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1000 Days of Love
Press J anytime to join
Press J anytime to join
1000 Days of Love
Press J anytime to join
1000 Days of Love
Press J anytime to join
Behind the scenes
Five years, on one wall
One journal entry, two suitcases, five drafts, and a broken nose. Tap or hover a photo to read what happened.
July 7, 2021
I get introduced to a human named Rajesh Setty. His first words to me: "Namaskaram Soundarya." I had no idea this email would become the most important one I'd ever receive.
September 21, 2021
I write the first sentence of what would eventually become this book inside my Roam Research, at an hour I will not disclose 👀 At the time, I didn't know I'd enter a 5-year-journey.
2022–2023
I write my second book, Unshackled. I run a startup. But I never stop adding to this random folder of ideas about Rajesh, growing it to tens of thousands of words! (Future me: you're welcome.)
April 21, 2024
A call with my close friend Mahantesh. He's the first person to say the sentence that changes everything: "Have you thought about making this a novel?" I had not. Thanks, Mahantesh ❤️
April 29, 2024
A three-hour call with another close friend, Rishabh. We figure out, together, that this was never a mentor-mentee story. It was always a story about love and family. Thanks, Rish ❤️
May 5, 2024
Oh yes. AI has a role to play in this! On a late night date with ChatGPT, I come across something called Faber Academy, a novel-writing program in London. I am hooked… instantly. I apply within the next week.
June 16, 2024
I get in. I'm one of only 15 writers selected from around the world. I tell every single person in my life 🥹 I do not yet know what London has in store for me.
September 17, 2024
I land in London. Two suitcases. Everything else I own goes into a garage in the United States. New city, new chapter, new me. (Foreshadowing: new me lasts about 24 hours.)
September 18, 2024
I get assaulted on the street. Broken nose. Swollen eye. Within the week, I leave London and go back home to India. But… my resolve to finish this book does not break. I decide to do something crazy.
October–November 2024
I move into a farm 🌳 Yep! I spend the next two months, alone, living in a tiny house in a tiny farm in Tamil Nadu (Vaksana Farms). I become insanely productive and write 60,000+ words.
December 2024–February 2025
I love living in a farm so much that I go to a second farm in Bangalore, India. I spend 2 months there. Fun fact: Rajesh and I end up creating our course “Beyond Luck” on this farm!
Enter: Montana
You guessed it! I spend four more months living in a beautiful farm in Montana, USA. By the end, I'm done with the third draft of 1000 Days of Love. I wrote >150,000 words in total 🤯 (Thanks to Gina & Greg for letting me stay ❤️)
The book is done… or not
I think the book is done. But nope. I send the book to an editor I hire - Nathan Bransford - who rips it apart. He sent me back an email with 10,500+ comments. Yes, really. (And no, that's not a picture of me looking for my soulmate :P)
May 2026. Finale by the beach.
The story comes to an end in a beautiful beach. I live in an Airstream next to Half Moon Bay beach in California for two months. I finish the fifth and final draft, after 1000+ hours spent. Phewww. Also, thanks Elektra & Mauro ❤️
Today
You're holding (or about to hold) the result of all of it. If you read till here, then (a) you are just the most awesome human, and (b) how can you not sign up to be an early reader??? ❤️🔥
Hi, I’m Soundarya Balasubramani (aka Pooja) ✨
Now, for the boring bio: I’m the author of two books, Admitted and Unshackled, and a former Product Manager at Salesforce. I've organized large-scale events, including the largest tech immigrant summit in the U.S. in 2025, with 1,000+ attendees. I’ve also been lucky to build a lovely community of 450,000+ across social media platforms, reaching over 10 million a month.
1000 Days of Love is my debut novel, five years and five drafts in the making. Come say hi 👇
