Founder Interviews

The course runs a guest interview and podcast series alongside the four teaching modules. The nine conversations below are distributed across all four module folders, which is why they live here as a course-wide appendix rather than inside any one module.

Every entry is a structured digest rather than a transcript dump, and several capture detail the module notes never touch. Read them alongside the module each one is cross-linked to.

Index

Editorial notes on this page: names have been normalised against the source files (Satya Prasad, Satya Sam Rangaswamy). The Naga Prakasam entry merges the two versions the student wrote, one in the Module 3 note and one here, into a single canonical write-up. The DJ Ramakrishnappa entry, which was an empty heading in the original file, has been filled from the Module 3 note where the full write-up already existed. The OpenGrad entry is new: its source PDF sits in the Module 2 folder and was not previously written up, even though the Nikhil Vaidyanathan entry already refers to OpenGrad's model.

01: Prathima Seethur, Wright Inspires India

Read alongside Module 1.

• Prathima Seethur's Background: Architect, founder and chief architect of Wright Inspires India, an eco-responsive architecture firm based in Bangalore with 250+ completed projects.
• Wright Inspires' Focus: Redefining luxury by connecting homes with nature, emphasizing light, ventilation, and eco-awareness. The firm's name is inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
• Prathima's Career Path: Influenced by her father, a civil engineer, and architect Chitra Vishwanath. Developed a passion for sustainable architecture early on. "Accidental entrepreneur" who grew her firm organically over 20+ years.
• Sustainable Practices: Incorporating natural elements, light, and ventilation. Harvesting rainwater, utilizing solar energy, and waste segregation. Contextual design respecting local traditions.
• Entrepreneurial Challenges and Rewards: Difficulties with financial management and creating a positive work culture. Finds fulfillment in building strong teams and nurturing client relationships.
• Design Philosophy: Client-centric approach, reflecting the client's character in the design. Believes in celebrating clients and involving them in the design process.
• Advice for Aspiring Professionals: Find a mentor, be patient, prioritize experience over initial earnings, focus on passion, networking, and spontaneity.
• Future of Sustainable Architecture: Envisions innovative solutions like floating or airborne buildings, allowing closer proximity to nature and escaping claustrophobic urban living.
• Personal Influences: Deep connection to nature fostered by childhood experiences in Chikmagalore. Emphasizes the importance of a supportive family in her entrepreneurial journey.
• Family Connection: Revealed to be Pradyun's mother at the end of the interview.

Module link: she describes herself as an accidental entrepreneur, which is the Module 4 axis applied to a Module 1 craft tradition.

02: Prof. Satya Prasad, CIE at PES University

Read alongside Module 1.

• Guest: Professor Satya Prasad, Director of CIE (Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) at PES University, Bangalore. Former director of SEMI India and advisor at SemiX at IIT Bombay. Seasoned technology expert with 20 years of experience at Intel.
• Early Life and Influences: A curious child who took things apart. Travel and curiosity were significant influences, fostered by his father's railway job. This sparked an interest in understanding how things work and different perspectives.
• Educational Journey: Pursued a master's degree in the US to learn about complex systems and integrated circuits. Built an AI integrated circuit using analog circuits during his master's program, showcasing early innovation.
• Intel Experience: Worked at Intel for nearly 20 years, moving from engineering to technology, marketing, and product management. Describes Intel as an "innovation factory." Worked on the development of System-on-a-Chip (SOC) technology, emphasizing security and networking innovations, which became highly successful in data centers.
• Intrapreneurship at Intel: Chose to stay at Intel and innovate within the company, rather than pursuing external startup opportunities during the dot-com boom.
• MIT Sloan Experience: Pursued management studies at MIT Sloan, emphasizing the value of diverse peer learning and broadening perspectives on innovation and strategy.
• Views on Innovation: Innovation is not solely technology-driven; it's about solving problems with passion. Technology acts as an enabler for scale, speed, and cost reduction. Cited Aadhaar as a prime example of innovation driven by a powerful idea.
• CIE at PES University: Founded CIE to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among students. The curriculum emphasizes self-awareness, team building, and business acumen.
• CIE's Teaching Approach: "Learn, Build, and Share." Students are encouraged to develop and test prototypes and communicate their ideas effectively. Uses real-world examples of student projects, like a shoe with pressure sensors to generate energy.
• PocketCoach Story: Highlighted a student-led startup called PocketCoach, a mobile app providing expert sports coaching, as a successful example of student innovation fostered by CIE.
• Indian Startup Ecosystem: Characterized by frugal innovation, overcoming infrastructure challenges and affordability constraints. Cited examples like Flipkart, D2C brands, deep tech startups, Aadhaar, Krutrim (Ola's offshoot), and UPI as showcasing unique innovations. Emphasized the collaborative ecosystem as key to success.
• Advice for Young People:
  • Know yourself and what makes you passionate.
  • Learn by doing projects and internships.
  • Build a strong support system.
  • Don't be afraid to experiment and embrace the journey.

