After several years of high intensity, constant change, and frequent adventure/instability, I felt so adapted to change, or at least specific types of change, that even big changes began to feel normalized. In the thick of it all, it’s hard to appreciate the barriers we’ve worked through and the challenges we’ve tackled, but one thing is certain – they are far from normal.
Back in November, Okra came together for our biggest hackathon/retreat in company history. 20 people from 9 different countries, normally based in 5 locations, all touched down in Shenzhen, China. Most people were experiencing China for the first time, some leaving their home countries for the first time, one flying on an airplane for the first time, and many people meeting each other in person for the first time – a momentous occasion for all. So in typical “Okra hackathon” style, madness ensued shortly there after. For 14 days straight we soaked in every minute of time possible with each other, digging into some of the more complex technical challenges we were facing; debriefing, strategizing, and brainstorming to outline the company vision and culture; and exploring as much as possible in this insanely fascinating city, sporting our matching hats and shirts. In many ways, this hackathon was different to our early days ones. The number of dimensions to the company has grown tremendously, requiring more effort to manage and sync the vision and strategy across them and leaving less time to disappear into an engineering blackhole. It requires different forms of energy to discuss and coordinate, versus just jumping in and building new tech, which spurred many discussions around nostalgia for the past as well as excitement for the future. Thankfully, the spirit and energy that pours out when we all come together was unchanged, and I still think our silliness would make for excellent reality tv, in case we need a backup plan.
Soon after the hackathon, Okra intensity leveled up again as pressure really started to build around the launch of our new product, launch of our new software platform, and roll-out of our first at-scale models. We got a small taste of success when we installed a few samples of our new product into homes and, 2 years after conceiving of the idea, we saw them providing electricity to families. It was both nerve-wrecking as well as overwhelmingly rewarding, but it was ultimately small progress. The real achievement would be to see this product rolling off the manufacturing line, in big volumes, finally fulfilling all the orders and deals we’ve been lining up. However, unforeseen bugs and then the Corona virus outbreak resulted in seemingly perpetual delays and uncertainties. Since the end of last year, it has felt like every day we have to digest new information, form new timelines (and backup timelines), and realign priorities and company strategy. The constant reshuffling and creating backup plans for the backup plans kept us on high alert and in a semi-constant state of pressure, which was draining and revealed some clear lessons to learn from. Thankfully, the tight-knit fabric of the team played a huge role in our resilience as a company, and I’m continually proud and impressed by how we calmly troubleshoot in the face of roadblocks and have each other’s backs when times get tough.
I wish I could say that everything has worked itself out and this is a challenge we can cross of our list. But the reality is that we’re not in the clear, and the milestones we need to hit over the next 6 months are motivating, scary, and filled with more uncertainty than we’d like. But in the midst of these ongoing challenges to surmount, I also saw us handle some tough internal situations, recover gracefully when a key partner suddenly went out of business, and take the plunge to setup our headquarters in a new country. And while in the heat of the moment these discussions might feel like just another event in my calendar, we’ve grown a lot as individuals and as a team to be making such big decisions.
The transition into my new life in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is a blog post and reflective process of its own, but on the topic of acknowledging challenges that I lulled myself into approaching as normal, there’s one more challenge worth mentioning. A few months ago, a few of my team members, their partners, and I decided to train for a 50 kilometer ultra marathon through the Malaysian jungle of Borneo. Over the past 100 days we worked towards this goal, like a sports team training for the post-season championships. It became a normal rhythm to kick off the weekend together with a 3 hour run. The anticipation and preparation the nights before, the team bonding through each other’s ups and downs, and the feelings of complete exhaustion and satisfaction afterwards all became oddly routine. As we tapered our training, planned our mid-race food/hydration plans, and geared up for the big weekend, the insanity of what we were about to take on still hardly felt real. And then, in the span of roughly 48 hours, we had flown to Borneo, done the race, and returned to KL, as if it was just a normal weekend.
But it was the opposite of normal. In summary, we completed 54.6 km and 2855 m elevation gain in 12 hours, and came top 10 for the women. We showed immense strength and fitness as we powered up seemingly never-ending hills and we acknowledged our weakness of descending steep hills quickly. Especially given that we had had almost no access to hills during our training, the intense elevation profile of the race was the most intimidating. But through each of our lows, mental blocks, and physical pains, we figured out how to keep going forward. Despite just living it, it is seriously mind-blowing to me how much we could push through. While I pride myself in being physically strong and determined, I never foresaw myself taking on this level of challenge. Going into this past weekend, I had logged over 300 kilometers in training, run at least 7 half-marathons, and still had no idea if I was ready. A lot of the hardest parts are a blur, I just know that after the irritating blisters and stiffest legs I’ve ever experienced, this is an achievement I will hold with me forever. And I also know that I will wear the race shirts proudly, probably more often than people will want to see. I’ll soon need a new goal or challenge to work towards, but for now, especially as my aches and pains remind me vividly of the experience, I plan on reveling in “that one weekend we flew off to Borneo and ran an ultra marathon.”
I’ve spent the past 4 years trying to embrace an attitude of being open to new experiences. For the most part, I’ve done that pretty well and the friends I’ve made, places I’ve seen, and career growth I’ve gained are all byproducts. As we launched into 2020, I had been wondering how much I was still living up to this value. I’m happy I can count on my willingness to jump into new challenges, even when they could be perceived as ludicrous, but I also want to make sure I continue mixing up the types of challenges I’m facing and pushing myself in new directions. I might not be in the same phase of experimentation and nomadic adventure as I was a few years ago, but when I can reflect on my daily life and see myself reaching new heights in different ways, I know I haven’t strayed too far. With a massive year for Okra ahead, settling into a new country, and new goals to go after, I’m looking forward to new thrills and new hills to climb.
This first group of Shenzhen photos just show off some of the super modern, futuristic, but also green and serene landscapes we found within the city. The night views, the way the buildings are outlined with lights, was particularly dramatic and stunning.
The next set of photos are also from the hackathon, showcasing our adventures, including standard electronics shots, late nights in the lab, some manufacturer visits, and amazing feasts. Also during the hackathon, we presented at TechCrunch Hardware Battlefield, demoed the new product which resulted in our tech broadcasted on the biggest screen I’ve ever seen, and came away with some prize money!
Immediately after the hackathon, I made my way back to Yangon, getting both an incredible belated birthday celebration with Tasha and Camille, but also thoroughly enjoying a substantial chunk of time there, feeling the joys of living again in a city I love with people I love more.
Mission to install the first few samples of our new product! Involved an assembly line late into the night in the office, but was incredible to see our new, super sleek product actually installed. The last two photos are from a different field visit, checking up on our crickets project- it’s taking off!
Our running crew, a.k.a. “Sabah Squad”, went adventuring in Kirirom, a mountainous national park in Cambodia. We camped, saw some incredible views, and smashed some beautiful/intense training in the woods!
Last but not least, photos from the race day in Borneo. Absolutely stunning views from morning till night. Shoutout to Gabi for the cover photo!
Wow what a fabulous post. It’s so amazing to hear about what you are doing Nithya!!! Congratulations on your progress at Okra and on completing the ultra 🙌.
Thanks Heather! It’s certainly an adventure:) Hope you’re doing well and having great adventures of your own!
Beautiful post as always. Photos bringing back some serious memories that weirdly feel like such a long time ago…wait…it’s kind of been a long time. But seriously photos out of control! Borneo looks <3
Thanks Cal <3 I know right, SZ hax adventures seem eons ago, but was so nice to relive them a bit as I wrote this! Contrast between SZ and Borneo is out of control right? Amazing places, crazzzy times:)