It’s that time of the year when summer sets in, and the battle against marks and expectations only worsens the the situation. When Varun Agarwal started giving talks at colleges and schools, he didn’t expect the uncertainty and confusion experienced by the students, especially regarding their careers, would be so high. He decided to bust a few myths around unconventional courses and urge people to channel their creativity instead. And, he began his latest venture —an app called ‘Grades Don’t Matter’ an alternative education platform.
The 30-year-old entrepreneur and author doesn’t believe that grades determine how smart someone really is. Having grown up as an engineering student who wanted to become a filmmaker, his book How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-Founded a Million Dollar Company records his endeavours to fight to the top. “Braving Anu aunty was one of my struggles to prove to my parents that I could be an entrepreneur. I’ve always believed that India should become a creative force, and these off-beat careers should come to the forefront, especially in 2018,” he says.
With a team of 10 people, 30 courses and 300 videos, the app has topics ranging from Event Management and Film Making to Beat Boxing and Stand Up Comedy. They’ve also roped in some of the most influential people to teach the courses, including Nitesh Tiwari (director of Dangal ), Amish Tripathi (author of the Shiva trilogy), Raghu Dixit (musician), Ritesh Agarwal (founder of Oyo Rooms) and several others.
“It’s basically a comprehensive video platform where the first phase teaches you about the career in general. The second phase focusses on the necessary skills required to pursue it, and the third is related to how viable and lucrative it can be when it comes to employment. That’s especially for the parents out there,” he adds.
They also worked with an ADHD specialist to address every student’s needs, keeping in mind the time span. The duration of each video is up to 45 minutes, making it concise yet interesting and enjoyable. Currently, all courses can be accessed at ₹199 and, at the end of the course, the student receives a signed certificate from the tutor and a workbook with a transcript of what has been taught. “The app also helps you eliminate choices. You may be excited about a certain course, but when you actually learn about it, you may realise that it isn’t really your cup of tea,” he says.
In the future, they plan to make around 500 videos and even introduce virtual reality to the learning experience. “It’s all based on the people’s responses towards a certain course. For example, if somebody wants to learn about stand-up comedy, we’ll let them experience how standing on a stage can feel like,” he says.
It isn’t just the students who become apprehensive of the future; Alicia Souza, who teaches the course on Illustration, says, “When I was growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian, then an accountant, and never ever dreamt of being a freelancer. But when I started doing graphic design, I loved it, and here I am! It always starts out tough, but it pans out well enough, sooner or later.”
It’s all about the passion, the creativity and the effort behind it all. “There are ups and downs, but that’s all a part of life,” says Arjun Kamath, who teaches the course on Photography. “Use your nervousness to your benefit. Work harder, believe, and it’ll happen.”
