TIL my backup power bank was a dud during a critical client call

Ryan Wilson · 2026-02-23T21:35:48.279035+00:00

I was in a cafe in Bangkok, about to join a video call with a big client. My laptop battery was low, so I plugged in my power bank. Turns out, the power bank had been drained from charging my phone all day. My laptop died mid-call, and I had to scramble to find an outlet. The client was annoyed, and I almost lost the project. Now, I always check my power bank's charge before important meetings. It's a simple step that saves a lot of stress.

aaron_taylor6mo ago

Mid-call in a Bangkok cafe with a big client... that's the actual nightmare scenario right there. Quinnc98 is totally right about how one mess-up changes everything, but your laptop cutting out during the talk itself is next level awful.

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david_bennett6mo ago

My own laptop died during a presentation in Tokyo. Carrying a spare power bank is my rule now.

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quinnc986mo ago

That whole 'carry a spare' rule shows how it takes one screw-up to make you build in backups for everything.

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