Module link: intrapreneurship is the direct answer to Module 1's statement that the goal of the course is to be entrepreneurial anywhere, including inside a large corporation. His Aadhaar and UPI point, that innovation can be idea-driven rather than technology-driven, pairs with the Module 4 Instant Pot case where all the sensors already existed.

03: Rishi Kulkarni, OneClick and Red

Read alongside Module 1, and the Effectuation section in Module 4.

• Interview: Rishi Kulkarni, serial entrepreneur, interviewed about his journey from employee to founder, with two successful exits. His first venture was incubated at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore.
• Early Influences: Grew up in Mumbai, observing his father run multiple businesses. Developed a strong work ethic and belief in the power of technology for progress. Vision of building tech solutions in and from India.
• First Venture (OneClick): Started in 2011. Built a technology video/audio communication platform optimized for India's constraints (like 2G). Found early customers in diverse fields, including astrology sessions, BPO interviews, and customer support. Attributed success to timing, luck, and a bit of foolishness.
• On Taking the Entrepreneurial Plunge: Acknowledges that the decision to leave a stable job can feel irrational. Emphasized the importance of affordable loss, family support, and building an ecosystem.
• Role of NSRCEL: Played a vital role in OneClick's journey. Networking and mentorship within the NSRCEL community were crucial. Found his co-founder, logo designer, and initial funding through connections made at NSRCEL.
• Importance of Networking and Serendipity: Advocates for active networking and openness to opportunities, citing numerous examples from his experience. Emphasized the importance of asking and being proactive. Uses the metaphor of Minesweeper to illustrate the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship.
• Second Venture (Red): Focused on streamlining operational sales and contract management processes for large companies. Targeted the US mid-market due to its willingness to pay for productivity solutions. Learning from his first venture reduced mistakes but brought new challenges.
• Advice for Founders:
  • Gain a broad lens by trying various roles and skills, like sales, marketing, finance, etc. Move beyond comfort zones to spot opportunities.
  • Network extensively. Don't ignore any introduction or invitation.
  • Prioritize moral maximization (keeping energy and spirits high) by connecting with mentors and fellow entrepreneurs.
  • Be extractive of the value an ecosystem like NSRCEL offers, leveraging available resources and expertise.
• Importance of Mindset: Focus on a "starter" or "zero to one" mindset. Emphasized continuous learning and adapting throughout the entrepreneurial journey. Embrace failure and build resilience.
• Emphasis on Learning and Iteration: Continuously iterating, learning from mistakes, and adapting. Highlighted the difference in his second venture's market focus and approach compared to the first.
• Reflections on Success: Success brings a shift in expectations and creates pressure for founders. But it's vital to stay humble and hungry and keep pushing oneself to stay foolish.

Module link: affordable loss is one of the five effectuation heuristics named in the Module 4 wrap up, and the Minesweeper metaphor is the best plain-language image in the course for decision-making under uncertainty: you can only see the next square once you have opened this one, which is the same idea as Module 2's corridors.

04: Satya Sam Rangaswamy, ZeOmega and Jeeva

Read alongside Module 2.

