2015 wasn’t about ideas anymore.

It was about people.

The First 200

Summer workshops. Final-year and third-year students.

Around 200 walked in.

Not for placements. Not for resumes.

For something that sounded… bigger.

Impact. Purpose. Nation-building.

Words that hit differently when you’re 21.

The Chosen 50

From 200, only 50 were selected.

Marks didn’t matter much.

Instead:

• Mindset
• Commitment
• Willingness to “build”

Because this wasn’t recruitment.

It was filtration.

The 25–75 Bet

Then came the model.

It sounded bold.

Almost revolutionary.

But underneath:

• Immediate sacrifice
• Delayed reward
• Complete buy-in

And for fresh IIT/NIT graduates?

That’s a powerful hook.

The First Builders

A core team of 50–60 formed.

They weren’t treated like employees.

They were positioned as early builders of a mission.

They ran:

• Workshops in college fests
• Tech sessions (cybersecurity, IoT)
• Projects like English Engine and Dictionary

Everything felt like groundwork for something massive.

Life Inside

The outside saw ambition.

Inside was different:

• ₹5,000–₹10,000 salaries
• Shared living spaces
• Long, unstructured work hours

But people stayed.

Because they weren’t working for money.

They were working for a future promise.