In our latest interview, we spoke to yet another passionate entrepreneur Shashikumar Ravi to understand more about his journey so far. He is the Founder of Edupilot. Let’s learn more about his exciting journey, way forward and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with him;
Talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
First of all I would like to thank BrilliantRead Media for recognising me and my work. It’s my immense pleasure and am extremely delighted to share my journey with you.
I am SHASHIKUMAR RAVI son of RAVI V AND SHANTHA and brother of TEJASKUMAR RAVI. I was born in a poor middle-class family in a remote village called Oddapalli which comes under Hosur Taluk, Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu Pin code: 635103 where speaking English is very hard and it’s impossible because there is no platform to speak English. It is located 35kms far from Bangalore City which is the Silicon Valley of India. I later shifted to the nearest town called Bagalur under the same pin code.
My mother is a housewife and my father worked as daily labor to give us the happy and desired life from my childhood till now but they never asked to help them or stop my education instead they always forced us to study in reputed schools and colleges. By seeing all this I myself decided to not add much burden to my parents so I never ask for anything.
We have struggled a lot without any support which I cannot explain in words, but it always rolls in front of my eyes. I had many sleepless nights feeling bad for myself that I cannot do or get what I wish for.”
I did my metric from New Oxford High School and then further studied CEBA PU from Krupanidhi Residential College from Bangalore, failed in 3 subjects but later cleared them and completed B.com from the same college where I did my PU but I discontinued because of some reasons and was in depression for few days and then later studied Bachelors of Human Resource Development from the famous and Well renowned college of Karnataka Alva’s College in Moodbidri and now I am currently pursuing MBA Masters of Business Administration from the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom (Great Britain). I am always different from others thinking practically instead of theoretical approach and not book-based.
I always aspired to have a strong belief in myself to become one of the young achievers by helping people and society grow around along with me. These are not just the words I am writing but it is about the daily routine practical life which I applied thought my life and still continuing.”
So many people including family, relatives, and friends insulted and told me that you are nothing but just a failure except my sisters and threw stones towards me but I gathered every stone they threw towards me and used those stones to build a bridge towards my success in life that’s the main reason today I am standing here like this in front of the society.
I had no one to help or guide me to build my life successful. I have struggled a lot and a lot to achieve my goals and still working on them.”
Always while seeing the success stories of young people in the society I felt bad for myself that I am nothing in front of them except my father’s son so at that movement I decided to build and create my own identity in the society so I started to work on this past many years in way different ways but it was very hard and difficult for me to do because of various factors including communication skills, stage fear, financial background. I have generated many different startup ideas and business plans but because of lack of support and the guidance I failed in all, but I never lost my hopes towards success.
I thought this would be important to say that I am not a great student, I am just an average student like all other students in the class but had a strong belief in myself that I will reach or build my success.
I always learn from my past mistakes and those of others and ensure I never make them again.”
To improve my knowledge and skills, I always kept digging through the internet of things for latest information though technology I always have a great passion towards technology I can use computer and software like a professional and all my friends, my well-wishers proudly call me techie so if they have any problem with laptops or mobiles they seek my help.
Apart from all this to gain more knowledge, I have studied Diploma in Tally 9.0, Payroll Administration and also NDLM National Digital Literacy Mission exam which is certified by the central government of India under the scheme of Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India and worked in a computer tutorial center named Sri Harsha Computer Education Center which is registered and certified for 1 year by handling the whole institute and teaching students basic computer skills like Ms-Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and various tying software.
Recently I gave the best advice and presentation to CMI Charted Management Institute in the UK on the topic Management 4.0 and the impact of emerging technologies on the industry and also did research projects on the topics called “Recruitment and Selection” and “Performance Appraisal” which merely connected to the current world and my career and also worked as the Auditing Executive for OYO Rooms and did internships and projects are different various areas. Currently, I am still studying 3 other different courses apart from my MBA and business they are
1) The Complete Ethical Hacking Course (Beginner to Advanced!).
2) SAP BI/SAP Business Objects Web Intelligence.
3) Machine Learning A-Z: Hands-On Python & R in Data Science.
During my college days, I took part in major contests and competitions since I was referred by almost all the teachers of the various departments this was the time where I identified myself in me and started working on various things to achieve success in life. I am a person who strongly believes that growth and success have no ultimate end limit and gives no value for money but for the people, values, Ethics, Norms, relationships so I held so many people around any necessities to develop themselves along with me.
