“Give me 10 seconds, and I’ll guess the song.” This was Abhi Ballabh’s bold declaration on a bus headed to Shillong. Abhi was, with a straight face, trying to describe a seemingly useless skill he had. “Any Hindi song from the 90s,” he said, “All I need is 10 seconds, and I’ll identify it.” And he did, often within five seconds. Over and over again. It’s a fantastic party trick, but I noticed something. I was seated near Abhi, and he kept pulling rabbits out of the hat. The rest of the bus, full of SaaSBoomi volunteers, was laughing and cheering, but Abhi was focused. I imagined a giant library with shelves stacked with LPs, arranged alphabetically, and Abhi patiently pulling out each record and comparing it to the music to find the right one.
The romantic image of Abhi’s mind that I conjured is probably not far from the truth because if you’ve spent enough time with the man, this is how he carries himself. Nothing is ever out of place, not his hair, clothes, or words. He is meticulous and soft-spoken. He dresses deliberately and looks just as impeccable at midnight as he did at 6 AM when he first dressed up and combed his hair. His energy level and conversations don’t dip, making Abhi one of the most unique individuals in our founder network. And SaaSBoomi is the better for it.
Abhi’s journey at SaaSBoomi has been fascinating. He was part of the founders’ group in the early days of SGX and switched to volunteering to give back to the community which helped him grow. While he was part of SGX, I spotted Abhi as a future volunteer. It was not just the fact that he was generous with his time, it was his discipline.
The life of a SaaSBoomi volunteer can be rewarding and challenging in equal measure. Our events enable founders to network, upskill, and discover new avenues of personal growth. However, volunteering also means working for a larger cause than solely looking out for yourself. It also means that founders must dedicate their time and mental space to helping others. The amalgamation of all three is a difficult balance, and volunteers must find ways to balance work, life, and their volunteering. Finding this delicate balance takes discipline and dedication. Volunteers aren’t just present at the events but also reliable and adaptable guides. There are, if any, but a handful of people in the world who have these skills naturally; for everyone else, these skills need to be nurtured.
Abhi has been nurturing these skills all his life. I realised he had been working on these skills when he hosted his first SaaSBoomi Social in Pune. Socials are a simple concept: we get founders together, have drinks, network, and have a few scattered conversations. It doesn’t build in too much insight, instead, it tests organisation and energy over expertise. But for Abhi, nothing is without expertise.
At the social, I saw him mingle and interact with people while ensuring everyone was cared for. His organisation did not impress me so much as his conversations with the people around him. Abhi pays attention to every single word you say. If a conversation is interrupted or thrown off course midway, he will drag it back so you can complete your thought. He will be patient and undistracted during this period, allowing the other person to say their piece. There are no unresolved issues or open loops if you interact with Abhi. I wouldn’t be surprised if Abhi made copious notes about conversations with people.
People often mistake Abhi’s stillness for passivity. Abhi is nothing but a man of action.
I’ll tell you another little story about our trip to Meghalaya. Once we reached our destination, we decided to take the founders on a hike around Rangthylliang. The day was beautiful, and we hiked around a few steep rocks. One of our team members slipped off a rock and hurt her temple, elbows, and knees. The skin above her eyebrow split, and blood started pouring out. We all froze; we were a few hours from civilisation. The wild beauty around her looked like a prison. But Abhi leapt into action; he slid off those same dangerous rocks, which could have hurt him the same way it did his colleague. He held a handkerchief to her temple, checked her joints to see if she was injured anywhere else, and supported her as we hiked up to our destination. He then arranged a car, took her to the doctor, got her fixed up, and checked in with her until the day we left.
Would anyone else have jumped to the aid of our colleague? Most certainly. But Abhi was the first to act. He volunteered to handle the situation.
Thanks for being an authentic volunteer, Abhi.
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.
