"Be Your Own Boss. Always Be Grateful and Lead by Example."- Kushal Jain

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1. Tell us about your journey.

When I was pursuing Engineering, I always wanted to get placed in a company with an amazing package. I had moved to Bangalore with extremely high hopes, to become a good engineer and provide financial stability to my family. But after completing the 1st year of engineering, I realized that this profession was outdated and my seniors, despite having the caliber, were struggling to get a good job.

Thus, I decided to do part-time jobs. I worked at various part-time jobs but the problem was that it was affecting my studies. I was unable to allocate an adequate amount of time to study and prepare for my exams. Hence, I began searching for a platform where I could learn and
earn simultaneously.

One of my friends suggested stock market investing. I opened a Demat account and wanted a mentor to help me learn about the market. It was extremely difficult to find a mentor who genuinely wanted to help. Though, after several attempts, I was lucky enough to find a mentor who could guide me. I practiced trading under my mentor’s guidance for 3 years and became a sound trader. I then began teaching my friends about the stock market and loved teaching them. 

Gradually, I started going to varied clients to teach them at a very nominal price (around 2000 INR for 10 sessions). After a year, I got featured in the Zee Business show, which gave me good exposure. More clients approached me and that is how I formed a training institute, naming it PurpleTrades. It has been 3 years now, we are currently associated with 40+ colleges in Bangalore and have trained over 1000 individuals.


2. What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

The obvious challenge was money for infrastructure and other resources. 

Initially, it was all a one-man show. I used to do the calling, the counseling, visiting the clients and also explaining to them about the services offered. Clearly, I could not afford manpower at that point in time. I used to work in co-working spaces and invite the clients there. Once the number of clients coming in each month crossed 10, I took a bigger co-working space. And in a year, I moved out and into my full-fledged office with just one employee. Now, I have six employees, a much bigger space, and better technical resources.


3. Did you consider failure at any point? What kept you going on?

The stock market is full of uncertainty. There are months together where you don’t earn anything and that can be quite disappointing and depressing. However, my family and my team are very supportive. They understand the pains of running a startup, some of them even work seven days a week to support the growth of the venture. I am truly incredibly lucky to have found such a hard-working team. Their efforts keep me motivated and push me to do more in life.

4. Do you have any regrets? What would you have done differently?

I always wanted to make money and be my own boss. What more could I ask for? I am truly happy and have no regrets.


5. Tell us about one valuable lesson you learned from a student of yours.

No matter how rich you become, always be grateful and use your money wisely. Always respect money and also appreciate your clients, even if they chew your brains out or ask you to do a hundred things that may seem stupid. Be humble, respond to them kindly and help them. The easiest way to go about this is to think of them as your family. I am extremely proud to have cultivated the same ethics in my team and this is probably one factor that sets us apart from our competitors.

6. What is your advice to our young readers, some tips for someone aspiring to be an entrepreneur, or planning to pursue a career in this field?

From my experience, I can say that your team is your biggest asset. Do not order them around but lead by example. First, try to learn things yourself and then teach your team. Invest in them, take good care of them, treat them as your family, and just be there for them. They will in turn push you to not give up in your hardest of times. Remember, your team will respect you more if you are capable of guiding them through various situations.


- Kushal Jain, Stock Market Specialist at Purple Trades

- Interviewed by Agatha Coutinho

- Edited by Shilpy Sharan