A little over a year ago, I landed in Hyderabad with a single mission—to set up and grow Sahaj’s presence in the city. I had a hotel booking for a few nights, but beyond that, I had no office, a couple of Sahajeevis hired remotely, and no idea where to start.

The journey began with a hunt for a co-working space, one that would resonate with our engineers across India—the kind of engineers we wanted to hire in Hyderabad. I must have visited 50+ spaces before finding the right one: iSprout in Hitec City. We started with a small, 7-seater workspace, full of ambition and plans to expand rapidly.


But then, the world had other plans.

Turning a Hiring Freeze into an Opportunity

With turmoils of wars, global slowdown and demand slowing down, we had to pause hiring. It was tough. The easy path would have been to wait it out. But instead, we asked ourselves: “What can we do while hiring is on hold?”

The focus shifted from building an office to building a tech community. That’s when we turned toDevDay—our long-standing initiative across Sahaj’s offices, to bring the tech community together to share, learn, and grow. We saw this as a golden opportunity to build a strong tech ecosystem in Hyderabad.

For months, I immersed myself inHyderabad’s tech scene—attending AWS CUG events, CNCF meetups, and every tech event gathering atCIE IIIT Hyderabad.I wanted to understand how tech communities worked, what kinds of events mattered, and where engineers found the most value.

In May 2023, we launched the Hyderabad Chapter of Sahaj’s DevDay – DevDay Hyderabad.
Our first event saw just 25 attendees. Today, we have a community of 4,000+ members, hosting monthly DevDays with 90-100 participants per event.We even co-hosted a DevDay with CNCF—one of our biggest successes!

Hiring with Purpose: A Conversation, not an Interview

Even when hiring resumed, we knew we wanted todo things differently.Traditional interviews often feel like interrogations which are structured, rigid, and focused on ticking boxes. But hiring should be more than just assessing skills against a checklist; it should be about uncovering alignment between the individual and the company. At Sahaj, we believe in hiring with purpose, which means shifting from an interview mindset to a conversation-driven approach.

Instead of filtering candidates through resumes or LinkedIn profiles, I invited every potential hire to our office—not for an interview, but for a discussion. We talked about why we do what we do, how we work, and the ‘Sahaj way’.But more importantly, we wanted to learn about them—their aspirations, their challenges, and how they see their role in the ever-changing tech world.A piece of paper can never replace an hour of face-to-face conversation.

This type of conversation allowed both sides to explore the fit organically. Instead of simply asking them to prove their worth, we created a space for mutual discovery—understanding their thought process, values, and aspirations while giving them insight into us. Of course, technical capability matters, but it’s not the only factor. We focus on problem-solving, adaptability, and pragmatic thinking —traits that go beyond experience with a specific technology. A conversation helps us assess thinking rather than just what they know.

Hiring with purpose means recognizing that candidates are evaluating us just as much as we are evaluating them. A conversation-driven approach ensures that we’re not just filling roles but building long-term relationships with people who truly align with our philosophy and mission. At the end of the day, we’re not just looking for employees, we’re looking for partners in problem-solving. And the best way to find them? A conversation, not an interview.
Over time, we’ve built a strong seed team—6 deeply passionate technologists committed to give back to the software community.

What’s Next? Join Us in Building Something Special

Starting a new office in a new city is like bootstrapping a start-up.Our story in Hyderabad has not been written yet—it’s only just beginning. We are still small, still growing, and still looking for engineers, who can help us grow this office start-up organically and build a strong community of Sahajeevis in Hyderabad.

We are looking for techies who:
✅ Are passionate about solving real-world problems with technology
✅ Believe in continuous learning and community-driven growth
✅ Want to be part of something meaningful, not just another job

If this sounds like you, let’s talk. Come to one of our DevDay Hyderabad events or drop by our office—we’d love to have a conversation.

The journey to build Sahaj Hyderabad continues. Will you be a part of it?
📩 DM me or check out our check out our website: https://sahaj.ai