Jairaj Bhattacharya, Arnav Pyasi, Shikhar Gupta, and Shashank Pandey The Pioneers of Edtech Common Sense

In the realm of India’s booming edtech industry, where the chase for funds and rapid expansion often takes center stage, a quartet of entrepreneurs has forged their path with a different approach. Jairaj Bhattacharya, Arnav Pyasi, Shikhar Gupta, and Shashank Pandey, the minds behind ConveGenius, have exemplified the power of common sense in navigating the complex world of education technology. Their journey began in 2014 when Jairaj Bhattacharya and Shashank Pandey, both engineering graduates from the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, ventured into the social enterprise and impact segment of edtech. They embarked on a mission that set them apart from the conventional edtech founders of their time. Their vision was audacious yet clear: to provide high-quality educational content to an astounding 100 million children from middle- and low-income households across India.

What made their approach unique was the decision to offer this education for free. It was a decision rooted in common sense. They recognized that their target audience lacked the financial means to pay for educational resources. Drawing inspiration from tech giants like Google and Facebook, who offered their products for free to achieve massive scale, Bhattacharya and Pandey saw the potential for impact through a similar strategy. In the fast-growing edtech landscape of 2014, where venture capital was pouring into the sector, Bhattacharya and Pandey remained focused on their mission. They were not driven by the fear of missing out (FOMO) on funding rounds but by a genuine sense of purpose. They possessed an unwavering belief in the importance of what they were doing and never felt pressured to conform to industry norms.

In a market where edtech startups were raising substantial sums, ConveGenius managed to secure just one angel investor in 2015, who contributed a modest sum of Rs 25 lakh. Undeterred, they persisted, and in 2016, they raised a seed round of $1 million. Throughout this period, they remained acutely aware that investors were not queuing up to back their socially impactful edtech model. This awareness became one of their key strengths. While many startups were chasing vanity metrics like user engagement, Bhattacharya and his team focused on the fundamentals of building a sustainable edtech business. They understood that having thousands or millions of users did not automatically translate into significant revenue. Their emphasis on user retention and stickiness set them apart from others in the industry.

One striking example of their approach is ShareChat, a social media platform backed by Google. ShareChat had a massive user base of 400 million monthly active users by December 2022, with a valuation exceeding $5 billion. However, over 60 percent of its revenue in FY23 came from advertising services rather than direct user payments. Bhattacharya understood that having a large user base did not guarantee proportional revenue growth.

ConveGenius’s journey has been characterized by steady, sustainable growth rather than meteoric rises and dramatic falls. Their revenue from operations increased from Rs 13.5 crore in FY21 to Rs 46.7 crore in FY23, with losses growing modestly from Rs 6.87 crore to Rs 7.8 crore during the same period. This performance stands out, especially when compared to some of their peers in the edtech industry. For instance, FrontRow, an edtech platform for non-academic skills, raised significant funding but ultimately shut down in July. In contrast, ConveGenius, with its lean approach, managed to make a meaningful impact with fewer funds raised.

Amidst the challenges of 2022, when edtech venture funding declined, Bhattacharya faced pressure from various quarters to diversify beyond edtech. However, he viewed the market downturn as an opportunity to be more aggressive, emphasizing the importance of doing less and achieving more. His common-sense approach, combined with a lean team and a lack of heavy operational and administrative machinery, allowed ConveGenius to stay on its unique path. In reflecting on his journey as a social impact edtech founder, Bhattacharya remains humble. He does not consider himself a genius, noting that he possesses an average IQ. However, his journey and the success of ConveGenius exemplify that genius lies not in extraordinary intellect but in the thoughtful application of common sense.

The story of Jairaj Bhattacharya, Arnav Pyasi, Shikhar Gupta, and Shashank Pandey serves as an inspiring example of how entrepreneurs can make a lasting impact by staying true to their mission and relying on common sense to navigate the complexities of the business world. In an industry often dominated by hype and excessive spending, ConveGenius stands as a beacon of thoughtful, sustainable growth.