We knew that the theoretical knowledge imparted in schools /colleges is way different from what happens in the real world. So we started brainstorming on tons of ideas and came to a conclusion, "what if we do something in the practical knowledge domain?".
Career Keeda works in the education space and focuses on providing practical training and skill development courses; something that our Education System doesn't focus on. We aim to bridge the gap between what's taught in colleges /HEI's and what actually happens in the corporate world.
Our journey started back in 2015. We knew that the theoretical knowledge imparted in schools /colleges is way different from what happens in the real world. So we started brainstorming on tons of ideas and came to a conclusion, "what if we do something in the practical knowledge domain?".
There were no players in the market who were doing it and we could see this grow in the near future. We spent hours, days, weeks, months on brainstorming. And we finally took the plunge and started!
Both of us being first-time entrepreneurs, our ideas were fresh and we wanted to try out every marketing strategy that struck our mind. Some strategies worked, some didn’t. And the journey has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride.
2. How did you come up with this idea and go about executing it?
So it's an interesting story of how we started Career Keeda. Here it goes: this story goes back to 2015 when I happened to attend an award function in my home city (Kolkata) where I met my co-founder Mohit.
He was very enthusiastically pitching his idea to my dad and being a curious 19-year old kid, I heard Mohit speak about his million-dollar idea. He spoke like a true entrepreneur. I walked up to him and asked, “Great presentation. Are you looking for a Co-Founder in your venture?”He said, “Right now, I’m riding solo. But I am looking for a Co-Founder!”
I grabbed the opportunity and went on board immediately. I knew I always wanted to do something in the creative/entrepreneurial field but little did I know I would be jumping on it so early in life. And then the hustle started. I was in my second year of college and now I was an entrepreneur too.
As a startup venture, we knew what to do. But we did not know the “how”. We started making cold calls, cold emails and what not. In the age of digital marketing and content marketing, we focused on offline marketing too. Both of us being first-time entrepreneurs, our ideas were fresh and we wanted to try out every marketing strategy that struck our mind.
Some strategies worked, some didn’t. We earned of course, but we learned some hard lessons too. Only by executing and taking the first step: the START. Mind you, I was attending college too. And you know how folks at college are, they will try and ridicule you for whatever you do.
And that’s exactly what happened with me too. There will always be people who will criticise you for what you’re doing. There are two ways of dealing with this: either give it back to them or ignore them and focus on your work. I did both.
The two takeaways from this story are:
One, taking the leap of faith and believing in your idea, even if others don’t.
Two, grabbing every opportunity that comes your way and learning in the process. Because if you never try, you’ll never know. Just what you’re worth!
3. What has been your biggest challenge that you faced and how did you overcome that?
Our first idea failed!
Yes. Our initial plan was to impart counselling in schools and colleges. Not only mainstream counselling but also focusing on certain out of the box courses like RJ'ing, DJ'ing, Music, Dance, etc. After operating for a year and a half, we realised that every major school/college already has a counsellor. So that idea failed.
We had to make the pivot and that was our biggest challenge. We found out a critical problem that we could solve and we started our journey with our second idea. We had to take a plunge and we're glad it worked out!
4. What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur?
I think one of the most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur is how they behave and react in difficult times. As a startup founder, you are facing problems and difficulties on a daily basis. Solving customer queries and handling the wrath of investors is a tricky affair. It all boils down to how you behave in such crucial times. I think that's the mark of a successful entrepreneur and that's what will make you stand out from the rest.
5. What are some of the most important factors for running a successful business?
Two points:
- Firstly, the zeal to solve a major pain point. As we are talking about a startup here, it's very important to be involved in it full-time. There's no concept of part-time, in my opinion. If you can't put your 110% on your startup, it shows you're not very keen on doing this.
- Secondly, an ace team. No organisation can function without its team. And if your team members can align with the vision of the organisation, nothing like it!
6. What are your tips for the first time and aspiring entrepreneurs?
Three pieces of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs:
- Don't take this up just for glory/fame/money. Only take this up if you're able to find a critical pain point and can provide creative/innovative solutions to solve it. Think of the "why" question before the "how" and the "what".
- Think about this before taking the leap of faith. Ask your family members and friends if they would like to pay money for the product you're building. You'll get all your answers there.
- Don't get too busy in pitching your idea to the investors before customers.
7. How can one overcome a hurdle of lack of funds when starting up?
Think about the idea at large. Initially, like every startup, you will pump in some of your own money, take some cash from your family members/relatives for a minor stake (optional) and start. If the MVP is ready and you've tested the product already, you may then approach investors/VCs/startup accelerators, etc. for funding.
But before raising funds, make sure you think through whether you actually want to raise funds because, in my opinion, a bootstrapped company is always better than a funded one.
- Deepak Pareek
Instagram @dkpareek
- Interview by - Aakash Nair
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