I’m from a small town in Northeast India. Last week I walked into Google’s office because of a startup I built
I’m from Agartala. Small town. Most people outside the Northeast don’t even know where it is.
Last week I walked into Google’s Hyderabad office because of a startup I’ve been building for a few years. It still feels bizarre typing this.
I wasn’t there as an employee or visitor. I got invited for a Telangana startup event. They picked a few startups from the Northeast and mine somehow made the cut.
Inside Google, I ended up talking to product managers and regional heads. Not in a “motivational event” way but actual back-and-forth conversations. They asked about the problems we’re facing and gave real advice. That part hit me more than the office itself.
Because honestly. I’ve been building my startup, Fueler, from random apartments and coworking spaces, coffee shops. No funding. No fancy founder lifestyle. Just a lot of rejection emails and figuring stuff out on the go.
So sitting in that room. Coming from where I come from. It messed with my head a bit. In a good way.
For anyone from a small town, tier-2 or tier-3 city, or any place where “big opportunities” don’t show up easily. I just want to say this: the internet is your cheat code. You don’t have to wait for permission or a location advantage. It’s not easy, but it’s possible.
If anyone here is building something from a place where most people don’t dream big. I get you. If you have questions about the Google visit, the startup program, or building from a small town, happy to share //
Also. If you're working on your career and need to show your work somewhere, Fueler lets you build a portfolio for free. It’s my attempt at making things a bit more fair for people like us who come from small towns
Posted Dec 6, 2025, 6:27 PM UTC