I am a passionate individual from the beginning and always aspired to be one of the youngest achievers by delivering high values and performance in all walks of life. When I have no choices left mainly 2 of my teachers, I can say they are my well-wishers named Chandrashekar Mayya Sir from the Sociology department and Guru Prasad K.J from management supported me a lot.
I always plan things in advance with multiple choices but strongly believe and stick to one motive thinking both Negative and Positive aspects of what I want to do or doing currently. As I shared earlier, I had many business ideas but because of various difficulties they all failed I couldn’t implement them but I was very strong that I want to build my business empire and be a role model for the youth and society so while doing research about the overseas education for 2 consequent years on many things I decided to apply for UK Universities in order to do that I enquired online many consultancies from Bangalore approached me to process my application here.
I encountered many difficulties and at one point in time I even stopped my wish to study abroad and lost all hopes in life but something was triggering me I couldn’t sleep because I only do things what I like heartfully with more perfection so then again I started working climbing step by step and then finally I reached the UK on October 17th, 2019 to begin my new life to study MBA Masters of Business Administration.”
Along the process of coming to study in the UK so many people laughed on me that you can’t make it happen but within few days I made they are wrong by getting successful admission and offer letters 7 Universities from the UK, So in the process of application I have shifted to different consultancies because of improper response and negligence.
After few days of coming here, I thought the students should not face the problems what I have faced during my admission/application process then I decided to start one study abroad education consultancy business and finally on 15th December 2019 I am successful in launching my first ever website in the name “Edupilot” www.edupilot.in with the name Edupilot Overseas Education Consultancy with the main motive to create “Successful Global Graduates” and our tagline is “The Possibilities are Endless…” so far I have invested 1.5 lakhs with my savings earnings, etc. and helped 7 to 10 students without charging a single penny and they were very happy for what I did.
I must say that my brother is one of the best gifts that God gave me apart from my parents. He helped me in every way – mainly financially and by sacrificing his happiness. Again I need to say that since my childhood till now, apart from my family no one has helped me nor believed in my dreams but they now wait for my call to talk whatever I did is out of my own thinking, creation, hard work with sleepless nights. I have miles to go. I strongly feel with optimism, passion and hard work, I will scale new highs.
Why entrepreneurship over a corporate career?
I choose Entrepreneurship over a corporate career because my intention is to be an Entrepreneur so I can have full control over my goals and destiny, I would like to improve and also want to grow myself rather than being a toy in hands of someone. I want to be a king who rules his own kingdom and am in the process of building my kingdom while also pursuing my MBA. When I go back to my place I want to go with my will full of knowledge, confidence, and capacity to become an entrepreneur and to do good to the people who are expecting the same. I want to build an environment where people want to grow with me.
Reading success stories of the young people such as a 14 years old being recruited by Google for a strategic position and some young kid being recognised because of his/her skills. There are more such stories . I get inspired by such news and I am a person who always willing to take a risk and new challenges in my day to day life apart from all this we will have more responsibility on our business.”
Moreover, it’s a new challenge to build a competitive business which makes a greater impact in the society. Only a few people can do really pull this off. It takes a lot of planning, hard work, dedication, strategies, leadership skills, and perseverance to achieve it.
During my college, I chose Business because of my passion to build a unique business that solves major problem and makes the lives of people much more easier. I am learning everyday to make this a reality.
How is your product different from traditional products? Tell us more about your product and your startup’s journey this far?
Our products or services are completely different from others existing business which is already operational because, here basically what overseas education consultancies or consultants do is that they just go with the random people to process the application at the first stage but what we do is we match consultants based on the qualification, region, and language to make it more friendly and easy to our students.
In the second stage, the counselors will collect the necessary documents from the for filling the application on behalf of the students but here what’s happening is they counselors are only not clear about what documents are needed when so here how we are simplifying the process that is we first analyze and create a checklist based on the student and college which gives more relief to the students.
In the third stage after successful offer reviewing the offer letter and other details like accommodations, scholarships & bursaries and then filing the visa the counselor and consultancy job ends here but to add value to this we are offering airport pickup service to the accommodation in the destination country so that student has nothing to worry while traveling if it’s his first experience.
Apart from all this above we are also adding the unique service to our business which no others consultants have implemented it before finally the service is we are advertising jobs for the teachers by gathering the data in the colleges abroad due to financial problems and as I am a student still studying we will build very soon as possible. We strongly hope this will boost over the business over all others in the market because teachers who get a job through us automatically will refer us to a few members where it grows like a chain rapidly.
