Club time

This is the time to celebrate! Some of you will glide into 2018 with a new crown on your head—you are now a NEXT100 winner! Some of you may recall your moment of glory in a previous year while some others may take the inspiration and look to the future with hope—spelt N-E-X-T-1-0-0.

That is the reason why, for us, putting together this issue is always special. To an outsider—I mean someone not associated with Indian IT—it may look like a collection of celebratory pictures and reports of an event. But for you and us, these pictures are beyond just a memory; they are an experience; beginning of a new journey; the call to take up new responsibility. It is the recognition; it is the celebration. Why, even the coming together at one place and the bonhomie is unparalleled.

Now, that bonhomie, that camaraderie will last beyond two days. And what is more, it will not be restricted to the winners of just one batch. We have finally initiated THE NEXT100 CLUB – that brings together the winners of all these eight years—from 2010 to 2017—together on a single platform.

You can share your knowledge with each other; call out to each other when you need that extra help while selecting a vendor or fighting the right guy for your vacant security position; share your learnings from a project rollout or simply discuss big and futuristic ideas. Some of you may already have done that in your batch-specific WhatsApp groups. This platform can make it smoother and give you much more.

But the features of the platform are not something I want to highlight here. The platform will evolve; there will be new additions; there may be removal too, if you think something is creating clutter. For features, please go and test it yourself by registering—that is if you have not already registered. Just visit http://next100club.itnext.in/ and get going.

What I would like to point out strongly is that, it will be a club, not just a ‘platform’ for exchanging what you need for a day’s work. It should be an experience; a feeling; a sense of belongingness and yes, exclusiveness that should define it.

To be part of this club, should also mean ‘to be part of a great history’. Now, if that sounds familiar, yes, I just picked the words from Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s comment about Manchester United.

For others who have not yet been part of the NEXT100 journey, this should be an inspiration and an incentive at the same time.