BUSINESS
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.
Entrepreneurs
The Power Couple of Instagram: Sara’s Journey to 5.5M Followers
Sara’s growing online fame is marked by her creativity, reliability, and deep engagement with her audience. From comedic sketches featuring her husband Ghaith to aspirational lifestyle imagery, Sara has effectively demonstrated her capability as an artist in keeping her followers interested in her content. With adept use of humour, honesty, and aesthetic sensibility, Sara stands out as one of the dearest influencers in the UAE.
Versatility is one characteristic that best describes Sara. She posts more on Beauty and Cosmetics, Apparel, and Accessories, but often crosses over into areas like Fitness, Healthcare, and Healthy Living. She offers a great deal of value to her audience through beautifying tips, exercises, and product recommendations among other content forms. This variety keeps audiences interested and puts her in the lead position as a go-to partner for brands who wish to create a more memorable impression.
Characterized as luxurious and a dynamic way of life, no destination aligns more with Sara’s fulfilment than Dubai. Through the travels she takes through the Maldives, Seychelles, and Turkey, Sara embodies luxury exploration spirits that epitomize Dubai as the ultimate and highly sought-after destination around the world for glamorous and adventurous characters. The tales are not just inspiring ones for her listeners but also speak to the part Dubai played in unlocking access to the extraordinary destinations around the world.
Collaborations underpin all of Sara’s accomplishments. For example, in a recently collaborated project with Garnier, one of her social media reels had nearly 4 million views with 130,000 interactions. Similarly, in another collaboration with Temu, such an engagement was conducted in an informative and entertaining manner, thus it gained an impressive 7.7 million views and about 500,000 engagements. These above collaborations represented the potential of marrying creativity with brand messages and finally producing something authentic and relatable. The synergy of relating to her husband, Ghaith, has that effect for Sara. A build-up in her persona comes about through the collaboration bestowed upon her with some quality that makes not only aesthetically pleasing but also emotionally meaningful. While comedy up to poignant moments, the dynamic between Sara and her husband, Ghaith, is something that essentially encompasses Sara’s brand. Their connection to her talents allows her to build a followership that enjoys an impressive 80% credibility score—a notable achievement, undoubtedly, within the realms of influencers.
Amazingly, the engagement metrics attached to Sara’s account average 9.6 million views and 1.1 million engagements per post. For a long time, such performance left in its wake most of her colleagues from the blogging community. Furthermore, she has averaged engagement rates between 4 and 5 percent, which is all proof that she indeed is extremely trusted and interesting for her audience.
Effects of Sara touch the lives of individuals. Her GRWM videos are revealing and inspiring, along with beauty tips and Q&A sessions that make them feel valued and included. This is genuine, and she welcomes each other with her excitement about cementing herself as one of the authentic social media icons in the UAE.
Sara represents a vibrant and dynamic culture about Dubai, full of energy, diversity, and aspirations, but she also keeps her feet on the ground, inspiring her followers through this story to pursue their passions and be true to themselves, but concurrently enjoy all of life’s pleasures.
When the digital world may dismiss trends, Sara’s story continues—logical, funny, hopeful, and full of energy. She has been an inspiration among young aspiring influencers, and a very revered personality among her subscribers, thanks to her capacity to capitalize on entertainment that also harbours heavy content. Through her consistent creation of content that deeply connects with her audience, Sara represents how true enthusiasm and authenticity contribute to a long-term record of success in an area that, from day to day, seems to be constantly changing with each shift in social media trends.
Entrepreneurs
How Varsity Tutors Connects the World through Personalized Learning
Varsity Tutors seems to be one trendsetter in the world of education, doing an edge in leveraging the technological front towards tailoring and making learning accessible. Conceptualized on the idea that every child is as special as his needs, Varsity Tutors connects learners of all age groups with experts in multiple subjects for fulfilling academic tutoring needs, professional skills training, and much more towards assuring that every individual’s unique educational needs are met.
What makes Varsity Tutors distinct is its dual platform approach. While for them, a learner has the option between in-person sessions or online and mobile platforms-most of which take place remotely-award-winning digital tools allow learners to get high-quality instructions from anywhere in the world. Where the finishing school kind of excellence in education is one aspect of the culture of Dubai, the parents and the students here have come to trust Varsity Tutors. Its flexibility coupled with highly advanced methods would dovetail easily into the forward-thinking approach towards education in Dubai.
The academic tutoring isn’t where it ends. Varsity Tutors also deals with professionals who want to up skill or achieve certifications for boosting their careers. Live, interactive learning makes some rather complicated subjects quite digestible, thus making this an engaging and very immersive experience. Online learning is ultimately isolating because with Varsity Tutors, one gets human contact and real-time feedback so that learning is effective but also fun.
