EPISODE 041 - Mindset: Experts Live India - Why it is so special

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidl and today we have a special episode because I'm sitting right now in India in Bangalore waiting for checkout and doing a special edition of this podcast because yesterday we had Experts Life India and I want to talk about what is so special at Experts Life India. So as I said, a little special podcast. So as I said yesterday, we had X-Buzz Live India. And today, waiting for checkout and doing the special episode. And this I wanted to use to talk about the different things. what it is here about in India. first of all, of course, all the friendship to Samir helps a lot. It's one of the main reasons we do every year in Experts Life India. But also the session.

Michael Seidl: the session stuff because for example, so when I talk we, mean Samir because Samir is doing the conference and all the planning. but we had, Samir had around 3000 signups for Experts Life India. So that's a huge number. We had to, he had to throw back around the half to make sure not only students show up. So we have a mix of professionals and students. And so we had 1400 signups and we only have room for 450. And if you do a conference in India, especially when the tickets are for free, you might have 1400 signups, but showing up might be 50 or 1400. So you don't know. Okay. So you have to arrange with what happens on that day. And we decided to story on me. here in India and we decided to arrive at the venue at Microsoft campus a little bit earlier to help Samir build everything up and arrange everything and two hours before we arrived and there has been already a huge line of attendees wanted to go into the building. So they are here two hours before the official start because Samir told everyone you have to show up early. because first come, first serve, you only have capacity for 450 people. So everyone needs to show up early to get in. So they showed up around two hours before the event starts. So that's a huge passion, but the sign of passion to really want to learn something. The next one is they're really focused in the sessions. So they're really sitting there, they're really focused on the session, even if it's a technical... deep dive session or I didn't get shit done in a tea session. It's more a soft skills session. They're really passionate. They're really listening. They're really asking and they're really interested. And that's my opinion. One of the major differences to European or US sessions or conferences. So in European or US, they have to pay a lot of money to go into the session.

Michael Seidl: to attend the conference. And then you have people sitting in, maybe doing a nap, maybe playing on the phone, maybe talking about anything else, but not listening. From the other side, it's disturbing. The speaker, me as a speaker, of course, and what I don't understand, they pay a lot of money to go there and then they sleep or play on the phone. And I think that's maybe one difference. course, in Europe, US, there are also other people, but I haven't seen that in India before, it is my fourth session right now. The passion is very different and on top, the conference was on Saturday. So it's not an excuse to have to go to get a free day from the business. So they did it on the spare time, on the free time, visited the conference and they're really passionate, really. They're soaking in everything. And as a speaker, this is really a joy to do a speech in that area. So if you have attendees doing a nap in your session. That might be little bit frustrating, a little bit awkward. But in India, they are so interested, so passionate about everything. And that's a joy to be a presenter. And of course, after the session, they ask a lot of questions. They ask for guidance. They asked for help, asked for feedback. I had a few students told me about their startup ideas. So they're right now in university and finishing in maybe next two, one, two, three years. They already have plans for a startup. some of them pitched me the idea and wanted to have an advice if that idea is good.

Michael Seidl: told everyone the same. It's not up to me if I like this idea, I find it good or whatever. I might not be a potential customer. And so it doesn't matter if I find the idea good or not. It's not a thing. My opinion makes this a success or not. So that's not on me. I told everyone the same. My opinion, it's not only about the product, of course, you need to sell that product and earn money, but it's more like your mindset. Are you really doing what you like? Are you doing it for yourself? Are you fine with it if you fail to go to try a different path, try a different approach and not quit? So that's one of the main things. So the product might be important, but I think if you put a lot of joy, if you do the put a lot of passion into that product. If you have the mindset that if you fail, that you try a different approach, then I think you can be successful. The next one is that maybe find a customer or maybe find customers you can work and evolve the product together. Because it doesn't make sense to have the best product, the shiny GUI and everything, but no customer will buy it. So have to find potential customers, maybe giving you feedback. You can put in back to the program. so that's one of the important things. But the most one, what I told them is the mindset. And my opinion doesn't make a product a success or failure. And that's what I told them. So that's about XPlus Live Inter. Maybe some more insights. Every year we are coming here for experts life India. Sameer is every time taking care of us. It's like family friendship and also the conference is just a pleasure to be there to get that feedback and everything. if you might visit India and you want to start with speaking, mark your calendar, I February 2026.

Michael Seidl: will be your next Express Live India. I don't know where, I don't know when exactly, but mostly it will be in February. So mark your calendars. Or maybe you just want to visit India and see a tech conference here. yeah, it's definitely worth the effort and worth the travel time to see a really nice country and a really nice tech conference. So. At the end, you have a question for one of the next episodes, me know. Send me a text message or voice message on LinkedIn. Otherwise, wish you a nice week. Stay productive and bye bye.