Prior to pursuing my academic research, I dabbled with and developed a few alternative passions.
Trivia / Quizzing
I have been a passionate trivia quizzer and have gained immensely from the trivia quizzing community. I ventured into writing quiz books as an attempt to contribute back to the community that nurtured me.
Book 1: Blitz the IT Quiz Book. I wrote this book during the freshman year of my undergraduate studies (over two decades ago 😅). Sapna Book House, a reputed publisher from Karnataka, India, published it during my sophomore year. Though I am no longer maintaining it, you might still be able to grab the 6th (2018) edition in one of the Sapna Book Stores.
Book 2: Kryptonite the IT Quiz Book. This book was published in 2011, just before I started my MBA. Though I am no longer maintaining it, you might still be able to grab the 2nd edition in one of the Sapna Book Stores.
Quiz Clubs: I founded the Quotient Quiz Club (QQC) at PESIT, my undergraduate college in Bengaluru, on 2nd November 2007. The last I checked, the club is alive and thriving, which means it has now outlasted my stay at PESIT by a comfortable margin. Remarkably, the club endures while everything around it has changed, including the college itself becoming an independent university. I take unreasonable pride in this.
Open reminder to myself: Prior to my academic stint, I cannot think of anything that has given me as much joy and visibility as trivia quizzing, quiz hosting, and quiz book publishing. I absolutely need to rekindle my quizzing passion after my tenure process. And with GenAI upending trivia as we knew it, find a way to make trivia quizzing fun again.