Journey So Far 🚀

It began with an curiosity about how computers and the internet connect with electronics. This interest pushed me to pursue a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, where I focused on IoT and sensor technologies. During my studies, I built a strong technical foundation, but something kept nudging me, a desire to bring my ideas to life, test them in the real world, and solve problems through practical experience.

In my final semester, I landed a full-time job and worked there for two years. While the job was good, it felt repetitive, and I didn’t feel excited about the work. So, I took a bold step—I quit to join a small 15-member startup without any pay, just to see if my ideas could work and to figure out what I really love doing.

At the startup, I took on all kinds of roles—talking to clients, working on new ideas, and even building a smart vending machine. Though product didn’t succeed, but the experience taught me a lot. Most importantly, I realized that I love building products from start to finish and making them work for real people.

Since then, I’ve embraced solving problems and building solutions, seeing every challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow.

A Product I Worked On 🛠️

What I Did
I built a smart vending machine, inspired by "Amazon Go," but shaped like a fridge. It was fully autonomous and works by weighing the items people took out of it.

How I Did It
  • Leveraged my domain knowledge to design the architecture of the machine.
  • Self-funded the project, with additional support from O2Labs.
  • Collaborated with senior developers to create the software and hardware.
  • Designed and fabricated the enclosure, then deployed it at our incubation center for user feedback and iteration.
Why I Did It and Its Impact
Traditional vending machines drop products, which isn’t ideal for delicate items. My vending machine solved this by allowing users to:
  • Open the fridge.
  • Pick items.
  • Pay based on the weight of the items removed.
This approach reduced product damage, offered seamless shopping, and provided a much better user experience compared to conventional systems.
What I Learned đź“‹
  • Building a product from scratch is deeply rewarding.
  • Iteration is key—every round of feedback makes the product better.
  • Patience and adaptability are essential when solving real-world problems.
  • End-to-end ownership requires teamwork, active listening, and a growth mindset.
Nithish Ravella