Please share with us some of the challenges you faced in your journey;
The very first challenge or difficulty I have faced here is the financial problem as I said earlier I am from a middle-class family and to study abroad I took a loan 26 lakhs from SBI where I have no option to take a risk in a business establishing a business. Being brave and strong I implemented my business idea and as so far, I am doing well. The main challenge in today’s business is to create a successful brand that makes an impact on society.
I also had no support and proper guidance since I am not from a business background family which made me difficult to think what to do at a perfect time and how to implement because reading in books and telling others is easy but when it comes to the process of implementation it is very difficult and hard here very single small things also matters a lot. But as all the typical parents in the society my parents always just want me to just do a secure constant job without taking any risk, now they are incredibly happy for me because that their son has also created some identity on his own. I always get inspired by the world’s great business leader Mr. Sundar Pichai for his growth and contributions to the society and he is my Role Model.
What is your Business Mantra: Money or Emotions?
Firstly, I would say money does not matter to me because I do not believe money can make anything or solve all the problems because every section of the society rich and poor both have the problems. Discipline, Orderliness, and Ethics do come first for me and I am a person who stands for the word and dies for that which I have inherited from my mother I will not compromise for anything if I am correct. Here in this day to day, competitive business environment lot of people get into the different business fields in order to make money where emotions turn meaningless. But I want to help people grow along with me heartfully of course by doing this money automatically follows the way
I know business is of much of difficulties and challenges I want to save this because today it may be difficult but after one month after that, we are confident to put our product in the minds of the target customers something that might but deadline bed and breakfast target audience mind that when I target audience it as an emotionally not as inner economically making money yes of course. Emotions are greater than everything money will flow like anything if we do good business, so I am also concerned about the making not only money taking emotions into consideration also with intention to look forward to getting money
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
When we do something whole heartedly or love what we do, there is no chance of stress. I feel sometimes we take time to decide certain things, I never think the world into pressuring business because I thought as we change the clock every day is a new challenge in the business and I don’t think it’s very hard.
If there is no failure it does not mean that we are more creative or something, but we should always understand that another person is not thinking or seeing just like us – that is it. But, we should be confident and proud that we are doing well.
Entrepreneur word itself says that it is always surrounded by risk. What we call stress, frustration, tenderness, and excitement are the part of our journey we should learn how to handle them and enjoy in the best way. When I decided to start a business, I struggled with a lot of sleepless nights, but it was worth it designing my website logo and other things.
When I used to do my business work mainly I won’t bring my personal life and I always recheck the things twice after I have done it successfully and also I plan In advance about tomorrow what needs to be done and how to do it or who’s the right person can do it quickly with more accuracy.
I am the person who takes all precautions. I do look for everything before it happens. I manage myself in all the aspects so I don’t make any mistakes. I do proper analysis and I’ll implement it once all the boxes are ticked.
What has worked well for you so far?
Without any business or family background and also being the first person in our family to study master’s degree from a UK University is an excessively grandiose thing in our family, people in our family suggested my parents total up a job but I think I made a very smart move here which matters a lot for me because to execute and implement the business while studying is really a great challenge but after coming here am able to do everything which I once dreamed.
Learning from my own mistake is the one and the only main thing which worked me very well.”
I am fortunate the journey has been incredibly rewarding, challenging, and at the same time exciting. It took me one month of continuous effort to develop my business and to serve my students or clients. I would say it has been brilliant so far and we have much more to achieve which is noticeably big and challenging awaiting in the near future.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
To be very frank with this question still now I am not in a right age or position to define the word success. Still, I am learning everyday in this journey. I strongly believe if just do what we love heartfully and with accuracy then the success always follows and so does money, name, fame will come running behind you but if you run behind the success it very hard to catch it”
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
I have learnt in my journey so far that one main thing which matters a lot is having good faith in yourself and not compromising with your dreams for any reason. There is no age limit to be an entrepreneur. There is no one too old nor too young. Do whatever it takes to make it happen. When everybody thinks what we dream of is a fairy tale is the most important thing. This is what exactly I believe in.
I believe in my principle that is 3L’s
Life
Long
Learning
When you dream about becoming an Entrepreneur that is the very first stepping stone for your business idea and keep in mind that not everyone thinks like this it means we are out of the box and should always think differently from everyone which makes you unique.
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