Aspiring students and budding professionals often are seen struggling in finding the right career path and facing challenges in their chosen careers. What could be the possible reasons?
Researchers have identified that despite having a lustrous academic record, students have struggled in the career selection process and in following up with their careers successfully. This is the point of concern which needs to be addressed with a better focus on their aptitude, innate skills and subject inclination.
Certain EdTech companies have grown up with the objective of preparing the students on a professional perspective. Their approach trains them for their chosen competitive exams but equips them with vital professional knowledge making them hardcore professionals.
Shubham Mahajan led PrepSmart EdTech helps the students in complete preparation for the chosen competitive exams and sets them apart to begin successful careers as smart professionals.
PrepSmart, a new EdTech start-up that began its operations in December 2021, is unique in its offerings. It not only addresses the preparation needs of a student or a professional but also prepares them for a future beyond exams. That explains why PrepSmart has become a runaway success within three months of its launch and stands out in the EdTech space for its uniqueness.
Shubham feels, “Seeking knowledge is deeply embedded in the Indian culture and PrepSmart EdTech is a new edition in the Indian quest for knowledge.”
In an exclusive interview, Shubham Mahajan, the Founder and CEO of PrepSmart EdTech, elaborated on his idea of venturing into EdTech, his journey so far and its future.
Please tell us about the saga of PrepSmart since its inception.
I started PrepSmart with a broader aim of changing the educational domain and system in our country. I myself have been working in this sector for a very long period and have personally prepared for entrances. I felt there were a lot of mismatches in the way the coaching and teaching industry was functioning, and, in the process, prospective students were losing out.
Hence after consulting with numerous friends, partners and VCs I decided to start my own EdTech wherein I can incorporate standards that match my thinking level and can bring about a positive shift in the education industry.
I started with a pilot and a team of four, got a good response in the first Six months and hence decided to scale operations in a proper way and that is how PrepSmart was born. I was selected for most tier One MBA Schools in the country, and everyone was puzzled as to why am skipping my MBA but every risk has its rewards and I have no regret today with me mentoring and having so many B-school interns with me today who learn from me motivates me a lot.
What was your inspiration behind venturing into the business arena?
Well, my inspiration behind entering the business arena has been always the freedom one has in making impactful changes. When you are working under X company and numerous managers it’s difficult to make or execute changes that you feel might create a positive impact.
Besides from a very young age, entrepreneurship has always been something that I have followed. The likes of first-gen entrepreneurs and their journeys motivated me to be a job creator rather than a seeker.
What were the initial challenges that you had to surmount to ensure your business’s success rate to reach greater heights?
- Lack of resources
- The established competition
- Marketing budget
- Creating awareness
- Maintaining the same quality
What professional values and qualities do you think your clients’ value in you and PrepSmart EdTech the most?
- Ethics
- Our morals and the mission that we work on
- Pure transparency
- The environment that we create as a family
What are the USPs that highlight PrepSmart’s uniqueness in the industry you are catering to?
- Preparing students not only for today’s exam but their overall future
- Imbibing various principles that will help students tackle problems in professional and personal life
- Delivering what’s promised
- Customisation and personalized approach
- Making sure that education is not a liability for students but something that they understand and enjoy + apply
As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants willing to enter the business world?
Definitely, I would, as a matter of I do like to help and mentor a lot of nascent level start-up founders that approach me for various advice. It’s tough but yes, it’s worth it.
And do not go behind fancy valuations, look to generate value and profits at the same time and you shall do good in the long term is what I think. Quality and service are two things that determine your fate in the start-up world.
How do you envision PrepSmart’s operations with the emerging technologies and automated tools that are revolutionizing the business world by enabling innovations?
As a matter of fact, we are an edtech and we utilize various tech-enabled features like interactive panels, AI, AR – VR and various tool for our academics but besides that, a lot of automation help us outsource our work and lets us focus on what we strive for that is academic quality.