• Interview: Satya Sam Rangaswamy, Founder of ZeOmega, a population health management company.
• ZeOmega's Work: Focuses on mass customization in healthcare, optimizing resources to serve diverse patient needs. Their flagship product, Jeeva, is a leading population health management platform.
• Satya Sam's Background:
  • Grew up in Manipal, surrounded by nature. This fostered an active, curious upbringing.
  • Studied engineering at MIT Manipal.
  • Moved to the US to pursue further studies, initially in industrial engineering, but transitioned to computer science due to a growing interest in technology.
  • Influenced by a professor who championed open-source technology, Unix, and mindfulness. This led to an early adoption of open-source practices at ZeOmega.
• ZeOmega's Early Days: Began by offering back-office support for healthcare providers in the US. Realized the gap in the market for efficient workflow management solutions. Built an early version of their product by engaging with nurses as early adopters and incorporating their feedback.
• Open-Source Philosophy: A strong believer in the open-source approach to software development. Highlights the collaborative nature and the access it provides to a wider talent pool.
• ZeOmega's Growth and Expansion: Motivated his team by drawing parallels to SAP's success in Germany and the potential for India to build global brands. Now focusing on bringing ZeOmega's expertise and technology to India, particularly in areas like elderly care and traditional medicine.
• On Leading Global Teams: Emphasizes the importance of hiring the right people and creating a shared understanding of the mission. Also noted that leaders have to stay on top of ever-evolving business dynamics.
• Future Outlook: Sees opportunities to expand Jeeva and other ZeOmega brands further in the US and other countries. Open to strategic partnerships or acquisitions by larger players as the company grows.
• Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs:
  • Follow your passion.
  • Be selfless.
  • Prioritize active listening, especially when in leadership positions.
• Jeeva's Approach to Generative AI: Recognizes the limitations of AI in healthcare, especially regarding the personalized touch crucial for medical care. However, sees greater opportunities in the behavioral health space where chatbots and similar technology can provide valuable assistance. Also points out the ethical implications and regulatory challenges of using AI in healthcare and the increasing focus on avoiding "black box" approaches.
• Opportunities for Young Innovators in India: Encourages students and young professionals to consider the intersection of technology, healthcare, and open-source, particularly in fields like genetic medicine and herbal sciences. Sees the aggregation of publicly available data, combined with technological tools, as an opportunity to develop innovative services and create intellectual property.

Module link: a textbook opportunity-based, deliberate founder, and the early-adopter nurses are a Lean Startup hypothesis loop before the label is introduced in Module 4.

05: Sahil Sameer and Mohammed Shahid, OpenGrad Foundation

Read alongside Module 2, Module 3 and Module 4. This entry is new. It was missing from the original interview page even though its source sits in the Module 2 folder, and it is arguably the richest social-enterprise conversation in the course.

• The guests: Sahil Sameer and Mohammed Shahid, co-founders of OpenGrad Foundation, with a third co-founder, Rohit Samit, based in Germany and running the technology.
• What OpenGrad is: a Section 8 non-profit entrance-coaching platform that aims to democratise access to top institutions. Entrance preparation in India is dominated by expensive private players with problems of accessibility, awareness and a shortage of mentors, which excludes an entire section of society from the education pipeline. OpenGrad brings volunteers and students from tier-one institutions onto one platform to help aspirants, peer to peer.

Backgrounds

• Sahil: from Kerala, engineering at Model Engineering College, Kochi, then an MBA at IIM Indore, then around 18 months at Samsung before leaving corporate to run OpenGrad full time.
• Shahid: studied in a government school before reaching IIM Indore on the five-year integrated programme, which he describes as a huge step and the source of his awareness of how much access others lack. During college he and friends built a for-profit ed-tech (Alpha IP) teaching IPMAT aspirants with mock tests and live classes, ran it for three years, and handed it back to the student community as a repository.

The KeralaRescue.in origin story, and the lesson that defines the venture

In 2018 Kerala suffered its worst floods in a century and the district administration had little idea what to do. Sahil and seven other IEEE volunteers built a simple portal, KeralaRescue.in, that worked like a matchmaking site: people in need posted requests, volunteers who could act picked them up and closed them.

