WTF Off-Grid: The Imposter Inside [BLR Edition]

Every founder, to-be founder, and creative secretly knows this: the scariest voice in the room isn’t the market, the competition, or the audience. It’s the one inside your own head whispering, “Who do you think you are?”

Imposter Syndrome isn’t a personality quirk. It’s the quiet tax we pay for being ambitious in a world that moves too fast and applauds too loudly. And if you’re someone standing at the edge of a new idea: building your first product, writing your first story, pitching your first investor, switching careers, starting something on the side; this feeling hits even harder.

Because the moment you dare to begin, you also meet the fear that you don’t deserve to.

For early-stage builders and “not-yet-founders,” imposter syndrome often shows up as hesitation:

“I don’t know enough.”
“I’m not ready.”
“Someone smarter has already done this.”
“I need one more course, one more prototype, one more year.”

It freezes promising ideas before they see the light of day. It convinces smart people they’re not “founder material.” It stops creatives from ever publishing, launching, sharing, waiting forever to feel “legitimate.” And ironically, the more talented you are, the worse it gets.

In the startup world, everyone is “building in public” , but hiding their doubt in private. In the creative world, every triumph sits next to a quiet voice asking if it was just luck. And in India’s culture of overachievement; where credentials, titles, LinkedIn announcements, and societal expectations pile up like a scoreboard, it’s easy to think you're the only one faking it.

So this Off-Grid community event is about tearing that façade down!

Not with jargon, but with three real, lived perspectives:

• Varun Agarwal (Entrepreneur, Teacher, Author)
  Our man built a million-dollar startup at 22, even though he felt like he had no idea what he was doing half the time. His book How I Braved Anu Aunty turned into a Bollywood movie - why? Because it showed the realest side of building something from scratch. His talks have reached millions, mostly young people who connect with his honesty about fear and self-doubt. He believes that imposter syndrome isn’t a sign you’re not ready, it’s usually a sign you’re already on the right path. He has so far built three companies, written one bestselling book that turned into an OTT favourite, and currently empowers the next generation of entrepreneurs via workshops, talks & by being part of community events like these!

• Deepti Chandy (Therapist & COO at Anna Chandy)
  Deepti Chandy is a leading mental health advocate and the COO of Anna Chandy and Associates. She is a passionate champion for de-stigmatizing therapy and making mental healthcare accessible to all. Carrying forward the legacy of her mother, renowned therapist Anna Chandy, Deepti brings a unique blend of corporate expertise and therapeutic insight to her role. An Internationally Certified Transactional Analyst, Deepti specializes in supporting young adults and professionals navigating identity, relationships, and personal development in today's complex world. 

• Ashish Solanki (Founder, CEO & Designer at NetBrahma Studios) Aashish Solanki is a design entrepreneur with over 16 years of experience in reshaping several Fortune 500 companies and start-ups across the world. Aashish’s love for excellent design, approach to modern UI/UX problems, and business growth strategies has inspired several budding designers and entrepreneurs across the globe. He's passionate about knowledge-sharing, community building & empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. His recent talk at the DesignUp Conference on " A 20-Year Case Study on Imposter Syndrome: What It Took (and Still Takes) to Belong" won many hearts and we're hoping his perspective on the topic resonates with y'all too!

• Neethu George (Founder at Reel Tribe) Neethu George is the Co-founder of Reel Tribe, where she’s spent the last five years shaping brand stories across digital, content, and culture. She leads strategy with a sharp, culturally rooted lens that gives every campaign its own voice. Outside of work, she’s also a playback singer—featured in films like Luca, and an anchor who has hosted countless shows and cultural events. Neethu brings a rare mix of insight, creativity, and stage presence to everything she does.

Together, we’ll explore why ambitious people feel like frauds even when evidence says otherwise. Why early builders underestimate themselves. Why creatives rarely feel “ready.”

And how imposter syndrome can be reframed from a limiter into a signal; that you’re growing, stretching, stepping into a new version of yourself.

This isn’t going to be motivational gyaan. We intend that this will be an unfiltered conversation about the messy middle of becoming someone. Because everyone else you admire? They don’t feel like they’ve “made it” either. They’re just doing it anyway. And that’s the whole point. 😊