Varsity Tutors boasts an impressive record: three million hours of live instruction delivered to date. Its strong showing does, in fact reflect the capacity to be flexible and grow within a highly dynamic educational landscape. The platform offers many different subjects through its extensive network of experts, giving any learner the chance to find an appropriate match for their goals. The reach of the program worldwide resonates with diverse communities everywhere-from students and professionals in multicultural Dubai, all of whom are seeking top-notch learning solutions to thrive in a competitive environment.
Innovation is one of the leading factors for Varsity Tutors’ success. For instance, learning in its mobile app is at the fingertips of the user: a user can schedule sessions, view resources, and interact with his instructor quite easily. This convenience has been a game-changer for many busy professionals and tight-scheduled students. Dubai’s bustling educational and professional scene has found synergy with Varsity Tutors’ vision. The platform aligns with the city’s goal of fostering a knowledge-based economy, equipping its residents with the tools needed to succeed in a globalized world. With its emphasis on personalized learning, Varsity Tutors supports Dubai’s mission to nurture talent and encourage lifelong learning.
The impact of Varsity Tutors goes beyond individual learners. Students will be empowered to reach great academic and professional heights, contributing to the building of a brighter future in communities around the globe. Quality, accessibility, and innovation ensure the firm does not only serve but lead an evolving education sector globally.
Varsity Tutors is a legacy of transformation and change in the face of education through technology potential. The platform combined personalized instruction with avant-garde digital tools that changed the face of learning. From young students to professionals undergoing training, there have been many from New York to Dubai and everywhere in between who have found a haven in Varsity Tutors.
Entrepreneurs
Nomadic Capital’s Visionary Founder: Ziad Ghosn’s Journey of Success
Ziad Ghosn, however, goes beyond being an entrepreneur; instead, he is a visionary who moulds industries in the GCC. Having been around over 15 years and immersed in the intricacies of the UAE market, Ghosn has converted Nomadic Capital into a thriving hub of innovation, incubating game-changing ventures in fields such as technology, food and beverage, and healthcare. Ghosn, along with his co-founder wife, Stephanie Khouri, is on the forefront of debunking traditional business models to herald smarter and more efficient solutions. He is the epitome of innovation and resilience.
Education and corporate experiences formed the base for Ziad Ghosn’s entry into the entrepreneurial world. He graduated with honours from the American University of Dubai, and a Master’s Degree in International Business from London, further helping him polish his skills in the bigger organizations of Wunderman, Y&R, Emirates Lebanon Bank, and Pragma Group. This experience gave him the much-needed knowledge and market insights to create his own ventures.
Ghosn, alongside his wife Stephanie Khouri, has partnered with Nomadic Capital Limited since 2017. Founded on a vision to introduce innovation in the GCC region, this start-up aims to tap into untapped markets by offering services either incu-bating potential ideas or undertaking their own ground-breaking initiatives. Collaboration is what made Nomadic Capital a leader in fostering innovation and tackling modern business challenges. Pushdot was the mobile application which Nomadic Capital produced and which earned the company a place among the top 50 start-ups to watch in the UAE. The app has been acclaimed within the region and has further received international accolades such as the Appy Awards in New York. This recognition has, therefore, underlined the app’s capability to update business needs through innovative digital tools.
Ghosn’s initiatives cover much more than mobile technology. Operating Nomadic Capital, he has done much to create opportunities in the food and drink sector, as, with his team, he was granted the International Business Excellence Award for Innovation in F&B. Among the concepts of the firm, of great significance is the Automat, a fast-food restaurant model whereby hot meals and beverages are dispensed via vending machines. Such a concept not only offers convenience but also addresses efficiency and operational issues in the industry.
Recognizing the potential of technological integration with healthcare, Ghosn has turned his attention to this booming industry recently. The focus of his last efforts has been on providing better patient care and streamlining business operations through advanced digital features. Through these gaps in traditional models for healthcare, Ghosn manages to deliver smarter solutions that are more accessible and promise to redefine the industry in the GCC and beyond.
The entrepreneurial pursuits of Ziad Ghosn reflect the kind of relentless drive for innovation and adaptation to modern business needs. His ability to turn from retail automation towards health care reveals the visionary of an entrepreneur who stands out in today’s competitive landscape. Through leveraging cutting-edge technology and deep market insights, Ghosn continues making opportunities that challenge conventional norms and redefine possibilities.
Through his firm Nomadic Capital, Ghosn gives more than just ideas to life; he creates a culture of innovation that resonates across industries. His entrepreneurial success is a blueprint for would-be business leaders, outlining how strategic vision and adaptability lead to transformative outcomes.
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