Two or three days in, they open-sourced it. Around 2,000 techies worldwide, including engineers from companies like Uber and Google, began contributing. Within a week the portal had handled roughly 55,000 help requests with about 50,000 volunteers.

The lesson: "If I started a coaching institution, the most I can hire is limited. If I want to hire someone from IIM Bangalore, I cannot afford them. But as volunteers, you could even get the CEO of a large company to volunteer with you, because that is something they do out of passion." Community-sourced labour scales past anything you could afford to hire.

He also notes what made it work: a cause everyone was going through at the same time, plus existing communities to mobilise (IEEE had active chapters across Kerala colleges), plus government traction, which is the inflection point after which growth goes exponential. OpenGrad's equivalent cause is that coaching is a universal trauma for Indian students, so almost anyone can relate.

Why mentorship, and the 1:3 ratio

Sahil mentored 10 to 15 students during his own CAT and MBA years, and all of them reached top B schools. His explanation: "I didn't do any magic. It was the power of mentorship. All students need one adult who trusts their abilities and can back them when they are struggling." The person teaching you at a coaching institute cannot resonate with the mental struggle. Only someone who has been through the journey can.

The operating model:

1. Partner with student clubs at tier-one institutes (for a CAT cohort, for example, partner with a social club at IIM Bangalore).
2. Recruit volunteers, split into content creators (about 10 percent) and mentors (about 90 percent).
3. Assign each mentor three mentees, in a 1:3 ratio, with one aspirant made group leader responsible for initiating conversation, feedback loops and scheduling.
4. Mentors do not teach. It is handholding, like a senior helping a junior.

Why 1:3 and not 1:1:

• A 1:1 pairing is a pressured situation for both sides.
• If a single mentee drops out or decides the exam is not for them, the mentor is left with nobody, which is a bad volunteer experience.
• Three mentees create group learning: if one is demotivated, the other two keep the group active.

The two-sided offer: the learning management system with video lectures, mock tests and practice questions is free and open to everyone. Mentorship is reserved for deserving students from underserved backgrounds.

Why Section 8 and not for-profit

• "What is a social organisation? You are trying to solve problems the market cannot solve. If it were a product the market could solve, the market would have solved it."
• Most of their resources are the community and the assets the community creates, so they wanted the community to own part of it rather than founders holding stakes. The long-term intention is a decentralised organisation, with founders on the board taking only critical decisions and the community voting on the rest.
• The entrance-coaching ecosystem is "a little toxic", with students pushed into set pathways and expectations from day one, so a trustworthy, transparent structure mattered.
• Being a non-profit gives easier access to governments and to volunteers.
• Money was never the motivation for either founder, a pattern they note in most founder interviews they have listened to.

Distribution channels

Technology as an enabler, not the product

They describe themselves as a community-first organisation where tech is an enabler. The stack: an LMS with recorded and live classes and NTA-style mock tests plus end-to-end student data, a VMS (volunteer management system) where volunteers log hours that a college point of contact approves and which generates certificates, and a Telegram bot layer connecting the two, with mentor groups run on WhatsApp or Telegram. Feedback is collected from mentor and group leader every two weeks, with two automated reminders, then a manual call, then replacement if there is still no engagement.

They also built AI tools for generating questions and mock content, and have experimented with blockchain-based decentralised voting for volunteers.

The Bihar observation on smartphone penetration: the state runs about 100 community learning and career development centres across 100 districts through the Jeevika self-help group network, which reaches over a crore households, with a Vidya Didi as the point of contact at each centre. Around 30 to 35 students walk in daily, averaging a 5 kilometre walk, and most libraries exhaust 1 TB of Wi-Fi in 20 days, largely on educational content. Students without a table at home have a smartphone and are learning on YouTube.

Volunteering: the insight

The story of Ashwin, an engineer from Kerala with early LLM skills at a time when almost nobody had them and everyone with them was being paid heavily. OpenGrad offered to pay him because his opportunity cost was real. A week later he called and refused the salary, having understood what the organisation was doing. What clicked for him was that he had prepared for an engineering entrance himself.

