Bengaluru founder stunned as pilot recognises his startup during an unexpected in-flight chat: ‘What a small world’ | Trending

A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur recently shared an unexpected and fascinating conversation he had with a pilot during a flight from Delhi to Bengaluru. Udayan Walvekar, founder of GrowthX, a social learning platform for growth leaders, took to X (formerly Twitter) to narrate the serendipitous meeting that left him in awe. A Bengaluru founder’s mid-flight chat with a pilot led to a surprising connection to his company.(LinkedIn/Udayan Walvekar) (Also read: Bengaluru CEO tests fresh grads with class 5 maths question, raises concerns over Gen Z’s problem-solving skills) From hedge funds to the skiesWalvekar recalled that a pilot sat next to him during the flight and casually asked if she could borrow a book he wasn’t reading. This sparked a conversation that quickly became intriguing. To his surprise, he learned that the pilot had previously worked at the hedge fund DE Shaw before switching careers to aviation. “That instantly caught my attention,” he wrote. When she asked what he did, Walvekar began explaining GrowthX, only to be interrupted a surprising revelation. “Midway, she paused and said, ‘I don’t know why, but I’ve heard of something like this before,’” he wrote, adding that he was shocked because his company isn’t exactly mainstream. A surprising connectionThe conversation took an even more unexpected turn when the pilot asked about GrowthX’s annual offsite event. “She asked, ‘Do you folks do some kind of a retreat?’ I said yes, we host an annual offsite for our members,” he recounted. The pilot then described a recent event in Goa that had about 200 attendees, leaving Walvekar stunned. “Yes… how do you know?” he asked. The pilot smiled and revealed that she had met some GrowthX members at the airport two months ago while they were heading to the offsite. They had explained the platform to her, which sparked her curiosity. An insight into the world of aviationThe conversation then shifted to aviation, with the pilot sharing insights into the complexity of flying, aircraft types, and the rigorous training pilots undergo even when not in the cockpit. Walvekar was struck her confidence and clarity, writing, “People who are obsessed with their craft have a different energy. It rubs off on you.” In a heartfelt conclusion, he wished the pilot—identified only as “First Officer A”—success in her career. “I hope you get that fourth stripe soon. Rooting for you!” he wrote. Check out the post here: Social media reactionsThe post resonated with users, who found the story heartwarming. One user wrote, “Love the kind of stories when people meet each other at airports/planes. No WiFi makes people talk a lot.” Another said, “Conversations which are not transactional in nature are top-tier.” A third user commented, “What a fun story and encounter!” while another simply wrote, “Beautiful story.” One person even revealed their own connection, saying, “Such a small world! Had a super interesting chat with Officer A when we were headed back from the GX offsite :)”