend and had joined Power X, informed me that they were looking for a team member. They were conducting interviews for this position. I was at a crossroads. I could either continue with Team Diode without any software developer or join Power X, where I could contribute with my skill set.
Unable to decide, I reached out to an older friend for advice. He suggested that I clear my mind and focus on my ultimate goal. He advised me to do whatever was necessary to achieve that goal. Following his advice, I realized that without the software component, our project wouldn’t stand firmly. So, I made the difficult decision to join Power X, setting my sights on winning SIH2023.
Comments
Post a Comment