The generalisation: "Personal trauma is the biggest driver of volunteership." Somebody who donates to a cancer fund usually knows someone affected. Coaching is the universal trauma of Indian students, which is why volunteer mobilisation has been easy.

Funding, and the social-sector revenue models

Everything is free for students and free for partners. Funding so far:

1. Nudge, the social incubator, joined at one month old.
2. IIM Bangalore NSRCEL, joined at two to three months old. Both gave a seed grant.
3. Evolve, run by India Welfare Trust, currently incubating, with a small grant.
4. HNIs who support them directly.
5. CSR later, since a CSR certificate requires more than two years of operation, after which MNCs and large corporates become reachable.

The general taxonomy they lay out for the sector:

Sahil's framing for students: "We don't consider this social service. This is proper employment. You take a salary, you raise funds, you manage your activities, just that you don't have equity because it's registered as a Section 8 company." There is no scarcity of funds in the sector. What it lacks is talented people, because of the assumption that no money is involved.

Proof of concept, then scale

The method is deliberate: run a small cohort, get the model right, then scale, because the levers, timelines, onboarding cycles and curriculum differ completely between CAT and CUET.

How they measure success, which is the sharpest thing in the interview

Admission is only one metric. They tell mentors explicitly that cracking a tier-one college is not the point. What matters is what happened to the aspirant who ended up at a tier-two college: did their cognitive abilities increase, and above all, "they should not feel dumb at the end of it." Sahil's own IIT coaching taught him by the midpoint that he was, in the institute's framing, too dumb for IIT. A student who chooses to repeat a year because they believe in their own ability is counted as a win.

Closing maxims

"Marry the problem, not the solution." It is easy to get attached to the product you built or the solution you had in mind. Complex problems are more complex than that, and stakeholders want something else. The solution is always secondary. Everybody struggling in this space is tied too tightly to their solution.

"You don't need to network with a thousand people. You need the right five." Networking massively reduces the number of times you have to restart. Cold outreach is undervalued, and people at the top reply more than people at the bottom, so aim high.

Also: network with people who disagree with you, otherwise you loop back into attachment to your own product. Their own advisors initially said the model would not work, and shaped what OpenGrad became.

Comparable models named: Khan Academy, Coursera (free for some, paid for others), Bombas socks and KIND bars (buy one, give one), and Aravind Eye Care.

Module links: this entry is the single best application of the Module 3 funding taxonomy (grants, CSR, cross-subsidy, non-profit surplus rules). The KeralaRescue lesson about community labour is the same resource-substitution logic as Mango Technologies funding product work out of services revenue in Module 2. "Marry the problem, not the solution" is the practical form of Module 2's corridors idea and of Lean Startup's hypothesis revision in Module 4. And the Section 8 reasoning, that a social organisation solves what the market cannot, is the cleanest statement in the course of why social ventures exist at all.

06: Nagaraja "Naga" Prakasam, angel investor and NSRCEL mentor

Read alongside Module 3. This entry merges the two write-ups the student produced, one as "Podcast Uno" in the Module 3 note and one on the original interviews page.

• Interview: Nagaraja Prakasam (Naga Sir), angel investor and resident mentor at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore.
• Focus: Social entrepreneurship and investing in ventures with a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.
• Journey to Social Impact: Inspired by learning about Aravind Eye Hospital, a social enterprise providing affordable and free eye care. Volunteered with AID (Association for India's Development), gaining firsthand experience with social issues and NGOs, and witnessing the challenges faced by many in India. A micro-hydro power plant project and later corporate success pushed him further toward social businesses, combining corporate discipline and operational efficiency with a non-profit's heart. Influenced by Acumen's philosophy of investing in social enterprises, he co-founded IN Impact, an angel investing group focused on impact ventures.
• Investment Philosophy: Invests in social businesses that address real needs while generating profit. Local problems, local solutions, local investment. Every community contains successful people who can act as role models.

His definition of a social business, which is the most useful line in the interview:

A company that buys from, or sells to, low-income families, addressing their needs while building a sustainable business model.

