I daydream a lot.
One recurring daydream is where I’m a speaker, but the event is so packed with people that I’m not able to enter the hall.
The organizers call me, worried, asking where I am. I tell them “I’m outside. I’m not able to get in!”
They apologize profusely. “We’ll get you in,” they say. They move out a few people, control the crowd, and manage to get me in.
In fact, I had this daydream again just yesterday as I was walking back from dinner.
Today, that daydream came true! (Kind of.)
Straive runs a monthly series, “AI Conversations with Anand”, on Google Meet. I joined, couldn’t share my screen, and tried reloading.
When I did, I got a message saying that the meeting was full (only 250 people allowed), and that I couldn’t join!
It played out almost exactly like the daydream. Kathleen messaged me.
I replied: “Maximum number of people reached. I can’t join! 🙂”
She replied: “OMG. Let me kick someone 🙂”
She controlled the crowd and managed to get me in.
Daydream unlocked!
PS: I had Claude write a version of the same story with a brief prompt - to test how close it is to my writing style. Short answer: close, but it’s not my style.
Got kicked out of my own talk today.
It was the monthly Straive AI Conversations session, the internal one where I share whatever I’ve been doing with AI over the last month. Google Meet. Kathleen was hosting.
For the first time, more than 250 people showed up. Neither of us knew Google Meet caps at 250.
So as the room filled, Meet started doing what it does at the limit: someone has to leave for someone to join. I got bumped out of my own session. I tried to rejoin. Couldn’t. The room was full. Of people who came to hear me.
For years I’ve had this slightly embarrassing fantasy. That one day I’d be so popular my talk would overflow, and I’d be turned away at the door of my own event for lack of space. I never thought it would actually happen. It did. The universe granted the wish exactly as written, then immediately revoked my speaking rights to make room for the crowd.
I sat there staring at the “you’ve been removed” screen, briefly the most popular person who was not allowed into his own talk.
Kathleen sorted it out. I got back in. The session went on. But for a few minutes I was living the dream, locked outside, while 250 colleagues waited inside for a speaker who couldn’t get past the bouncer.
A few things I’m filing away:
- Google Meet stops at 250. Check this before you outgrow it.
- The host should probably not also be the one most likely to get evicted.
- Be specific with your fantasies. I wished to be turned away for popularity. I did not specify that I shouldn’t be the one turned away.
Maybe popularity has a hard limit, and it’s 250.