I first encountered Mayank when I was at Accel, where he was building the tech platform for the VC firm. I saw promise and realised that he could help us build the SaaSBoomi community, so I reached out to him for help with our website. What followed was a masterclass in selfless contribution that would define our relationship for years to come.
Before I move on, I would like to introduce you to Mayank.
Mayank Nagpal is the founder of EPYC and one of the brightest minds I have met. He is deeply embedded in the open-source, no-code world and uses his hustler mindset to navigate the steepest challenges. But that doesn’t mean he avoids difficult moments; he embraces them, finds a way around and consistently delivers. And on time.
An easy synonym that my friends in the SaaS world would use is ‘hustler’ or ‘growth hack’ mindset. It’s close but not accurate. Mayank is a hustler; he does growth hack his way through problems, but he’s much more than that. Mayank is a dreamer, a storyteller.
I’ll give you an example. Mayank was going to join us at Caravan 2024 in the US. Procuring visas from India to the US has become difficult, to say the least. Mayank thought on his feet and applied for the visa from Singapore. He was one of the first in our volunteer cohort to get a visa. When people find unique solutions to complex problems, such as this, they tend to keep them secret. Not Mayank. He, true to form, explained the process — opening his playbook, if you will — and volunteered to help one of SaaSBoomi’s staff members use that route to fly to the US. And while he explained the process, he used self-deprecating humour, expertly, to simplify that route. We were left with a giggle, a smile and a feeling of gratefulness for his offer.
His willingness to talk about his jugaad speaks to his unique ability to give without expecting anything in return. His affection for our community caught my eye, but I was genuinely convinced of his commitment to SaaSBoomi during the AI Bootcamp 2024.
Throughout the event planning and execution, Mayank mentored our youngest intern, Devansh, working with him daily, while fielding calls at 11:00 am, providing feedback and assignments.
While most founders would delegate menial tasks or claim they don’t have time, Mayank built a course for Devansh. He taught him how work happens inside the community, threw him in the deep end, and provided deep mentorship.
Mayank is truly a dreamer. He saw Devansh’s strengths that many others did not. He found a way to harness those strengths and helped Devansh grow.
Mayank, the professional, is also unique. At Annual, he volunteered for countless tasks without being asked. However, I want to highlight one project he undertook, which truly stunned me.
We were routing things through an external platform that frustrated founders with excessive details, causing many to drop out. Mayank cracked the workflow and reimagined the user experience. He didn’t need to do it, but he spent all his time making it seamless. It wasn’t about money for him; it was the challenge.
In a world where everyone talks about giving back, Mayank simply gives forward, quietly, consistently, and without fanfare.
Thank you, Mayank!
From the Author:
SaaSBoomi began in 2015 as a small gathering of ~50 founders, and today, with over 500 events across three countries and countless lives touched, we’ve only just scratched the surface.
None of this would have been possible without the unrelenting passion of our 125+ volunteers — the lifeblood of SaaSBoomi.
Their contributions go beyond effort; they’ve built a community bound by camaraderie, empathy, and a shared vision for a Product Nation.
Pay it FWD is my tribute to every pay-it-forward champion I’ve encountered on this incredible journey.
Their contributions to SaaSBoomi and the broader ecosystem have been immeasurable, yet there remains a story left to be told — one that echoes the impact they continue to create.