Examples of social businesses discussed

Key themes

• "Back to Bharat": solve problems for the vast majority of Indians who do not speak English or have easy access to resources, not for the smaller affluent segment.
• Local solutions, local investment.
• Problems are opportunities. Identify problems around you and seek solutions.
• Perseverance: Wilma Rodrigues' 20-year fight with the "waste mafia", and Umesh Sachdev's persistence through investor rejections.
• Technology as a scaling lever for social businesses.
• Empowering local communities, particularly in rural areas.
• Mentorship at NSRCEL: helping others and supporting fellow entrepreneurs.

Advice for budding entrepreneurs

• Develop empathy and sensitivity to social problems, treating it as an additional sense alongside sight.
• Treat every problem as an opportunity.
• Network with people who hold different or opposite perspectives to your own, to gain real insight.
• Embrace intrapreneurship: apply an entrepreneurial mindset inside existing organisations.

Module link: GoCoop, the producer companies and the buy-from-or-sell-to-low-income-families definition sit directly on Module 3's cooperative, FPO and social-venture material.

07: Dhananjaya "DJ" Ramakrishnappa, Joining the Dots Foundation

Read alongside Module 3. This entry was an empty heading in the original interviews page; the full write-up lived in the Module 3 note as "Podcast Dos" and has been moved here. Note that no transcript PDF exists for this session anywhere in the course folder, so this write-up is the only record of it.

This podcast interview features Dhananjay "DJ" Ramakrishnappa, a software engineer turned program manager turned social entrepreneur and volunteer at Joining the Dots Foundation (JTD). The interview explores DJ's personal journey, JTD's work in education and other sectors, and the challenges and rewards of social entrepreneurship.

DJ's Background:

• Family and Upbringing: Youngest of four siblings, rebellious childhood, parents encouraged individuality and didn't pressure him to conform. Early interest in questioning and problem-solving.
• Education: Attended Srishti Vasavi Vidya Peetha (received a financial gift upon graduation), National College (emphasis on questioning), and Siddhaganga Institute of Technology. Initially uninterested in science but excelled in computer science due to project-based learning.
• Master's in the US: Overcame financial challenges to study in the US. Thrived in the project-based learning environment, developing a strong work ethic and coding skills. Interned at a New York startup, gaining experience in customer centricity and problem-solving. Worked at Ericsson, but found it not challenging enough.

Microsoft and Career Shift:

• Focus on Problem Solving: Joined Microsoft, excelling in various roles (SDET, SDE, Product Manager) due to his focus on problem-solving. Filed and received a patent related to data security.
• Emphasis on Culture: Noted the positive work cultures at Ericsson, Microsoft, HackerRank, InterviewBit, PicsArt, and Calvium, emphasizing the importance of a good work environment.

Joining the Dots Foundation (JTD):

• Inspiration: Motivated by the limited opportunities for girls in his family and the writings of Dr. Abdul Kalam (PURA, Providing Urban Amenities to Rural Areas).
• Mission: To help students become the best versions of themselves through education, sports, military training, healthcare, and environmental initiatives.
• Focus: Primarily works in rural areas, aiming to bring quality education and other opportunities to underserved communities.
• Challenges: Early efforts to support education were hindered by community politics and bureaucratic hurdles with another NGO. This led to the creation of JTD with a focus on autonomy and scale.

JTD Initiatives:

• Joining the Bits: Computer science education for students, aiming to develop strong computer scientists.
• Sports for Girls (SFG): Nurturing girls to become career sportswomen, promoting gender equality.
• Joining the Atoms: Supporting aspiring scientists.
• Environment: Planting 1 million trees.
• Healthcare: Addressing the lack of access to quality healthcare in rural areas.
• Military Training: Preparing students for joining the armed forces.
• Joining the Saptaswaras: Promoting cultural education based on Indian traditions.

