The First Quarter of 2026

When I wrote my last blog about the first few months at NYU, I was still trying to understand what this new chapter of my life would look like.

Moving to a new country, going back to being a student after working and figuring out where I fit in the ecosystem around me felt like a slow adjustment. I was exploring, attending events occasionally and trying to build things in parallel while keeping up with academics.

Now it is mid-March, and the first quarter of 2026 is almost coming to an end. Looking back at the past few months, something small but meaningful has shifted.

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Showing Up More Often#

One of the biggest changes this year has simply been showing up more.

I've attended couple of hackathons in the past few months, with the most recent ones being the Google x Columbia hackathon and the Google NYC hackathon. These spaces are fascinating because they bring together people who genuinely enjoy building things.

Everyone is tired, everyone is experimenting, and everyone is trying to turn ideas into something real within a very short time. But the most interesting part is not always the projects themselves. It is the people you meet along the way.

I met random but genuinely lovely people, ran into some of my Twitter mutuals in real life, and had conversations with founders who had already built companies and even exited before.

Those conversations stay with you because they are raw and honest. People talk about the mistakes they made, the decisions that changed everything, and the lessons that only come from building in the real world.

Some of those people I am still in touch with today. We exchange thoughts about community building, agentic AI systems, and recently even conversations around things like context engineering.

It is strange how quickly strangers can become people you regularly talk to when you meet them in environments where everyone is trying to build something meaningful.

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Learning To Approach People#

One thing that changed a lot for me this quarter is how comfortable I feel approaching people. Earlier, starting conversations with strangers always made me slightly nervous. There is always that thought in the back of your mind about whether you might say something awkward or whether the other person might not be interested in the conversation.

At some point this year, I stopped worrying about that as much. Now I approach people at events, introduce myself and start conversations without overthinking it. Sometimes the interaction is short and nothing comes out of it. Sometimes it turns into a longer conversation about projects, ideas, or even life experiences.

The same applies to online conversations as well. I send messages without worrying too much about whether I will get a response. Some messages never get answered, and that is completely fine. The ones that do often lead to interesting exchanges, and those are the ones that matter.

Letting go of the fear of embarrassment turns out to be surprisingly freeing.

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The People You Keep Around#

Another quiet realization this quarter has been about the people you choose to stay connected with.

Over time, I naturally lost touch with a few people whose energy felt a bit negative or overly self-focused. It was not dramatic or intentional. The distance just happened as my environment changed.

At the same time, I met people who were genuinely curious, generous with their advice, and excited about building things. Being around people who are optimistic about creating things in the world changes how you think and what you believe is possible. It reminds you that ambition does not have to come with negativity. It can come with curiosity and collaboration as well.

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Getting The Hang Of School#

School itself has also started feeling different compared to the first few months.

When I first arrived, everything felt unfamiliar and slightly overwhelming. Classes, expectations, the academic environment, and the social dynamics all required adjustment.

Now I feel like I am slowly getting the hang of it. I have made a few friends, I know many more people around campus, and I have started building things with some of them as well. The whole experience feels less like an obligation and more like something that is simply part of my life here now.

NYU does not feel like a place I temporarily exist in anymore. It feels like an environment I belong to.

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Looking Ahead#

The first quarter of 2026 is not completely over yet, but it already feels like an important chapter.

I may have plans to travel a bit soon, meet more people in tech, and continue putting myself in environments where interesting conversations and ideas naturally happen.

Because if the past few months have taught me anything, it is that participation changes everything.

You show up to a room full of strangers, you start conversations, and slowly those strangers become collaborators, friends, or people whose experiences shape how you think.

I still do not have everything figured out, and I probably will not anytime soon. But for the first time since arriving in New York, things feel like they are moving in a direction that makes sense.

And honestly, I think it will be alright for me.

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