A few weeks ago at the Bangalore Tech Summit, I had a short conversation with someone from Deshpande Startups. That conversation led to an invitation.
Last week, I found myself on an early morning Vande Bharat to Hubli.
I reached early and went straight to their campus. There was some time before the session, so I walked around.
What I saw stayed with me.
There were founders working out of a large coworking space, teams building hardware, setups for chip-level work, and even workshops where people were working on next-generation transport. For software startups, there were clean, focused spaces to sit and build.
All of this in Hubli.
What stood out was the energy. It felt sharp. Focused. No different from what you would see in parts of Bangalore known for startups.
The campus itself was also interesting. A net-zero building, no traditional AC, plants doing their part. It felt intentional.
The room
The session had about 15 to 20 founders.
Most of them were already using AI.
So I did not spend time explaining what AI is. That conversation is done.
Instead, we focused on something else.
“How do you move from using AI occasionally to actually working with it in a structured way?”
We spoke about simple shifts. Thinking of AI differently depending on the task. Structuring what you ask. Being clear about outcomes.
Then we got practical.
Each founder mapped their own work. Where time goes. What repeats. Where decisions slow things down.
From there, it became obvious where AI could fit.
That moment, when someone sees exactly where they can use it the next day, is always my favourite part.
A live build
Toward the end, we did a live build.
In a few minutes, we had a working OCR-based app up and running. Then we made changes to it in real time.
The reaction is usually the same in rooms like this — a mix of excitement and a quiet realisation. The way we build things has changed.
The session was supposed to end in two hours.
It didn't.
People stayed back. Conversations kept going. Some had travelled from Dharwad. A few even came from Bangalore.
Over the next couple of days, I saw posts from them on LinkedIn, sharing what they took away. That was good to see.
On the way back
On the way back, I kept thinking about one thing.
This shift is not limited to cities or industries.
If you are building something today, AI is already part of your environment whether you engage with it or not.
And over time, the difference will show.
Some people will shape how it is used in their space. Others will keep reacting to it.
If you are somewhere in between, unsure where to begin, that is fine. Just start.