Fundraising and Impact:

• Freedom Walk: 150-kilometer walk for fundraising, inspired by sacrifices made during India's independence movement.
• Nikhil Kamath Foundation Donation: JTD received a ₹1 crore donation after winning a public vote on Nikhil Kamath's podcast.
• Stories of Impact: Shared several stories of students whose lives were transformed by JTD's initiatives, emphasizing empowerment, resilience, and achieving their potential.

Key Takeaways:

• Importance of Education and Values: DJ's own educational experiences and strong family values shaped his commitment to education and social impact.
• Problem-Solving and Innovation: A consistent theme throughout his career and JTD's initiatives.
• Resilience and Perseverance: Crucial for overcoming challenges and achieving success in social entrepreneurship.
• Power of Community and Collaboration: JTD's work relies on partnerships and community involvement.
• Impact Measurement: The focus is not just on outputs (e.g., number of students trained), but also on outcomes (e.g., empowerment, life transformations).

The interview portrays DJ as a passionate and dedicated social entrepreneur who is driven by a deep commitment to improving the lives of others, particularly through education and access to opportunity. His personal journey and the stories of JTD's impact offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone interested in driving positive social change. He closed the conversation with recommendations for four books: High Output Management by Andy Grove, Execution, Trillion Dollar Coach by Eric Schmidt, and A Hard Thing About Hard Things.

Module link: the outputs versus outcomes distinction is the impact-measurement idea Module 3 otherwise lacks, and it is the same argument OpenGrad makes when it says the metric is not admission but whether the student ends up feeling capable.

08: Nikhil Vaidyanathan, The Open Music School

Read alongside Module 4.

• Interview: Nikhil Vaidyanathan, founder of The Open Music School (TOMS).
• TOMS's Reach: Taught over 1500 students across India, the UK, US, Australia, and Canada, with offices in Bangalore and London.
• Nikhil's Background:
  • Began drumming at a young age, inspired by Bollywood music. Taught music informally to friends and neighbors from 7th grade.
  • After briefly attending college for a business degree, decided to pursue music professionally. Started teaching at various music schools before founding TOMS.
• TOMS's Origin: Initially a "running joke" with a friend. Started small with 6 students. Grew through word-of-mouth, attracting students and even investors. One student invested and helped him establish a London branch, while another brought in many students from their community.
• Entrepreneurial Journey:
  • Focused on removing barriers to music education by demystifying music production, emphasizing accessibility, and affordability.
  • Developed a degree program in music production (BA and MA) in India, after having been unable to pursue an expensive degree abroad in his earlier years.
  • Adapted to COVID by pivoting online. Now views online as another way to increase accessibility of music education.
  • Embraced opportunities and diverse income streams based on skills developed throughout his music career (creating articles and blog posts, building soundproof rooms, recording and producing music, teaching, starting a band).
• Philosophy on Music Education: Believes everyone has musical potential. Emphasizes the ease of entry into music creation and playing. Encourages learners to visualize, think, and speak in music. Focuses on learning music as a whole with different methods rather than just pure rote mechanicals.
• Philosophy on Entrepreneurship:
  • Start now: Begin with whatever resources you have available. Don't let perceived limitations or perfectionism hold you back.
  • Community and word-of-mouth are powerful: Begin with selling to people closest to you and let word-of-mouth take care of spreading your work.
  • Identify a clear purpose: This fuels passion and motivation to overcome inevitable challenges.
  • View problems as opportunities: Be resourceful and creative in finding solutions. Be prepared for a "pivot", where one small action takes you to a different road and to a different destination or end result than initially thought.
• Personal Values: Driven by a passion for sharing music and removing the prestige or high barrier aspect. Values close relationships with his team and the unique stories of each of his students.
• Next Project: Creating accessible, high-quality online resources to further democratize music education, reaching people in tier 2, 3, 4, and 5 cities and rural areas, inspired by OpenGrad's model (see entry 05).

Module link: "start now with whatever you have" is bootstrapping and the effectuation bird-in-hand principle stated in plain language, and the pivot warning is Module 4's RedBus lesson.

09: Ashutosh Ananth, Rescript

Read alongside Module 3 and Module 4.

