Building TechBrewers: From Introvert to Community Leader

I'm excited to take you on a journey through TechBrewers that is full of unexpected twists! Believe it or not, I started as an introvert and if someone had told me back in school that I’d one day be standing in front of over 200 people, giving talks, and leading a thriving tech community, I would’ve laughed and run the other way! But, thanks to the amazing support of the tech community, I gradually found my voice. Joining different communities helped me push past my fear of public speaking, transforming my comfort zone from quiet corners to buzzing stages, and eventually led to building TechBrewers.

During my undergrad days, I applied to become a Google Crowdsource Influencer and delivered multiple talks, one of which was featured in the Google Indian Subcontinent newsletter. This recognition showed me how communities can inspire and motivate you—and I believed this was just the beginning. Volunteering at various hackathons and communities gave me invaluable experience in how these ecosystems operate. While still in undergrad, I noticed a lack of awareness among students about these initiatives, which sparked the idea to start TechBrewers. What began as a simple WhatsApp group for sharing hackathons and events quickly grew into a community with a mission to help students Learn, Connect, and Build together.

Within the first 1-2 months, we reached our first 100 members, receiving positive feedback on how we helped them explore new opportunities. Soon after, we hosted our first informal meetup to connect and introduce TechBrewers. However, we faced huge setbacks and questioned whether to continue or quit. But our passion for helping others kept us going, believing that if TechBrewers could make a significant impact on even one person's career, it would be a success for us at TechBrewers.

As we continued, we introduced various domains like Web Development, App Development, Cybersecurity, and many more. Reaching 500 members felt like a milestone, but growing from 500 to 1k members was even more challenging. It required consistent effort from us like organizing events, keeping the community active, and delivering quality resources. Not every initiative worked, but the ones that did pushed us forward. During this period, we organized our first-ever community meetup, which came with valuable lessons. The biggest takeaway? Pay attention to small details that can affect the audience’s experience. While big aspects like the venue, speakers, and swags are important, the little things often get overlooked in the middle of all the planning. What attendees see on the event day is the result of months of hard work behind the scenes.

After crossing the 1,000-member mark, we hosted an impromptu event called TechBrewers CelCon(Celebration + Connect) to engage with our community and understand their expectations. We also began collaborating with hackathons and other communities, believing in collaboration over competition. Soon after, we hit a rough patch, our growth stagnated, and member activity dropped. But we remained determined, knowing this phase wouldn’t last. We continued organizing virtual events, inviting industry speakers who shared valuable insights with our members. Eventually, it was time for our annual TechBrewers Meetup 2.0, where we learned from past mistakes and improved the experience for everyone. We're proud to have successfully pulled off this event, complete with great food and an even better community vibe.

As I write this, TechBrewers has close to 2,000 members globally, spanning over 10 countries. We’re incredibly proud to hear from people who say TechBrewers has helped them in some way. It feels like a full circle, communities helped me step out of my comfort zone, and now we're building one that does the same for others. Our entire team is dedicated to giving back, expecting nothing in return.

For those looking to build a community, my advice is simple: don’t do it just for recognition or to appear busy. Building a community takes genuine effort, commitment, and resilience, especially when faced with setbacks. But with a strong team, engaged members, and a clear purpose, you can push through. Make sure you have a solid reason for starting a community, and before diving in, gain experience by volunteering with other communities to learn how they operate.

Here are some key learnings I have gained:

• Stepping Out of Comfort Zones: I transformed from being an introvert to a public speaker, growth often comes from facing discomfort and trying new things.

• Power of Community: I've learned that communities can be powerful motivators, providing not only technical skills but also helping in personal development.

• Consistency is Key: Despite facing slow growth and challenges, commitment to organizing events and engaging members shows that persistence is essential for success.

• Collaboration Over Competition: Embracing collaboration with other communities and hackathons, working together instead of competing in isolation.

• Importance of Teamwork: Having a strong, supportive team has been crucial to the success of TechBrewers, demonstrating the value of having like-minded individuals who share the same vision.

• Attention to Detail: Organizing meetups taught me the importance of small details, like logistics and user experience, which can make or break the overall event.

• Learning From Failures: Not every initiative worked, but I took lessons from those failures to improve, showing the value of iteration and reflection in building successful communities.

If you're planning to build a community, here's a cycle you can follow. This serves as a roadmap to creating thriving tech communities, this is the approach that helped me build TechBrewers successfully.