Two makers, one dream, 15 years apart

I launched my product @Flowtica Scribe a few months ago. Like any maker, I’ve been obsessing over metrics, logistics, and production.

But yesterday, I received a message on social media that paused everything.

It was from Ajit Rajasekharan @a_r48.

For those who don't know, Ajit is a legend in the tech world (currently CTO at nference). Back in 2008, he founded a company called Readia.

Backed by giants like John Doerr and Vinod Khosla, they tried to build a smart pen that could help children learn to read and write.

They had the vision, but the technology of that era—dot-printed paper and bulky cameras—became a trap. Despite the brilliant team, the hardware limitations and patent walls forced them to shut down.

Ajit told me he just bought a Flowtica Scribe.

He didn't buy it just to use it. He told me: "To me, it's equivalent to a souvenir I will treasure: the modern evolution of an idea from over a decade ago."

He saw that we finally "liberated" the pen by moving the heavy lifting to the AI, solving the exact problem that stopped them 15 years ago.

Reading his message, I felt a surreal "echo across time." Entrepreneurs are forever young. The spark doesn't die, it just waits for the right technology to catch up.

The best part? Ajit’s original inspiration for Readia was to teach his son. Today, that son, Rahul @betula_ai, is 25 and building his own startup, Betula. And he is preparing to launch on PH soon.

I wanted to share this story because sometimes we get lost in the grind. But moments like this—where the past high-fives the future—remind us why we build things.

Ajit, thank you for paving the way. And to the PH community, let’s keep an eye out for the next generation. I’ll be cheering for Rahul when he launches! 🚀

Have you ever had a "full circle" moment with a predecessor in your industry? I'd love to hear it.