• Interview: Ashutosh Ananth, a serial entrepreneur focusing on sustainable products. His current venture, Rescript, makes sustainable paper.
• Background:
  • BBA student with a penchant for developing business plans. Started his first venture, Express Feast, during his third year.
  • Express Feast: Produced ready-to-eat, preservative-free, homemade instant meals that required only hot water. Marketed as convenient for travel, especially for vegetarians. Successfully pitched to companies like Indigo Airlines and even appeared on Shark Tank.
• Rescript's Story:
  • Started with no specific product in mind. Explored different unique products and their distribution.
  • Discovered plantable pencils and seed books and initially sold those to large corporations (Infosys, SAP, EY). The novelty wore off as clients would not make repeat purchases and began seeking a way to make a larger impact.
  • Recognized the environmental impact of traditional paper production, as well as the sheer market size of this opportunity. Decided to focus on making sustainable, naturally white recycled paper as an alternative.
• Rescript's Sustainable Paper:
  • Made from recycled waste from packaging and publishing industries.
  • Naturally white without bleaching, making it more environmentally friendly than other recycled paper options, also improving its color, readability and appeal.
  • Differentiated based on its environmental benefits and unique color and texture.
• Marketing and Sales:
  • Initially relied on personal connections and direct sales to hospitals, since most offices and schools were shut during the pandemic when his operations first began. One early success was Columbia Asia hospital which resulted from referral through a previous buyer through his previous company which gave this startup some "legitimacy" in people's minds, resulting in his company being able to acquire their first major customer in that segment.
  • Targeted environmentally conscious schools and companies. Leveraged students as brand ambassadors.
  • Success with school notebooks led to an order for journals from Swiggy, and subsequently increased sales with notebooks also bringing recognition in the business segment, which increased sales in individual office spaces since those working at offices saw and experienced the paper first-hand as an onboarding product which their colleagues used as journal books as part of an internal gift and onboarding corporate initiative.
• Funding and Growth: Bootstrapped the company with a small initial investment, later supplemented with debt funding from NSRCEL and the Startup India Seed Fund. Achieved significant revenue growth (from ₹1.5 crore to ₹4 crore in one year). Currently targeting ₹10 crore revenue.
• NSRCEL's Role: The NSRCEL incubation program provided essential mentorship, guidance on navigating the stationery industry, access to networks, and funding opportunities through seed funding. Also helped by connections made during the Velocity program for growth stage entrepreneurs.
• Co-founder Dynamics: Strong, complementary skills and shared values with his co-founder, which helps in making important strategic decisions and reduces conflict. Transparent communication, alignment on their vision for the company, and mutual respect help maintain a positive co-founder dynamic. Open to disagreement and discussion.
• YLP program experience: Found it impactful in narrowing focus and making subsequent decisions for future venture and business goals. Was also where he discovered IIMBx, and appreciated the learning format, especially discussion and online groups among program participants across different locations.
• Long-Term Vision: Aims to build Rescript into a nationally recognized consumer brand. Motivated to give back through sustainability initiatives (a water conservation goal for Rescript), and to achieve professional recognition within the IIMB network (Distinguished Alumni). Believes that wood, especially from planned farms or forests as a regenerative resource, should not be conflated with non-renewable extracted resources such as metals, whose consumption patterns need a mindset switch to recycle, repair and reduce consumption.
• Advice for Entrepreneurs: Encourages anyone wishing to embark on such a journey to "make a switch", to begin anywhere immediately with current skillsets and available resources, and to talk frequently about progress on chosen initiatives, since day zero of such a journey is only a decision away.

Source inconsistency to note: the Module 3 lecture describes Rescript's paper as bamboo-based, with the technical breakthrough being that it no longer smudges or jams printers, which promoted bamboo from filler to main ingredient. This interview describes it as recycled, naturally white paper made from packaging and publishing waste. Both accounts come from the course's own materials. Treat the lecture as the professor's account and this entry as the founder's own description of the product line.

Module link: a for-profit social venture (Module 3 and route 5 of Module 4's seven ways), funded by bootstrapping plus debt plus incubator seed funding, which is the Module 3 financing menu in one venture.